CRICKLADE.
IN
MEMORIAM - JOHN McKAYE.
DEDICATION
OF A STAINED GLASS WINDOW.
Fitting and affectionate tribute was paid on Friday afternoon to the
memory of the Rev. John McKaye, B.A., whose twenty years of quiet and
unostentatious but earnest and conscientious ministry as rector of
Cricklade St. Mary closed with his life fifteen months ago. The east
window (erected in 1862) of the interesting old church was of poor
design and entirely out of character with the 15th century chancel, and
it was decided that a memorial to Mr. McKaye should take the form of a
new and properly designed window to take the place of the old and
unsightly one. The result of the undertaking is excellent. The stone
work, admirably harmonising with the rest of the fabric, is from the
design of Mr. Ponting, the diocesan architect, and the window, the work
of Mr. Horace Wilkinson, of Great Russell-street, a former pupil of
Kemp, is of beautiful stained glass, the subjects being artistically
treated and the colouring elegant and refined. The window is of three
lights, representing respectively "The Nativity," "The
Baptism of our Lord," and "The Holy Women at the
Sepulchre." At the foot is enscrolled the following inscription :--
To the glory of God and in loving memory of John McKaye,
B.A., for 20 years rector of this parish, who died June 30th, 1905,
this window is dedicated by his friends and parishioners, October,
1906.
The
cost of the work has been about £150.
The new and handsome altar hangings and dossal, the gift of Mrs. T. Butt
Miller, were used for the first time at the dedication service, as were
also the white wands of the churchwardens (Messrs. A. A. Baker and W. P.
Cole), which were the gift of Mr. R. Giles.
The window was dedicated by the Ven. Hemming Robeson, Archdeacon of
North Wilts, in the presence of a large congregation. The other
surpliced clergy were the Revs. Canon Estcourt (vicar of Swindon and
rural dean), Sydney Denton (rector of Cricklade St. Mary), H. J. Morton
(vicar of Cricklade St. Sampson), C. R. Gott (vicar of Latton), and
Herbert Robeson (rector of Blunsdon). Other clergy present at the
service were the Revs. M. J. T. Milling (Ashton Keynes), J. A. Ford (Maisey
Hampton), C. W. Tyler (Preston), Vernon Holt (St. Nicholas,
Bristol), G. H. Kirkham (Whelford), J. Going (Purton), &c. Mrs.
McKaye, widow of Mr. McKaye, and Miss Dean, niece, were also present.
The hymn, "We love the place, O God," was sung as a
processional. The special psalm was the 84th, and the special lesson,
Isaiah 40, v. 1 to 12, was read by Canon Estcourt. The hymn, "Hail
gladdening Light," was then sung, after which the dedicatory
prayers and the collect for All Saints' Day were said by the Archdeacon.
The hymn, "Let saints on earth in concert sing," preceded the
address.
ARCHDEACON
ROBESON'S ADDRESS
The Archdeacon said : I feel, my friends, that this is not an occasion
for a set sermon, but rather for a few words of sympathy and of
thankfulness. For is it not the case that on occasions like the present
there is always an element of sadness? The very expressions, "in
memoriam," "memorial window," speak to us of someone who
we miss from his place and his work on earth. They speak to us of some
tender affections wounded, some one side of earthly happiness buried.
They bring with them a sense of loss, and I am speaking to those, many
of whom knew far better than myself him in whose memory we have
dedicated the beautiful window yonder. Many of you at any rate have
known him for years as your pastor, have known him in his teaching, have
known him in his character, have known him in his gentleness, in his
power of sympathy, you have known him in his going out and coming in
amongst you, and some of you have very possibly known him in those
sacred moments at the bed side in the sick room, and with you there must
be a sense of the loss of one you knew as a faithful friend, a loving
pastor. And we all can think of him who is gone as a true servant of
Christ, whose place on earth and whose work on earth will know him no
more. Of course there are deeper and more secret griefs known only to a
few ; into these we would not venture to enter on a day like this ; we
can but offer that sympathy which in God's goodness does bring with it a
healing balm, and which seems to be in the very spirit of those words
with which the lesson read today opens, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my
people, saith your God," and the very spirit of the divine Master
who had room in his loving heart for every human sorrow, and Who by the
grave of Lazarus, we are told, wept the tears of one who loved
intensely. But then I should like today to strike a note of thanksgiving
rather --- a note of thankfulness for all His servant was, by God's
goodness, enabled to do for those among whom he worked in this place.
