The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-05-15
The Dedication.

The Dedication.
One of the most interesting occasion:
that has taken place in this town oc
Cured last Sunday at the MetnodiSt
church. That day was set apart for the
dedication Of their handsome edifce
builded for, and consecrated to, Al
mighty God. The debt OF 81, 200 had
recently been removed and the congre'
cation spent about 5000 more in re.
painting the building and it is today
one of the most comfortable churches
we know of.
Last Sunday morn brought with it an
ideal Sabbath: nature smiled its ap.
proval on what was to take place and
seemed to add its mite towards making
the dedication service a memorable
one. The congregation filed the audi
torium to its fullest capacity and the
school room and aisleS were pressed in
to accommodate the crowd. There was
no preaching at the other churches and
their congregations were present to
participate in this dedicatory service.
The choir, with Mrs. G. H. Higgins
organist. rendered music of very
high order. The music would have
been creditable to the hired choirS OF
fashionable city churches. The con-
gregation was composed of all denomi-
nations and creeds and every mind with
faculty for reasoning must have been
impressed with the words which fell
from the distinguished divine's lips.
Bishop w. W. Duncan of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, South, whose
home is in Spartanburg, preached the
sermon, and it would be treat to our
readers were we able to reproduce his
discourse. He spoke for one hour and
a quarter to a congregation of appre-
ciative hearers, so much so that had he
talked another hour and quarter the
congregation would have continued in
wrapt attention. The sermon was clear
cut, practical, free from sensationalism
and bristling with spiritual thought,
and from any standpoint one may. con-
slider, it was a treat to be there. From
literary view it was a masterful pro-
duction of chaste English; as an argu-
ment it was forceful, teeming with in
tellectual thought; as an exhortatlon it
was grand collection of reasoning, full
of pleading and spiritual advice. His
sermon was a magnificent historical re-
view of Methodism, and all through his
discourse there was that attractiveness
which culture, refinement and broad
mindedness displays.
Bishop Duncan's visit to Manning
was not only beneficial to Methodlsts,
but all denominations, creedS and even
the writer felt much benefit from it.
The following is brief outline of the
sermon:
Text: Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask
for the old paths. where is the good way, and
walk therein. and ye shall find rest for your
souls Jer. GIG.
The dedication of g church to the
service Of God is of more importance to
a community than factories, mines, oil
wells. costly buildings, or even fine
schools. 1t marks great day in the
history of people, the influence OF
which we are not able to measure.
We enjoy great blessings and privl--
leees in our day. Our fathers never
dreamed of the good things which we
enjoy. The former times were not bet
ter than these. The world is moving
forward. We have accomplished much,
for which we should be thankful. Still
we have not done what we should have
done. We have not measured up to our
responsibility, considering the resour-
ces at our command. When we speak
of the old paths we do not refer to the
mere externals of worship and of life.
The fashion may change, and we
change with the fashion. We do not
dress like our forefathers, in knee
breeches. The ladies wear, not the
old style of bonnet, but their hats
adorned with beautiful flowers. These
things are not sinful unless we wor-
ship them. They are not irreconcllable
with spiritual growth. These are mere
externalS. When we speak OF The old
paths we refer not to these, but the in
ner spiritual life.
We may not agree in theory as to
lukewarmness and apostacy, but we
must face the fact that men and
churches do backslide; they lose their
spiritual life. So we read OF one or two
of the seven churches in Revelation:
The causes of this are mapy--materlal'
prosperity, luxurious living, etc.
The ''old paths refer to the growth
of the inner life, the development OF
the spiritual man, the belief and prac-
tice of the doctrines once delivered to
the saints. We are ieXhorted to return
to these ''old paths
Repentance, justification, the witness
of the Spirit and sapctifcation are car
dinal doctrines of Ilethodism and of
Christianity, and one to be emphasized:
They are the staple of Methodist belief
and no restatement of our creed is nee
essary. Holding steadfastly to these
doctrines, let her go forth living them
and preaching them. recognizing with
John Wesley, "The world is my par
ish."
Al the close of the sermon the build
ing was formally dedicated to the SER
vice of God.
In the afternoon the Bishop preached
again to full house on the duty OF the
church to save men-a strong, timely
discourse. His remarks were based on
Gal. 6:1: Brethren, if man be over
taken in fault, We which are spiritual
restore such an one in the spirit OF
meekness, considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted"
We wish Bishop Duncan to feel as
sured that he will ever hold warm
place in the hearts of this people, and
that he will always find sincere well
come when he comes to Manning.