Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-16

ana oeVOue women, OF bright faced yOut h and
maideps, of innocent and blessed childhood
larger far than this visible assembly, and more
intent on all the services of this hour No
such crowd was ever gathered at once in this
place, as memory now peoples these wide
| spaces with, and as looks down upon us from
the distant past. Again these walls echo to
| the words Of the faithful ministers of Christ
| who have declared the riches OF his grace.
Once more. the first pastor of this church
enters these hallowed doors, ascends these
steps, stands by my side, opens his mouth and
| pours forth from his large heart those glorious
and burning truths, which have now become
his daily vision and happiness. The space
above me seems to become grand ssn.orium,
ana collects and repeats to our listening ears
| the multitude of voices which have urged
| here on SO many thousands of souls the
mighty truths of Redeeming Love, and presses
4 EN- now in one concentrated, appealing,
passionate tone. home upon our bearts The
stones out OF the wall and the beams and tim
bers out OF the roof repeat the wonderful words
and reflect the loud appeals of two genera sions
! OF CELESTIAL influences
Again do We listen to the plaint,ve cfy OF
the wounded heart, to the mournful dirge for
the dead, the sober grief OF funeral speech
and sobs ct mourneTs, and the cry for q Faith
er's grace and Saviour's pity. We hear once
more The blessed notes OF the redeemed, who
have learned here the new song which is now
sung before the throne OF God and the Lamb
| w catch the strains of the strange harmonies
OF all the singers and Instruments OF music
ana The voices of the many choirs, all blend
ing this night one grand unison to the
glory oil God. Again, the eoft baptismai rain
falls upon the lambs OF the fold Again we
see the wlde circles OF young men and maid
| ems, ,iof vigorous manhood and rIpened age col
| lectIng and standing before this altar repeat
ing their solemn av0wals, and gathering round
| the lite giving EN- blems OF the Saviour death
| Again we listen, ana ali the doxologies of fifty
! years mingie INTO one triumphant acclaim,
with not q voice wanting in the imagined song
| We remember too, the strangers who have
| tarrled here ior a. day, the occasional faces
which have been wont to look upon US, ano
those, not strangers, erewhlle and still
friends, who have warmed from this parent
hive and formed new centres of Christian in
ousrry and worship, and gather he honey of
Divine truth and dispense It's riches after
method OF their own. Once more We welcome
them ali, IN spirit or IN body, under this
clent roof, give them the oenediction of love
and prayer and burnish into brightness the
bond OF common faith. These old things.
OF spiritual power and association, shall never
pass away They are not the transient ele-
ments but the permanent realities OF Chris
tlanIty.
But as we bid farewell to these old scenes,
our thoughts project themselves into she fu-
ture. W e shall have al interval Of months
If not 0i years, before ali things wlll be made
new Ii Is to7 as TO grd ourselves agalnet
the di5integratlng tendencies OF our house
less estate, and contend faithfully and sue
cessiuly against the adverse influences oi
removal and change. It were we'll also to
gu I'd our souls from The temptation 20 dis
qulet and vexatIOn OF spirit, which long sep
aration from usual places ana iorms OF service
produces. In the new associations that viii
surround Us, We may lose the freshness o; our
attachment to the old society. The old land
marks being obliterated, We may be tempted
to wander IN other directions. and SO lose be
vigor ot our organiz atom. Let the difficulties
In our way be the stimulus OF spiritual
force, and nerve our souls 10 a more constant
determine tlon to stand by the Did society IN
It's temporary s1Journ In "a stIange land. Let
no interest suffer IN this transient removal
and passage to better state. Let not SID
gle heart relax It's devotion. Let not single
voice less te heard III tue choir, single teach
er and scholar less frequent the Sunday School.
Let each one OF US, young and Old, say 70 the
Church and spiritual zion, which l. the mother
of us all, . Whittier thou goest | will go,
where thou lodges / VIII lodge, thy people
shall De my people and thy Cod my God
God d. 60 20 me and more, If aught out death
part thee and me. Then though We may be
comparatively disiodged and shelteress, We
shall come ID rest uudeI she shadow of the
wings of the God of Israel.
My friends, we alb )ut reaching the con
summation OF the long years of labor and
prayer, OF hope anu faith. The land which
has been aiar of, We now descry close at hand
and II. needs no VISION ct faith To behold all
things made new. As stand on the thresh-
old OF the passing away OF The old We know
that The neW must follow. Ii would be pleas
ant to have our future course marked bY u
harmony that shall equal the munlhcence of
our consr buttons. We would that no root
of bitterness should be allowed TO grow and
flourish near the foundation OF the new church@
could bear anything better than that the
hour OF CUR success .ehould prove to be the
hour of our weakness. But the God who has
led US shus tar, will not desert now. His
arm, Is still around US, and his hand will guide
US 10 the goal of ultimate satisfaction. HIS
spirit will hold true to the nam work, and
sooner VIII we forget all else thsn forget this
our long desired and prayed for Zion" May
Heaven suffer us to tail into no dlfhcultie.
that Christian wisdom and Christian charity
may not overoom
For myself, l confess that my dream Of
many years IL rapidly cryst.iizing into
solid reality. While l could have been CON
tent with tho Old, SO long as L might have
gathered you about me under THE roof, hold
ing the place dear not for what it is, bus for
what il contained, | could have worked on
With cheeriulness and in hope But longed
tor something better, ior better system of
social action, f0r letter and stronger social
life, tor worshier and more beautiful house,
that should attract the love and vener.tlon of
our hearts, and hold us by associations and
sentiments mIphtIer than OF YOrp Nix imao-
instion, 1t may be, has Invested the plan that |
has been adopfed with all the qualities and |
beauties OF my dream. L should b3 content |
with any plan, Ii SO be L might find some
where the entrance to Ii; with any arrange |
ment, it SO be it lett not out altogether the |
pews for you TO sit in, and the orchestra for |
the choir to sing IN, and the pulpit Tor me or
same better minister to preach 10 but am |
more than content with the hope which is held |
out before us. Of that style Of architecture |
" hlch limits its variety and expression, only |
by the diversities OF individual character, or |
by the variety and quality of Christian life, |
which is always beautiful however rude, which |
allows the widest liberty oil construction and |
arrangement OF paris, without marring The |
general harmony, tho church when completed |
ID tier It's model must always attach the deep
enlng interest and affection of those who wor-
ship In IT. And though one may wish the |
position OF Its parts to be other than they are,
and another desire q still different arrange
ment, yet such Is the peculiar excellence of
this style, It's parss. Will De beautiful any ywbere,
and speak the lessons they were intended to
utter In any and every position they may
be placed. they Will vIn0lcate themselves FROM
ali reprOach.
Let US then wait with patience the time
when we shall enter through the massive
pOrches Or the noble and beautiful tower, into |