The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-29

than $50 600. The site is easily worth co.
600. While no pipe organ has been placed
in the receptacle provided for 1t as yet, the
Epworth League has rapidly.growing fund
with which is hoped a suitable instrument
may be purchased in the near future.
The attendance of Methodist pastors at
the dedication was nOticeably large. Among
them we're Revs. Thomas lyric Of st. Johns
bury, Presiding Elder l.. L Beeman, DR.. e.
NJ Smith, A. II. Webb and H. A. Spencer
of Montpelier, o. M. Boutwell, of Groton, s.
g. Lewis OF Marshftld, Alonzo Hitchcock
of Mortified, G. S. Nutter OF st. Adams,
Harvey Webster of Swanton, j. o. Sher-
burne of Willamstown and Presiding
Elder Joseph Hamilton of St. Johnsbury.
The regular choir of the church was as
sisted by Misses Gertrude Cochran and
May Wallace and Walter Lance from the
Montpelier Seminary. The services were
opened with an organ voluntary by Mrs. e.
II. Sutherland followed by the anthem
Except the Lord Build the House," by the
! choir, and responsive readings by Rev, l..
l.. Beeman. Rev. Harvey Webster read
the Scripture lesson from the first chapter
of Hebrews, and hymn No. So, within thy
house o, Lord our God, In majesty appear"
was read by Rev. A II. Webb Prayer was
offered by Rev. H. A, Spencer.
The dedication sermon by Bishop Ran
dolph S. Foster of Roxbury, Mass, was
characterically eloquent unfolding of the
Doctrine Concerning God" and held the
closest attention of the great congregation.
Before proceeding with his sermon Bishop
Foster said, 81 cannot find 1t in my heart to
proceed with the part assigned to me on
this programme without first congratulate
ing the Methodists of this beautiful little
city upon the contamination of their
work in building this church. 1t is, indeed
thing of beauty, house of the Lord that
is an honor to your city and monument to
the muuifcence of the donors. In travel
ing up and down through this country, 1t is
only occasionally that find so commodi-
GUS and withal so beautiful chutc edi-
| fl 80 except in large cities"
The bishop took as a basis of his remarks
the folio wing texts: " Philip saith unto him,
| Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth
u.s." and For the invisible things OF him
| from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even his eternal power and God
| head: so that they are without excuse"
| Any attempted brief extract of the sermon
would give little idea of its scope of thought
! power and eloquence. The bishop first re-
! ferred to the fact that the distinguishing
characteristic of a Christian place OF wor-
! ship is that it has no visible external signs
| and symbols such as are found in heather
temples. But there is in all Christian tenn
pies of worship an invisible presence. Be-
! cause our Lord cannot be seen leads some
men, even some cultured minds, to say
there is no such being, that it is a super
stition and that there is no God Some of
| us have a very obscure idea of God We
know that he is among us and watches over
us, but we form no adequate idea of him.
| The Christian recognizes the fact that our
| God who q we worship has been revealed
to us through Jesus Christ his Son.
The point that as is God so is man an in
visible personality was very skillfully and
eloquently elaborated, and also the idea
that the invisible is the real.
In closing he said: Study God more as
you see him revealed in man, in us. Our
God is love, and his love is ever toward his
children. He built the noun ains, the birds
and the beasts, aud planted the stars of
heaven for his children. We are made in
his image and are to share in his glory. Our
God is a thinker, we are thinkers. Our God
has all moral emotions of right and wrong.
He has all possibilities, and we have po-
tentially all possibilities within our grasp.
We were all babes a short while ago. What
we are now is VIII Vt the soul OF that babe
has developed. We grew from childhood,
learned the language. and God has put into
us that mysterious power like his own, until
we have developed into respectable men
and women. These souls of ours, thank
God, b,ethren. are eternal possibilities.
| (Fervent amens) We go on from childhood
to the grave, but Col has endowed us with
immortality. We are all in the kindergar-
ten on earth. Bye aud bye death, Gods best
messenger, will come, If it was not for death
would not want to live. But death comes,
this earthly tabernacle is taken down, car
ried out aud buried But, thank God, you
and go on and on, and on to join our kim
dred, defying death and triumphing over
the grave, until fifty years shall become
come fifty million, drinking in the raptures
of the home prepared for us, and unfolding
and developing for all eternity.
Following the sermon the introduction to
the ritual was read by Rev. j. A. Sher-
burne, and the following hymn, written by
Mrs. w. K. Davenport, was sung to the tune
of webb"
Our gifts to thee we're bringing,
Our silver and our gold;
We rear to thee a temple
| AS in the days of old.
Accept. God the offering
We dedicate to thee;
And may its presence ever
| Proclaim eternity.
Our time to thee we're bringing;
Take thou our hands and feet
And fit them for thy bidding,
For Jesus use made meet,
May homes of want and sadness
be brighter for our cheer,
And lonely hearts be gladdened
That we are living here
Ourselves to thee we're bringing;
We dedicate anew
Our hearts to thy blest service;
| Oh, keep us pure and true
That when we oft shall gather
Within these walls so dear
Wen feel thy presence with us.
And know that thou art near.
And now we wait thy promise,
Thy blessing full we claim;
Our tithes are In the store'house;
Kndle our hearts atame
With holy zeal and purpose,
That we have been with Jesus,
And learned of him below.
The remaining exercises were, reading
first Scripture lesson, Rev. j. o. Sher-
burne of WILLIAMSBURG; reading second
lesson, Rev. DR.. Z. M. Smith, singing hymn
S6S. " We rear not temple like Judah's Of
DID," by choir and congregation; responsive
readings; presentation, George T. Boyce,
| .JOSaDh