Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-19
AT TIE CHURCHES.

lLO NhASA ChObs al ClCltF gCSSoiNoJ
was the opening and dedicatory exercises Of
the new church building (Ebanezer church,
I of the Evangelical Association (GermaD).
Tue new building was occupied for divine
worship for the first time at II A. NJ yester-
day. The building ia situated on Tenth
street, between and P. and is one Of the
neatest structures in the city. The interior
is severely plain, but is not therefore unat
trsctive. Its proportions are admirable and
its seating and lighting arrangements excel
lent. The pulpit, altsr-table and altar rail
alone are ornamental, but the holdings and
| trimmings of the interior are chss.e and
| graceful. The exterior of the building is
very attractive. The pulpit and altar rail
were yesterday very tassefuily and profusely
! decorated with flowers contributed by
ladies, friends of the church. Services
were held at II a. NJ, when Bishop
j. j. Esher, OF Chicago, preached the first
sermon delivered in the new church.
There were in attendance beside the Bishop
| Rev. ID. w. Axthelm, the pastor of the
church, and to whose energy, patience and
! perseverance il due in large part the fact that
such building has been put up here Rev.
! +. w. Voegeieil. of San Francisco, Presid-
/ leg Elder of the California Conference but
who is soon to leave for Japan, going out as
missionary OF the church Rev. A. Haas, of
Nebraska; Rev. JAS Croasman, of Oregon,
/ but who Is soon to move to Sacramento, and
! Rev. Il. Stealth, of Santa Ana, Los Angeles
county. At this service the first singing 10
| the church attracted much attention, and
| with the organ accompaniment had o marked
| pleasing effect, owing TO the very fine acoustic
properties of the auditorium.
At P. VI. union service was held, or
rather service in the English tongue,
at which Presiding Elder Woegelein
presided, aud made an address. He was fol.
lowed by Rev. MIR. Crossman. Then came
addresses by Rev. H. H. Rice, of the West
minister Presbyterian Church Rev. DIR.
Dwinell, of the Congregational Church
Rev FL. ]. Becker, of the United Brethren
| Church, and Rev. n. Slater, of the Presby.
terrain Church. The addresses were vary cor
/ dial ana encouraging 70 the new Church. In
| conclusion, Bis7op Esher made a response
| to the congratulations extended by the clergy
men named. In this address he said the act
| ual number Of communicates of the Church
| was llo, 900. About one-thild of the mem
| bership worship in the English tongue, and
| two-thirds in the German tongue. The
| Church is growing rapidly, and all the outlook
| for the Church he said was encouraging. 1t has
been eighteen years since the first minister of
| the church came upon the coast. There are
1
| good for the church, but still the organiza-
tion here is weak comparatively, and the
work is largely missionary. The missionary
work in Germany is large ard is resulting
excellently. In many foreign parts the
church has valiant missionaries. Human ef-
fort does much. but only by Gods grace can
there be success. He wanted the church here
to start with Gods spirit in the hearts of the
members, that there may be built up true
and living church here. That is the object
| of this mission nothing else constrained the
| laborers to establish the church in Sacramento.
The exercises concluded with statement of
the cost aud value of the church, which the
Presiding Elder detailed.
For the lot and parsonage 81, $50 was paid.
The church building and its fittings cost
| about 81, 600. Other costs made the whole
nearly $1,000. OF this. $4,000 has been
secured by subscriptions and contributions,
81. 600 was given by the Missionary Board at
the East. There is thus left on the church
about 81, 500 of debt.
In the evening the Bishop and Presiding
Elder conducted the dedicatory exercises &C
cording to the ritual of the church, and the
Bishop preached the sermon, taking bis text
angels desired to look into" He said that
the text calls forth the question, What is it
that the angels should desire to look into
| DO they not dwell with God and behold his
| glory. view the mystery of eternity: And
! yet desire arises in them to turn their eyes
away from the accustomed vision to another
object, alike mysterious and glorious. What
! is it that thus attracted their attention
| According to the contents of the preceding
verses it is the redemption of the world and
the salvation Of sinners by the Lord Jesus
Christ, as proclaimed to the world by the
gospel.
