The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-22
ST. JOHNS CONSIDERATION
IHPh ES SIZE SERVICESC COND UCTED
 BY BISHOP BREWSTER.

ercises Began-Dr. Bakers Eloquen,
 Conservation Sermon-A Large Num-
 ber of CIergymem Present-Church
 Debt Paid OR.
 St. Johns Episcopal church at the corner of Orange and Humphrey streets
 was formally consecrated for divine
 worship yesterday morning. At 6:90 and
 7:30 o'clock prayers were said and both services were well attended. There were about forty clergymen present and in the congregation were many parish toners and outsiders.
 The services were very impressive and were conducted by Bishop Brewster. The important services of the day were begun at il o'clock, when the bishop S blessings were bestowed. The church was we'll filled when the services began and was set off by many beautiful cut flowers and potted plants.
 Bishop Brewster and the ministers were met by the senior and junior war dens and escorted to the altar. The Rev. Dr. E. S. Lines of St. Paul's church assisted in conducting the ser- vices, and the Rev. Dr. Baker of Trni- ty preached the conservation sermon. An interesting part of the services was the reading of the deed showing the payment of the church debt by Senior Warden Robert T. Merwn, and the pre- sentation of the articles of conservation by the bishop. A fine programme of music under the direction of Prof. Fowler. was rendered, including many solos and duets by members of the vest ed choir.
 At the conclusion of the programme splendid lunch was served at the Lawn club.
 The committee having the consecra- ton in charge consisted of the follow ing: Committee on entertainment of the clergy to cooperate with the ladies' or ganizations of the church, Ladies' Guild and Daughters of the King, Colonel N. G. Osborn, chairman, and Leonard Bost- wick, w. s. Wells, G. M Beers and John w. Champion; committee on gen. eral arrangements, B. s. Dibble, chair man, and Thomas A. Bostwick, Oscar s. Ives, Frank w. Sperry and Henry M. Bishop; committee on invitation, Prof. John F. Weir, Dr. Frederick Wells Will Hams and F. w. Earle
 Dr. Bakers conservation sermon in part is as follows:
 "I have surely built Thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for Thee to abide in I Kings viii, IS.
 Tt was time of great rejoicing. An event of momentous importance was transpiring in Jerusalem. From all parts of Israel, in obedience to the roy al edict, the elders, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers were assembled at Jerusalem to join in the dedication of the temple which King Solomon had built unto the Lord The stately structure rose in it's simple grandeur toward heaven. All the most skillful arts of the day had been spent upon it. At great cost and pains it had been reared But it was like a beautiful body without soul until, with solemn pomp, priests and Levites bring in the ark of the covenant, the symbol of Gods promise and His Holy commands, and set it in the most holy place of the temple, even under the wings of the cherubim, and the cloud of Gods glorious presence filled the house of the Lord Then spoke Solomon: The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built Thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for Thee to abide in forever
 we are assembled this morning from all parts of Connecticut and from sister states to consecrate this noble pile h,,iI at ho ofe al p;H Hoo and most praiseworthy, persistent ef- fort on the part of the rector and people | and to pray that God may be pleased in | an especial manner to enter into this, His house, and to abide here in His strength giving presence for genera tions to come.
 What is it that you have done? You | have reclaimed a certain piece of | ground of secular use, and built upon it | this church as the symbol of Gods | presence. All that pass up and down these streets for generations to come by this building, should constantly be re- minded of Gods presence in the world. This ground, no more sacred in itself | than any other ground these stones, no more sacred in themselves than any the mass of unquarried stones from which they were hewn, but the power of sacred associations should forever be the symbol of the truth that the whole earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof
 Think. then, what this house should be and what this church should make l..
 First of all as Gods house, this is the house of prayer, of personal and common intercession to God, that He would mercifully grant us help to live the life we ought to live.
 "Causes for consolation are manifold, and are sure tq come to every member of this congregation. Whether it be failure or some heart sorrow which can not be whispered to anyone or the heavy hand of death, or some great sin weighing upon your soul which makes YOU crave for the assurance of Gods pardon; when these causes for consola- ton overtake you, then how thankful will you be that you have the house of tion to which to flee, where God will draw near to you and you may draw near to Him.
 'If this noble building fulfills all these if it be an house of pray CT. or worship, of Bible reading, and of religious instruction, of sacra-