The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-04-10
DEDICATION.
RST CONVERSATIONAL
CHURCH.
Address by Rev. Thomas X.
Beecher, of Elmira, N. Y.

NfDcIAI coRR1afoHDHHcn on rUR HKRALD.)
WELLINGTON, April 3.-Arriving at
Wellington your correspondent. imme-
diatnly repaired to the new church edi-
flee Of the Congregational Society.
which Is centrally situated In this
handsome little village Of 5000 inhab-
itants. The occasion OF the day was
the dedication Of this building to the
service Of God. Although the weather
was not exactly what could be desired,
the ardor OF the people was not to be
damped by any freaks of this kind,
the church being filed to Its utmost
capacity, both the lecture room and
Sunday school room being crowded
With attentive listeners.
DEDlcAToRY sKRv ICES.
Tho following Reverend gentlemen
were in attendance: Thomas K.
Beecher, Elmira, NY, E. E. Will
liams, Presbyterian Church, Elyria |;
II. C. Haskell, Congregationalist
Church, North Amherst; N. s. Al
bright, n. E. Church, and w. B. Thorn.
son, Disciple Church, Wellington,
with the pastor of the new church,
J. A. Daily. who has been connected
with the society in this capacity since
July, 1877.
The dedication ceremonies were COM
menced BY an organ solo, aftee which
the whole congregation rose and sang
the long metre Doxology; prayer by
Rev. E. E. Williams. An anthem was
then sung by the choir, which is a
double quartette, consisting of the fol-
lowing gentlemen and ladies: Mr.. h.
o. Biggs, chorister; Miss Alice
Wooster, Mrs. Dimock, Mrs.
Thomas, Mrs. Biggs, Mrs. Colver, and
Aessrs. B. 81. Fisher, N. wadsworth,
and p. Townsend. Mr.. Benjamin
Wadsworth, chairman Of the building
COMMITTEES, then presented his report.
giving complete figures Of the cost OF
the. work In minute detail, aud said
that nearly everything. was completed,
and to-day:the people were assembled
there to celebrate finished work.
Great zeal and. devotion had been
shown by all, and the whole cost of the
building was substantially provided
for, 20 that they had nothing to ask to
day. After the singing of two hymns,
the reading OF Scripture, and prayer,
Rev. Thomas x. Beecher, of Elmira, N.
Y, friend Of the pastor, delivered
the sermon, and made the prayer of
dedication. Mr.. Beecher is now fifty
i've years Of age, alert, erect, with .
genial face, a firm, distinct voice..and a
very interesting manner. Althoug h
the sermon was something over an
hour long, it held the close attention of
all.
Nh. BEHcHER's REMARKS.
The speaker said that he had had no
small experience in the line of church
building and dedications, and was
much sought after by congregations
for his advice on the subject of build
ing. All such persons he should here
after refer to Wellington, o., for an
example Of elegance and completeness.
This fact, he said. showed the pleasure
he felt in being the speaker in the name
Of the LordSon this occ aston. He con-
tinued: Many people, especially chill.
dren, forget all parts of the sermon
but the text, and 1t will be satisfac-
tion to me after this to think this text
will be remembered when my words
shall be forgotten. It will be foun d in
the Gospel Of st. John, the 18th chap
ter and lst verse: "Unto as many as
received Him to them gave He power
tn become the sons OF God" The
kingdom Of Heaven has been ikened
unto . mustard seed, small at fisrt but
steadily growing Into the majestic tree.
Thousands AJAX II life is worth living
Yes; does not Jesus say that by receiv-
ing Him you shall be given the power
to become the sons Of God. Il not that
q desirable consummation for any life 2
The work or the Christian Church Is
to advance and elevate the condition oi
its individual members, and through
them society In general. What ought
the church TO do? will classify Its
necessities in the following words on
each one Of which I intend to speak to
you: First, It should have q system Of
morale 8 ,cond, . vision Of hope; third,
. thinkable theology, and these three
taken tog gsther form the fourth, an out
At for to-day's duty, to-morrow's en-.
largement, and an eternal glory.
Ffrst-Morals. In the Latin, as
many Of you know, the word moral
means manners, aud the morals OF
ninety-nine men out of every hundred
consisss In doing the same as other men
do. There are two kinds of morality
manners AMI usages Of Christian soci-
ETY., and manners and usages of heav-
enly society. Each of these belongs to
some society, for without society we
should have NO morals ct all. We have
the established morals of society and
those Of God the former are to see,
the latter TO grow In all ages religious
morality proceeds outward morality.
Visional or spiritual morality is the
very Essence of religion, and is lever
In the hearts Of all Christians, going
out from them to enrich and purify the
world. But 1t Is growth which the
Christians need not as the old. prophets
said, cease to do evil, but as Christ says,
learn to do well. This is growing in
grace, and As heigrace grows into the
man, the old sins escape and he be.
comes Christian in every truth. You
are not . rich community, and some
have given more than their share to
the building Of this church. They
have acted like unto CHRIST, and shall