The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-12
DEDICATED TO GOD.
Impressive Ceremonies Yes
terdaY at the South
Bergen Reformed
Church.
SERMON OF THE FAMOUS DR.. BRIGGS
He Says the Spirit Of Conseera-
ton in the Salvation Army
Is Very Powerful.
More Powerful in Fact Than in
Any Religious Body Exist
ing Today.

LIS AUN
The day of days in the history OF the
South Bergen Reformed Church was yes
terday. Yesterday the congregation and
most beautiful church edifice upon the
Heights. The whole day was spent in hold
ing special dedicatory services, and in these
services ministers of all denominations par
ticipated. The regular dedication service
was held in the morning at half past ten
o'clock; in the afternoon the pastors of
churches of various denominations offered
their congratulations, and in the even
ing the people were treated to a first
class sensation, a sermon by the Rev.
Chalres A. Briggs, d. D., who was
recently tried for heresy. At the morning
service the body of the church was comfort
ably filled; in the afternoon the Sunday
school rooms had to be used, many of the
children staying through the service; IN the
evening every available inch of standing
and sitting room was utilized and the people
scarce had room to breath. 1t was at the
evening service that a serious defect in the
church was found. Unless a speaker talks
very loud he cannot be heard from the rear
Of the gallery, and in some other parts of
the church.
THE R SERVICE.
= The morning service was devoted to o
and praise, and the regular dedicatory cere-
monies as laid down by the Reformed Church
of America. The Rev. Paul d.. Van Cleef,
DID, conducted the service. The music
was by the regular church choir supplemented
by a large chorus choir. 1t included the
.sGloriaa from Farmers mass in B. Flat,
Calkin's "Jubilate Dec" in G. and worship
the Lord from Concone's mass in f.
After a short session of song, including
the singing by the congregation of a dedica-
tory hymn written by Henry d. Holt, NJ.
D.. the congregation arose and repeated the
Apostles Greed, after which DR.. Van Cleef
read lhe PRAYER of dedication. The choir
then sang the s'Gloria," after which the Rev.
James f. Riggs. ID. D., preached the dedica-
tory sermon. His text was:-"How shall
we sing the Lords song in a strange landT
Psalm 1877, ". He said:-tWe have just
now dedicated this beautiful building to
God. We are met here not only to worship,
but to congratulate one another. We do,
with heartfelt feelings, congratulate you all
for what Won have done. You will notice
that as there is one church here, composed
of many bricks, so the intention of the
church is one, though the thoughts of the
individuals within are many"
ASKS FOR 5000.
The pastor of the church then announced
that the Offertory was next on the pro-
gramme He asked for 5000 during the
week of special services. He said:-"Of course
this building was not put up for nothing.
1t was put up for the glory and worship of
God and the good of men. The brethren who
have taken the deepest interest in building
it, deserve great credit. and if we should
give them all that they deserve, we should
impoverish ourselves. They want $1,000
for incidental expenses, they would not re-
fuse $40. 200. We are not large in numbers
~Or k,-D G-o h,1f MA hazrn daT.od f0
do. Many outsiders wonder how we are
going to do it. We have made sacrifices. 1t
anyone var to see how it is done give a
800 or a $500 bill and wear an old overcoat
or an old sacque, then you will know how it
is done" Slightly lifting one foot and point
ing at it, he continued:-"I am wearing my
last summers shoes that / may give to you
people. That is how it is don More of us
should make these sacrifices. l feel like
shouting Hallelujah." And he did shout
Hallelujah at the top of his voice, much to
the surprise of his congregation He then
made the announcements of the other ser
vices. He said, in speaking of DR.. Briggs,
that his being present would not in any way
compromise any of the other brethren, and
that what he said would not hurt them. He
said that he thought that, with the mixed
congregation which would be present, he
would do no harm anyway.
THE AFTERNOONS SERVICE.
The afternoon service was one such as has
never been witnessed before in Jersey City
and seldom anywhere. Addresses were de-
livered by ministers of six different denomi-
nations, viz, Episcopalian, Reformed, Pres
byterian, Baptist. Congregationalist and
Methodist. Each offered a few words of con-
graduation TO the pastor and people of the
South Bergen Reformed Church. On the
platform sat the Revs. Bruce, Lowrie, Brush,
Mitchell, Ingalls,, Biddle, Riggs. Atkinson,
Wells, Brett and Ellison. DIR. Brett, Presi-
dent of the General Synod of the Reformed
Church, had charge of the service and intro
duced the speakers.
The pastor announced that he had called
on Father Hennessy to invite him to attend
the service, but he is suffering from throat
trouble and could not come.
The offertory was next taken up, old-fash-
Toned collection boxes on long sticks being
used.
The pastor thanked the speakers, on behalf
of the church, and said that they would try
to be worthy of what was said of them.
HI ANGUS DR.. BRIGGS.
While the other services were chiefly for
the congregation, the evening service was to
suit the tastes of outsiders n to attract
them. The singing was excellent. Miss
the choir sang the "Gloria" from Mozart's
Twelfth Mass, Loyd's grand TIE Deum in =
fiat and mighty jehovah"
The Rev. Charles A. Briggs, ID. D., Pro-
fessor of Biblical Theology in the Union
Seminary, New York, in short, the famous
DR.. Briggs, preached. He was introduced as
perfectly harmless. He is a kindly looking
gentleman with gray hair and beard. and is
a very slow and deliberate speaker. His
text he took from St. John, xii, 32:-"And
/, if / be lifted Up, will draw all
men unto me-" He said, in part
tsThese words are pathetic. They were
spoken before Christ left the earth. They
tell us what He is to do in His mediatorial
reign. There are three passages in st, John
in which Christ speaks of His being lifted up.
The last of these is the text and the one we
are to consider tonight. The usual inter
probation of this is that He refers to His being
lifted upon the cross of Calvary. His death
was not a departure from life itself, but was
a going to His father on high to take His
place as a mediator and redeemer of man
Kind. Think that when we come to reflect
on these three passages that He is thinking
far above the cross of Calvary, far above
ali, as the mediator between God and His
AraweEa "A