The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-07-20
AN INTERESTING MEETING.

The last meeting in the old Pres
byterian church was held Sunday
and the building was scarcely large
enough to contain the attendance
The usual services were dispensed
with, and the program was largely
historical and reminiscent in it's char.
acter, and very interesting, particular.
ly to the older members.
Mrs. J. @. A. Marsh read paper on
the early history of the Sunday school
and of the sewing society.
Mrs w. H. Shepard read paper on
somewhat the same lines.
Mrs. Marsh sang one of the old Sun
day school songs that was in use in
the early days.
E. p. Freeman gave on account of
the different Sunday school superin-
tendentS since the church was found
ed.
John A. Willard told of the trustees
and ministers. He had himself been
a trustee for thirty years.
M. G.. Willard spoke Of the present
Sunday:school.
Geo. II. Brewster read paper con-
corning all of the elders that the
church has had.
Mrs. H. |. Parry sang "Auld Lang
Syne" in a commendable manner.
DR.. e. J. Davis read letters of greet
ing from each of the pastors who have
served in the present brick structure
all of whom are living. These letters
are interesting, and are as follows:
INKsTER, N. OAK, June 26, 1894.
To the pastor and session of the First
Presbyterian church, MankatO MINI.
DEAR BRETHERN:-To yourselves
and also to all the members of that
ever dear old church at MankatO, /
send salutatiOn in the Lord.
A letter dated on the 10Th inst. has
found me sin the field here in North
Dakota campaigning for the Master.
According to your kindly expressed
wish, at this hating place l write you
few lines commemorative and con-
gratulatOry as you remove the ark of
God from the old tabernacle, where it
has abode in blessing so long, to its
new and more beautiful place of rest.
Away from home and in the midst of
the busy cares that are crOwding upon
me now, l am permitted to stop but
little longer than to say: 'The grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
ALL" Most heartily do | rejoice with
you all in the bounty and blessing
wherewith God has crowned you.
Although new and more commo-
diOuS edifice opens it doors and invites
you to enter, yet the old house of the
Lord will ever remain to memory dear
to those who tOiled at it's foundation,
reared up it's walls, and humbly
worshiped in it's hallowed courts. The
joys that some of us have tasted in
that house, about to pass away, are
more then tongue can tell. 1t was
there that our joy burst forth in songs
of praise and thanksgiving as new
born souls testified of the SaviOur's
love. How were the very gates of
heaven opened to our vision as we
there sat with the saints of the Lord
at His table in blessed and holy COM
muniOn.
At that holy alter held in my arms
your sweet babes, precious lambs of
the fold, while on their innocent
brOws fell the water of baptism.
There with the bridegroom and the
bride we rejoiced; and again with
solemn step and slow, from those
sacred precincts we bore the beloved
dead as we laid them down to sleep in
the dust of the valley until Jesus
comes.
l can but hope and pray that the
transition you make from the old to
the new editice may not only mark
your growth in material prosperity,
but may it also more deeply mark
righteousness and true holiness.
May God bless you all as you leave
the old sanctuary for the new. 1t was
my privilege to lead that church and
people out of the public hall and the
old log school house, twenty-nine
years ago, into what to us at that time
was so beautiful temple. Out of that
same house so hallowed, another now
leads that dear people into an edifice
more stately and beautiful. May the
spirit of the Lord 60 with you, and, if
possible, make it more blessed.
To many of us the next transition
will be that heavenly mansion, our
Fathers house, whittier SO many of
our loved ones have gone. and where
they in glory await our coming. In the
spOtleSS robes of Christ's righteous
ness, may we all there meet again, for
'here have we no continuing city,"
Most fraternally your former pastor,
THOMAS MARSHALL.