The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-29
We seek no other master than Jesus Christ.
Through living faith unto Him do we con-

ddlngly commits our way. ..:5.a .c,zG,
Our real guardian and keeper Is Christ, not
Matthew, yet we willingly write the name on
our church edIfee. We honor In this name
the great Apostle and Evangelist. the divine
instrument, and declare by the adoption OF this
name that we design 10 :. be disciples of
Matthew. That this gospel isto be preached
IN this church is Matthew's brightest gem.
And the glory OF this latter house shall be
greater than OF the former. But this ought
not to apply TO the external structure alone.
AS the promise of God given to the children OF
Babylonian captivity, distinctly implies, that
LIS glory Ia to be go great because Christ the
LORD, the Angel of the Covenant, would come
to his temple, 80 can this Scripture only go
into tul6iment among us when we use this
house for the purpose for which 1t was built,
namely, that eur congregation be built up on
the living foundation, which Is Christ, to q
holy temple In the Lord. know ye not"
says the Apostle, ''that ye are the temple Of
God, and that The spirit Of God dwelleth in
you" Our text thus presents to us our en-
ployment In this house of God: this con-
gregation shall become temple of God; but
where two or three are gathered together In
His name, there he Is present In their midst.
The more you seek Him here, the larger the
number Of those who here receive the word
and the sacrament belfevlngly, the greater
will the glory of this house be.
We build that we might be able to say:
sand ret there is ro0m." 0 German people,
baptized Christians, who is to bear the blame
If this room here remains empty !; Let this
house be your mcst cherished place; house
of prayer. school of heavenly wisdom and
true godliness, a city OF refuge for the weary
and the heavy laden, and the gate Of Heaven.
"ADd in this place will I give peace" Lis
ten. The Lord Sabaoth saysdt. The glorious
Prince of Peace calls to all. Thou whom the
cares and the riches Of the world ensnare, here
will deliver thee from Its service of earth's
fieeting shows. Thou who art sorely troub.
led, thou who art tDrmented BY sin, behold
this is the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sins of the world, Thou who art mourn.
ing, come to me all ye who are weary and
heavy laden, and will give you rest. Thou who
are beset by fears and anxselies, call upon me
in the day of trouble, will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorlfy me- And when the enc hour m ap;; p;
the glories Of the world, when this beautiful
house OF praise and prayer-nay, when all our
beloved vanish from our slight, when the
wings of death fan our cheeke, when the body,
which ought to be the temple Of the Holy
Ghost, Is carried the last time within this
house of God, and then out to yon silent tenn
pie of nature, there to rest, awaiting the res
urrectlon-may it then be eaid of us too, the
glory of this latter house ehall be greater than
Of the former, and will also give you peace In
yonder place. .,.a,. -;
To this succeeded one of the most impress
sive scenes of the whole solemn ceremony.
This was the recital q the Lords Prayer by
the venerable Dr.. b. man, accompanied by
the entire congregation. The aged pastor oc.
cupied cushioned armchair In the chancel,
and at the conclusion Of the sermon was
wheeled to the front, and, still retaining his
seat, in consequence of the infrmlties of age,
he lifted up his hands and repeated In clear
and measured tones the immortal supplication
bequeathed by Christ to bis followers 10 the
Sermon on The Mount. The congregation
devoutly Joined In the solemn prayer, with
the mpressiveness Of the event portrayed on
every counteuance, aud at the conclusion oi
the petition, as the Amen lell from the lips oil
the loved and venerated pastor, there was
scarcely dry eye In the congregation.
The Rev. Mr.. Bowman, president Of the
Lutheran Synod of South Carolina, then de-
uyered an address. He said:
Beloued Brethren In Chrast-At the earnest
solicitation of the beloved pastor and the Ell.
cient committee OF arrangements Of this
church have consented to address you, brief.
ly, In the English language. Whilst the love
bear to the brethren OF this church and the Of
fetal position hold in our Synod Induced me to
cept this position, would much prefer that
some of The older and wiser heads here pres
ent should have assumed the responsibility of
this hour. My embarrassment grows out of
the magnitude and the pre.emlnent impor-
tance of this occasion. For the space of we'll
nigh half score of years I have been the
quiet, yet deeply interested, witness of the
plans, purposes, Intentions, hopes, fears, anxl.
eties, labors, conflicts, gifts, sacrifices and ul.
Innate triumphs connected With this magnld-
cent temple, under whose ample shelter we
are assembled to-day, and am not unmind
full of the TACT that our notes Of e1ultat1on,
which resouhd for the first time through these
Gothic arches to-day. will be re-echoed, In part
| at least, over two continents. These consider.
atlcns render 1t difficult to find words truly be.
fitting the occasion. Standing In the newly
consecrated church, let us look back for q mo.
| ment to the rock from which we are hewn.
More than eighteen hundred years ago there
appeared in The Land OF Palestine the incar-
nate Son of God. In Him were centred all
the types and shadows Of the ancient temple
worship. He came to fulfil the law aud the
prophets, and in His suffering, death, resur.
rection and mediation, the entire Levitical
code Is superseded and forever abolished.
By His teachings, doctrines, ordinances
and sacram enIs, he has established "a new
and living way" OF access to God, and organ
lied Visible church upon earth. have not
time now to tell you the checkered history
and varied viclssiludes Of that church for
eighteen hundred centuries past. How "the
kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers took counsel together against the Lord
and against his annolnted," saying. "Let us
break their bands asunder and cast away
their cords from u.s."
Time would ial to tell US how, in six great
and terrible prosecutions, the alien armies oil
Church of Jesus from the face Of the earth.
How at times they seemed 10 triumph as they
bathed their fashing clmetsrs In Christian
blood, and waded through ripping streams OF
Christian gore, and then again were driven
back with shlvered lance and broken blade to
learn how vain thing 1t Is to fight against
God. But this Is the grand historic fact which
we all glory In. The Church of Christ still
exists In all Its grandeur, beauty and excel
lence, and to day Jesus OF Nazareth has more
devoted followers and more loyal subjects
than any king, prince or pOtentate under the
CANOPY of heaven. And yonder blazing sun
will never set upon the limits of His visible
empire until he sets TO rise no more forever.
And this Christian temple In which we are
assembled to-day, with It's massive walls and
cloud-plercing splre, has been reared In Chris
tian faith as lasting monument to the d..
vlnity OF the Savionr's person. the purity of
His doctrines, the holiness of His sacranents,
aud the vcarious character OF His death.
Long may this structure stand 10 shelter His
worsnippers and to re-echo His praise
But there Is another event In the distant
past, with which this temple is most Intimately
connected, aud which claims a share In the
paternity of the house and of those who shall
slatedly worship In it. We cast our eyes back
1te efay nf f.NItr nff-