The Newtown bee., 1891-05-15
VIEWPOINT, MAY l5, 1891.
DEDICATION ATWESTEND
Bridgeport's New Cong. Church.

Six years ago, little mission was es- tablished at West End, then just begin ming to show evidences of it's future won derful growth, by the North Congrega- tional church. The mission grew and prospered and had membership of 40 when Rev G. F. Prentiss of Brattleboro, Vt., was called to the pastorate. He worked with earnest zeal and succeeded
 in building up the church and Sunday school so rapidly that the mission build
 ing on Colorado avenue become all too
 small to accommodate the people, the
 while the Sunday scholars could hardly find seats. Accordingly,a couple of years ago, it was decided to build larger church on the same site, the former
 building being moved to the rear of the lot, and connected with the new church by glass doors. The plans, from Volk of New York, were for a broad, low build
 ing, of Norman Gothic construction,
 with tall bell tower of Gothic fashion
 at the southeast corner. The windows
 are all of stained glass and finely finished
 hard wood decorates the interior, the
 trussed roof and the walls. The seating
 capacity is about 300, folding opera
 chairs, arranged in a semi-crcle, being
 used in place of pews. The pulpit is at
 the center of the south side, with the or
 gan and choir just west. A sweet vocal
 ion organ, with Mrs Edward Lyon as or
 ganist, is used, and the choir consists of
 Mrs Avery, Mrs Lynch, Mrs Snitfin,
 Misses Marshall, Abbott, Murray, Ster-
 ling, Preston, Robinson, Lyman, Stew
 art, Messrs Spalding, Northrop, Shab-
 bolt, Hughes, Nichols, Hartwell, Os-
 borne, Crupper. The triple service dedi- cation was began at the church, last
 week Thursday evening, with the follow
 ing program:
 Voluntary and doXology; invocation, Rev F.
 K. Holden of Olivet church responsive wor.
 ship, Gloria patri, Rev H.C. Woodruff of Black
 Rock; scripture, Rev k. G. Fnllerton solo,
 Miss Marshall; hymn, Antiphonal choir; ser
 anthem, 70 Praise the Mighty God, (obligato
 solo by Miss Ada Stcrling) ,choir prayer, Rev
 Dr C. Ray Palmer; hymn 4S5, choir and con gregation; benediction.
 The solo was sweet and listened to with rapt attention. Rev Mir Taylor was in- troduced by Rev Mir Prentiss and deliv- cred an interesting and thoughtful dis course. His text was, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am | in the midst of them" He said: Man was not made to live alone. True, he frequently finds it necessary to be alone and often works out his deepest thoughts when in sOlitude but he must come into the world to give forth the re- suits of his meditation and he never reaches his highest ability unless in the company of his fellow men. Worship in closets was commended, but the gregar- ious tendencies of men were manifest in their banding together in numerous or ganizations for social pleasure and for worship. Jesus knew that his followers would worship in congregations, and, however small, he promised to be in the midst of them, if gathered in His name. There are two things essential in public worship, the place to worship and the manner in which to worship. There was n spOntaneity in worshipping in large congregation and the electric thrill of a congregation in touch with God often runs through whole church, while a single nearer, or a few, might remain unaffected. It makes no difference where men worship God, so long as the true spirit is there and God is truly worship ped. As the years roll on, the place where we worship becomes to us a home, where rests the memory of our dead. It's songs lift us to higher plane; it's pray 0rs purify our lives. But the place of this is immaterial; as well in log hut, poor upper room, as in the most splen- did temple of worship. The first real union prayer meeting was held in an ob- scure village in England, where the gen tie, shrinking poet Cowper wrote Jesus, whereer Thy people meet and where NtWIOH WEOJG '14OTu, our ldnGulu souls inspire" True worship this, though given in poor upper room. And yet it is more decorous and convenient to have stated place of worship; it is com manded that we should do so.
 At the second of the series of dedica- tory services, Sunday morning, the church was well filled, many members of other churches being present. The church was again decorated with flowers and plants and seemed to present an even prettier appearance by daylight. The services were opened by Rev G. F. Prem tiss, who conducted them until he intro- duced Rev F. w. Tracy of India as one who had had practical experience as a propriate," said Mir Prentss, ''that this, the first Sunday in our new sanctuary, should be missionary Sunday, though we had no knowledge of the coincidence when we appointed this day" MT Tracy, who gave deeply interesting missionary discourse, quite different from the usual sermon, spoke straight to the point. He was of Eastern birth and training, he said, having been born of active mission ary parents. He had, moreover, been trained to habits of Western thought and had tried to carry the good tidings as he had learned them to the benighted mil llOho oL i-dob ibdlhhos IlOW Cdu NOu know any man save as you know his heart, his thoughts? In this way only can one know the Hindu; and as have seen him l will try to portray him. His God is one of fear. Behind every bush, every, tree, every rock, hiding in every jungle, lurking in the air,-in fact.eve where, are devils who are waiting to de- vour him. The manifestations of Nature with which he is most familiar are storm and tempest, famine and pestilence, death and destruction. These things he knows but cannot understand. Hence, they must proceed from God and all his efforts are directed toward propitiating this malevolent Deity, whom he can never love. The Gospel of love and peace is new and strange to them and they are for it; but they don't know that they want it; they say they don't want 1t. Out of population of 2S0, ,000,- 900, there is never time when from 30,- 900, 900 to 10000, 1000 are not in want of food. Once decade comes a terrible dearth and at one of these times of want more than LOGO, 10000 persons died in the district in which my wife was and the population of the district was but 15, ,000,- poo. What caused their death? Sheer nothing more. Many and many time did l go into a hut and rouse the inmates, telling them that had food for them. Yet, though in the last stages of cancellation and acknowledging that they had tasted no nourishment for many Jays, their almost invariable answer to my proffer of food was, "We don't want 1t; we're not hungry" Not hungry, yet to death! I found that by the use of certain poisonous plant, they were in the habit of so paralyzing the that it could feel no pain. And thus it Is with their spiritual natures. They have so paralyzed their souls with their false ideas of God that they don't know that they are starving to death for the food of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet they are constantly seeking for