Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-15
NEW HOUSEOF WORSHIP
SERMON By BISHOP WILSON OF
\ BALTIMORE.
Congregation Of st. Pauls M. e
- Church South, Dedicates Its
Building-The Program.

Services In commemoration of the COM
pletion of st. Paurs Methodist Episcopal
Church South, at the corner OF I'd and
streets northwest, were held in the new edi-
flee yesterday morning, a large audience
being present.
The opening sermon was preached by
Bishop A. w. Wilson of Baltimore. An adj
dress was also delivered by Rev. C. D.
Bulla, Rev. P. w. Jeffries, the pastor, being
in charge of the exercises.
The edifice was deliberately decorated with
| flowers. AS soon as funds are available for
the enlargement of the building the rooms
now in use will be assigned to the Sunday
school,
at $50 a. m. and many joined One pleasing
feature was a fraternal delegation from
Mt. Vernon Place Sunday school. convey
ing series of resolutions from that school,
expressing their warm appreciation of the
services rendered by number of those who
are now enrolled in st. Paul. The day was
one of great encouragement for those in
terested in the new church.
In the course of his address at the opening
service Bishop Wilson spoke of the influence
OF the Christian church in the world. The
real character of the church increases faith
puts in a man motives and Incentives to a
broader range of life, he said. 1t gives
him breadth which cannot come from the
powers Of earth. The church has work
Through different periods of the history
or the world God has seen fit to work
through certain spiritual beings to whom He
has given power. Through him He has
manifested His divine purpose; through the
ages Gods church is a part of that divine
plan and shall abide through all eternity.
We. Its members. are one with the Father
In heaven. We are above the limits pre-
scribed here. We are doing work which
is measured by the might of spiritual forces
alone.
The, church stands in the midst of the
world as the one exclusive representative OF
God among men and His creatures. Christ
is made the head of it. Through Him and
through 1t we are above the little difficulties
of this world. 1t is spiritual power, and
every attempt to sensuaize and materialize
it fails utterly Christ is the Lord of all the
universe, and the church is His representa-
tive on earth.
Nucleus Of the Church.
'Those who met in the upper room after
II crucif1xion and the ascension Of Christ
were destined to change the history Of the
world, for upon them as a nucleus was
builded the church. The only imperial
power Is that which is built in the eternal
world The only heaven must come out
of the new Jerusalem. There Is not man
who represents the church who does not
stand in the name of Jesus Christ. Through
no other agency can men be saved. He
desecrates his mission when he comes into
the church for earthly reasons, for through
them Is the world to find out about God,
and through them only. That are bound
by spiritual rather than temporal things
is a promising note In this materfalistic
age.
Missionary Work.
1.-THE scope of the church is broadening
every day A world is being recovered
through It's missionary work. 1t is the
greatest force that God ever gave to man.
servient and makes poverty more precious
than riches. Greed and hate may attack,
but 1t is stronger than ever, and 1t shall
go on till the last trump, when 1t shall be
brought into blessed association with the
sanctifed. Through it, and through 1t
alone, Is to be made manifest the wisdom
Of God.
There Is not a word of uncertainty in
the Bible. The Bible won't stand criticism,
to be sure but because we don't want 1t to-
The more man studies 1t the more does
he find the riches of life in it. 1t spiritual
ICES men. Hottentot from the center Of
Africa, II given spiritual life, has more
possibilities than the men Of our colleges
and universities. The latter are trying to
make men athletes, but we are trying to
bring them to God. We are doing more for
would rather destroy all the laboratories
and libraries~in the world than lose the
epistle of Paul. 1t is worth more than
all the world Of Plato and Aristotle and
Bacon"
Il feel the inspiration of being part Of
the greatest thing on the earth" said Rev.
C. D. Bulla, in closing the service. 1.-THE
men and women who have labored to make
this church what it is have gone beyond
my most sanguine hopes. We come here
with our prayers and dedicate this edifice
to the work of God among men,"
Tonight will be MT. Vernon Place night
| when Revs. F. J. Prettyman and F. A. Stier
will speak and the choir of Mt. Vernon
Place Church will render music.