Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1879-10-22


Trustees, read by Mr.. John B. Cooper, in
regard to the church debt and its liquda-
tion-a well worded papcr--and another
beautiful anthem.
ADDRESSES
Rev. T. c. Murphy, of Philadelphia who
was pastor of the church in 1854, was in
troduced as the first speaker. After a |
word of greeting, he referred to the occa.
sion which had brought them together and |
dwelt touchingly on the church and its |
relation to the people Here was church |
with every obligation met and given to God |
in fee Simple-accepted and approved by |
him. Let all the people say amen The |
church is the place where God does dis
play his glory and meet his people. There |
the orderly and solemn duties in connec
ton with divine services are learned it |
was there the arrows Of divine truth have
pierced your heart, and divine power felt
through human instrumentalties. The
church holds out grand privileges and is
delightful centre of influence The church
and the spiritual influence it afforded were
indispensable as a great necessity of our
nature. lie asked the question who would
like to buy property and settle in a town
where there was no church? Whatever
men might do themselves as to member
ship in it, they could but acknowledge its
value as a conservator of peace and morals
and knew that it made all other property
more valuable. In conclusion he alluded
to the changes that had occurred in the
congregation since his pastorate: among the
faces he did not see to-day were those of
Isaac Davis, Thomas and Joseph Carrow,
Benz. L. Collins, Benz. Benson, Denney and
Charles Stevenson, Joseph Hotfecker, DR..
j. D. Perkins, Rev. P. Mansfield Rev. NJ.
Jerman, Alex. FAIRIES, Jas. Mcdowell, Jas.
Millaway, &c.
After singing by the congregation, rising,
the Rev. S. L. Gracey was introduced lie
rejoiced with the congregation that they
owe no one anything but 10 lOUe. lie
thanked the Lord that they had parted
with an old friend, debt, and put him
beyond the power of resurrection. lie
loved to get among moss-grown Methodism
where they had an old and glorious history.
Where he was Methodism was new, and
they had none of the hallowed memories
such as cluster around this occasion. He
had seen to-day what he had not seen for
eleven years-a kneeling Methodist church.
He felt, he said, like calling his people to
knee work. He taught his people to carry
on an individual fight and this was a pro-
nounced feature of Methodism-" know"
no 'hope So" but verify that they had
passed from death unto life. lie blessed
God for the memories of eleven years ago
in this town when saving faith was so en-
phasised, and hoped they would enter the
second century with this as the cherished
doctrine of their faith. He had seen
Methodism in different sections, but
thought that of the Peninsula the purest
and best type. The highest thought, he
said, is not to be shouting happy" but to
} be like the Infinite, and when the church
: and the people realize the relations they
| hold it will lead to purer and higher type
of manhood. lie held that religion entered
into business as we'll as the church and
ought to make person as active in one a;
the other-not "sit and sing themselve,
5 away to everlasting bliss" but fight anC
l labor against wrong. How much better of
2 is the world for your life? What are yoI
= doing for the lettering of the race? A sci
e fish religion that did not labor for the gOoC
t of others was not to be trusted. lie closeC
: with some ringing sentences on the dutie
t and opportunities Of the church. Thu
5 morning services were closed by the bene
5 diction from the Rev. DR.. Uric
AFTERNOON SERVICES.
The afternoon services were devoted to
/ Sunday School service of song and remi
niscense of Methodism in Smyrna an,
vicinity. Prayer was offered 10y Rev. j.
Clymer, of Albany, n. Y. At the close c
"A hundred years ago" by the Sunda
:, School the President announced Rev.
IL Coombe, of Bustleton, Pa. On comm
d forward he said the President did not knO'
IL him or the people or he would have il
y troduced him differently: he would hav
e said Pennell Coombe, Smyrna boy and
d "Blue. Hens chicken" Mr.. C.'s adore.
was characteristic and full of laughable il
T. cidents. He said he had been preachin
10 for forty.five years and travelled in nearl
q every county as minister or in the ten
y perance interest, in Pennsylvania, Ne
Jersey, Maryland and all over little Del
a. ware and he could not call up in all h
e history where q similar debt had Dec
- wiped off to the last cent in so short tim
~ and whatever taunts he had heard abol
~ Delaware's "relics of barberism," Il
10 whipping post, &C., he had no cause
~ blush for his native town when she hf
7o done what no other town had. His fir
ne recollection of Smyrna, he said, ran baC
'"s to the close of the last war with Engan
~ and distinctly remembered the illumin
ton at the conclusion of peace in l8l
va Then Methodism was the ism of the tow
III There was no other place of worship G
eI There had been an Episcopal church ne
NJ Duck Creek, which had been in decay
W number of years, and there was Prest
terrain church on the South side of I
~ millpond in which meeting was held
-, once in long time. He remembered b
~ two or three instances one especially whe
III q minister came to town and it was annou
A'' ced that he would preach at the old churc
His father and mother went over, les
ny ing directions for the servant to come
VI them in the family carriage at the close
U' the sermon. AT twelve o'clock 1.-THE usU
time he had been accustomed to S
the services close) he went over with t
ad servant and found the minister still at
ial opening PRAYER. Methodist habits and idc
TX. thus predominated. One of the custo
ro- then was to make every preacher who cal
ey, to the town preach. If he arrived late
et. the day and only to sojOurn for the mig
ma. it made no difference; he had to preat
full and the people heard with eager ears.
ill. remembered distinctly sermons thus prea'
.et- ed by Bascom and Geo. Goodman. 1t
in related of the latter that after days ri
yer on horseback of forty-ive miles the
on mand was made upon him to which
yielded, remarking that a Method
ur, preacher should always be ready for t
ty things to preach and to die. He instanC
ers the wonderful pulpit power Of LawreI
,ng Laurenson, Solomon Sharp, Lawrence
Of Coombs, Henry White, Henry g. King a
me Matthew Sorin. "Talk about preachin
in he said, and casting his eye on Mr.. Clyn
the who sat in the chancel below the pulpit,
len continued, "you young men can't hole
he, candle to them" They could sway cong
II. tions with a might and power that was
Jas. resstible.
ere Smyrna was then four.weeks circuit {
avs. bracing all the places as far as Middleto
ION, in this State and Ceciton in Maryla
Wis. The two pastors only preached in to
the once in four weeks, and the alternate d
re. were filled up by tile local preachers-RC
but Piner Mansfield, Ephraim Jefferson,
John d. Perkins and himself Their
e OF pointments were almost as regular as
now itinerants The society az Severson's chu
first had gone down and the church was
md. used. The young men who had got
son, impulse under the revival of go under