The Penn's Grove record., 1903-10-23
Church Notes.
BETHEL NJ. P. CHURCH.

Church Notes.
BETHEL NJ. P. CHURCH.
Rev. S. A. Harker will preach in tn
| Bethel Church Sunday morning an,
evening.
Rev. Ezra E. Somers completed a four
| year pastorate of Bethel M. P. Churcl
last Sunday evening. AS he does not ex
| pect to return he gave a synopsis of tn
| four years work of the Church, which
| has been the most successful in the his
| tory of the church.
Present membership, "a
| Members received, IL
Died,
Pastoral support including rent, 1857
/ Paid on church debt, so
Interest, 81
Improvements, 30
Running expenses, so
Benevolences, 20
Total. $465,
The pastoral support was increased TIN
past year from 5000 to $3.50.
Pastor Somers' exemplary life an(
works has been a blessing to the people
of Penn's Grove and his departure viii
be with regrets. He has greatly appre
ciated his home along the Delaware
which has inspired his pen to write til,
following lines.
THE UNCHANGED DELAWARE.
REV EZRA E. SOMERs.
o Delaware, l oft have thought,
When by thy charms to thee I'm brought,
OF primeval days, when thou didSt flow
And man came not, to see and know.
L"
Those days when Gihon HiddekeI.
And PiSOn too, combined to show
That good to man in rivers flow.
While Adam looked and ioyed to see;
No man came near to visit thee;
UnpraiSed thou vast by human tongue,
Yet fawn and flower thy praises sung.
The moon stopped low thy face to kiss;
The stars looked down in silent bliss;
While He who made thee joyous stood
BehOlding, called thee very good"
While suns and cycles came and went;
Still on thy gracious purpose bent
To fish and fowl, "thOu %changest not"
Time passes, and a step is heard
In thicket dense, but not a word
Spake man, but did a lovers part:
Thy charms had won a red mans heart.
Devoted, he was ever true;
With bow and Speer and bark canoe
He lived and loved, tits true to day
That thou canst show the better way"
Change spake. The red face disappears.
Beside thee. Smitten by thy grace,
Makes this his glad abiding place.
How changed the day, when palace floats
Upon thy wave, and Indian boats
No longer skins thy surface DER;
And cities line thy peaceful shore.
In all these changes thou art true
To Him whO babe thee onward flow.
Th ages pass, but thou remain
To-day and yesterday the same
Time works his will, the furrowed brow,
The whitened locks, the strong mans bow,
All prove his power, yet not a jOt
He changeth thee, thou changest not"
Flow on, flow on, dear friend flow on,
While men adore thee, and art gone
To Him who made them, thou will stay
To bless mankind, a longer day.
The e~ternities of God will prove
This chosen symbol OF His love,
Thy constant. changeleSs flow shall be-,
An emblem Of His constancy.
o Delaware. blest Delaware,
Men gladly all thy gifts may share;
BehOlding thee with eye and mind,
Shall God amid thy blessings find.
BAPTIST
To My Dear People,
One year has passed since as
stranger l came to you as your pastor
That year has been one of pleasure an,
one of disappointment. Upon my com
ing, your kindness and nobleness 500
made me forget my new relations to you
and my pastoral duties became minister
ings of pastoral love. My disappointmer
and regret has been that I could so O
ly lead you as a shepherd. When i
your daily lives there came a great clou
OF sorrow, do not let it be forgotten thu
your tears were mine and my prayer t
God for you was, that | might share you
weeping. When success, joy or q
achievement came to your own heart {
the heart of your children, that joy W,
the Joy of your pastor. You have ofte
been upon my prayers, and in my med
tata0hs, but my service has been poo
because / was not among you.
Our Church has added five or six
its active members. The crowds are do
bled and we part with the tenderest
feelings. My heart is wrapped Akbo
my people and / bear malice to no man
By the same spirit that led me to /
fuse the offers Of two or three other feel
and come to you, I now offer my resi-
nation of this Church to take effect No
ember first, 1908.
wish thus to express my appreciate
of all who were considerate of me. Y
: have been kind to me past my deservi
and have offered me your best, reservi
: to yourselves the worse. The people
PENIS Grove who have received me
my cause kindly, I shall remember lor
9 May Gods Mercy and Grace and (
I Peace of the degenerate be yours thI
life, is the benediction Of your brother,
WV. RUSSELL Owl