The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-18

the living heart is erecting an imper-
ishable memorial
In the local church we have the ops
portunity of writing imperishable me-
MORALS. By the testimony of our lips,
by the consecrat ton of our lives, by the
bestowment of our means, we are con-
tinually building ourselves into one
part of the greatest organization and
organism on the face of the earth, the
living church of God. In the willing
and hearty performance of those spirit
ual tasks, those sacred duties which
rest upon us by virtue of our member
ship in the church. we are making for
ourselves memorial which the eye of
heaven will behold and which will be
the greatest cause of rejoicing to our
own hearts. Our highest opportunity
and privilege is in spiritual directions.
The supreme thing about life is the
continuity of its flow and the constan>
cy of its force and direction.
Ten years ago this splendid edifce
was dedicated to Almighty God. Its
doors were wide open to the public.
Its broad entrance steps reach to the
very sidewalk of the street, to sug-
gest the contact of this church with the
passing hosts absorbed in all the busy
affairs of life. Its massive tower
pointing heavenward is an appeal for
majesty of character. This church has
enjoyed ten years of unprecedented
prosperity. The most sanguine eXpec-
tations of those who gathered here ten
years ago today in the solemn act of
dedication have been vastly exceeded.
The blessings of God have poured out
in showers upon US. Both in material
and spiritual things, as a church, we
have enjoyed remarkable prosperity,
and we gather today to lift our me
mortal and in profound gratitude to
almighty God and in calm recognition
of the fact that to him and to him alone
we owe the prosperity, the peace, the
unity, the happiness of these years
We say: ''Ebenezer, stone of my help
hitherto hath the Lord helped US" If
any church in Christendom has reason
to sing its praises to God, breathe forth
its magnificat, and look with full as
surance of faith into the future, it is
this church. During nine years of this
decade, the present pastoral relations
have obtained. Together we have bow
ed at the altar, together we have felt
the thrill of holy purpose; together we
have partaken of the holy sacrament
Our numbers have been largely aug
mented and those who have come with
US have entered heart and soul into the
privileges and duties of the
Lords house. Through successes of the
past we are stimulated to new endeavor.
Through the consultations of the past
we are made calm even in the appre-
hension of possible sorrow. Our hearts
have been knit together by the ming7
ling of the lights which have come from
the throne of grace.
The people of Worcester know for
what this church stands. They know
that the purpose of our ministry is the
bringing Of blessedness, of salvation, of
freedom to homes and to hearts The
effect of the influence of the church is
to secure higher standard of Christian
living, to make the people of Worcester
better neighbors, better friends, better
Christians. God calls to US through a
promising future. The true glory of
divine love shines through the bow of
sacred promise. We ought to be as a
host marching on to new triumphs and
engaging in sacrificial, serviceable work
| for the master
In dedicating an edifice to God AL
mighty there is associated a solemn
| pledge, a promise, not only that the
building shall be kept for sacred uses
| but that 1t shall be used unto the full
limit of the ability of the people; that
it shall be made an agency whereby
God shall be glorifed and humanity
| helped.
| One cannot sit beneath these arches
| without feeling righteous impulse
stirring the heart. The beauty of holt
ness and the grandeur of the Christian
| life are suggested to US by the beauty
| of the temple in which we worship 1t
l is an open question with some people
| whether a temple is really dedicated
until it is owned by the people who Sc
| dately worship in it. There is still an
unmet obligation upon this church
| There is a secular hold upon it which
should be withdrawn. There is an in
debtedness of SIS, 900, which, with a little
sacrifice Ir'feel perfectly confident this
church is willing to make, may be re-
| moved. And what time to undertake
| the task, to make it our memorial of
| the conclusion of the decade in which
divine mercies have been so abundant.
And again. we are about entering upon
| the centennial year; we want to do
some signal, some special thing as an
| evidence to our Christian enthusiasm.
Then this is the memorial which / ap-
peal to you to raise in evidence Of your
| profound thanksgiving to God for ten
years Of blessings; and in evidence fur
thermore OF your concern for the larg-
est progress of the kingdom of God.
This church cannot accomplish it's
best work now unless we raise it from
this burden of debt During the past
| few weeks it has been laid upon me of
heaven 10 present 10 you DIS d privilege
and an opportunity the discharge Of an
important duty Up to the present hour
l am not disposed to believe that we
have been hindered in our work from
the fact of the debt incurred in the cree
ton of this splendid structure. But a
new era of prosperity has come to our
country; the evidences are strong that
we shall be in the midst of a material
advance unusually gracious and large.
We cannot forget that the house of God
in which we worship is under the sha-
dow of an obligation which may be dis
charged. I shall come to you personally.
shall ask you to indicate to me with
conservation, even with something of
sacrifice what you are willing to do to-
ward the removal of our Indebtedness
We are looking to the future. We all
want a part in this magnificent struc-
ture. We all want to feel that this edi-
flee itself is monument testifying our
personal interest in the kingdom. This
is an investment which will not fail II
is sure to pay and declare its dividends
with regularity.
The decade began with a debt OF
above $4,000. Through the generosity
of some and the loyal devotion and ar
dent effort of the women of the church
the mortgage debt has been reduced tc
$25, $50 Improvements and repairs have
involved HuulllOndl EXPENSES ana
floating debt of $4,000 has been incurred
Thus during the ten years the church
has met all obligations involved in the
maintenance of the worship, paid the
interest on the debt, largely increased
it's annual appropriations and today
with the debt reduced to nearly $685. 0t
has floating debt of only $4,000 Our in.
terest bill of $1,000 year is hindrance
The debt itself would soon be a re.
proach. 1t must go.
| saw an eagle with strong pinion.
prepared for splendid flight But it was
chained to earth. 1t would spread its