You know we are accustomed every Sunday, during the office of the Holy
Communion, "to thank God for all His servants departed this life in
His faith and fear." Now what do we mean by that expression of
thankfulness? We may mean many things, but at any rate in those words we
realise, we bring home to our minds in some degree that great doctrine
of the Creed, the Communion of Saints. We bring home to our minds the
fact that those who are gone before are still one family in Christ, one
family with us, not really lost to us but merely gone before, and we
cannot help imagining, though it has not pleased God to tell us much
upon such a mysterious subject, that those who worked here have entered
upon new activities of a more blessed and a more holy kind in the world
beyond --- day by day, in the very sight of the Master, drinking in more
of His love, realising how much each part of the discipline of life is a
discipline of a loving hand, and how disappointments and discouragements
which trouble here were really the work of a Father's hand, and had
their purpose in disciplining and fitting for a better land than this.
And so we can think happily with thankfulness of your Rector who has
gone , who has ceased at least to move amongst us visibly in this world.
We can think of him waiting, as pastor, to welcome one by one, as they
are brought to the same Heavenly Home, those to whom he ministered,
waiting in the hope of sharing in that joy of angels which we are told
arises over one sinner that repenteth. And I think that that is one
cause of thankfulness which we can always associate with the memory of a
faithful pastor who tried, according to the power God gave him, to
minister to those among whom he lived, and who now, we may well hope, is
gladly watching as each one is brought home to the fold, so that he may
be enabled to say, "Here am I Lord, and the souls whom Thou hast
given me." And then again, the note that is struck by the words in
the well-known hymn --- it does not happen to be one of those chosen for
today --- "Now the labourer's task is o'er," surely that
should enter into our thanksgiving also, because no one who knows
anything of a clergyman's life can be ignorant of how many
discouragements , how many disappointments, how many ill-requitals for
loving work he has had to meet with, and still go on labouring in hope,
labouring in prayer, and it is one happy thought connected with one who
is parted from us that now that task is over. And then again the hymn we
sang just before I began to address you, a most favourite hymn of my
own, I confess:
Let
saints on earth in concert sing
With
those whose work is done ;
For
all the servants of our King
In
Heaven and earth are one.
That
hymn strikes a still wider note, and when affectionate memories are
shown by offerings to the Church like the one we have dedicated today,
we feel that one who is gone though dead yet liveth, and that those on
this side of the grave desire still to follow in the path in which he
would lead, desire to set forth God's honour by beautifying the place of
His sanctuary. And so, as we look on that window, we are reminded also
that the Church's work is Christ's work, that those great verities which
are represented in that window, the incarnation of our Lord, the baptism
of our Lord, the holy death and burial, are great divine facts of
undying significance, foundations on which the Church is built, and that
even when smaller things may divide us and we may each have our special
opinion on this or that minor point, yet still in the great facts
represented there there is unity, a true unity, for us, and we shall all
of us, whether clergy or laity, be encouraged to believe that we shall
be doing best the same work which he who was your pastor would rejoice
to see done if we resolve and pray that as far as in us lies that work
of Christ in his Church shall not be hindered, it shall go on and
prosper --- it shall not be checked by smaller differences or disputes
about lesser matters --- and then shall come the great thanksgiving of
all when he that soweth and he that reapeth, when the living and the
departed, the Master with His great company of angels, all shall rejoice
together in one blest communion and fellowship of the saints of God.
The concluding hymn was "On the Resurrection morning."
MEMORIAL
SERVICE
A memorial service was held on Sunday evening, when there was a large
congregation. The Rev. C. R. Gott officiated, the lessons being read by
Mr. T. B. Miller. In an impressive and touching address from Job i.
verse 21, "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taketh away," the
rev. gentleman, after reviewing his acquaintance with the deceased
rector, proceeded to refer to his pronounced individuality of character
which, said the preacher, differed very much from that of the ordinary
man, whether layman or priest. He exhibited a large amount of zeal for
the work of the Lord, and in speaking in defence of the truth he never
courted popularity. He was fearless and outspoken, and probably there
were those who had passed him with slight recognition in the street as a
result, but who today would look back and say it was the action of a
straightforward man. Such men were wanted today. Unselfishness was
another feature of his character. He was always loyal to his church,
with vivid recollections of its past history, and although he might
differ from some of the external practices of the present day, he never
attempted to unduly impose his views on others. Another attribute of his
was the beautiful tenderness he exhibited in so many ways, in the sick
chamber and other places, while his genuine affection for little
children must remain in the minds of many. Another of his marked
characteristics was his humility, never advocating anything of a high
order but always the plain and simple, a striking example of which the
speaker mentioned in his own experience with deceased shortly before he
passed away. In conclusion the preacher exhorted his hearers to pray for
grace to follow the example of one who by his works although dead yet
speaketh. He sowed the seed the harvest of which had to be realised as
time proceeded. "On the Resurrection morning" was sung as the
closing hymn.
