, 1872-12-30

tance TO us all. frequently to review tho past,
that ne may not miss any OF the salutary LESSONS
Which its remembered events may teach u.s.
Days should speak," and to the counse1s
which they give VIC should earnestly attend.
1t is fact Of great significance that God in
the moral and spiritual education Of the Israel
tics, made constant use of their own history.
The principal events Of their captivity, rescue.
sojourn in the wilderness, and entrance into the
to their children, who, in turn, we're to tell them
to their children. to the latest generation. From
age to age they were to recount the wondrous
works which God had wrought in their behalf.
1e shau teach them your children, speaking Of
them when thou sittost in thins house, and when
thou walkcst by the way, when thou LEST down,
and when thou rlse6t up; and thou shalt write
them upon the door-posts Of thine house, and
upon thy gates, that your days may be multi
which tho Lord sware unto your fathers to give
them, as the days OF heaven upon earth"
Thou shat remember all the way which the
Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the
Wilderness"
There is pr found reason for thus sending
men back to the past Of their lives. The fu-
ture docs not as got live to any Of US the past
does. and, except the single moment Of time
which VIC call the present, it is ell that does
live to US. We are what tho past has made Us,
and it is all We have. Bias, tie wise Greek, is
represented as saying that himself the
treasure which whole life had gathered" We
may think that we have left forever events and
experiences which are long since past, but it is
not SO. They may not be present to our recol-
lection, but they are still with ue, and Of Us.
From infancy to the present hour, great changes
have taken place in tho circumstances, compnn-
ionships, and cnploynaents Of our lives. But no
change, however great, has teen great enough
Our history is ono unhrolien whole, and SO it
will be to tho end. All objects with which We
have ever had to do have made some abiding
impression upon US. AL tho thoughts that
some permanent iraco upon them. AL the
actions Which havo ever called into existence
our powers hRvo contributed some influence in
making us what We are. Thus, by considering
what our history has been-by recalling to mind
the events that it comprises. We may do much
in the way of learning what We are. We may
also be better warned OF futuro perilb and better
furnished for future Duties
1t is by such reflections as these that Justify,
if its needs ju5tfying, tho practice OF making,
at the close Of tho year, annual review of our
history as church. Not that that history
usually contains anything of q remarkable char
actor. It is made up, for the greater part: Of
such Incidents, trials, and successes, Rs COM
what is best in that history, md probably, also,
some part Of what is worst, cannot be written or
spoken. Tho best aspirations which any Of uB
have cherished, our deepest 1onging after
spiritual excellence-theso aro the best things
in our history !; but these have been only very
imperfectly wrought on. into visible results.
And so, too, our saddest 1apses, our most serious
shortcomings, have probably had only partial
outward expression. As no never know tho
best nor the worst in the life Of any individual
man, eo is it III respect Of the life OF q church,
The facts which make up the record Of our
church life for the gear now drawing to close,
may be grouped 30 as to serve three purposes,
or teach three distinct and important lessons.
ef }t11 r1rn+
However bright the past year has been with tho
tokens Of Gods favor, and however great the
measure of prosperity we enjoy, yet to say that
We can look back upon the past without regret,
is either that VIC are already aperfeS
former cannot be true; the latter,
trust, is not We have not all been
alike faithful to our :. high calling;" but there
is no one who can claim to haye como short in
nothing. To no one Of us, then, should it
some experience OF that "godly sorrow" for sin
which will lead us to true amendment Of these
errors and shortcomings by which our days have
hitherto been marked.
Another lesson taught By tho story CT this
years lifo is one of gratitude and thanksgiving,
It has been year of prosperity and growth far
beyond that OF any preceding year in our
history.
Upon tho 9th Of July, 1868, but little more
than four years ago, thlrty-eight persons united
~
that year, tho names of two others were added
to tho roll of membership, making forty in all.
In the year 1869, there were twenty y-three addi-
tions; in 1870, thirty.si1 in ls7l, sixteen and
uniting with the church during the present year,
thirty-seven did 30 upon confession of their
faith in Christ
Since the first organization OF the church there
have been 143 accesBions. If VIC had lost none
by death and removal, our membership would
o+o and al httt H16u q a
have sustained from those causes, We have q
present membership of 157. At the be-
ginning Of tho year, We had upon our church
register tho names OF 86 resident members.
current ycar: our membership has
been nearly doubled. It is more than four-fold
greater than it WAS ut our first organization.
This increase, as might be supposed, has been
Of our Sabbath Congregations With two or
three e1ceptions--a number quite too email to
provide for transient church, goers-al1 the pews
in this house arc rented. Manifestly it will be
quite impossible to estimate, with any degree Of
accuracy, our increase OF strength financially
heavy losses Which wcro inflicted upon many Of
our members By the great fire. With mem
berehip that has been quadrupled in four years,
with q largely-ncrcased attendance upon tho
Sabbath-school and upon the regular Sabbath
services, We certainly are, IN every respect, bet
ter furnished for doing our own share of tho
Lords work in tho community where we are
placed.
In respect Of Losses BY death, We hare been,
this year, us in tho past, signaly favored. Only
ono of our number has been called
from the militant to the triumph
ant church. George Heslcr, born to an
inheritance Of suffering on earth has, We trust,
entered upon tho better Inheritance above.
Only two Of Ill our membership have been called
away by death. In view Of such fact as this,
no certainly are warranted in saying that this
town is not only beautiful, but also heauhtul,
OF many besides. Not only, however, as 4
church, but also IS families, hayo we been
greatly blessed. Same OF our households have
had cast oyor them the dark and chill shadow Of
bereavement. Some have known and some are
still experiencing tho gracious chastenings Of
sickness. We are not altogether without that
'schastonng" which is the portion OF every one
"whom the Lord loveth." We arc sharcrs, even
as others, now in blessing, and now in suffering,
which, in the Divine purpose Of discipline, are
synonyms. Though re may count our joys as
the buds Of the roso and our trials as its thorns,
no should not forget that it is one and the same
vital energy of love that brings out both upon
the growth Of our life as We think to-day Of
+1,on, .r1,o 1,o ca eona hafnra md riya haa1 fn