St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-07-12

| the people. Without knowing his
thought they entered upon the task.
This fact gave him comfort. Now, he
said, the people will not feel that the
church is made for them but that it is
made by them and is their own. When
years ago / asked him-who made this
church he answered, "every man and
woman and child of the congregation
had something to do with it." This is
our church. No subscription sheet
tells us what he gave, this we know,
he gave to it his thought and time, day
by day, for years, and today in it's So
lidity and attractiveness, its comfort
and rich simplicity we see not his but
him. The church is like him. Of it as
of the temple of his soul you say
strength and beauty are in His sane
tuary." Those who came near his life
felt happy union of power and grace.
Those whose eyes behold, and whose
hearts worship in this house feel what
he was. The church is an educating
power, we all learn from it character as
from a living teacher. On no place
does his name appear, but it is the
building Of his soul, a substantial and
fair declaration of life that was sub
stantial and fair. He did not know
this. [ have seen him looking at the
church with great joy, unconscious
that it was as mirror in which he saw
himself.
He wished this house of God to be at
the same time a church and a meeting
house. Like the cathedrals of the
renascence it should itself be kind of
prayer and song, a sign of worship
and the movement of soul toward the
divine. His thought and act of worship
were the theory and illustration of the
fact that worship is the best, the SUI
preme act of a man, and should be
done in the best way. Nothing can
be more appropriate for man than this
attitude; that other things may be
done we'll it is of the first Importance
that worship be given as the finest,
sincerest, posture of the heart before
God. He entered into it's service wi til
cordial vital sympathy. He came in
to this house ready to worship, and not
in the dull Indifference that waits to
be sOotIed or reused. The organist
felt that he was listening, that through
the churchly and solemn tones of the
organ he might find a way of utterance
for his praise the choir looked towards
him, sure of his assisting response as
they 10y their art opened the windows
toward the armament above the min
lister knew that in Scripture and pray
er and sermon he gave an attentive
soul and thus invited the power that
gives what follows, not precedes inter
est. All men receive an enlarged
and richer life when they come to
worship, with purpose, preparation
and expectancy. How gently and de-
cisively the memory of his spirit of
worship appeals to us to preserve every
fair and useful habit of praise that
shall make the soul like this church
sanctuary thing of "strength and
beauty"
1t should also be, he said, injecting
house, The building is more than a
beautiful offering, it is a place for
Christian work Make it convenient
for every service to which the times
invite Christian congregation. Let
sion labor and the best social life. This
church is not simply to be looked at
with joy, it is to be dwelt in and used
for that service which is holier than
any edifice man can build. A purpose
than their joining mortar, the purpose
that this congregation should here
worship and serve God.
By the movement and habit of his
life he has taught us the value of Civ
ing ourselves to the church. What a
man builds into his church he builds
into eternity. TO no other institution
upon the face of the earth can one
l.. 81 L., hot
what he gives will have Il permanent
usefulness in blessing men. He will
have Il long life who makes the church
the recipient of his thought and
strength. AS it is duty of every man
to acquire corporate immortality, 1T
is his duty to give himself to that form
of society to which God has promised
both temporal and eternal life. These
truths | have uttered not that we may
join with the Jews in their joyful praise
of the worthy centurion che loveth our
nation and hath built us Il synagogue"
but that from the memory of this man
we may learn to give ourselves to the
church. In this church and the larger
church of which it is type, there is
room for every mans devotion and for
the preservation of every mans soul.
In our lives, whatever their limits or
humility, we may illustrate as we'll as
he, that he lives we'll and long who
lives in the church. 1t will be our
misfortune, if in our confidence in the
largeness of his heart we have accept
ed the falsehOod that this church is to
illustrate what the few do for the sake
of the many, we shall certainly do dis
honor to a dear and hOnOred name if
we refuse to accept the truth he sought
with patient self-forgetfulness to teach
us, that each one gains from his church
benefit in some proportion to the quail
ity of life he gives to it. Having Sc
rious interest in the future of this
church l suggest that you perpetuate
his spirit by giving to this church the
same spirit he gave to it. This church
will not long remain the means by
which he blesses us if we do not accept
it as means by which we may bless
others.
Il love Thy church o Lord,
For her my tears shall fall
For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and tolls be given,
Till tolls and cares shall end"
But his interest in this church was
something more than a desire that it
might be solemnly and forever cOnse-
Grated as an institution to the service
of worship and duty, he had genuine
and sympathetic interest i'm all who
M, do thiS pIaca THAR hona With n