Angels are creatures, and as such finite
beings. Their knowledge of God, who is in.
finite, cannot be absolute. Therefore new
revelations appsar to them in the manifesto
tons of God. Such manifestation was the
creation, especially that of man. aAd
still laore Gods dealings with his
disobedient human children. The angels
| had witnessed Gods judgments upon
| their fellows who had rebelled. What else
could they expscs when man transgressed?
But they were disappointed, for God showed
mercy-nercy TO the sinner, something that
angels had never before seen. But why is
this difference in Gods dealings with fallen
angels and fallen man? fhe angels had re-
| belled; had disobeyed. Besides, the
very origin of his being is in God. There
fore, e ID so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten son, and he gave him for us
all. This the angels desired to look into, and
! also into the continuous and increasing mani
fsstations CT this love down through the ages
the time was fulfilled, and God became flesh
and dwelt among US. The angels had beheld
| Him, the Father of the ages Of eternity, the
creator and sovereign of the universe, on the
throne of glory. Now they see Him in the
arms Of his virgin mother, and in the
manger, and they come down from the |
realms of eternal light to view the mystery of
godliness. But this is only the beginning of
it-God manifested in the flesh. They also
haholI Hts justification in hry fha S,,riA
not merely in the divine purity of His human
| life, but also in His doctrine and teachings,
| His works, His divine-humsn sufferings, for
! the Goldman suffered in Gethsamene, and in
the judgment, and on the cursed tree, the
| Goldman shed His blood, and laid down His
life, the life of all life, God in Christ gave
Himself as ransom for many, aye a ransom
for all. He who is one with the Father, died
for sinners, tasted death for every man. If
you ask Can God suffer? I would answer
| by asking: Can God love? Can one less
than God save q thief from hell, and take
him along to paradise The God man
suffered and died, and atoned for all
our race. His sell. offering meets all de.
mands of eternal justice, and also
all the wants and needs of mankind.
But Christ is risen from the dead the angels
witnessed his resurrection; they first pro-
claimed it to the devoted women, and these
to the disciples, and thenceforth the glorious
| tidings spread over land and sea, andre echoes
still from the isles Ct the ocean, and eren
from the heavens above. For He assembled
to heaven in His now gloriied humanity
the same human body, soul and spirit in
which He had suffered in the garden and on
the cross, and slept ia Josephs grave-the
same Jesus now ascends and enters the
heaven of heavens enters into the holy of
holes; the seclusion of the invisible Goo
enters with his own blood, not drop OF
which was wasted, aud is confirmed as the
great high priest of all creation, and as King
| Of Kings and Lord Of Lords. All power is
given him; the friend of sinners, he stitch
at the right hand OF the throne of God and
rsigns until all " o come to God by Him shall
be saved, and all his enemies shall be made
his footstool And now He sends The spirit.
He comes and il in Us who believe, and abides
with u, dwelling ia Gods children and 10
| the church of Christ. With him righteous
ness has come upon all men, unto the j1stih-
cation of life. All men are Christ's. All our
| infants are Gods loved ones aud are saved.
Only those who persistently reject Christ are
| lost. Every sinner who truly repents and
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is saved.
By the Gospel this salvation is proclaimed.
| The Gospel ia the power Of God. All who
accent il are redeemed from sin, an ungodly
life. misery, death and hell. Did this Gospel
ever corrupt ary one who accepted 1t! Did
/ it ever cause misery TO any one That DelieVeQ
and obeyed it? Never Have any been saved
byit? Myriads; all who accepted it and lived
according to the commandments of God
our Savior, The effects of the Gospel which
we preach are glorious-equal to its own ma
ture and rower. But the delight of the
angels over the accomplishments of our gos-
pei and the glory of the cross of Christ ex-
ceeds even the joys of heaven, for they Joy
over the repenting sinner-the g]oriGcation
Of the great Rsdeemei's cross. More, sin
nera stepped in iniquity are cleansed by the
blood of Christ and by faith, and are trans
formed into His own image. Still more
Look what an interest they ow take in the
welfare and salvation of others. They "tell
sinners round what dear Savior they have
found" They pray. and labor, and give,
aud, if need be, suffer for their fellow men.
They build schools, institutions Of learning,
| asylums and churches They 90 To the ends