Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-03-14
UPON THE PLATFORM.

II. McMurray (Of TOrOnto) and Rev. DIR
Alexander (of the Presbyterian Church
entered, and were escorted to seats upoI
the platform.
DR.. Young had not been here since the
semi-centennial celebration of the con
gregation, eight years ago last September
His appearance was striking and through
out the exercises he was the cynOSure OF
hundreds of loving eyes. He was dressed
in the conventional black, and wore a
black neck-tie His long gray locks hung
down to his coat collar His mOustache
and whiskers are quite white, and his
eyes deep-set and keen. He stands as
erect as an Indian, and reads without
glasses. Before him sat gray-haired men
and women who remembered him as a
wonderful preacher generation agO-a
debater who lowered like some tall noun
tain peak above all the men of his time in
these parts-a man at home upon every
topic that interests humanity-a preach
er and teacher without peer, and an en-
thusiastic horticulturist and farmer.
The choir was in its place, at the right
of the platform, under charge of Mr.. J.
B. McMechan..
THE OPENING EXERCISES.
At 1045 o'clock Rev. Dr. Balph stepped
forward upon the platform and announc-
ed that the exercises would open with
prayer by Rev. Dr. Hollingshead. A hush
fell upon the audience as the eloquent
pastor of the NJ. E. congregation arose
He invoked especial blessings upon the
people who had erected that beautiful
temple of worship
Rev. John Giffen, who had been select
ed to deliver the dedicatory sermon, then
announced and read the CXX Psalm
al was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the Lord ~
which was sung with fervor and power
by the choir and congregation.
Dr. Balph then impressively read from
1 Kings, Chapter VIII, beginning at the
22d verse
"And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,
in the presence of all the congregation of Israeli
and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
'And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no
God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth be-
neath''
Rev. DR.. Young then delivered the ded-
icatory prayer. He spoke in a subdued
tone, but his distinct enunciation enabled
all the people to hear him.
Rev. A X. Knox then read the CXXXII
Psalm, which was sung by choir and con-
gregation.
THE OBLIGATORY SERMON
followed, preached by Rev. John Giffen,
for fourteen years missionary in Egypt.
Mr. Giffen took his text from Exodus
XIV, verse s:
"Let them make me sanctuary; that 1 may
dwell among them"
These words, said the speaker, are part
of a royal proclamation. The proclama-
ton is from a King to His subjects. In
it the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
speaks through His vicerOy, Moses, to a
people whom he has chosen for himself,
and in a wonderful way prepared them to
be his own peculiar people.
These words of proclamation express a
royal edict. and the royal will and pleas
ure. 1t is the wish of the King to dwell
among His people That this desire may
be gratifed, He issues the royal edict-
Let them make me a sactuary," that is
to say, a holy dwelling place. This to be
the Kings palace, in which He may take
up His abOde-where He may meet with
His people, give His commands, execute
His judgments, receive their homage, and
dispense the royal bounty and clemency.
This King is holy-His nameiS holy-He
dwells in high and holy place. Hence
the place to be made for Him is to be no
common place of dwelling. 1t must be a
sanctuary-a dwelling of God, and holy.
This expression of royal will was a mes
sage of great joy to Moses and the people
In the twenty-third chapter God had
promised Moses, saying: Behold l send
an angel before thee, to keep thee in the
way, and to bring thee into the place which
have prepared" This angel was to be
the representative of the King The word
of the angel was to be the law to the peo-
pie. They were to fear him, for he would
not pardon transgressiOn, for only the
name of God was in him. But now God
makes further revelation of divine pur-
himself will 90 with them: yea. that He
will dwell among them. They could
never bear the presence of the angel, who
would not pardon. They would soon fall
under his judgments and die before him.
But now God, even their God, who does
pardon lnlqulty, tranSgreSSiOn and sin,
takes the place of the angel representa-
tive and orders the people to build Him
palace, that He may dwell in the midst
of Them
The coming of King among his peo-
pie always gives them an opportunity of
showing their loyalty When the Khedive
of Egypt comes down from Cairo to live
for time in Alexandria, as he does al
most every summer, what demonstrations
of loyalty to the royal person and JOY at
his presence are seen everywhere. There
are booming cannon, marching process
sions, illuminations, music and feasting.
Each man seems TO vie with his neighbor
in demonstrations of devotion and loyal
ty. No expense is too great to be will
ingly paid, no trouble too great to be pa
tiently, joyfully endured.
We see the joy of this people at the pros
pect of having their King among them in
the number and cOstliness of their free
will offerings for the sanctuary that was
to be built
This command to build a sanctuary
came from the King through his prime
minister, Moses. But God has more than
one way of giving His commands to His
people. Sometimes He speaks by His of
ficial minister sometimes by His written
sometimes by conscience within us
sometimes by His spirit whispering
sweet and low in our hearts, so that we
scarcely know from whence comes the
sound. Sometimes He speaks by His
providences, by the gently falling autumn
leaf, by the forked lightning and the
thunder. Two years ago the 10Th day of
April next He spoke to this congregation
by terrific cyclone. The Lord hath His
way in the whirlwind and storm. "He
! maketh the clouds His chariot, and walk