The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-26

Ladies of the congregation had decorated
the pulpit with evergreens-clusters fferns
and ported palms, vases holding bambo
sprays-and among this leafy row were
great branches of yellow marguerites and
chrysanthemums. Those evergreens and
flowers presented striking contrast that
added much beauty to the interior, while
giving evidence of delicate tribute to the
pastor.
The choir. under the direction of A. NJ.
Benham, was at its best, having been aug
mented by the addition of full chorus.
Throughout the service the following
selections were rendered with very pleas
ing effect: "Send Out Thy Light"
Gounod; solo, Mr.. Robinson, "In Heav-
Church, "God to Whom We Look Up,
Chadwick; violin SOLO. Miss Hush:
Largo" Handel; "Hark My Soul"
soprano and also solos and chorus,
Shelley; tenor solo, w. E. Bachelor,
"My Soul is Athirst for God," Gaul. Clos
ing sentence.
DR.. Mclean was not accom- panied by
attempt to dwell too long on his formal
withdrawal from the church. Though it
was his last sermon as pastor in that
pulpit he preached in strain overlooking
with paternal solicitude for those he was
leaving, and only at the close OF his dis
course did he refer to the change. Indeed
he had announced his attention last May
of resigning to give himself more fully
to the Theological Seminary in these
touching words:
Dear Brethren: You have already been in
formally made aware of the impending change
in our long-continued relation as pastor and
people. do now and hereby formally tender my
resignation and request your acceptance OF the
same, to take effect on the 31st of August
= l do not wish you, however. to tn ink
that have been able without deep pain to ar
rive at the conclusion herein expressed. l am
scarcely able even yet to conceive of any
earthly form OF life for myself except as con-
nected with this church and its work. / can
almost as easily conceive of moving out of my
present body-indeed, out of my present self
into some other body and some other self, and
of SO becoming some other person, as to con-
ceive of living under conditions other than
those which have prevailed with me for the
past twenty-three years. / walk as one cropping
his way into new and unknown mode of ex-
istence.
DR.. McLean's discourse was upon the
texts taken from st. John, fourth chapter,
18th and 14th verses, and seventh chapter,
37th to 39th verses:
Every one that drinketh of this water
shall drink again; but whatsoever drinketh
of the water that l shall give him shall
never thirst again; but the water that I
shall give him shall become in him a well
of water springing up into eternal life.
vi Iudl ldSI Qdy. SiedI udy Oh I6dSU,
Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any
man thirst let him come unto me and
drink. If any man believeth on me, as the
scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water Thus spake he
of the spirit, which they that believed on
him were to receive"
The speaker said that these were two of
the most marvellous chapters of scripture,
and as he read them he wished that he was
not standing there at the end of his twenty
three years term in the pulpit, but rather
at the beginning. He desired to refresh
the memories of his congregation on the
occasions which brought out those words
from the Savior's lips.
1.-THE first time" he said, Christ was
sitting thirsty and hungry at st. Jacobs
well in Samaria, while his disciples went
to the city to buy bread. A woman came
to the well while he was waiting. He
spoke to her and asked her for a drink
She was surprised that he, Jew, should
ask a Samaritan for a drink from her
pitcher. Christ's answer was Every one
that drinketh of this water shall thirst
again; but whatsoever drinketh of the water
that I shall give him shall never thirst
again. But the water that I shall give him
shall become in him we'll of water spring
ing up into eternal life.'
"This woman was a typical character
She was not an abandoned woman, but
after the standard of her age reasonably
respectable one. She had the ear, the con-
fidence of the city and the people went out
to hear Christ. She was typical of the
great majority of the human race who
live down to our day for selfish satisfac-