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

Z WfuflNll ina 10 JOB. - alSO ut Spbht L
you out of the whirlwind, in a way tha
all understood Every one of you hear
the voice in the roar and rumble of tn
tornado. No one needed an -inteTprete
to tell its meaning 1t was God in Hi
own language saving build me a Sanctu
airy. You all heard and said 1t God
own voice speaking to us. All that. III
has said we viii do. and His voice vii
obey You brought your offerings 10
the work l trust that, like the iSraeltes
you every one gave willingly with hi
heart" The offering has been taken; anC
to-day we have met, that we may in pub
lie and in a formal way open the hOust
and begin in it the service for which i
has been built. Let no one suppose tha
in doing this we are performing that which
in any proper sense corresponds with The
sanctification of the tent of meeting, wheI
Moses on the first day of the first montf
set up the tabernacle of the tent OF meet
ing" and put therein the ark, and the altal
of incense. and the table of SheW-breaC
and the candle-StickS, and set up the
hanging at the door of the tabernacle,
and reared up the court round about the
tabernacle and the altar, and set up the
hanging of the court gate: when he
anointed the tabernacle and all that was
therein and hallOwed it, and when the
princes of the people offered bounty offer
ing and sacrifice We have nothing to dc
with all this. The tabernacle has been
forever rcOnSecrated: it has been Sanctified
and the offering has been made once fol
all. There remains no more offering fol
sin, and the Holy Spirit. symbolized by
the amounting oil, has been given an abb
ding presence in the church.
/ trust that that every stone and brick
and board and nail and glass in this TEN.
pie has been dedicated to God before to-
day. l trust that as you brought your of
ferings for this work the offering was ded-
icated to God by prayer, that you have
continued that dedication day by day, and
will continue it until yOu see visible signs
that the Lord has accepted your offering
and the cloud shall cover this place and
the glory of the Lord shall fill this taber-
nacle
Our meeting to-day and our service is
to do publicly that which your pastor and
many of you have been doing daily. We
this day, and in this formal and public
manner, ask God to accept this offering
at our hands. and to make this house a
means of blessing to our souls and to the
souls of many Others.
After further discussing the tabernacle
reared by Moses in the wilderness, and
the meaning and significance of all its
parts, the speaker closed with these i'm
pressive words:
And now, looking at the tabernacle as
whole, it points to Christ. As Dr. Wm.
N. Taylor says, . 1t is finger-post. di-
recting us to that mystic person in whom
God in very deed dwelt with man upon
the earth" "Christ all in all" is the
grand central truth in which converge the
many trains of thought suggested by the
tabernacle. its architecture and furniture.
The sanctuary and the vessels of the sane
tuary all speak this one voice. What
makes the church is people met, in Gods
name, with the "Shekinah," the sacred
presence of the Head of the Church, in
the midst. Here His name is to be above
any name, His glory to be better than all
other glory. The altar tells of His sacri-
fee. The laver speaks to us of the cleans
ing which is in Him. The candle-stickS
point to the Light of the world and Shi-
ming on "the bread of presence" shows
us in it the Bread of Life. The censer is
full of the intercesSion of Christ, and the
mercy seat is Christ the great Mediator
All tell us of Christ, for Christ is all.
May the cloud of His Mercy fill this
place, and every heart in divine presence
to-day, and to His name be the praise
Amen.
AT the request of Dr. Balph, Rev. D. c.
Wilson then led in prayer. Then Rev. W.
H. McMurray read the XLVIII Psalm,
which was sung by the choir and congre-
cation, and following that a collection
was taken up for the benefit of the Wo-
mems Missionary Society.
Mr. John B. McMechan, Secretary of
the Building Committee, then made a re-
port for that committee. The building
and furniture and lighting and heating
cost $4,000 OF that sum ST.
66S has been paid, and the balance salts
arranged.
The pastor then announced that the
audience would, no doubt, be glad to hear
briefly from some of the visiting clergy
men, and first called upon DR.. Young,
who talked entertainingly for few mo-
ments. He said, looking back upon his
abOrs as a preacher and teacher, he re-
yarded the sixteen years he labored here
rs pastor of this congregation with more
pleasure and satisfaction than any other
work of his life. In the early part of his
ministry, especially, his salary was very
small, and the closest economy was ne
,essary. He spoke lovingly and tenderly
If st. Clairsville and its people, congrat-
Hated the congregation upon the beauti
iul house of worship it had erected, and
closed with the quotation at
he top of this report: peace be within
hy walls, and prosperity within thy pal
lceS.'
Rev. D. c. Wilson, of College Springs,
Iowa, said happening to be in these parts
he gladly availed himself of the invita-
ion extended by his classmate, DR.. Balph,
o be present. He spoke briefly of the
difficulties under which churches labored
n the West, contrasted the beautiful tenn
Die in which he stood with churches in
many western towns, and warmly con-
the congregation upon its com
)letion.
Rev. W. H. McMurray, of Toronto. O.,
lad sat under the ministry of DIR Balph
when a boy, and owed the fact that he
S engaged in the ministry largely to the
of his old-time pastor He was
,lad to be present, and to participate in
he congratulations and good feeling that
Prevailed
Rev. W. NJ. Grimes, of Glencoe, was
,alled upon. He arose from his seat in
he audience and briefly expressed his sat
sfaction at being present, and his pleas
Ire at the fine and cOmmodious and com
ortable edifce the congregation of st.
Jlairsville this day occupies.
Rev. DR.. Campbell, of New Athens, was
leo doun in tho oudianoo I,,t rno,, ;D