The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-15
CHRIST A CONQUEROR.
A SERMON DELIVERED BY THE
REV. BISHOP simpson,
IN Dedication Of the Nineteenth
Street N. E. Church.
ESPECIAL PHoNoeRAPuo REPORT FOR THE EVEN.
INC TELEGRAPHl

ESPECIAL PHoNoGRAPHC REPORT FOR THE EVEN.
ING TELEGRAPH
The Nineteenth Street Methodist Church,
which has been been in the course of erection
for some months past has been fully completed,
and yesterday morning it was solemnly dedi-
Gated to the service of Almighty God. The oc-
casion drew together an eager throng OF people,
who filed the church to its utmost capacity. not
an inch of standing room IN the aisles being un-
occupied.
The neat and commodious appearance of the
building was the occasion of many remarks.
before and after the service. t is built OF the
Trenton brown stone, which is now so popular
with the builders of churches, and is ffty-seven
by soventy-six feet In dimensions. The audiefee
room will comfortably scat at least six hundred
persons. Within, everything is IN good taste.
There IS ncsnlng gaudy about the marble pulpit
ortbe frescoed walls. AT each end there is
gallery, the one in the rear of the pulpi. being
used by the choir.
The church has been erected at cost of
about $4,000, exclusive of the ground. Previous
to yesterday $40, 900 of this amount had already
been collected, and with the addition of the
large collections then taken up, but little if
anything will remain in arrears.
The dedication services commenced at half
past 10 o'clock in the morning, when the dedi-
cation sermon proper was preached by the
Rev. Bishop Simpson, the most popular divine
in the Methodist connection in this country.
In the afternoon the church was again Gro wded,
to listen to a sermon by the Rev. DR.. Nadal,
pastor of Trinity NJ. E. Church, and again in
the evening, when the Rev. j. Walker Jack
son, of the Green Street NJ. F. Church. Off
ciated. We give below the eloquent
Dedicatory Sermon by Bishop Simpson.
At the conclusion of the singing, Bishop
Simpson came forward and said -
The words selected for our meditations this
morning are contained in the prophesy OF
Isaiah 69d chapter, and 1st part of the LIST
verse :-"Who is this that cometh from Edom,
with dyed garments from Bozrah; this that
| is glorious IN his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength"
The passage presents US with scene of tri
umph. Anciently, when country was subdued
and great cities were taken when the conqueror
| returned to his own land bearing the spoils of
conquest he was received with great demon
straions of JOY, Ortentimes triumohal arches
| were erected, and great way was prepared SO
| that all along it, sometimes for miles, there was
| a voice OF rejoicing; and as the people beheld
| the coming OF their conqueror the air was rent
| with shouts of joy, and they proclaimed his
| praises; and oftentmes were recounted also, at
| that time the great deeds which he had wrought.
| Such scene, as l understand, this passage has
| presented in this connection. 1t commences in
| few verses of the preceding chapter which
have been separated from it by the division
| made arbitrarily into chapters and verses.
The first seems to be the proclamation of a
herald who is heard in the ear of the people to
excaim, "Go through, go through the gates;
highway; gather out the stones; lift up stand
ard tor the people," This is the proclamation
OF the herald preparing the way for the con-
| querer, calling to the people to come out
/
TO prepare the way for the vast con.
course to cast up the highway-that is, to
broad straight way; gather up the stones, that
| there may be no obstacle, no barrier; hit up
the standard, that the. people may mark their
pathway, that hat IT may be @ easily recognized.
world Say ye to the daughter OF Zion, Beloved,
| our salvation cometh."
This seems to have been the proclamation of
| the herald:-'Say ye to Zion, the daughter OF
| Z.on, Beloved, thy salvation cometh; your on-
| Queror, your protector Is come; his reward is
IN ercy, and his work before him" When the
| people a holy people, redeemed people; to
| make Jerusalem city not forsaken.
"Wbo IS this that cometh from Edom, with
dyed garments from Bozrah9n AS he comes
nearer they recognize him, and they say, This
is he that is glorious in his apparel; he bears upon
| him the marks of Insignia as the officers do OF
| his army; his insignia is on his shoulder. So
this man is recognized as bearing the insignia
| of honor-he is great conqueror. He that is
glorious in his apparel and IS travelling
in the greatness OF his strength, is coming
from conquest, coming laden with
spoils, coming after having passed through
severe contests, and yet he comes not wearied !.
not exhausted, not wounded, not fatigue0; but
ne comes travelling. in the greatness OF his
STRENGTH, moving with all the vigor OF power.
with all the steadiness of persistency, and will
all the buoyancy arising from a conviction o.
abiding strength; and then the answer comes
back from this conqueror, II that speak in
righteousness am mighty to save"
Then again the voice comes out, for as he
| comes nearer something more can be distin-
| pushed and they ask, Wherefore art thou red
| in thine apparel, and thy garments like him
of blood upon him; he has gone through the
terrible contest; he bears indications of his
being in the thckest of the battle, not as the
general, who stands on some eminence, who.
goes upon a hill and leads his thousands OF men
under him into the contest and bear upon them
the marks of the conflict, but he says that he.
himself has been there; his garments are al 4
covered with blood, as the man that treadeth ia
the grapes in the wine-fat, and that the juice q
the grape covereth his garments, and he bear
the marks
10 this mighty conqueror, with all the lnsignia'
| of power bearing upon him, he says that in thu +
fercest of the battle he had been, and his garI
| ments are dyed red, even as one that had tr0dl
den intthe wine-iat; and he answers, II haveo
trodden the wine-press alone and of the peopld
| there was none with me-" etc. Now this ls thH
mighty conquerer, and the question arises, WhlH
| is this conquerory
There have been various conectures W
| regard 10 this Some have supposed y
words to have been spoken of the Mace ~
heroes. II has been applied again