The Newtown bee., 1901-05-10

ing love which you have given the
Master, and all with one accord, each
to his several ability, have
to the
AND ADORNMENT OF
THIS CHURCH.
That which makes parish strong is
the participation of all in it's care and
keeping so that the small gifts as well
as the large gifts are equally accept
able in Gods sight, for he that giveth
of his little gives as literally as he
that giveth of his abundance. No
hand has withheld from it's share and
this adds to our Joy that with such
freeness and loving spontaneity each
has laid an offering on the altar to
complete the gracious work. Not as
how ''terrible is this place" but how
goodly is this place where old and
young, rich and poor have freely offer
ed themselves! To you therefore
brethren who freely offered yourselves,
may the dear Lord give ever more and
larger spiritual opportunities and may
he bring you great recOmpense of re-
ward in your personal, your social,
your public, your church life. You
have begun to reap some of that joy
which comes to all as they engage in
work for Christ. You have expert
enced some of the JOY of those who JOY
in time of harvest. It is law of our
nature thatas we give ourselves to
Gods work we are altogether enrich
ed. What a man sOweth that shall he
also reap. The wondrous fascination
that comes to one as he truly gives
himself to the service Of God is one Of
the imexplicable mysteries that can
not be solved this side of death. But
at all events, there is charm and a
constraint in it, so mild, yet so con-
straining, that we scarce perceive how
deeply rooted are our hearts in the
things of God until one tries to tear
us from them. Then we realize the
strength of the tie that holds us, then
we experience that feeling of defiant
assertiveness, competing us to hold
fast the Rock of the Ages as the very
Palladium of all our liberties.
But in this our joy we must not for
get those who departed this life in
the true faith of Gods holy name, "
the founders, benefactors and first
members of this parish, to whose zeal,
forethought and faith, coupled with
generous deeds, beginning of the work
was due. They are not with us in body
to-day, but who may say that since
Christ brought life and interruption
to light, they may not be with us in
spirit? May it not be that the things
that bring joy to their hearts and
wherein they were occupied in the days
of the pilgrimage here, are revealed in
some way so as to add to the fulneSs
of their joy? We are not as heather
who think their dead gone forever and
where we set up the Cross, erect a
shattered column! For we believe
that the life in Christ goes on, that
what So we'll begun here is finishing in
other spheres, that Christ because He
hath the keys Of He'll and Death and
has burst the grave is able, finally, to
bring all into his marvellous light! It
is only self-will and persistent rebellion
that can keep soul eternally from
God!
So then if the Communion of Saints
means anything, does it not mean that
the blessed departed who labored here
enter into our rejoicing, share our hal
lelujahs to-day!
If they were here in the flesh how
they would rejoice in the mutual con-
solutions of the faith! How they
would glory in the resurrection of this
building, completing a genera tion of
service and entering upon vigorous
and promising middle age. 1t is one
of the "helps'of our Communion, that
by the perpetuation of the memory of
the dead She binds our heart-strings
about the parish church, that as on
Fast and Festival we meet here, the
memorials of those we love and have
lost while greet our eyes and recall
their life and labors and how they
builded themselves into these very
walls; how their names are inevitably