The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-19
CLARENDON.
Fifty-Fifth Anniversary of tho Congregation on
oil Church

Wallingford, Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, Rut
land and Other towns. The exercises con
Quoted by the acting pastor, Rev George
II. Morse, were of an interesting character
and the sermon was one of exceeding ap
propriateness, reviewing the work Goo hat
done in that particular church for the pas
fifiy-fye years, and maIkt d the preacher al
man of thought and culture, and was de
ivered with a force and earnestness thai
told that his heart was in the work of biz
Lord and Master. The singing was fine
and added materially to the impressivenes'
and pleasure of the occasion. The choil
was assisted by Mr.. jerome billiard Of
Wallingford, native of Clarendon, who
had come to the old home 10 participate Ii
these anniversary exercises.
The services began with the singing Of
an anthem by the choir which was fol
lowed by the invocation OF the divine bless
ing. The 1923 hymn was then sung. Sc
lections of scripture we're read from the sec
ond and third chapter of Ephesiaus. A fer.
vent and appropriate prayer was Offered
by the pastor, followed by the singing Of
the 02d hymn.
IE sERMo,.
Rev. Mr.. Morse founded mis- discourse
| upon these Words
Buff tarry long that thou mayest know how
thou oughtest to behave Jhytelf In the house
OF God, hch is the church Of the living God
the pillar and ground OF the truth. Timothy
| 3:l5.
The last clause of the verse was the topic
of the discourse.
Ont 18Th day of February 1922, the
CongrC ;ional church in Clarendon was
organized through the efforts of an evan.
gellst, Rev. Henry Hunter, who afterward
became the first pastor. An extract was
read from the records of the church,
showing the spirit ard purpose of thosS
| entering into the covenant bond toI
| the fellowship OF one with another in the
christian life. The church was formally
| constituted by the Rev. Henry Hunter and
| Rev. Stephen Martindale OF Tinmouth.
: Ten members were admitted, five male
and I've females. The speaker said ii was
not bis purpose to deliver an historical dis
| course, giving connected history of the
church, as That had been appropriately
| uOHS NJ Lut EClul CtuNCuulbl VI JIC vi SdllLa-
ton in 1870 by Rev. William T. Herrick,
thea the pastor. 1t was his purpose to
consider what is the relation this church
bears to God, to this people and TO the
| community.
First, The relation this church bears to
God. The apostolic church was the house
If God, the church of the living God. This
church in Clarendon was formed to aid ia
the dissemination of Christian principles
which are the pillar aud ground work of
the faith. In the half century and more
of its existence, it had possibly done its
share in the work of disseminating religious
truth and honoriug God through the
preaching of the Gospel, and the men who
mad in their works aided in the promulga-
ticn of the doctrines of Christ, and thus
| had by its fruits borne relation to God ae
| one of his chosen agents for good in the
world.
| II had been q church of the living God.
Amid the idolatry at Ephesus, Paul speaks
of the band Of Christian believers in oppo-
sition to the current of idoatry by which be
was surrounded So he made inroads upon
the prevailing irreligion Of the times by
exhorting to living activity so do we vi
| talzs our membership With the church I'M
| til we get a sense of the living God.
Another beautiful idea brought out by
| the text was at is the house of God" II
gives US an idea of the family. What
more beautiful symbol than this of the
family of Christ. AS one family, we live
IN Him. David refers TO the church as a
family when he Gays dwelling together in
unity" The shakers most APPLY carry out
the idea OF the church in the family. Rev.
Thomas X. Beecher, Of Elmra, N. Y, in
| the erection Of new church edifice re-
Gently, endeavored to illustrate this idea OF
a family. Parlors we're constructed for
social intercourse; room was set apart
for the childreD's sports; and provision was
made for the older members, even the old
est. A hospital was connected with the
church for the INDECENT, feeble and sick
men and womtn of the church, and thus
he endeavored to bring before his people
the true ideal of the home and the church.
David sang praises TO the Lord with those
who dwelt in zion. Tho mutual duties OF
the church and family, which we owe to
each other, are expressed in the words,
aye love one another as have loved you
This prime element of the Christian fam.
| lily was covenanted at the organization of
this church. The records show as few
cases of discipline as any church he had
been connected with. This covenant was
renewed by resolution to promote piety by
visitation on the part of the officers and
committees of the church. Special out
pourings of Gods spirit for the conversion
| of the people had occurred in 1925, 1880.
1885 and 1862. So infused were the men,
bers of the church with the effort to keeI
alive and promote piety that peculiar
resolution was adopted at one time, to con
verse with each other at the business meet
of the church on religious subjects. This
church had ever kept up Il fraternal inter
course with neighburing churches. Thi!
spirit should continue, to insure the pros
perty of the church.
The relation of the church to the com
munity was taught in the last clause of thu
text. The church is the basis of truth. Ii
Solomon's temple were erected two pillars
named joachim and Boaz, representing wis
dom and strength. These anciently rep
resented the beauty of worship to the peo
pie. So now the church Of Christ is The
pillar Of the community. The chsrcf
members relation TO the world is TO rep
resent Christ. The christian towers allow
the moral man and should be the best rep
resentatives of the community. There il
too much of morbid christianity in thu
world. Every church should be mode
after the model church. It is possible fol
the christian to reproduce Christ in his life
He can exhibit Christ in love and self sac
riiice, and in many ways. The fruits o
the church should be the criterion of tn
life of the church.
This church has felt its obligations t
the surrounding community. In 1926 i
gave special aid 10 the church in Shrews
bury. In 1884 it made special efforts il
the reform of the observance of the Sab
bath. By protracted meetings at differeu
periods il had sought 10 bring the people t
Christ.
The whole membership admitted b
| rrnfnneinn nr fn,lh ,..nn L.