Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-29


Within these courts TO bide,
The peace that dwelleth without end,
Serenely by thy side.
MAY erring minds that worship here
Be taught the better way,
And they who mourn, and they who fear,
Be strengthened as they prayl
May faith grow firm, and love grow warm,
And pure devotion RISE
While round these halOwed walls the storm
OF earth-born passion dies!
The sermon was delivered by the pastor OF the
church, Rev. I. E. ST. John. We will only at
tempt to give portions of it in this report:
For text he took the seventh verse of the
xxx Psalm: "And now, Lord what wait
for; my hope is in Thee" In beginning he
spoke of the happy opportunity the day afforded
to lead men on to Coda day long looked for
ward to, and on which they could all indulge
in shouts Of gladness and songs of joy. OF the
toll and trial in accomplishing the great work
of building so beautiful a church it is useless
TO speak; the builders considered only the sig.
nifiCance-the light that would thereby be shed
among men, the increased facilities for Christian
work, of raising higher the standard of denom-
national faith. After speaking of the progress,
and the future prospects of UniverSalism, he said
To the advancement Of this gospel we have
pledged our faith, and to this ideal OF truth we
commit ourselves anew, as to-day we ask the
blessing OF Almighty God upon the work of our
hands. Believing the gospel to he message of
love to all hearts, we would here raise an alter
consecrated 10 the universal good believing it
to hold in its embrace the truth that is TO re-
deem humanity and lift the world with its most
exalted hope. We have built shrine at which
the suffering, the oppressed, the Dereaved, the
fallen, may all come and offer TO the most high
God their sacrifice of prayer and praise, knowing
that he who rules in glory over heaven and
earth, still remembers with an infinite tender
ness every child of earth. Believing the gospel
to be light on the dark way, truth in the midst
of error, a joy in all ifes vicissitudes, we raise
| the standard of human progress and inscrbe
| upon our banner the word that forms the essence
of the divine life, and binds in one interest and
one aim and one destiny, all sentient souls. And
| while we hold with unlelaXing grasp to our
distinctive name, as Christian believers, and 20
| TO our work under the leadership OF the common
| Lord still may we never forget that the real
| work of the Christian church is the promulga-
| ton of truth, rather than the gloritication OF
names, the elevation of man, rather than the
discussion of forms and doctrines. Here then
let the altar be consecrated to human advance
ment, here let the word be spoken that shall
carry life and hope and joy TO human souls,
| here let the light shine that shall bear on its
| beams all that can inspire the mind, awaken the
/ energies, or gladden. the heart Here let truth
stand triumphant, bound by no claim of Servie
| allegiance, held by no selfish form of party or
of sect but free, with unsealed lips, accountable
| to its God. Here let science unYeil her deepest
mysteries, let art unfold her wondrous forms OF
| life and beauty, let temperance portray the
/ glores of her reign, let liberty lift her voice
| in grandest prophecy of that which
| springs up from beneath her touch, let all the
names by which humanity is lifted up and glO-
| rified, find here place wheTeon to stand. Yet
/ over them all shall he hang the banner of the
| cross, and through them all the blessed light
of risen Christ shall lead our footsteps to the
| love that passeth knowledge and the life that
| takes hold on immortality. May we never for
1 inf 10 Of
| that while all reforms and every question that
| serves to awaken the mind to a brighter, nobleI
| conception of truth, are things to be cherished
and upheld, yet it is only by virtue of the Chris
| tlan religion and through the influence of the
| Christian faith, that these are possible. There
fore, in consecrating this altar to the work oil
| human progress we hold with mistaken faith IL
| the light that comes from out the revelations o.
God, and us we build for the future it shall b(
upon "that foundation of the apostles anC
| prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chic
| corner stone" But having reared our altar
| having consecrated our shrine, having offered
| our work to the advancement of the truth
we turn our eyes to the future and ask: What
| then? How is it to inspire our thoughts, tC
| strengthen our hands, to confirm our faith
We rear churches with the hope that by the ill.,
| Auence thereof the human welfare will be en-
| HANGED, and morality and religion be estab
| lished among men.
