Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/104

72 grant it! May Christ fill this house with His glory, here show forth that He liveth for ever, and prove even to multitudes yet unborn who here shall seek His face that the virtue of His blood and the power of His Spirit last unexhausted through all the lapse of time! Now unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' The doors and passages are so well arranged that after the service the large congregation very quickly dispersed without the least inconvenience. Pleasing reminiscences will long be entertained of the opening of Knox Church, which will henceforth rank as a red-letter day in the history of the Province of Otago."

The Rev. A. B. Todd, of Oamaru, preached in the afternoon of the opening day to a large number of young people and their friends from Eccles. xii. 1: "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." The evening service was conducted by the Rev. W. Will, of East Taieri, who preached from 2 Cor. v. 14: "For the love of Christ constraineth us." The singing in the morning and evening was led by the choir in a most creditable manner under the leadership of Mr G. M. Thomson. Some of the hymns were exceedingly well sung, especially "Jerusalem, my happy home." The congregation entered into the spirit of the words very heartily. The singing of the children at the afternoon service was led by Mr Wright, and was also very effective. The amounts of the collections at the different services were as follows:—Morning, £459 10s 9d; afternoon, £38 12s lOd; evening, £63 14s 1d: total, £561 17s 8d.

On the evening of the Tuesday following the opening of the new church a social meeting to celebrate the event was held in the old building. Tea and other accessories were bountifully provided by the ladies of the congregation, and the following ladies presided at the tables—Mesdames Baird, Blair, Borrie, Burn, Burt, Cargill, Flanagan, Glasgow, G. Grant, J. Hislop, W. Hislop, Kirkpatrick, Lothian, Mackerras, McQueen, G. Matheson, T. Matheson, T. Moodie, Niven, Norrie, Reith, Scoullar, A. Stewart, W. D. Stewart, Sparrow, Street, Turnbull, Wallace, Whitelaw, Whitson, Wilkie, R. Wilson, and Ziele. After tea, the large assembly adjourned to the new church, which was speedily filled. Dr Stuart occupied the chair, and was supported by the Ven. Archdeacon Edwards, the Rev. Drs Copland and Roseby, the