The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-12-21
OPENING OF THE NEW PRESBY
TERRAIN CHAPEL.

Sunday morning. The beautiful in
terror is model of architecture and
art. The frescoeing is decidedly tasty
and in such exquisite harmony as &c
lend an air of pleasing attractiveness
The seating capacity of the new room
was tested to the utmost and foul
hundred chairs were occupied. The
music was unusually fine, while the
pastor, Rev. Lee W. Beattie, delivered
a sermon full of earnest thought, anC
replete with eloQuence. He seemed
to be additionally inspired by his ne"
surroundings, and the fultillment o.
his ambition to get into his new home
of worship imbued his whole nature
with renewed vigor and strength, and
he gave his audience the full beneht
of his inspiration.
The old pipe organ has been sup
planted with an elegant Weber grand
piano, and tue exchange is altogether
agreeable. By next Sunday the chapel
will have added to it some finishing
touches, which will make it even more
attractive than it was found on the
opening day.
Following is condensation of Rev.
Beatties sermon:
"The House of God Which is the
Church of the Living God the Pillar
and Ground of the Truth" L
Tim. 3:l5.
When | first looked into your faces
and then received a call to become
your pastor, a bright vision arose be-
fore me built upon already half
finished walls of rough cut lime stone,
a vision of beautiful church editice
with every modern convenience for
modern church activities. The vision
largely determined my decision to ac-
cept the call as it opened up to me
most brilliant hope, that here in this
city, from this church as center, sur
rounded by an able corps of elders and
wise body of trustees and host OF
consecrated women and young people,
who could accomplish in Gods name,
great things for the kingdom of the
truth.
When few weeks later l came to
you to find financial blizzard blowing
over our entire country, you can
imagine the disappointments that en-
tered my thoughts. But, seeking to
place myself in your places, l was en-
abled to buoy up my spirits with that
one saving grace without which man
loses all that is worth having or striv-
ing for in this life, viz: Hope. If,
therefore, in my earnest impulses to
see things move forward, have not
always hit against the elastic side of
your nature, but occasionally struck
on the solid adamant that has no
rebound, | trust you will pardon it as
the struggling of legitimate hope
that looks for fulfillment of the JOY of
your pastor, whose sacrifices have been
mostly in feelings and expectations, is
great this morning. How much greater
must your joy be who can add to this
catalogue of sacrifices that of your
material wealth.
In casting about for an appropriate
theme for our consideration this morn
ing, the following words of Paul to
Timothy came to me: "The House of
God which is the Church of the Living
God, the Pillar and Ground of the
Truth" The principle teaching here
is, "The Nature and Office of the
Church.
Perhaps there is no institution on
earth about which there are so many
different ideas and concerning which
many have such haZy indistinct con-
ceptions as of the church.
In our text Paul seems to mingle
the twofold idea that associates the
church edifice with the spiritual Or
ganism of believers. But the princi-
pie thought lies in the last part of the
verse: "The Church of the Living
God, the Pillar and Ground of the
Truth" Let us look this morning,
first, at the nature Of the church;
second, at the Office of the church.
I. The nature of the church is
shown in the words, Living God"
1t has life. Its order of development
is along lines of life. tits an organism
and not an organization. An organism
is that which increases by internal de-
velopment, not external accretion-
an organization is just the reverse. To
illustrate: A plant, an animal, man
are organisms. They increase by
growth through the principles of life.
A house, book, a club, are OrganiZa-
tions. They increase by external ad-
ditions. An organism is based on a
natural, not artificial basis. Similarity
of tastes forms men into clubs, So
cieties, etc. Community of interests
associate men into combinations and
corporations, but in time these all
dissolve. An organism is built on an
entirely different principle, that of
life growing, developing, enlarging
from within, outward. The church is
a spiritual organization because it is
of the Giving God" That is not a
church that is made up of a select
number of men of the same class; it
may be a religious club, that is all. A
church it is not nor never can be. The
church rises out of natural conditions,
not artificial, by resolutions, bylaws
and constitutions. The most essential
principle of life is expansion, like the
famous Banyan tree that expands in
area by the internal development
Human nature is selfish. We don't like
to yield to larger forces, but it must.
The churchs life is often retarded by
selfish ministers and church officers,
ever waiting to keep it limited to
their conception of truth, which is
made up Of a few articles of belief that
one'calls the feminine type of religion,
and asks: SIS there no place in the
oh, 70 tl,ot xul,i o, 10 I'M