Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-04-16
BAPTIST CHURCH
RE.OPENED

The First Baptist church, which has
| just been remodeled, was dedicated
| Sunday An elaborate program had
been prepared and the services through
out were duly impressive, in keeping
with the beautiful place of worship
which will henceforth belong to the
| congregation. For truly, the First
Baptist church as it now appears is
something to be proud of by those who
worship there and in point of beauty,
coziuess and comfort it is second to
none in this city.
There has been a complete transfor-
! nation. A handsome new carpet COW
ers an inclined floor which slopes from
I the rear to the pulpit A metallic
I ceiling, very ornate in design, relieves
the plainness which formerly existed
overhead. Among the furniture are
new, highly polished pews of oak,
semi circular in form. The old fashion
ed gallery which formerly existed at
! the rear of the church has been closed.
| The pulpit in the remodeled auditor
ium stands much lower than former
ly. The choir which originally &C.
| cupied place back of the pulpit has
been provided for in the northeast
angle OF the building. There are two
handsome chandeliers, designed for
either gas or electric light, one sus-
pended from the ceiling in the center
and the other, the smaller of the two,
! hanging nearer the front of the church.
The latter is the gift of David P.
Rockefeller of Philadelphia.
| The walls are handsomely decorated,
! the delicate tints OF color harmonic.
ing nicely with the new stained win
dows. Each of the latter is gift from
members of the congregation erected
in memory of loved ones who have
gone before.
Following are the deceased ones
whose names are inscribed on the
stained windows and whose memory
will be kept green in the hearts of the
congregation Edward and Christiana
Young, John and RebeCca Hixson,
Mrs. 7. w. Bedea, Samuel and Mary
German, Hannah Dean Still, John and
Esther Sechler, Jacob and Mariah
Reed, William McLain and wife,
Samantha, David and Margaret
Young. There is also window in
memory of the family of 5. J. WellIv-
er.
The dedicatory sermon vas preach
ed by Rev. J. II. Harris, PHI. D., LII.
D., President of Bucknell University,
at Lewisburg. 1t was founded upon
the text as found in Acts, Seventeenth
chapter and 3rd verse: "Opening and
alleging that Christ must needs have
suffered and risen again from the
dead; and that this Jesus, whom L
preach unto you, is Christ.
The sermon was a mastery one
Calculating the underlying principles
of the text The Jews doubted that
Jesus was the Amounted One because
He suffered. 1t was, however, the
fact of our Savior's suffering coupled
with the service he rendered the
world, which helped to convince Paul
of Christ's divinity. The Amounted
One must needs be servant. The
Jews could not be convinced of this
even with the example of their King
David before them, who was one of
the Amounted Ones, and yet was a
servant of his people.
The law of service is such that
every man no matter how independent
! his circumstances becomes a servant
Of others. Even the King upon his
throne is not exempt, for as soon as
he ceases to serve he is no longer a
king. In the division of labor it is e1-
! emplified. The shoemaker makes SHOES
not for himself the physician practices
medicine not to cure himself but 9th
| ers and so on.
This led the speaker up to the prin-
ciple of vicariOus service. Teachers in
our schools, parents toiling for their
| children and imparting to them the
! benefit of der own experience, all IL
lustratc how one generation vicarious-
ly assists another.
Those who labor i'll the church and
! the Sunday school are in line of the
Amounted. 1t is characteristic Of the
Lords Annointcd that they must
! suffer. Christ is an example, who was
! crucified By those He came to save and
who died that all might have eternal
life.
The law IF service is also law of
victory though Christ died he rose
again. This vicariOus service accom-
panied often with suffering develops
in man the highest type Of character,
| giving him an Inheritance in the life
to come, which the world cannot take
away.
Dir. Harris very effectively applied
the principle of service to the occa-
sion of reopening, showing that As the
remodeled edifce, beautiful in its day,
was erected by those now mainly pass
ed away, 50 it was now perfectly meet
that those active in the church should
take up the work of renewal and EN-
bellishment that those who come after
them may reap the benefit OF their
labor and self denial.
The sermon was followed by a
very eloquent prayer by the pastor,
Rev. i. B. Twichell appropriate to
the occasion of reopening.
The choir rendered two anthems
very effectively" Praise He Jehovah
and Thanks be to God.
The afternoon service was held at
O'Clock. This was set apart for visit