The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-07-19
DEDICATION
Of the New Methodist Church at Wood
ford's.


| There was large audience at the dedlca-
tory services of the recently completed
Methodist Episcopal church of Woodford's'
many friends attending from Portland. The
services began with music by quartette choir.
| The ritual was read by Rev. G. J. Clark pre-
| siding elder. Prayer was offered by Rev. j.
| Nj. Williams of the Pine street church of this
| city. The scriptural lessons were read by Rev.
w. H. Richardson and Rev II. G. Weakley.
| After singing by the congregation the sermon
was preached by Rev. II. B. Ridgaway, D. D.,
pastor of the Walnut Hills church, Cincinnati,
and professor of historical theology at the Gar
| rett Biblical Institution.
DIR. RIDGAwAY's SERMON.
His text was from Cor. 2-14. The scheme
was the conditions for the apprehension OF
| spiritual things There three expressions
used for the definition of human nature. The
carnal, the natural, the spiritual mind or man.
The carnal mind means the mind under the
| influence of sin. The natural mind or man
does not and cannot accept the things OF the
spirit, the things relating to God. The moral
ity of the Bible, the moral code OF Chrlstianlty
the natural man does accent. But the root
foundations of morality, they deny. They
deny the doctrine of the necessity of an entire
change and renewal of the heart. Men say we
talk an absurdity in denying the capacity of
the natural or carnal mind to apprehend
spiritual things. For say they, we can appre-
bend the facts of nature, the deductions OF
science and yet you deny our capacity to know
the .hings of the spirit. How to know
system we must be penetrated by the genius OF
that system. We have common nature, and
10 hoh ac of mat nhvaipal We do
not need to know every person IN order to
reason concerning their conduct. In our own
heart we have the key Shakespeare was I'M
travelled but every man can read himself IN
Shakespeare, for Shakespeare in reading his
own nature read the book of universal nature.
Yet, in the second place we find men SO unlike
that they can hardly understand each other.
We even find members of the same family at
entire mental variance. One man reads Mil
toms Paradise Lost and asks What does 1t
prove?" To him nolhing is valuable but facts,
figures, demonstrations. Another man makes
progress through imagination. In some way
then we must get spiritual nature that we
may understand the things OF the spirit. The
great effort of human nature has been to lind
out God. Somehow God and man must be
brought together SO that this problem may be
solved. There must be TRANSMISSION of natures.
The Eastern mythology is full OF lncarnatlons
illustrating this search after God The Gre
clan and Roman mythologies endeavor to
bring man up to God. There human nature
acts grandy and heroicaly and men are made
heroes and demi-gods. Incarnation is the eff
fort of human nature to know God. In the In
carnation of our Lord Jesus Christ God be-
comes man and the two natures come togeth-
er, This is the sacred mystery, the miracle OF
miracles of our holy religion, not to be denied
or questioned. God and man can understand
and appreciate one another. Jesus Christ is
prominently the son of man, The Bible says
the Holy Spirit will reveal Christ to as. Sim
ultaneously with repentance is forgive
ness. This is the very essence OF
the matter. Man becomes partaker OF the
divine nature by the intervention of the Holy
Spirit. He cannot apprehend spiritual things
till inwardly wrought upon by the power OF
the Holy Spirit. If this doctrine be given up
there is nothing in Christianity left that is
worth contending for Not till fire comes from
off the altar of God and touches the heart can
a man know the things of God 1t is to the sim
pie child like mind rather than to the cultured
and self-sufficient that the things of the spirit
are revealed. By doing His will we shall know
the truth.
At the conclusion of the sermon the pastor
made a financial statement on behalf of the
building committee. The cost of the new
church has been about $4,000 There is
funded debt of $4,000, and floating debt, or
rather there was floating debt of $780, The
furnishing of the house has been largely done
by the ladies' aid society-raising $500. The
communion service, pulpit bible, ETC., have
been given by friends. The pastor stated that
they proposed to pay the floating debt of $1,000
then and there The collection was then TAX
en- up by three collectors with Rev. j. w.
Hamilton of the Peoples Church Boston as
chief collector. His management was full Of
tact and skill. He kept up running commen-
tary of joke and story, but keeping his ear
open for the main thipg-subscriptions. There
was no urgency solicitation, but
considerable suggestiveness and ne talked to
such good purpose that in little time
ST. 100 had been subscribed. The 5000, mere
bagatelle Mr., Hamilton called it, it was
thought to be only fair to leave for the evening
audience to take care of. The subscribing was
begun with subscription of 800 by Mrs. j.
B. Coyle. The S. bids came in rapidly. Ow-
ting to the lateness of the hour the presenta-
ton of the church by the trustees aud the for
NAL declaration" by the presiding elder were
postponed till the evening
Mr. Hamilton lectured in the evening on
GIFTS and Misfts." Mr.. Hamilton has an ex-
cellent platform address, and abounds in genial
good humor. His lecture was bright and en-
tertaining.
The $500 was quickly subscribed, and the
fcrmalities of presentation and dedication
performed.
Among other gifts from friends outside of
the society was $50, subscribed by the Wood
ford's Congregational church, and $40 by their
Sunday School.
The church is an ornament to the town and
its sound financial condition matter of con-
graduation.