Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-17

temporal wants; your elders have been
nv steadfast counsellors and friends.
Your faithful women have minlstered 20
me and mine as the sisters Of Bethany dld
to the Master. Your children have grown
IN around me and seem like my children.
NV tears have fallen on the graves Of your
dead. Your treasures in Heaven are mine.
have given to your service the best years
of nv life. And now, as my sun turns to-
ward the West, shall 60 forth from you to
my labor till the evening, with cheerful
hope in God; and yet with home sickness
at my heart whose warnings never can be
satisfied till we meet again in that place
where parting is unknown.
Nav our covenant God comfort and
strengthen you; may the good will of him
who dwclt in the bush be your shield and
exceeding great reward; may the light of
redeeming love shine in your hearts until
the day dawns and the shadows flee away.
Afectionately yours in Christ,
HENRY j. VAN DYKE.
After fun and free discussion by various
members, aud the warmest friendship ex-
pressed for DR.. Van Dyke, and hearty APP
proval of his entire course during minis
t'y of nearly twenty years, a committee was
appointed to draft resolutions expressive of
the sense of the meeting, who offered the
following, which were adopted:
Whereas, This congregation has listened
with the tenderest sympathy and the pro-
foundest regret to the communication
which has just been received from our be-
loved Pastor, the Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke,
d. D., asking us to unite with him in
request to the PTesbytery of Brooklyn that
it would dissolve the pastoral relation ex-
isting between him and this Church, in
order that he might accept call to become
the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church
of Nashville, Tenn; while in so doing we
feel that We are consenting to the severance
of ties which most nearly concern the best
interests of our Church, and are very dear
to our own hearts, yet, in view of the potent
assigned by our cherished friend
and minister,
Resolved, that, reluctantly yielding to his
earnest request, we do unite with him in
asking the Presbytery of Brooklyn to dis
solve the pastoral relations between us, that
he may enter upon the duties of the new
and important field to which he has been
called.
Resolved, that his long, earnest and faith
full labOrs among US, his fidelity and cOur-
age in maintenance of the truth, bis con-
slant and tender ministrations to the af-
hicted, the sick and the dying, his Cody
walk and CONVEX sation, and his hearty sym
pathy in all our joys and sorrows, make this
separation peculiarly painful to
us; and We consent TO it only because we
hope that it will eventuate in bis good and
in the greater glory Of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Resolved, that we as a church and as
heartily approve and indOrse
the course of our beloved Pastor in his re-
lations, both to to this church and to the
church at large, during all the time he has
watched over and broken the Bread of Life
to us.
Resolved, that whatever may be the
action Of the Presbytery in this matter, our
dear friend and pastor may rest assured
that he possesses and will ever carry with
him our sincere respect, gratitude and af-
lection, our Christian love, and cur best
wishes for his every welfare and happi-
ness.