Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-01-27
TIE SILVER JUBILEE.
GRACE M. E. CHURCH cELs5RAT-
ING IT'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY.

the twenty-fifth anniversary of its or
nanization yesterday morning. Yester-
day was also the twenty-second ami
versary of the preaching of the FIRST ser
mon in the present edi6ce. Exercises /
viii be held each evening except Satur
day in this week, and Sunday and Monday |
of next week.
The church is decorated beautifully. |
Laurel rope reaches from the centre of |
the pulpit arch to the side columns. Pot |
ted plants, in tiers to the height of ten |
feet, are arranged behind the minister's |
chairs on the platform. The top pier is |
covered with large palms and ferns. |
A cross is erected in the centre of the |
platform, and its white surface is en-
twined with laurel rope. The cross piece
contains the words: Rock Of
Ages" A pyramid of smaller potted
plants forms a base to the cross
and the effect of the many flowers is en-
HANGED by incandescent lights in colored
shades, which dot the pyramid. On the
side columns, where the arch joins with
them, are the first and twenty fifth years
Of the church, 1S65-1S90. The sentences
on the wall to the right of the platform
are enclosed in the laurel rope. The pull
pit is covered with the same material
The front of the platform and the table
in the centre of the church, contain small
potted and blooming plants resting on
laurel.
The singing for the exercises will be
| furnished by a choir of one hundred
trained voices, which will assist the
quartette choir of the church
N. Dushane Coward is the musical
director and John d. Kurtz the organist.
The services yesterday opened auspi-
ciously. The church was well filled at 10
o'clock, at TO- 30 all the seats down stairs
we're taken and the gallery seats were
soon filed. Chairs were placed in the
aisles to accommodate the visitors.
At 10 As o'clock Organist Kurtz began
| the voluntary and the ministers took
seats on the platform. They we're Bishop
Cyrus w. Foss, d. D., l. l., d.. Rev.
Jacob Todd. ID. D.. pastor of the church /;
Rev. T. Snowden Thomas, editor of the
Peninsula Methodist; Presiding Elder
w. l.. s. Murray, of the Wilmington
District and Rev. Vaughn Smith.
| Name" and Psalm 46 was read by the
pastor and congregation. The hymn
| 'sGod is the Refuge of His Saints" was
sung and Rev. Mr.. Thomas made the
prayer Bishop Foss read the twentieth
chapter of Acts, beginning with the
seventeenth verse. The collection was
then taken up, and DR.. Todd announced
that as this was the silver anniversary
and also the quarterly collection day,
they would be combined, by each person
giving not less than a quarter. The
quartette, Miss Mary Thielman, con-
tralto; Miss Lillian jackson, soprano
w Harry Carey, tenor, and N. d.
Coward, bass, sang, Sing Unto the
Lord"
Bishop Foss preached The bishop is
above the medium height. His hair is
dark with gray in. front. His beard is
dark gray. bad cold, contracted on
Friday, interfered with his articulation
but he did very well Notwithstanding
His text was jeremiah 6, 49, Thu:
saith the Lord, stand ye in the way, anC
see, and ask for the old paths where il
the good way, and walk therein, and "
shall find rest for your souls. In open
ing he referred to the value Of precedent
and history, aud stated that God, meI
and devils do not change. When new
religions" come up the most
show that they are not novel
On the field of battle none knows tn,
outcome, but after the battle all car
know, so with John Wesley's foundation
of Methodism. Then he knew not thu
outcome now we know it. He paid hi
respects TO pessimists. who believe tina
the world is going TO the bad and that tn
, church is declining.
He continued: whenever any man o.
; set Of men get at essential truths relating
4. | to their own time or the time to follow
they will stand because they are essen
d tial. So with our Declaration of In
= dependence and Constitution; the timi
q will never come when we can afford
get away from them. So with Metho
dism, we cannot afford to get far ava,
from the old paths Every great move
ment that lasts must contain fundamen
5 tai truths. The Methodist Church ha
a been defined as a revival church in spirit
> a missionary church in organization, an
g the definition is good.
7. The speaker then discussed the cause
r that led to Methodism's formation b
D John Wesley, and explained the begin
= ming of its special features, such as til
II itineraey, the lay preacher and the elias
l. meeting It's ministers preached of
real hell. perdition everlasting a perfee
salvation, Jesus Christ the savior Of th
world. In conclusion he said: Il con
2 graduate myself that ! am with you tC
-. | Gay TO see lne lIulLS Ol twenty Nv
y years of work in this Methods
d city. We have heard of Graz
/ Church elsewhere, its large membership
successful Sunday schools, large offering
J. Whatever of the new fits into the ole
u you should adopt. Our beloved Method
is shall stand in the path and ask til
old what is the right way, and then wi
walk therein. Methodism must be a con
munion Of converted men and womeI
> You know these things. God grant 20
Z great Joy and delight in the review (
!. your history, and great resolves to hol
I. the old church to its pattern, and
n carry it down into the next century wit
a. hearts full Of the old erdying prime
N Piles. Thus may you come to whel
az Wesley may greet you and where earthl
" distinction and cares may be lost in pc
as sonal communion with Jesus Christ
~ The sermon occupied seventy minutes.
Six persons were added to the churc
on probation, and one on certificate. D
Todd referred thankfully to the paymel
of the last dollar of bonded debt on Il
- church. There is now no floating
~ bonded debt. After singing hymn al
10 the doxology, the benediction was pr
OF nounced by Bishop Foss
on The Evening Service.
,er Presiding Elder w. L. S. MUIR
ii. preached last evening His sermon W
. a an impressive discourse on the text .
Mt is fearful thing to fall into the han,