Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-09-20
TENTH ANNIVERSARY.
oy REV DIR, CUNNINGHAMS PASTORATE OF
TIVE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Celebrated Last E~vening--Ths Church Pretily Dec
GRATED With FOwsrs--An Appropriate
Sermon.

Rev. d. A. Cunningham, ID. D.,
Pastor of the First Presbyterian
church celebrated the tenth anniver-
sary of his pastorate yesterday. The la
dies of the church prepared a pleasant sur
prise for him by or~namenting the church
with beautiful floral decorations; the most
prominent being the figures TO" n
os6." Which were displayed upon the
curtains on either side Of the pulpit.
DIR. Cunningham preached a
a sermon with special reference to the
occasion, taking as his text Joshua w
21-22: "And he spake unto the Children
of Israel, saying, when your children shall
ask their fathers in time to come, what
mean these stones? Then We shall LEI
your children know, saying, Israel came
over this Jordan on dry land" In the
beginning of his sermon the DR.. gave Q
summary of the affairs OF the churcn
during the decade in which NJ
had been in charge OF 1t,
and presented the following figures
Number of persons added to the church,
| 49,: number of deaths among the members,
| Sc: present membership Of the church,
$50: amounts of contributions for congre'
~gational and miscellaneous purposes during
the time, So, 6S3; amounts OF contribution
for the various boards and ~benevolences o.
the church, $28, 24S. He then spoke OF the
importance of keeping the church ediiict
in good condition and of the duty OF eact
member to be specially interested IN thu
church. After thanking the members FOL
the sympathy and cooperation
which they had shown him in hi
pastoral labOrs, he noticed at some length
the changes which had taken place III the
church in membership and otherwise, anC
stated that it was with pride and gratitude
that he marked the good which had beeI
done for the community by the churcf
and it's various departments, rs the Sab
bath School, Bible classes and missionary
societies, &c.
In conclusion, he reminded the cOpgre'
CATION of the responsibilities and connec'
ton between the pastor and the members,
in the following eloquent Language:
And now in conclusion, | cannot forget
that in this place and from this hOur aw'
full responsibilities are springlnS up be
tween YOU and me-between yOu and me-
/ As | speak in the name of Christ, as you
hear, so may be our destiny. We are here
to deal with influences which play out
their issues over the lapse OF eternity. We
are here to forget the vanities OF time ano
Law hold upon the things which are un'
seen and eternal. We gather here as :
company of immOrtals, to sit IN thu
presence of our God and heal
| His voice uttered by human lips
we cross each Others path in this house o
PRAYER from time to time rs travellers be
longing to 4 vast pilgrimage OF our souls
that is moving from q land of promise.
Our meetings here may be many OF they
NAV be few. But few or many, the mo
ment will ut length be reached, when W.
shall meet TO part no more forever. ina,
moment is hastenting on. The time i
coming when the occupants OF these pew
shall no longer have an ear for the tones o
prayer or the hymn OF praise, or TN
message of the preacher. The spin
that now animates these bodies will have
gone up, together with the generations o
pastors and people that have proceeded us
to that bar where both preacher and pastor
will give accounts. God grant that you
and | may hear the welcome of an approx
ing Savior, Come We blessed Ofmy Father
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world"
Quite a large congregation was in at
tendance and all expressed commentator
of the enjoyable and appropriate services