The Newtown bee., 1900-10-05

cad the following letter from Rev Ale <
ander McAllIster, former pastor of tn
church:
Southampton, L l.,
| Sc pit. 13, 1900
Dear Brother Guernsey: I have de
layed responding to your friendly invita-
tion to be present at your appr oachinl
anniversary in the hope that I NIGH
join you on that occasion, but home en-
gagements seem 10 interfere, send yot
few remembrancea. I found myself ir
Sandy Hook in the years '55 and 56 mem
orable to me in many respects. The
church had number of able, gifted men.
Brothers Munson, Patch, Come lily, Cling
| han, SAP ford, Baldwin, and last but not
least, B, other Wheeler, WI o with bis de-
voted wife re NAMED longest to bless and
strengthen the church. These were god
ly, reputable men, pillars of which any
church or community might be proud
| They have all melted out of sight and
fear their successors are not their equals
I recall the choir of that period, which
was noted for ia superior voices. When
the pulpit wae fat or failed to electify,
the choir never failed to furnish the de.
ficiencY. The debt whfchs remained at
the erection of the church was cancelled
| while was pastor and the circuit was
changed to its presant limits, though
assumed Brookfield as an evening az.
pointment. I had harrow escape in
nid-winter which ill fingers in memory.
It was Sunday and had passed the pre-
ceding night east of the river. In the
morning thaw with rain started the ice.
After morning service while on the
bridge I saw huge blocks of ice and Fl loaf,
ing timber rushing toward me. Whipp-
ing the horse, reached the sother side
only to hear the crash and see the bridge
60 down on the angry waters. Not 9
bridge was left standing f. ON Gaylords'
to Birmingham in that treahet. Another
incident more romantic than the above
was my marriage to Miss Margaret Con-
rolly. A lady of quiet manners, ref ioed
educated, she was well fitted for the posi-
tion she filled during the ten years OF
our welded life. She sleeps with her kin.
dred in the Newtown cemetery. While
the church you are serving has not
epread into large proportions it will al
ways be distinguished for the able me1
it has given to the Conference. George
HubbelI, william T. Hill and Joseph
Muneon are among its contribute ms to
the ministry. Feeble III finance and few
in numbers it yet has proved itself
mighty in brains. Its in 1uence has not
been COL fined to narrow limits, the halo
of its earlier life gilds the hills, and
brightens the Yales of Western Connectl
cut. Nor is it the only church which ha s
been shaded by the lapse OF years. Many
Of the rural churches once vital and pros
baptism of power is needed, repentance
into life should be the cry of the hour,
not the mere vanishing OF old vices but
the creation and generation OF pew vir.
tues. Praying that the coming anniver'
sary may prove an occasion of new life
to the "Church in the vale" and that your
mini4trY among them may be greatly
signalized in the salvation Of souls, 1 re-
main truly and sincerely yours,
Alexander McAllister.
Rev Mr. Sawyer was asked to read the
following letter from Rev Mr. Barker Of
the Congregational church, NewtOwn !:
Dear Brother Guernsey, should very
much like to complete the series of three
by attending the platform meeting this
evening. 1 should want to be good
Methodist long enough to utter hearty
Amen to all the kind words of greeting &
and the cordial wishes foc future good
| that " Ill then be spoken. This however,
is my prayer-meeting right, and do lot
very we'll see how can get away. If I
thought that all the people who regular
ly attend my prayer-meeting could be
persuaded to 60 to your platform meet
de eide to turn out the lights up here and
adjourn enmasse to Sandy Hook; but
most OF my pray er-meetirg attendance
depend, like myself, up IN Shank's mare
| for conveyance, and [ am afr aid that
they worli not be so ready a. am to
harness up the historic animal.
A Methodist church where men come
| and 60 with startling rapidity is q very
good illustration of the permanent amid
the ever.changipg. The ps stors one at
| ter another pass before our view as the
bits of colored glass in the kaleidoscope,
but the church endurea; that is not sub
ject to the rules of icineracy, that lee
not move on. Ard Fl St now it OCCURS
to me ttat 1 ought to know enough
| about Methodism to know that ''the an.
| cient order changeth and giveth place to
| he new" that now if Methodist church
gets no of q good man, they can keep
him. You ought to know n,ugh,
B other Guernsey, TO stay in Sandy
hook Wnere all Lne people love YOU, 1ol
l am sure the Sandy Hook people know
enough to know good pastor now they
have got one. But the Methodist church
is not the only church that gives illustra.
tion of the permanent amid the ever
charging. Gods Kingdom, the kingdom
of love and peace in the hearts of men,
includes all denominations not even
good, old-fasbioned, We leyan Metho
dism can usurp it all-sll pastors, al
faiths, all noble erdesvors. You end L
hnugh we now count oursels es young
| will soon have done our work, and W.
shall be gone but Gods kinedo will
march on. TIE Sandy Hook church
may celebrate its centennial and its bi
centennial AZ d may even fade out of ex
iatance, but G DIS Kingdom shall 60 OF
"frorn victory unto victor7.'' Then lie
us try to give something out of ou -selve
to this kingdom which endures. Let u
trv to lift stone and place it in tn
wall.
In behalf OF my church ard people
wieh for you and your people YER
pleasant gathe ring at this ime a. d GOO
success for al he coming days. Ma.
God.send you just emf ugh eofrow t
make you lean hard upon Him, an