St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-15


He came from Montana to assume the rec
Jorshlp of Christ church six years ago
Last evening confirmation services were
held, and as bishop he confirmed seventeen
persons.
The first Christ church in 1S49 was on
Cedar street between Third and Fourth
streets. The present structure was erected
in 1868. and it has capacity of 600
hardly sufficient to meet the present needs
of the parish, and there is an
intention to put up another church
that will be magnificent edice
There have been six rectors since the
commencement of the parish. Dr. Brock
was the first. DR.. Wilcoxson, DR.. Van
Ingen, DR.. McMaster, who died in the
service, and Rev. w. p. TenbrOOk. now of
Lacrosse, followed. Three parishes are
dependent upon Christ church, the Ran
dolph street chapel. st. Johns at White
Bear and st. Mary's at Merriam Park.
There will be new rector in January.
Bishop Gilbert had been made assistant at
the request of Bishop Whipple. and yester-
day morning to a crowded church he
preached his
FAREWELL SERMON.
He selected for his text 1.-The Love of
Christ Constraineth U.s." the words OF ST.
Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians,
chapter and 14th verse. This was the
same text Bishop Gilbert used for his first
sermon in Christ church, nearly six years
ago. In substance he said:
The grand aud sublime thoughts of scrip
ture are capable of the most varied develop
ments; they are fountains of wisdom, Iadiat-
ing suns of light and knowledge. As the
primary musical sounds are potential with
oil hQrFunniaS world.
the great words of scripture potential with
all the wonderful harmOnies OF Gods Infinite
love. Have you thought, as you have pom
dered over the medtatious of religious
men, how inexhaustible must have heen
their themes, how full of meaning the words
of Christ and his apostles. A sentence or
scripture like this is Kaleidoscope in its beau
ties. Thoughts are the life centers of the
world because they are full of forces which
send forth currents that stimulate all that
makes life real and earnest So to-day place
before you thought, 1.-The love of Christ" so
sublime that its height can never be meas
ured, so profound that its depth can never be
sounded. 1t was presented by St Paul to the
early Christians US the great motive for Chris
tian endeavor, charging them to
do everything, because of the love of
Christ. Out upon the breeze he flung the
great banner of the gospel of the Son OF God,
radiant with the blazonry of Heaven, and he
constrained them to follow that, because
upon its waving folds WAS inscribed, ''The
Love of Christ" The breadth of the church
of Christ is a thought upon which love to
dwell. In this age when men are running
wild after every new thing, when they are
following the bent OF their own pet fancies,
and trying to fit Christian truths into the
narrow grooves of their own contracted
egotisms; it is of the most vital Importance
that the Liberty whereWith Christ hath made
us free" should be more really and emph IT
ically displayed in its manifold attractiveness.
That liberty springs from the free love of
Christ the head Of the church We may
labor with the singular devotion of the holy
Beuedctines, and become virtually self
seekers; we may strive with the intense piety
of the old covenanters, and develop char
acters hard, repelant, uncharitabe, we may
proclaim our loyalty to the church of Col
like the churchmen OF the last century, and
be nothing less than recreant to the grand
moral and religious duties of this life. All
these marked traits of character may be dis
PLAYED, and still there will be within US but
little of the ChriStly character-and why!
Because ours has not been that full,
Astounding love for all that Christ re-
vealed and all that Christ loved. The
be found under the full potency of Cnrist's
constraining love. The ideal church OF Christ
is larger than any sect of men in any age or
in all the ayes combined. 1t is not dependent
upon the shifting conditions OF humanity or
the oscillating pendulums of mental vaSaries.
1t has filled the world with great glad floods
of heavenly light, aud made the mysterious
future bright with hopes whose certainty
can not be gainsaid. And this church Of
Christ this bride of Christ himself, has not
lived because 1t was a perfect system, with
its stately array of bishops, prit SITS and
deacons, not because it has been protected by
regal honor, nor by its magnificent Sanctua-
ries glorious with all the beauty of art, but il
has lived because in truth it has ever carried
within a sacred ark, wherein was 10 be seen
and felt the living Christ, with heart warm
and glowing for all the sons OF men. ThlS
great fountain Of love gives 1t an Infinite ex-
pansion and makes it the real home of all
heaven-seeking pilgrims. And this home
Christ founded never changes.
How stands it
WITH Us TO-DAY?
nv friends of Christ church, as we look back
over these six years of a pastOrate now C los
ing. Have We constrained by the love o:
Christ, laid hold the more earnestly on the
''hope set before US" and been drawn nearer
to the realities of the unseen. l have tried to
do my duty | know how often / have failed
how my own weakness and inirmitIes have
kept me back from duty. The record is with
God Suffer me to briefly review the past.
l came to you from missionary field ia Mon
taaa. was untried. ! knew no one in the
parish. Soon we became drawn together by
the welding power of common work and a
common aim. l have trusted a1d believed
in you, my people, and you have trusted
and believed in me, and together
we have trusted and believed in God. These
years have been years of growth We began
by strengthening the status of this parish, by
beautfyng this house OF God, by building
home for the rector, and then we began to
lift our eyes and reach out with our hands
The comfortable chapel on Randolph street.
Al. l.,.,r
among the people of the poor, the beautiful
ST. Mary's church at Merriam Park, the real
product of your interest, your contributions
to the diocese and the church at large, all
evince the spirit of progress which dwells
within you.
During my rectorship 237 persons have been
ba ptiZed. lis confirmed, las laid to rest, and
I3e couples united in holy wedlOck. The
number OF communicates in January, 1881.
was go; in June, 1885, t8iS number had grown
to 3d. The contributions in 1881 were So
63I.29; in 1882, S9,6i3.77; in 1883, SIS, 1885:
in 1884 ST., 309 e6; in 1885, Sl5 74I93; in 1885,
Sl7,676S5; total Ss3,473.75. These figures
tell the story of material results. They are
cheering, and are full OF happy prephes yings
of what can and will be done in the future.
see before Christ church vast field OF
usefulness. 1t holds the central place of
strength in large city. Before many years
are gone you will erect new church, which
in stately beauty shall be an honor 10 the
church in the Northwest. You will with a
jealous earnestness give generous, helping
hand TO that blessed charity for the sick and
suffering of St. Luke's hospital. Press on.
my loved people, in the way Provid 4nce will
open. The close intimacies of pastor and
people cease with US now, our ways diverge
a little, but the work after all is the same;
over us and within us is the same loving
Christ, before us the same heavenly home.
EDUCATE THE BOYS.
Col L Ii. GieslSe,s Addreks on Com.