Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-01-20
AsRuRY "a. e. CHURCH.
THE nED1cAroRr sERyroEs ON SUNDAY. IAN
TNrFRFsTfSu OCCASION

TIKI DKDEcAToR1 eERgroKs ON SUNDAY. IAN
INTERESTING OCCASION.
Long before the hour for opening the services
on SUNDAY morning, Asbury M. Il. Church was
crowded IN every part, by an earnest attentive
audience, who had assembled to participate in the
dedioatory services. by l0lS o'clock, every avail
aDlo inch Of room was occupied, and these who
came later, were obliged to go away
Ihe services were opened with voluntary,
Praise ye the Lord" and the singing by an-
nouncement OF the 967th Hymn Rev DR..
Simms, of Baltimore, offered a fervent prayer,
and Rev. Mr.. Atwood, former pastor Of the
church read the scriptures, from 10th chapter of
Hebrews,
choir and congregation, Rev. DIR. Simms arose and
announced for his text, the tenth worse OF the
sixth chapter of Ephesians
FINALLY, my brethren, be strong in the Lord,
and in The power OF his might"
An earnest and impressive sermon of nearly
an hours duration, was then delivered, and after
its conclusion, Rev. DIR. Slmms. in pleasant and
persuasive manner, commenced the work of soi-
citing subscriptions towards hquidating the debt
incurred by the improvements. He stated that
the total cost OF the improvements was Sll 900
of which SUN about $1,000 had been secured by
previous subscriptions, and about $ll00 had been
provided by the ladies fund
This lett about S6000 which he desired TO raise
during the day. Collectors were then sent around
and the. Doctor commenced his work In inst
about an hour, he had succeeded in obtaining
$500, in subscriptions of 5000, $500, 500, 500,
$50, S2J, $50, and $40 each. A basket collection
was then taken UP, the audience responding with
pTalsewerthy hberality. During the progress of
raising the subscription, DIR. Smms Kept the au-
dence in continual good humor, and retaine
their interest to the close by his amusing remarks
aud anecdotes of humorous incidents pertinent to
such occasions.
The morning services closed with the DoxoIogy,
and the Benediction was pronounced by the ven
cradle Rev. Father Boehem.
In the afternoon the church was again crowd
ed, and when tho hour for opening the services
arrived, numbers were unable to gain admittance
The services were opened by singing the 5Slst
hymn, and prayer by Rev. Mr.. Atwood After
singing the 53Sth hymn, Rev. Jacob Todd, of
Grace M. 4. Church, preached an eloquent and
effective sermon, taking for his text the third
verse of the fourteenth chapter of ST. Mark, and
the third veIse of the twelfth chapter of ST. John :
"And being in Bethany, in the house Of Simon
the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman
having an alabaster box of ointment of spike
nardv very precious and she brake the box, and
poured it on his head"
"rhen took Mary pound of ointment of spike
nard very costly, and annointed the feet of Jesus
and wiped his teet with her hair and the house
was filed with the odour of the ointment"
AT the conclusion of Rev. Mr. Todd's sermon,
which was listened to with deep attention and
evident interest, Rsv. DIR. Sims, recommended his
work OF obtaining subscriptions. Possessing, in
winning
and holding the undivided attention of an audi
ence, and having an almost inexhaustible fund OF
anecdotes and wltticisms, he held his hearers un-
wearied until subscriptions TO the amount of
Sl2OO had been obtained, and another generous
basket collection taken up
The venerable Rev. Father Boehem, 97 years
of age, who was Presiding Elder here in 1873,
and at one time an intimate companion of Bishop
Asbury, then made brief address His voice
teebled with age, unntelligible to most of the
audience, but all listened intently and during the
delivery of his remarks profound silence pre-
vailed.
The Doxology was then sung by the conerega.
ton and the BenedictiOn pronounced by Rev.
Father BOehem.
In the evening" the church was filled in ev ery
part by seven O'clock and the services were there
tore commenced carrier than usual Rev DR.
Nlmms again delivered an interesting discourse.
After the sermon the dedication of the church
was conducted according TO the ritual of the NJ
E. Church. by Rev. DIR. Simms
The collection OF contributions was then re.
and Ia a short time $ll00 was sub
seribed, and another basket collection taken up
This together with the other basket collections
the $4,000 asked for in the morning.
A pleasing feature of the evening services was
the presentation of two books to Messrs. Chas
Wood, and huel Heisler, members of the Building
Committee, tor their faithful and efficient super
vision Of the work of improvement Mr.. Wood
received the "POehcal Works of Milton" and Mr.
Heisler "Ihe Land of the Keddas" by DIR. Butler
The presentation was made by Rev. Mr Att
wood.
The congregation then extended, by rising
vote, their thanks to the Building Committee, and
the Trustees of the church, for their faithful SER
vices.
The Doxology was sung, the Benedletion again
pronounced by Rev. Father Boehem, and the
congregation dispersed.