Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 17 June 1892
Rev. J. G. Wood Farewell Sermon at Conisborough.
Last Sunday marked the close of the long pastorate of the Rev. J. G. Wood as vicar of the parish of Conisborough, and in the evening the rev. gentleman preached his farewell sermon in the parish church.
The congregation was extremely large, and use had to be made of the aisles for seating purposes. This was in itself a testimony far greater than eloquence to the respect and esteem which Mr. Wood hail gained for himself during the quarter of a century he has passed at Conisborough. In that period he has done a valuable work for the church, but, recognising the great needs of an increasing population. Mr. Wood decided to accept a living entailing less labour, in the hope that a younger minister would be appointed at Conisborough, and one who will ably and earnestly cope with the responsibilities of the position.
In losing Mr. Wood the people of Conisborough lose a friend ready at all times to advance their interests and moral web fare. Mr. Woods was chairman of the Burial Board, and during the time he has presided at the meetings of the board the cemetery scheme soon to be brought to completion was formulated. Some years ago he sought a seat on the School Board, but the lay influence was exercised entirely for lay candidates, and Mr. Wood was consequently unsuccessful.
His departure from Conisborough is regretted on all sides, and his old parishioners wish him every happiness in his new parish in the north of the county, Ormesby.
A crowded congregation assembled to hear Mr. Wood’s farewell sermon. The hymns sum; during the service were 161, 333, 167, and 1133. The choir rendered the anthemn, “What are these arrayed in white robes.” The Vicar took for his text the words, “Till we all come in the unity of faith, and in the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect manhood, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians ch. iv.,13 v.) He said St. Paul was speaking to the Christians there as a church, as a collective body, and when he addressed the Church of Christ, either as congregations or individuals, he neither spoke of them too highly, nor did he disparage them. The Christians of Ephesus were anything but perfect, but St. Paul was a thankful Man, and never forgot to thank God, not only for what God had done for himself, but for His people.
Almost in all his epistles he thanked God for their growth. St. Paid was also an ambitions man. He had a true ambition, both fee himself and for his people. His ambition was to be ever pressing forward, leaving the things that were behind, and reaching forward to those things that were before. That which he desired for himself he desired for his people. In the text of that night, St. Paul was looking forward, and bade his people look forward. He had no satisfaction in present attainments. He was not satisfied that he had attained a life already perfect, and he did not wish his people to be satisfied, but to press forward till they all had arrived ate unity of the faith of God, until they had arrived at perfect manhood, and reached the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. It was a great source of comfort to St. Paul that his people had a future before them. It would be a poor thing if there was no growth in store for his people, no and be bade them go onward, forward, heavenward. People sometimes misunderstood one another, and harped upon one doctrine to the ignoring of others, because in this life the grasp of these matters was so feeble. There had been great types of humanity in history, both sacred and profane, but the only perfect Man was the great Head of the Church, and they hoped to be like Him hereafter, and see all perplexities and doubts pass away. He had just a few remaining words to say to them. They would pardon him if his heart was too full to say all he should like to say to them, but be felt the pain of the coming separation. He would fain put it on one side, and rather ask them, with himself, to have the same ambition as St. Paul had, and look forward to the future in store for them, and think what a grand time it would be when they all (God grant it!) should have come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.
That should be a great comfort to them in their sorrow at the coming separation. It might be a short or a long time, but the time of waiting must also be a time of working. None of them should be satisfied with their present attainments, but be going onwards. They were told in the chapter of Scripture before them that the ministry was arse of the good gifts God gave unto them, for the building up of the Church. The ministers were not their own in that matter; they went to a place they were removed, and it was God’s doing. It was His will that their pastor who had been with them 15 years should now be removed to another sphere of work, and painful as it was to them, they must try to see the hand of God in it. The worker would be removed, but the work went on. The Master would know who to send there to be a pastor, amongst them. He had felt the pain of separation so much, but he must not feel it too much it was so difficult to begin to take charge of a new flock away from his loved ones, so difficult to look upon new people as his people, but he prayed and hoped that by God’s grace he should try and throw his whole heart and soul into the faithful discharge of his duties as he found them.
Yet he hoped never to forget the old flock, and it would be a joy to him to hear that they were going forward prospering in the Christian life. Soon, he knew not how soon, the Heavenly Master would them a new vicar, and they should look upon as God’s gift to them. It was very likely that at first it would be a difficult matter to gather round a stranger, for their hearts shrank a little at strangers, but they could not expect that the new vicar would be like their old one. He might he a roan d very different stamp, but he would be a good spiritual man, an earnest and able ready and able to do far more work for them than he had been able to do.
It had been such a regret to him that so much of the work had been left undone. That was the reason why he had been content to go elsewhere, and he prayed that whoever came after him would be able toiler more than he had done and do it better. There would be no greater joy to him than to know that the church work in the place was progressing and increasing; and it might be that, as St. Paul went visiting those amongst whom he had worked, so he would be permitted to come amongst them occasionally. God grant that their friendship to one another through life might never be broken, and that as one by one they were called to their homes they should be gathered to Christ and join the Church Triumphant.
There must be a little interval between his departure and the arrival of the new vicar, and whether it would he an interval of two or three weeks or more, it was more than he could tell them. He did not even yet know who was to be the new vicar, but the interval was a very painful time, and in it he hoped they would help one another to keep the church work going on, so that when the new pastor came he should find things in order, and be able to take up the work, and improve it more and more. He should like to say that the churchwardens were responsible for all that went on at the church in the absence of a vicar and he hoped the people would lend them cordial support in their work. He would like to tell them what the last Sunday he should have amongst them had been. It had been sad because of the coming separation, but happy because they had had such hearty services, such earnest congregations, and such a large gathering of communicants at the Lord’s Table. There was nothing he rejoiced at more than the meeting of 110 communicants on the last Sunday he was with them. Then how delightful had the services been! The singing had been beautiful, and their organist and choristers had taken great care in their part of the services. Then he was pleased at the presence of one whom lie had loved since a boy, who had been permitted to leave his own parish and be present with them. God grant that whoever came there it might be one who felt for them in their troubles and sympathised with the sorrowing.
In conclusion, Mr. Wood said he should bear the people of Conisborough on his heart to his new place, and he hoped they would keep him in their remembrance.