Litchfield enquirer., 1850-01-03
Churches in OIden Times.


 From Rev. Mr. Yale's Discourse before the N. ConsOciation of Litch6eld Co.,
 Shall we next notice changes tn bur accommodations for public worship! The old meeting houses, at the tune ot my ordinatien--many of them built m the infancy of the towns, without steeple or church going bell-in some of which the bats had nestled, and the swallows had built their nests. if the owls had not hooted from their windows; all these with the exception of two or three.I have passed away, and new houses more com modious and tasteful have come in their stead. And what stirring scenes have marked these changes! 1.-The old house ] in retrospect =" The new house in pros pect'-what appropriate subjects for the Hast sermon in the former house-for the first sermon in the latter lone, more deeply interesting to the generation pas ' sing away the other, to the coming generation. Those touching farewells so fthe ancient and honorable. though humr ble temples-so dear to many hearts, asN the places of their hcliest, most joyful associations, can be felt, but not descFl- bed or imagined. Think of the congre- gation, AS it met for the last time in it's old decayed church, and took an affect ionate, solemn leave of it. The sorroW- full fathers and mothers could scarce re- frain from crying aloud, as their pastor with faltering voice said at the close of his sermon :-" Farewell, these pews and aisles-farewell this orchestra, this Communion Table, this pulpit, this entire edifce-- farewell, a long farewell. And then how did the departing assembly l dread to, pass,the holy threshold for the last time!, How did the young and the old slacken, their steps and cast a finger ing look over the, whole interior. and all most feel sorry to exchange the place of so many sacred and sweet associations tor the new, more beautiful, more con- venicnt house, which they were soon to- enjoy.
 And then. to large extent, comforta,- ble carpets and cushions have come, Tn the place of naked, noisy boards gone.: Most of all, has the comfort of the wor- shippers been increased, and their spirtu- al benefit also, by the universal introduce ton of church stoves. Not one of these modern necessaries of a house of wor- ship in the cold season was enjoyed with in our bounds, at the time of my ordina- ton. From time immemorial, 1t had been. due to the kindness. of the good mothers with their foot>stoves, if the Iig0t or winter was mitigated at all with I in our churches on the tops of these high hills and while the severest snow storm
 ks. sweeping around tie 'ccking an
 aking. framework, and causing ths
 Arp and startling rattle of tie window and doors. | say 1t soberlF t0 my nm iors, when l assure them. that more than once or twice, was l disturbed, at honle and abroad, amid the solemn service. bY these strange and om;nous noises r- !. sometimes casting my eyes around to see if the rat;lng, rocking edltice of pre- vious century was not actually giving way, and about to crush the shiyering congregation under its ruins. And when the wind lulled. the momentary alarm would be followed by the stamping of old and young feet. and the ehattering of teeth, while these deafening noises, with the dark cerulean faces of male and fe- male, were not the most comfortable to, the preacher, as he felt constrained to, abridge his sermon and hastento. a4olbse. It was in the expectance of such scene, that Father Mills would sometimes has, ten through the aisle, and up the pulpit stairs, and name the Pslam with hat in land, and read the first line only and say, "Sing two verses and then short en every other service, and walk back to his dwellings, quarter of a mile--with an absence of only forty minutes. His good apology for this course was, that unless his people should expect an extra short meeting on these. very cold and boisterous0 days, they would sta( at home How different now, are our we'll warmed sanctuaries, and yet, are not our winter congregations smaller now, than in the days, of a hardier generation 2.
 NeaO Fork, Dec 2S-7 P. M 1t
 Large Dedication. F l ~ T.