Telegram-herald., 1891-09-28
FREB FROM ALL Debt
The East Street Methodist Church
De dicated.
ADMIRABLE SERMON BY REV. POTTS
How the Church Has Struggled Into Ex
isrsnes and = Very Pretty Place OF
Wsrship-DsvotiessA AAd IA.
eisss sf Opening Day.

crowd that attended the opening
services Of the newly renovated East-st.
NJ. 4. Church. On the platform. which
was prettily decorated with palms,
ferns, and yellow flo wers. we're seated
DIR. Potts. the Rev. A. NJ. Gould, Albert
Smith and VIM. Denman. and presiding
elder w. J. Cogshall. II was the first
appearance OF Mr.. Cogshali before q
Grand Rapids audience since his ap-
pointment as presiding elder Of this
district.
After the singing of q hymn, the Rev.
A. NJ. Gould led III prayer. and the
Rev. Albert Smith read the scripture
lesson. fhc choir sang "As pants the
heart" and then the Rev. VIM. Dem
man, pastor of the church announced
| that Dir. Potts. editor of the Christian
Advocate, would deliver the sermon.
DR.. Potts has been totally deaf for
twenty years, but he has perfect con-
troll OF his voice, and is able 20 modulate
II properly for room OF any size.
DIR. Potts took his text from / Corin-
thlans, 5th chapter, Eth verse: BE-
hold, all things are become new"
The speaker said that all new things
were very popular III this changing
world. Along all the lines of business,
any thing new takes well. In society,
everything new IS eagerly sought for
The newspaper, which is comparatively
new, is the most frequent visitor to our
home, and 1t has become 80 popular
that Il even encloaches or the sanctity
of our Sabbath. A large part of socie-
ty is given up too largely to tyrannical
fashion, and although the progress OF
womankind is earnestly desired. women
should not be allowed to occupy high
places until they swear freedom from
the frivolities of fashionable life.
Under q New Dispsnsation
We live in a new dispensation. We
have the new testament in addition to
the old, If Moses and the prophets
were enough for salvation under the
old dispensatlon, what should be ex-
pected of us who have Christ and the
disciples besides? We live in a new
world, under a new form of govern
ment, the fitness, value, and stability
of which are being demonstrated to all
mankind. We are adding new stars to
our flag, new laws to our statute books.
AS Methodists, we are one Of the
sun. Here Is problem in simple pro-
portion: if ten or twelve methodists be-
come four or five million in $50 years,
and they increase in the same ratio for
the next $50 years, how many will
there be at that time?
But the best new thing is the new
creature in Christ Jesus. God makes
new spfritual-1nxn inssa @veTF esnsii3lc
Nhn,. q x<,, y, 4.
he not only puts the hands IN the right
position, but he regulates the springs.
When man undertaks to reform a
man and make a new creature of him,
he is too apt to begin at the outside and
cut OF few bad habits. To reform
4 profane man, you make him
stop swearing; to reform Sabbath
breaker, you make him keep the Sab
bath. But in making them quit these
things, you are only measuring them
up to the civil statutes, and making
them meet the demands of society.
When God reforms man he goes to
the heart, to the internal springs, and
regulates him all the way through He
touches the mainsprings of conduct
and OF speech, makes a Christian of
him, not only by cutting off his
bad habits, but by setting him
to living right. Then he does not live
for self, for building up torture, for
pleasure, but he lives for Christ. Christ
Is the supreme object of his desire, the
actuatilg priuciple of all he does and
says. He wishes to glorifY God that he
may enjoy Him forever. His heart is
new, hls principles of fife are new, and
his affections are new. He looks be-
yond this life, and more beautiful
and 2 permanent life looms up before
bis Vision. He will enjoy sll the de-
lights of this life as sell as he did be-
fore, but he will not DO engrossed by
them. He will live IN, but MT above
the things of this life.
Tn. Happiest Man.
The man who enjoys himself most in
this world is the man who is living for
the future. Lie is not worth living If
we tnink only of the experiences of
tins world; there Is nothing in il to
crafty or satisfy: it is a life of pain
and suffering. But to live Christian
HE, with Its new pleasures, Its new an
ticipations oi the nfe beyond. is safe
and glorious existence. Worldly men
give to the church with an eye to the
improvement of present things, but
Christians see more than the four walls
OF . church. They see the spiritual
life. They take up the Bible. which 10
the Oldest and yet the new book, and
they lind new chapters, new texts, new
promises. An old will is most unin-
terestlng document, unless there is
some bequest IN 1t for yourself. So the
worldly man often finds the Bible most
uninteresting, but when he becomes a
new man, II becomes most precious 20
him because of the bequesis he finds
for himself. And the new creature in
Christ Jesus comes into possession of
new name. for j: is written, ITO him
that overcometh will / give to eat OF
the hidden Mama. and will give him q
white stone, and in the stone new
name written. which no man knoweth,
saving he that receiyeth IT." There are
many precious conpensatiens in build
ing churches. and IN renovating old
ones. Ii takes many sacrifices, but they
pay for themselves IN dollars aud cents,
as we'll ss spiritually and socially.
We meet today 10 dedicate this
church; IT will receive it, true dedica-
ton when souls are converted at its
altar. May God and His blessing he
with you az you meet from time to
time in this beautiful new church
home.
Raising the Church Debt
The pastor. Rev. VIM. Denmsn, gave
brief history Of the church, showing
IT. growth from . aneirhborhood prayer
meeting to the present full member
chip OF 25o
The rsport ~ the treasurer was read,
showing thst there were 81 .7e3. 10 10 he
provided for before the secretly would
10 ont af debt