Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-08

day brought into most interesting circum-
stances. The God who put it into the
heart Of David, aud afterwards into the
! heart of Solomon, his son, to erect a
temple to his worship -whereunto the
gathering of the people should be, and
where praise and prayer should be con-
tinually offered-many months since put
it into.your hearts also to build temple
to His praise
The object was to rear an edifice that
should meet the religious wants of rap
idly increasing popu atiOn-that should,
IN its character and or a ne. T., be worthy
of tle city whose manifest destiny Is
to be the chief commercial manufactu-
ring emporium of the State. But above
all should be worthy of that God who
condescends to dwell in temples made
with hands, and who deserves, as his
earthly dwelling place, that which is in
no way inferior to the private dwellings
of his own children "For tits not meet
it is not comely that the Ark of the Lord
should dwell IN TENTS, while his people
build to themselves houses of Cedar.
The enterprise has been carried for
ward through great difficulties and dis
eouragements | need not state what
they have BEEN With the aid of numer-
Gus friends-whose liberality is here ac-
knowledged and will never be forgotten
you have far exceeded your original de-
sign. You have accomplished more
than was in your hearth at first. The
result is, THIS HeUsE-this holy, beautiful
house which we now propose to consecrate
to the Ifiune God-tO Whom you are
now about to give it an fee simple-to
have and to lo!d through all time, as a
PLACE where his children may dwell;
where they may come together TO behold
His smiles, to receive His blessings, to,
hear His Word, to sit around His family
board and partake of His rich beunties,
nda TO achich they may invite the wander
ing and the spiritually lost to come and be
with them, the people of HIS adoption
heirs with them-heirs Nth US of bet
ter inheritance, even temple not made
with hands, eternal in tbs Heavens.
There was Of old ONE Israel but many
TRIBES. So now in the ole Israel of God
there are various denominations, each
with its pecu lar name. We hold in sacred
and affectionate fellowship all of every
name who hold to Jesus Christ the head
But we are Presbyterians-our legal,
chartered title, "the Presbyterian Church
of Evansville. Enthusiastically We are
of the Presbyterian Church of the Uni
ted States of America Our Standard
and our form of Government are those of
that Church, and it is to the service of
God, as recognized by those standards,
and that form of governmental based
upon His most holy Word, the Scriptures
being the only infallible rule of Faith
and Practiee-that we set apart this
building.
And now, acting in behalf of the men,
bers of this Church and Congregation,
its Session and Trustees, l do here, on
this 18th day of February, A. D. 1864,
solemnly give this church building up to
the Most High God, to be henceforth, as
long as it shall stand, DEDICATE to His
worship, in conformity to His Holy Scrip
lures and the doctrines and usages of the
of America 1
Solet it be recorded on Earth-so let
it be witnessed in Heaven.
At the close of this address, the Pas
tor extended cordial invitation to all
of every name or denomination to attend
the chnrch thus solemnly dedicated. d
After another prayer by the Rey. Mr..
McCarer and an appropriate hymn, the
choir sang Bradburry's beautiful anthem,
And it shall come to pass, &c. with
most thrilling effect, when the Benedic-
ton was pronounced, and the beautiful
and imnress:Ye ceremonies were ended