The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-10-05

], 1889, was 1856 - against 242 at the close
Of the preceding pastOrste. The entire &C.
csssion Of the eighteen years to January
last has been 1872, 2l9 on profession Of faith /;
the removals 2S3. The actual increase Of
membership in eighteen years has been
sighty.two and in January last, 1889, was
still less BY twenty-five than the enrolled
membership Of both the First church and the
Plymouth church nineteen years ago.
Such is the half century Of work rs respects
the numbers gathered, the souls to whom
this has been pre-eminently the house Of
God, the gate of heaven. Their number in
ell from the beginning has been about 955.
What this church has been TO or done for
the multitudes not garnered in its fold. can.
not be written, will never have record on
the earth. What it has done by its Sunday
school what it has done on the mission
fields by It's gifts of members or money the
home field, the foreign fields, the recording
angel will have record Of but none other.
Happy for us, my brethren, il for us in some
not far away but final day it shall be said by
the King. the real and true King, Come
70 blessed Of my Father, inherit the king
dom, for was an hungered and ye gave me
meat, q stranger and ye took me in" Matt.
XIV: SO. This will be great reward for such
work as we have done.
have thus accomplished the task you were
pleased to assign to me, to prepare histor'
ical sketch Of this church in the half centu-
ry. have known every minister but one
who has lsbored in it. have thought the
peculiar circumstances attending its organi.
nation suggestive Of divine impulse-heav'
emily inspiration in those who planned and
formed it. Its progress, also believe,
as we see it now, has evinced divine
presence, divine fatherly care of 1t, in de-
Tending it when sssailed by fsnaticism'
Mormonism, Millerism, Second Adventism,
Universalism, and partizan and secular de-
ationalism and so called infdelity. II
has illustrated before the world that to be
spiritually minded is life and peace-that
the fruit Of Righteousness is sown in peace of
them that make peace.
A church Of fifty years has not reached
the end, or even hating place. 1t is yet
at the beginning. This church is there. Its
accumulated resources and increased mem.
bers-the reputation and character lying
back Of it, its enriching experience, qualify
it now for the Masters use. We should
daily hear his voice: aye have not chosen
me but have chosen you and ordained you
that you should 60 and bring forth fruit,
and that your fruit should remain, that
whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name He may give 1t YOU
Wherefore forgetting those things which
are behind and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, let us press toward
the mark for the prize Of the high calling Of
God in Christ Jesus. ......
Many ofyou who hear me will live to see
the hundredth anniversary Of this church
organization. May this church still con-
tinue strong, resolute and effective, and all
its history through the years then show
that it is none other than the house of God,
that it is the gate Of heaven.
IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
In the Sunday School Hon. B. G. Cook,
Dr.. Chester Hard, and 7. D. Catlin, ex-
superintendent, gave interesting reminis-
cenoes Of the growth of the school, Mr..
Cook and DR.. Hard talking on the period
anterior to 1870 and Mr.. Catlin of the pro-
gress during the past eighteen years.
Rev. Giles b. Wilcox of Chicago, delivered
the evening address, taking as his subject
1.-THE Pilgrim Fathers" The subject was
presented in a manner BETTING the ability
and reputation of the eminent divine. His
thoughts were high and his sentences elo-
quent and elegant in composition.
On Monday afternoon the auditorium was
filled with members of the congregation and
OuiLOho, W iiotCn W Oil uu-
dress by Rev. Moses Smith of Chicago, who
delivered sermon of rare power and attrac-
tiveness. Mrs. W. II. Hull, Mr.. Titus and
Mrs. Carl Simon, members of the old choir,
sang the old church music with excellent
effect, their voices having lost none of their
blending qualities with the years. Rev.
Haarving of Aurora, also rendered musical
selections. ,..... .......
MONDAY EVENING.
When the doors of the Sunday school
rooms we're opened at six o'clock on Monday
evening, number of long, white tables were
disclosed to view, bending beneath the bur
den Of q magnificent collation., with plates
laid for three hundred persons. The mem
bers Of the congregation and their guests
having participated in the discussion of the
empting repast, the exercises Of the even
ing were insugurated with q solo by Prof. C.
". Weeks. He was in splendid voice and
lang with much expression and power.
Mr.. Catlin then read letters from ex-mem-
,ers of the church and former pastors, ex-