Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-05-23

Afternoon and Night-0ther Churches
Take Part-Large sum OF Money
History of the Church Since
the Congregation was formed.
Sunday May 21st, was great day
for the little congregation that COM
pose the membership OF the new
Christian Church. The day dawned
cloudy but before the congregation,
began to assemble the clouds passed
away, leaving 1t in every way an aus
picious day.
The dedication services began
promptly at eleven o'clock with the
singing by the congregation Of "All
Hail the Power OF Jesus Name
Rev. j. L. McCuteheon the pastor of
the Baptist Church lead the prayers
of the congregation. Then Mr..
Fields of the Glee Club of Bethany
College sang the beautiful solo, 1.-THE
New Jerusalem.
The dedicatory sermon was preach
ed by Bro. /. j. Spencer, Of Central
Christian Church Lexington, Ky.
After reading part Of the 18th chap
ter OF Johns Gospel he chose as his
text the 21st verse where Christ says
In his prayer "Neither pray | for
these but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word;
that they all may be one: as thou,
Father, art in me, and in thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the
world may believe that thou hast
sent me. y
A brief summary of this memorable
sermon follows. Mr.. Spencer said:
The nature of that unity is intimate
and complete. 1t is illustrated by
the union Of the branch and the vine.
The life, the root, the purpose are
one. Believers may not be one Ia
opinion but should be unit in the
faith delivered to the saints. The
best way to work toward union Is not
to devise some human basis but to
approximate the Divine foundation
not SO much by argument as by prayer,
not by compromise but by emphasis
Of things divine II very cold and
the liver were frozen and men were to
open channel with their axes it
would freeze again, but II the summer
sun melt the ice it will CONCEAL no
more. So true unity is not of man
but of the Spirit OF God. Hence
Jesus prayed that His disciples might
receive the Spirit and thus be made
one.
The Lord indicated in this text
that such a unity shall be so visible,
tangible and patent that 1t will lead
the world to believe on Him. The
union of the believers in Christ is to
be like the union Of the members of
the human body by which Paul illus
trates it, or like temple, with every
stone in its proper place, and the
whole structure resting on Jesus as
the one Foundation.
Mr.. Spencer said that Christ in his
farewell address to the disciples In
the 18th to the nth chapters of John
lays down certain essentials to the
union for which he prayed. They are
humility-as when he washed the dis
ciples feet; love-as when he said BY
this shall all men know that We are
my disciples, If ye have love one to
another; loyalty-as when he said
am your Lord and master; and liberty
las when he said in another place,
II the Son shall make you free we shall
be free indeed, and il We abide in me
and my words in you, we shall ask
what ye will and it shall be done unto
you.
Mr.. Spencer illustrated and enforced
these great fundamentals in many
ways. He urged loyalty to Christ and
not to human creeds and traditions
that had divided the church. He
made strong plea for the authority
of Jesus only who declares that all
authority in heaven and on earth are
given to Him. Where Jesus speaks
we should speak: where He is silent
we should be silent. Call no man
master, said he, for one is your master
even Christ: Human leaders, human
authority and rule have divided the
church into contending sects that dis
obey the injunction to all to speak
the same thing.
MI. opeHCeI Sdiu lie Hdlitu Win Joy
the new coming era Of fuller, more
fruitful and diviner union in spirit
and in endeavor among the believers
in Christ. True loyalty to him, and
the fulness of his spirit will melt
away the barriers and bring in the
glad day when his name shall be above
every name and his kingdom SUI
preme
The ushers had seated the house