The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1892-11-29

Two DAYS after, on September 9th, the
Trustees voted, as of course they would,
''to carry out the wishes OF the ladies'
And Sc We had this spire that has point
ed heavenward all these blessed years.
And SO our Church was built, and paid
| for-they had promised not to dedicate
| it till it was paid for. And they kept
| their promise, in the face OF their COM
parative poverty-built, say, and paid
| for, and accepted with votes OF thanks
| to the builder, and the Building Commit
| tee, and the Trustees, and the architect,
| and everybody else whose bounty had
helped toward the happy consummation.
And then, on Sunday morning, Decem-
| Der %, 1856, in the midst Of a six days
storm, it was dedicated with prayer by
the Rev. Dir. Turner OF the Methodist
| Episcopal Church, and a sermon an hour
! long by the pastor, the Rev ]. D. Strong.
So We came into this house that has
| served you SO well these thirtysix fruitful
| years. And if it can be true OF any one
| people more than OF another, it was
| specially true of that people that We en-
tered into these gates with Thanksgiving
and into these courts with praise. We
were joyous. We were jubilant. We
came up to this humble sanctuary with
gladness those of you cannot know who
have never, as a church, been houseless
and homeless. You will rejoice,
L know, when you go up to our new and
more beautiful house OF worship. But
you will not be SO proud of it as we were
OF this first offspring of our love. You
will not have so sweet a sense OF rest as
we had when we came up here saying:
"The sparrow hath found her house,
and the swallow nest for herself where
| tel,, 1,., III, IA
D Lord of hosts, my King and my God"
But [ must not stop to tell the story of
the people There is time only for the
story of the house. And the rest of that
story is simply the record Of these wide
open doors for thirty-six years OF prayer,
and sermon and song; for thirty-six
years of blessed mid-Week meetings; for
thirty-six years of the gathering of the
Sunday school children, of glad social
fellowship, of the praying OF the sanity
mothers. and of the planning of the busy
Christian fathers for the widening of the
Church's work and the Fastening of the
coming of the kingdom.
| Twice only you have had to enlarge
the place of your tent and stretch forth
the curtains of your habitation. In 1868,
sunder the superintendent of commit
ltee, consisting OF q. Z. Judd, w. w.
Hall, w. C.. Parke and A. f. Judd, you
built out this choir loft to make room for
the generous gift of the organ that has
helped your service of praise so grandly
now for more than score OF years. In
1879, by building committee OF three
P. G. Jones, w. F. Allen and w. w:
Hall-at a cost of $5002 81, you widened
out these walls to make room for the
growing congregation.
Go this hnnSa IN Itc nrnSnnt
fair proportions. 1t has been goodly
} shelter to you. And you have loved it
for that. But great deal more you have
come to love it for what. it has signitied
} to you through these tImty-six years OF
moral conflict. This house has stood for
| righteousness, through all the later years
of this nations training into Justice,
| and judgment, and equality" 1t has
been we'll hated, this old Fort Street
Church, and it has been well loved. But
| the hatred has not hurt it, and the love
, has hallowed it. 1t has been called the
missionary Church, and has welcomed
the taunt and worn the title as crown oi
} glory. 1t has STOOD for living Christ
; a divine atoning Saviour, and for that
you have loved it. 1t has stood for a
gospel OF salvation to all SHINING souls
3 who will come to Christ, and for that
3 you have loved it. 1t has stood for re
r vivals, and conversions and a worldwide
! evangelization, and tor that you have re
: joiced in it. 1t has stood like our blessed
: Lord with wide open arms for the child
: ren's enfolding, and for that you have
3 cherished it. 1t has stood for temper
!, ance in the face of abounding excess o
4 riot, and for that you have honored it
: 1t has stood for social purity, for virtuous
( homes and stainless lives, in the mids
!. of an adulterous generation, and for thai
# you have enshrined it. 1t has stood fo1
/. the fatherhood of God, and the brother
J. hood of man, and the sacredness OF the
, right, and the truth of Gods word writ
S ten, and for great glad faith in gooC
n time coming; and for all that you have
s taken this house to your hearts as the
S place of defence of all that is highest il
J. your hopes and holiest in your purposes
r These are the things you have prayed fo
8 here, and wrought for, and heard preach
It ed here by good men and true, Andrews
r and Corwin, and Bissell, and McCullv
It and Frear, and Cruzan, and Father Da
II mon, and most OF the missionary fathers
e and many another messenger or the eros
,. who has come and spoken in the nam
:. of the Master, and gone. Glad tiding
}. it has been to you, the teaching In thl
u uOuSc. Auu So you hdNo Iofcu IT,
g And then, around this hallowed plac
'r are gathered your sweetest and tenderes
g memories. Here many of you first foun
70 pardon for sin and peace in Jesus. Her
st at our Lords blessed feast you have Ion
t, sat together in heavenly places. Her
lr you have plighted love for love in tn
or ties that gather trusting hearts into hap
py homes. Here your babes have bee
D sealed with the symbol of the household
le covenant. Here your sainted ones hav
le been brought amidst your tears to let u
Of say over them, 81 am the resurrectio
a and the life." Oh, this place is dear
~ us by the holieat memories, dearer
\. some of us than any other sanctuary Ca
n ever be this side of heaven.
Il And yet we must go forth from il
h And we will go cheerfulIy. We will g
to thankfully. We will 60 rejoicing in th
p prospect of our more beautiful home an
1. our larger hope. But some of us must ye
re 60 looking wistfully back, and sayin
IS through our tears, Lord, 1 have love
st the habitation of Thy house, and th
i'd place where Thine honor dwelleth."