The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-27
L,sn, stree. Church, BaIsimore-In

more, which were preparatory TO the aban.
donmcnt Of the ancient church ediace, the
site Of which Is TO constitute q portion Of
the new German street, which Is to DO
opened under an ordinance Of the Baltimore
city council. There was large attendance,
many Of those present being old members
Of the church, who naturally regret that
they must SO soon seek another place Of
worship. Among the ministers present were
DR.. VIM. Hamilton, OF Washington; DR.. II.
Slicer, DR.. j. II. Brown, J. L. France and
J. II. c. Desh, presiding elders; Rev. r. 8.
Vinton, Il. s. Norris and others.
On Friday morning Rev. DR.. Hamilton, Of
this city, delivered an interesting address.
He said he had only received an Invitation
to address the meeting on Wednesday, and
not being master Of his own time, had not
time TO collect his thoughts. He was, how
ever, up to midnight last night engaged In
making some notes touching dates and
names. He said:
az can casil6 perceive by the aspect the
congregation - morning that many Of you
have been led here on account OF the pecull-
arity of our circumstances; that you have
come TO listen to some Of the last words and
10 minglo In the last services In this house Of
worship. 1t was gala day seventy three
years ago, when this house was opened for
the worship Of God, when the top stone was
brought forth with shouting grace, grace
unto It, We are here now TO celebrate Its
funeral, to remove out Of sight and entomb
forever one OF the brightest and most cher
ished memorials Of Methodism In Baltimore;
and should envy not any man who should
look around on place devoted TO destruc-
ton, sacred by association, and hallowed by
events like this, without something like emo.
ton, aud especially those who have met and
mingled In the worship Of God, and whose
prayers have been answered.
Men are ever seeking to embody their
ideas In something tangible, while these wish
bic creations In turn become the true expo
nents OF the secret wishes of the heart.
What are all the buildings of this prosperous
and growing city but the expression OF some
sentiment or wish Of human naturel Your
Druid Hill Park, Peabody Institute, Masonic
Temple, and other places that adorn your
city, have all risen as the effects, embodl-
ments and reallzations OF some principle In
our common nature. But these are all for
au exclusive relation to us as tenants Of the
earth. Churches spring from other feelings,
and arc designed to promote other interests.
In building house for God, We declare that
We have other relations than those that con-
meet us with this material system, other
wants than those OF the body, other interests
than those Of the secular and the physical.
We thus attest our connection with the spir.
itual world, our relation TO eternity, our
moral obligation to God. The cry OF our
nature here is not what shall we cat or what
shall we drink and wherewithal shall We be
clothed, but zone thing have | desired Of
the Lord, that will seek after, that / may
dwell In the house OF the Lord all the days
Of lifc.' Il have loved the habltation Of thy
house, oh Lord, and the place where thine
honor dwclleth." We show by this act that
we have natures made to search after, to
love, and to serve the one living and true
God.
SIN applying those general remarks to
this house Of worship, and one Of the earliest
among the Methodists, we observe
81. That those who built Light-street
church were not rich, but they were ear
nest Christians. The profits arising from
business in that early day, compared with
our time, were small, and doled out slowly
at that in pounds, shillings and pence.
The thought Of any one man or number Of
men owning million of money-making
that sum, too, by a happy 'hip In time OF
war or peace-was 10 them a Pigment OF the
imagination, an oriental dream; and as for
any Methodist or q disciple of Him who
had not where to lay his head approximate
ing to anything like such wealth they
deemed clearly impossible. No church
built In Baltimore by the Methodists before
or since this house was erected had the same
difficulties to contend with. Besides the ex-
pense of building the first Light-strect
church, which was nearly as large as the
present house, the members Of the society
here had been among the most liberal sub
| ton, as You huU~, dItcI az o.,is,enIo VI tsa
years, was destroyed by fire. So far from
being dishcartened by this calamity, and
believing that the honor aud credit OF thu
church demanded that something should b.
done to repair the loss, seventeen Of tn,
principal male members Of the church mel
together and raised fifteen hundred ant
twenty pounds, and purchased the Asscmbl,
Room, the handsomest building then In Bal
more. The remains Of Cokesbury were re
moved to this attractive place, under tn,
name OF The Academy and prospereC
beyond the expectation Of Its friends for ont
short year only, when academy, church
much valuable private property pef1she3ne
q desolatlye fire, originating In carp<;
shop in the neighbsriood. The lSyhter'
total, and there w6s no insurance. - W."
| "Wltbout { rrurner or complaint ar
rangements were entered into Mt once I,
Ouild another church, while the school wa
transferred to the parsonage. In the proyl
dence Of God, as 1t would seem, the churcl
was destined to occupy the same spot oil
which the Assembly Room had hourlshet
and run Its career OF folly. The building
went up, and on the Goth day OF October
1907, Bishop Asbury dedicated 1t to the wor
ship Of Almighty God, observing the follow
ing order. Reading I'd Chronicles, 18th ant
l2th chapters; Psalm l31d; IIaggai, LIST ant
I'd chapters; Mark, I'd chapter; sermon from
Epheslans, I'd chapter, 10Th to I'D verses
'Now, therefore, yc arc no more stranger
and foreigners, but fellow.citlzens with th'
saints and of the household OF God, and art
built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being tn,
chief cornerstone, In whom all the building
fitly framed together, groweth into hol,
temple in the Lord, In whom ye also are
bullded together for an habitation OF Coz
through the Spirit"
Mr.. Hamilton, continuing, referred to thu
eminent diyines who had OBLIGATED In thu
church In Its earlier history, men who hat
moulded the minds of the early preachers
and had directed their movements. lie hat
become a member Of the Methodist church
and a preacher Of the gospel during the ad
minlstration of some Of these men. In Isl.
1t pleased the bishop to appoint the spcakc
to this charge. He never was so frightened
as when II was announced that he was L
preach In this church during the session o
conference. Such men as were then presen
were enough to intimidatc greater men tina
he was or ever expected to be. The city sta
ton at that time swept all over the entir
city. What field! and only three preacl
ers, and one of them but boy. The onlciH
body Of the city station at that time nun
bered eighty, including such men as ID
Henry wilkins, DR.. Thomas f. Bond, Di
Samuel Baker, the memorable Mr.. Rogers
aud others. The bishop remarked that b
had not seen such body of official men
, all of his travels over the United states.
! the official brethren who were foremost
erecting the church lie rccolected but on
q now living, Thomas Kelso, and OF the oil
@ members, John L. Tall and Asbury Jarrc
q were yet living. There were some prcseI
n who would feel as others could not. The,
q as well as their parents, were converted
a this church. They would look Tor faces thi
r were gone, aud would remember with bite
y ness that they had passed away. The churt
= was still here, but II too would pass away
: few days. 1t had to give way to the o
!. ward march OF improvement, and he vi
q surprised In walking around in the mornI
q at seeing the evidences Of improvement
d CUBAN LoYALTY.-The Havana press,
II rnylnwinV tho sitnniinn concludes that I'll