Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-03
MORTGAGE PAID;
CHURCH REJ0ICES
CONGRATULATIONS OFFERED
BY PASTOR
Rev. Frank Dewitt Talmage breaches
Sermon in Which He Reviews
Struggles Of First Pres
byterisn Church

The First Presbyterian church yester-
day celebrated the lifting of the church
mortgage of $4,000 This task was ac-
complished in one week and Rev. Frank
Dewitt Talmage preached congratu-
latory sermon to commemorate the
event. In part he said:
This Is the happiest day of all my
life This is one of the most important
If not the most vital day in all the
history of our church. This is the first
day i'm all the history of our present
church building when the First Pres
byterian church of Los Angeles stands
dollar for dollar free of debt. This is
the day which 1 have been anticipating
as an iridescent dream. At last our
prayerful hopes have been materialized
in q shower of gold. Like aged Simeon
of old when he first took the infant
Christ in his arms, / would eXclaim:
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant de-
part in peace, according to thy word:
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the
face of all people; light to tighten the
Gentiles and the glory of thy people
Israel 1 would cry out thus, but for
the fact that I want to live little
longer to witness the joy and the peace
and the gospel triumphs which are
ahead for the grand old mother church
of Presbyteriansm of this region, the
II IL lCSDy NHulCil VI l4Oo All
geles.
"There is no need of going into the
past There Is no need of talking about
the dark clouds of trouble which hung
over this church for nearly ten long
years before l became the pastor. All
that 7 care to say is that when l came
to this pulpit I found a noble hand
full of Gods heroes and heroines ready
to give me welcome. That little hand
full was very small in number, but they
were as noble band of Christian work.
ers as ever went forth to put their
shoulders to lift heavy load. All up
and down this city there seemed to be
at that time an almost universal be-
lief that the First Presbyterian church
was doomed and would soon be sold un-
der the auctioneers hammer. But these
noble men and women at that time rail-
lied to it's support They began to
gather in just the same kind of noble
Christians as they We're Good people
naturally flock together. These noble
men and women prayerfully, trustfully
went ahead in their gospel labor. 1t
was a struggle and hard struggle.
They carpeted the lecture and the Sun
day school rooms and changed their
bare floors into carpeted sanctuary.
They refitted the session rooms and the
church parlOrs. And now they have
grappled with and paid off a mortgage
church Indebtedness of $4,000, or with
| it's accrued interest. church indebted
MSS of nearly $4,000. Thank God.
Thank God. Thank God. Thank God
| for these noble men and women with
whom I have been surrounded for the
last three years. Thank God, I again
say. There may be as good and noble
men and women in other church con-
gregations. But there are no nobler
or better men and women than are sit
ting before me today in all this round
world. No better, I say-no better men
and women are alive this side of
heaven.
"This wonderful movement of our
people today demonstrates one fact
which 1 have always felt in church
work. 1t matters not how small the
band of church workers; if that band
only have faith in God and work to-
gether in harmony for Jesus Christ
they can accomplish any task which
has been given them to do by the Mas
ter. A large number of church MEM
bers do not necessarily make a sue
cessful church. Large congregations do
not necessarily make successful
church. But band of consecrated men
and women willing to sacrifice for each
other, willing to let the majority rule,
willing to do what they are asked to
do. willing to pray and to sacrifice do
make a successful church, and no power
on earth or in hell can successfully
stand against them Thus today, as
your pastor and friend and colaborer,
I wish to thank you for all you have
| done for the Master. Remember this
fact-Frank Talmage never built up
| this church. 1t was the people of the
| church, the noble elders and deacons
and trustees and Sabbath school teach
ers and men and women, whether rich
or poor, old or young, who have done
all they could. 1t matters not who is
the pastor from now on. The First
Presbyterian church is saved This
church shall SO on as it was ten years
ago, from power to power and from
strength to strength, and from spirit
ual conquest to spiritual conquest
THUS we as a people look upon the
Thanksgiving day of 1906 as one of the
happiest days of our lives. May we
from now on plan big things for Christ.
when we can run a city mission for
Christ and to the time when we can
give our thousands each year to for
eign missions where we now give hun
dreds. May God continue to bless us
as a people. May this church continue
to be one of the great religious factors
for the upbuilding of our city. And
may our children's children be able to
serve Jesus here on account OF what
you as people have sacrificed for your
Master today. The First PRESBYTERIAN
church saved for all time for the city
of Los Angeles. Is it not glorious news?
A debt of $4,000 wiped out. Oh, are
not the heavenly chimes ringing out
their glad note stoday? Thank God.
Thank God Again. I say, let us thank