Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-01-09
TWENTY-FIVE ANNIVERSARY SERMON
Delivered by Rev. s. w. Eaton, in the
Congregational Church, at Lancaster.
Sunday. January 7th, 1874

All minds belong TO one family, and
have similar possibilities and limita-
tions. Ii encourages us to reflect
that it was our common human ma
ture in Paul that, with the common
peace of God, accomplished so much.
Any Christian is at liberty to re-
gard himself as brother to Paul, and
any humble minister may, without
assumption, claim affinity TO the first
and greatest missionary pastor, The
language of the text indicates that
Paul, great as he was, felt that he
had reached the present point in his
life and ministry, only by special
heavenly aid. 1t being now nearly
twenty-five years since his CONVEX
sion, this most ardent and tireless
man pauses,a moment and looks back
over the way by which he has come,
and bis first, uppermost thought is,
that God is TO be gratefully recog-
Missed as having been with him thro'
all. Having obtained help OF God,
continue unto this day"
This | must say as | contemplate
these twenty-five chagning years
that are now past. Past years APP
pear long or short according to our
manner of viewing them. 1t requires
but moment to glance back TO the
time when | came to this place, q
youth not much older than my eldest
son now is, But in doing this, almost
every thing is omitted from the re-
view. | am not sure that any one OF
the days that make up these years
would appear short if we could call
back and place distinctly before our
selves all its contents what the hands
did, what the lips spoke, what the ear
heard, what the eye saw all the
quick movements Of the mind in
thought, feeling and choice, its sue
cesstul struggles to maintain itself in
what was right and pure, and some
sorrowful defeats perhaps. Why, the
history of many day IN your life or
mine, if all were recorded, would
read almost like the history off life
time. But here are twenty-five years,
each marshaling and marching before
us a procession OF three hundred and
sixty-tive days, quiet perhaps, yet
every one crowded with facts and
doings Of significant import. If time
is short, it is also long, measured in
another way. And if pastor has
got safely through twenty-five years,
and has wife and children, church
and people about him, how could he
fail to feel profoundly and gratefully
to acknowledge that it is God that
has brought him on his way. Else
how have so many perils to life and
health and purity and peace been
escaped, while good has been reaped
from time to time that was not even
in the thoughts. Many times proba-
bly,, in journeys on the land, in cross
ing the ocean, in mingling in the
scenes of war, and likewise in circum-
stances of the greatest apparent secu-
rity, there has been but step be-
tween ne and death, yet the Lord
II as DSCD nSaI.
Many and marked have been the
changes Of these twenty-five years.
A quarter OF a century since the
people Of Wisconsin, numbering only
about 100000, lived under a terrific
rial government now State gov.
eminent exercises authority over
more than a million souls; and proba.
bly, wealth has increased in a greater
ratio than population. A quarter oil
a century since Wisconsin was on
the frontier, there being no Minnesota,
now the area of states and terrific
ries extending west of US is greater
than of those on the east. A quarter OF
q century ago the railroad system
had not reached Chicago to day il
touches the Pacific waters. Slavery,
which, rooted in the soil of the South,
Swallowed and darkened all the land,
has persisted, much earlier than we
dared to hope. A quarter of a GEN.
fury ago Lancaster, with its streets
duly named but having few houses,
seemed to justify the contempt of its
rivals, as being mo place" There
was not single dwelling on Madison
street south of the Mansion House.
The whole number Of buildings was
only about fifty. Now the public
edifices, present and prospective, and
the tasteful private residences, togeth-
er with the fair monumental columns
which perpetuate the names and fame
OF the heroic dead, make this an
acknowledged gem among western
villages. In this quarter OF century
little saplings have become trees
forty or fifty feet high. The children
OF twenty-five years ago are rearing
children of their own. OF the adult
male population of the village at that
time, all but nine have since emigrat-
ed TO other places, or have been
removed by death. OF the fourteen
persons who constituted the member.
ship of the church when took charge
OF it, on y two remain connected with
US. During this period, five of my
brother ministers of this District
Convention have died, and changes
have occurred in the pastorate of all
the churches except this, leaving
your pastor the only remaining min
isterial representative of the body as
it was quarter of q century ago
Recollecting these twenty-five years,
what they have brought and what
they have taken, remembering the
companions Of the way of whom Sc
few are left, remembering that the
shadow of some great misfortune OF
sorrow might have darkened my life
or that life itself might have termi
mated years ago, can | say less than
Paul: "By help obtained of God
continue unto this day"
The harmony which has character.
lied our church relations during the
quarter OF century demands CRATE.
full recognition. Behold, how gooc
and how pleasant il is for brethren
to dwell together in unity" Chris
tian unity is enjoined as one of oul
chief duties-"Fulfill We my ioy. that