, 1873-07-28
GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Dedication Of the New House Of Wor-
/ ship Yesterday

Ueu1ohIl0u 01 Cn6 N6W d0uso VI w OF"
ship Yesterday
Full Text Of tho Sermon Preached by
the Pastor, Rev. B. z. s. Ely.
Tho now Grace Presbyterian Church, on tho
|oornor Of VinoonneB and Oak avenues, WIS dcdl-
Gated yesterday afternoon at Q o'clock. Tho
Prosbylorlan olorgy Of tho city conducted tho sor-
vices, tho Roy. Il. II. Reid, Of tito Eighth Church,
invoked tho blessing; tho Rev. @. L. Thomp-
son, Of the Thirty-Arst stroct Church, road tho
hymn; tho nov. D. 8. johnson, OF Hyde Park,
road tho Scripture lesson the nov. Il. ". Pit
torHon, Of tho Second Church. offered tho pray
Or; and tho pastor, tho Rov. Bon. z. 8. Ely,
preached tho sormon, as follows.
beaceoh yo therefore, tEohron, BY tho ncrcics Of
aod, tlas you present yon5 bodies % living sacrifice,
bio service. kom.: Ia, J..
Whom st. Paul would mako praotica1 nppn-
cation OF tho great dootrinos Of salvation by
grace, and persuade belioyora to an ontiro con-
Beoratton Of themselves to God, ho appeals to
their gratitude and loYo, using as m incentive
tho moroleB Of God. II bosoooh you, therefore,
brothron, by tho moroies Of God that you pro-
sent your bodies living Baorihce." That the
conservation referred to ombracoa not only our
bodios but our entire being, with all itH possos-
Hlone, all arc ngrced. shall not misapply tho
text, thon, II, changing tho phrasoology to suit
tho occasion, soy, boaeoch You, brethren,
by tho morofos Of God, TINT you dodicate this
house, which Is your reasonable service. In
order that you may do this freely aud heartily
from motives which arc we'll pleasing to Him
who diHcorns tho thoughts and fntents with
which our acts aro performed, cannot bottor
discharge tho duty assigned mo than by calling
to your remembrance those genoral md special
nercies for which wo should be grateful ::
Our gratitude is due, first, for tho delightful
occasion which has brought us together and
tho kind Providence tint permits us to enjoy
these pleasing services. To-day VIC zoe the re-
ward Of our faith, tho nnswor Of our prayers,
tho result Of our labors and tho fruision Of our
hopes, and, raising our Ebonezar, say Hitherto
hath tho Lord helped Ill.," Humble as thcso
courts nro, tloro arc thoRe present WHO, II do
MED that pleasure, would to Rome extont ut
least Bympathzo with Moses, who, coming to tho
border Of tho goodly land, might not enter, and
labored aud prayed for the building Of Gods
house. and was denied tho privilege Of seeing itB
erection or witnessing its dedication.
,s se m9 n e. s1a on nS n ay hoy oy
were following, the loadings Of Providence.
though much dishoartoned BY circumstances
mood not mention, II peraons woro organized
into church to bo known and hailed AZ Grace
tho pulpit was supplied BY Prof. Swing, tho Rov.
Arthur Mitchell, DR.. BlackbuEn, aud others,
until on tho 8th day Of July q call was extended
to the present pastor. Though thore hayo been
no,speoial seasons. OF rovivals, resulting in q
stoady increase in tho memberehip, gomo having
unitod with tho church at each communion
eoason, 30 that thero aro now eighty namea on
the roll Of communicantB. Our 6abbath-school,
organized little moro than twelve months
since, will, six pupils, now numbers 1G5, with m
average attendance Of 100, md, undor tho super
intendonco Of Mr. ". D. jacobs, continues to
increase.
Our thnftkB ate due to God for matcrial pros-
chapel Of the Chicago Uniyoraaty, 1t was oyidont
that the ultimate success Of our enterprise do
peuded, under God, upon our occurring moro
convenient and coamodious place Of meeting.
two ohataeleas tho difficulty Of obtaining
lot suitably located, and raising tho
nocessdry mean6 to build. 11oat Of our conRre-
CATION, IL common with our citizons generally,
@ ther s onefg to ro;-ostabsh @ bpsnoas and meot
with obligations incurred; and hence the time
seemed worry inauspioious for auoh IN undertake
ing. The first difficulty WAS unexpectedly re-
tho hand Of Providence worry clearly. The lot
upon which this building standa was obtained
on conditions more favorable thanwe could have
hoped ., for: This obstacle removed, tho
tain tain tue da'''' roquistc liz funds 'A to Vt build
Several meetings OF the Trusteea and Elders
wore hold, md the matter was made subject Of
espeolnl prayer Gro any plan 'yas agreed upon.
doed, immediately after rising from the posture
OF prayer, tho pastor opened tho Bible at q GER
tain passago Of Scripture which seemed peculiar
ly appropriate, and with it came the firm con-
viction that It was Gods message to tho officers
Of tho church. Tho passage referred to may bo
found in the first and second chapters Of tho
prophecy Of Huggai, moro particularly the
words: 1.-The people Hay, the tme is
1n, not T. ; thG ma that fho Lords E. ho9sS ss'
tooa tho Lord q Of P Moss consdor your ways sa
Go up to tho mountain and bring wood and
build tho house and will take pleas
uro in it, and will bo gloriaed, saith
tho Lord" 30 firmly was the conviction faaten-
mossage, that at tho ne1s meeting Of the Ellera
and Trustees 1t WAS read and o1poundeG.
Those officers are horo to-day, and can testify that
they wore 50 strengthened IN faith, and eucour~
work, and agreed TINT an appeal should be
mado from tho pulpit for funds. This was done
On succeeding Sabbath, tho Same passage of
Scripture being used as tho text and tho result
was TINT, IN congregation OF about2oo persons,
between 90, 600 and $1,000 were subscribed on tho
Il. Clark, Of whose skill aud fidelity this build
iB d witness) we1o procured, and the building
commenced. The amount subscribed WIS sup
plemented by Ohristiau friends Of other churches,
principally by tho members Of tho First Church,
Of this city, aud tho old Pine Church,
OF Philadelphia. As tho result we have this
comfortable chapel, erected at cost Of about
$4,000, Of which there now remains due but
about $1,000, tho payment Of which, by your
Inauguration Of the church, tho morcies Of God
have been unto us as pillar Of cloud by day
and fire by night, and we humbly trust that pill
lar hoyors ovor us today, ready to descend aud
ill this house with glory.
Our gratitude is duo to God for tho desirable
ness Of His house and its Baored worship. " How
amiablo are Thy tabornacles, o Lord Of Hosts "
4 late iter-ovdontly conyort to tho theory
Of oyolution-inqrires whether, in the lapse Of