, 1873-01-06
REV. E. p. GOODWIN.

REV. E. P. GOODWIN.
"rivo yoars in Chicago" WAS tho subject Of q
discourse by Rev. E. P. Goodwin, last evening,
at tho First Congregational Church. Tho at
tendance was large and tho exercises woro OF ant
interesting character. After tho performance Of:
"Thero is Happy Land,' with variations, by
tho organias, the choir sang 4 Now Year volun- :
tary, aftor which tho usual devotional order was's
proceeded with. Tho toxt choaon Waa from Phil
lippianB Ill: 10: "Forgetting tho things that
are paBt," etc. The paHtor referred to tho many's
comforts and Joys Of tho past five years, and.
said that thoy should look forward to tho future
Uo should touch upon few Of tho moro Bignih-
cant events which had occurred during that time.
In January, 1868, tho Church memberships
numbered 542 Since that time there has boenf
not gain Of 304, with present total OF 846.A
In 1868, thoro were GAG scholars enrolled In tho
Sabbath school; now there are $50, gain Oft
400. Tho First Church had graduated Taber-
nac1e Mission with Its preaont membership Off
500, and Sabbath school OF 1000 scholars j.,
besides establishing Bethany Mission, corner OF
paulina aud Second street, with o membership
.pf GO, aud q Sunday school Of 400 alao tho.
Brightsido Mission, on Milwaukee avenuo, with
membership Of $50. A portion OF tho FirHttt
Church membership had been dismissed int
order to organize the LoaVitt Btreet Church,
with 10 mombora aud $40 Sunday
school scholars and thoy had also assisted in u
tho establishment Of tho Clinton Street Mis-
sion, with fifty members, and Sunday School
of 50o Tho speaker referred to the First Church
edi1ca, and Of tho unfavorable comments which
tho plan occasioued when frat adopted It WAS
predicted that the church would 10 the laughing
stock Of Wost Washington street, from the tun"
nel to Union Park. He had no mood to state
that tho result had failed to roalize the proph
ocy, but, on the contrary, the church "ns &C.
cepted by the Society, and tho people in general
as an admirable place for maHBing together
wora1ippers. Six now Congregational Churches
had boon established in Chicago during the past
dvo years, and soyen now pastors had boon in
stalled. one having died. The Fi1st Church had
given 800 600 for benevolent purposes during five
years, IN average Of $l8, 900 per year. This was
] exclusive OF stock subscribed to the Adudnce
| newspaper, OF which large amount had been
| contributed by this Society; nor did it include
| stock hold in old Farwol Hall. For preaching
/ the Church had paid s65, oo9 for tho ohnreh
pledged $l00, ,000-mhking total Of $2e5, 900
| paid and pledged by the mombers Of the First
Church during the past five, years. This WAS \
large Sum, it was true, but LIE Vas sure that no
| body folt any poorer for it now.
Tho speaker gave hasty ekotch OF thes many
! and marvellous changes which had taken place
| il Ch1cago during the past five yoars, touching
upon 1the wonderful growth Of tho city up to the
| timo ,of tho great fire, and the unparalleled
I rate st which tho work Of rebuilding had boon
| prosecuted. Returning to the Church, ho said
the most important problem Was, how ahould
| tho Church most successfully perform it's func.
tioua; not how to keep up its forms and ceremo-
! MES and theological tsnotB; but how to reach
the psoplo round about, how to como in contact
with them, and how to nako them feel that thif
| ID the Peoples church, "Wo don't want" said
he. "too many theologieB. The heavens are full
| of them. We want to make tho Church 80 thai
| men can't tkeep away from it-can't keep ana,
fsom Christl" For tho yenr to como, he Hantet
them not to POODLE tractB but to find out people
and bring them to the church. The spirit, ant
the genius, and tho deatiny Of the city required
THAT Christianity should be made more positive
| and aggressive. It WAS no bombast to point *
tho grent future Of Chicago ~ distributing
mart and rai1oad centIe. The best brain O.
f.he Continent was hoIe. While men IN othe
cities wore dreaming Of schome1, men in Chca
ITO were organizing and accomplishing them. FL
ind no doubt that those Hero present to-nigh
who would sec this city Of million, and 80
hsve years. to spare. Now, man should plan a
broudly and invest as grand1y for the Lord a
| for himholf, should do business in tho Churcl
as systematically and effectively as no doeB 70
himself. Let business Mon make their Christian
prin ciplos known and felt among their clerk
and employees. The speaker WaB asked, fe'
days ngo, by young man whether it waa righ
for Wholesale merchant, who profoHsed to bo
Christian, to set apart g. certln sum OF nom
to buy liquors for customers and to take thom
tho theatre. Our Christianity noada pith ~
grit, in order that the next hyo years mayf
moro fruitful THIN tho past.