After pointing out in the clearest terms the
Christian duty in the work of spreading the
| gospel, dwelling upon the promise of good the
| Bible gives to all, and denouncing the many
| human arguments that tend to throw be
| wildering theories around the true light and
| purpose of the gospel, he spoke of the comfort
and assurance coming from trust in loving
| God. He closed by saying: Believing, therefore
| in the being and the providence of God, | main
| tain that the brightest hopes of the human
soul the deepest desires of the heart the OftieSt
flights of heavenly aspiration that ever gladden.
| ed the human mind, are but faint glimmerings
of that boundless and ineffabe love which, like Il
canopy of glory, is daily guiding us. How con-
| stantly through the gospel does this thought
appear. What is the mission of that gospel but
| glad tidingS of great Joy TO all people2 "God
| so loved the world" This is the animus of its
work for man. And think you that if Gods
| love is the moving impulse in human growth
and gain, he will so far forget himself as to
| leave any soul in the wilderness of sin forever?
| No, no; his love reaches unto ALTO the lowly,
the degraded, the fallen, the dying and the dead
| and to all it comes, awakening a
| great immortal hope of glory and good. To
hold up this thought of Cod this altar is raised
to lead the mind to the truth OF this neyer-fail-
| ing providence, His eternal goodness, this inf
| mite love, stronger and more true than any
| thing on earth or in heaven beside, this church
| is dedicated. 1t is not to mere name that we
| nominational imprint upon them, and rejoice
| that we can write one so rich and free and full,
| in the hope and faith it cherishes, still we
| prize more than all that blessed fact, revealed
| in nature and in written word, that lie in whom
| we trust, looking through these party lines and
| creeds and sects, is holding still over all the
| banner of his love, and through all the devious
| ways of human life is watching and holding the
| spark of truth that dwells in every human soul.
| Here then, may we come when the cares of life
| press heavily, and find courage to bear and do;
| knowing that no burden which time may put
| upon Us, but with determined spirit and tIustlul
| soul we may bear; may we come when sorrow
| is deep and unutterable, and find that by the
| grace of God it opens into a grander, purer
| life; may we come when bereavement touches
our hearts aud loved ones go beyond the food,
| and find that the immortal gates of day are
| opening before us, revealing life where falls no
shadow and rests no stain; may we come when
joy is upon us, and life is just opening into its
| dvinest realities, and find that in everlasting
faith in God, trust in his promises hope in his
| word, are the means of constant blessing; may
| we come with our children, early impressin9
| upon their minds this lesson Of Gods infinite
| love, that in all life's ways He may be known as
| their father and friend, We would cast around
this altar no thoughts of mysterious sanctity,
| no IthoughtRof truth that does not form a part
| of our daily living; but we ask you only
| this: Here meet us in the house of the
| soul, where the fathers break the bread of life,
| where in sweet communion and paternal love
| we may all receive of the spirit that quickens
| and the truth that makes free. To accomplish
this, we have placed upon our walls the under
lying elements of hope and faith: Gle that is
| our God is the God of salvation" He holds in
| his own hand the issues of life and death. He
| dwells in majesty above the stars, and in simple
| beauty beneath our feet; He guides the courses
| of the universe and holds in loving Temem-
| brance each human soul. He is the God of sal
| walton; all hope is in Him." Then when the
| dream of life draws towards the land of the i'm
mortals, and we look for the pearly gates that
open into eternity, we read: GAS we have borne
the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly" When the mortal
| fades away, and earthly vision grows dim, the
| immortal rises on our spiritual sight, and death
is swallowed up in victory. Thus would we
| have the first thought on entering this house
of worship, and the last on leaving it, one that
should remind us of the foundation and the
| fruition of our faith, cause us to know that
whether on earth or in heaven, in time or eter-
nifty, the hand that leads the spirit that sur
rounds, the power that protects, are all directed
| by the love that holds.
| The interest in the sermon was so deep that
the time occupied in its delivery seemed very
brief. At its close the choir sang the anthem,
"Praisc the Lord" and the dedicatory prayer
| was lHade by Rev. B, +. Bowes.
| Tho poOOppunton was invited IN rise and iOin