The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-10
First Presbyterian Church EStab-
liShed In This City u Years Ago.
GOOD WORK ACCOMPLISHED
BUT MORE REMAINS YET TO BE
DONE.
DR.. Paden breaches From the Text:
''Thy People Shall Be Willing In
the Day of Thy Power'-Directs
Attention to the ACCESSIBILITY of
Paying Church Debt

Sunday was an anniversary day at TIL
First Presbyterian church, it being
years ago since the church was organize,
and "a years since the church building
was dedicated In his sermon yesterda!
morning, Rev. DR.. Paden reviewed some
what the history of the church and thu
work that has been accomplished HI
closed in a practical way with reference
to paying off the church debt A specia
effort to clear the Indebtedness will bj
made during the coming week, with
good prospect of success.
The reverend gentleman took for hi:
text:
1.-The people shall be willing in the day
| of thy power. Psalm OK: 3.
DR.: Paden said in part: This is the be-
ginning of weeks for our church. II was
/ during this week, q years ago, Oct. IL
| 1871, that the church was organized ano
it was during this week "a years ago
1874, that this church building was dedi-
Gated. Those were brave beginnings. AL
honor to the enterprise, the courage and
devotion which found expression in those
! our earliest venture of faith, hope and
| love.
The results have justified those ven
| lures No church in all this intermoun-
tain region has exercised a more benefi-
Gently powerful influence in the commun-
| ity to which it belongs. No church has
had more sympathy from the church at
large. This influence and sympathy con-
! tinues to this day.
STILL IN ITS YOUTH.
The old First church. which is in reality
still in its youth, is easily first. in our
family of churches in ability, response
bilfty and influence, while its position and
history have given 1t place in the eye
and heart of our church at large which
is out of all proportion to its Importance
If measured by ordinary standards. Those
most interested in the aggressive work
of the church look upon this city as the
Santiago of the home mission field, and
they watch the work done by our forces
with an interest which should make us
brave.
We have reason to thank almighty God
for the favor he has shown us and the OPP
portunities for usefulness he has given US,
as no church in all the great west has.
during the years that are past, received
more encouragement and assistance from
the church at large, so no church in all
the great west has greater responsibility
to the past, the present and the future,
today, and few churches, either east or
west, have less reason to fall down under
their obligations. There is nothing to
hinder us from moving right onward if
we hold fast the beginning of our conf
dence, steadfast unto the end.
OBLIGATIONS TO MEET.
OF course we have some very definite
obligations and burdens. Some of these
burdens are as wings or sails. They are
desire to enlist our friends and neighborS
in our work of faith and labor of love is
one of these blessed burdens. No church
in all the land has better field for such
extension of church influence. The har-
vest which awaits the Christian worker
here is as sure as that which awaits such
workers in any of the more fruitful fields
or localities supposedly more favored
Our burden of waiting-harveSt. instead
of being dead weights one Of our richest
sources of inspiration.
But we have other burdens which are
not so inspiring, burdens which, unless
we move or remove them, are so much
dead weight to our progress. Our church
debt is such a burden. 1t binders us from
meeting the calls of the present and
hampers our movements as we try to go
forward. We can hardly dream of an
advance which will cost money without
raising that specter with heavy locks,
whose one refrain is First pay your old
debt Now, 1 believe the old specter is
right. 1t is very delightful to dream of
new churches and other Improvements,
but first let us pay our old debt. AS a
matter of fact the old debt is more of a
handicap to the progress of our work
than our old church building. So let US
take the old specter disheartening OBJ
stacle as fine opportunity to do some
real work. Let US pay the old debt
DR.. Parents concluding remarks bore
directly to the congregation, showing the
Importance of meeting the obligations.
1t is learned that the work of securing
funds will be pushed energetically this |
week.