The Portland daily press., 1869-07-02

DEDICATION OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
The elegant edifice lately constructed by the
First Baptist Society was dedicated yesterday
afternoon with appropriate exercises. At
o'clock precisely, the church being filed with
the members of the parish and many from
other religious societies, Rev. Dr. Smaller, the
pastor, accompanied by several clergymen,
took their places upon the pulpit platform.
About the gas brackets on either side of the
pulpit recess were wreaths of evergreen, and
bouquets upon the wall on the side opposite
the organ. The services consisted of the Vol
untary upon the organ by Kotzschmar; An
them by Mesdames Weatherbee and Fitch and
Messrs. Fitch and Beckett; Invocation by Rev.
Mr.. Worth, of Kennebunk; Hymn by the
choir; Reading of the Scriptures by Rev. Mr..
Hubbard, of Saco; Introductory Prayer by
Rev. Mr.. Langridge, of Mechanic Falls; Ser
mon by Rev. DR.. Smaller; Prayer of Dedica-
ton by Rev. Mr.. Small; Hymn by the choir;
Benediction.
Rev. A. x. Potter, of Springfield, Massachu-
setts, was also ON the platform
The exercises were all very feryent and ap-
propriate, and the music by the selected choir
and Kotzschmar was very beautiful and we'll
worthy the reputation of the ladies and gem
tlemen who took part.
The sermon by DR.. Smaller was very fine
production, and we regret that we can hardly
| do more than give the points.
The text was taken from part Of the 9th
verse OF XCVIth Psalm: Strength and beauty
| are in his sanctuary" He commenced by
| speaking of the first part of the psalm-of
David s idea of not only the sublimity of God s
works but also of God himself; or how great
| God was compared with the nations of the
| earth, and then declared finally that Strength
| and beauty were in his sanctuary" He then
| said that by their efforts and the blessing OF
| God they had erected this beautiful edific Q
| and now relinquished their ownership in it to
| God. He spoke of strength and beauty in the
building itself, how proper it was. Strength
signifying endurance; beauty signifying sim
| plicity. Show in a church building should be
cast aside. There is a strong connection be-
tween good tastes and good morals, and good
taste in a church edifice has an elevating in
f1uence. 1t is said sometimes with sneer,
| what does God care for the beautiful in a
church? He is fond of the beautiful every
where, as is seen in all his works.
But there is q strength and beauty besides
the beauty of the edifice; there is moral
strength and moral beauty. The strength and
beauty are not only in the building but also in
| the builders offerings up prayers to God and
singing his praises. In this same strength and
| beauty we md Christian love. BY means O
| this love church OF devout Christian wor.
shippers can resist persecution, and from q
mere handful of beginners, as in the case ol
the early Christians resist persecution, and
without wealth or influence conquer the world
There was the strength and beauty of truth
He described Christ's teaching and how Chris
explained the Father, and told them they mus
worship him in spirit and in truth. That body
who worship God worship him best who EN-
brace most truth in their belief. In this trutl
was the mightiest strength. Ithas vital fore,
that cannot be crushed. "Truth crushed tt
earth will rise again" fas
Then there was the strength and beauty O
holiness. There is no place with which thu
idea ofh0liness is more clearly associated thar
the sancity Of God. One of the first com
mands was to worship the Lord in the spiri
of holiness. Wherever there is holiness il
moral strength. 1t is pure and spotless. 1t il
stronger than argument. A holy life carrie,
immense moral strength with it. The strength
and beauty of Christ himself are in the sanctu
ary, and where Christ is there is beauty ant
strength. Christ is Huing not dead
He then congratulated the members on thil
edifice, which embraced so much strength an,
beauty; described the bad state of the parisl
after the fire; said that three years ago, mex
Sunday, they lost their old church by the de
| vouring element, and next Sunday the frs
regular services in the new one would be held
and thought they had shown great enterpris
in building it and trusted that the money wa
not thrown away. If the gospel was preaches
as it should be, it would be noble institution
The church will be open at 8 o'clock to-mor
row morning, and the sale of pews commenc
| at TO-