The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-03
FINAL MESSAGES
TO BENNINGTON
CHURCHES
Dr.. Granstaff's Last Subject
Conservation
FINANCES OF MISSION
Local Ministers Say Farewell to Evan
eelists. Much Work for Future.
The Mission a Success

The United Churches Mission held
its closing union service in the Congre
gational church last night. Despite
the sudden cold there was large aud
fence and a very sympathetic atmos
phere. The chorus was led by Mr..
Hurley, chairman of the local music
committee, assisted by Mrs. Asher
whose singing Of In the Secret of His
Presence" was a feature Of the ser
vice.
Rev. G.. S. Mills. chairman OF the
United Churches general committee,
made the announcement that so far
as could be foreseen all the expenses
OF the mission could be met II the
audience would double its usual even
ing Offering. In few minutes that
entire amount asked for was in the
hands of the ushers and the audience
was iubilant over the easy handling
of the finances OF the Mission.
DR.. Granstaffs final message to the
people OF Bennington was an expOsit-
ion Of "Consecration" as suggested by
Romans, 1871. 2. Il beseech you there
fore, brethren. by the mercies of God.
that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God
which is your reasonable service" He
said that the Christian life is not ecs-
tacy OF emotion. or dreaming noble
things; but the Christian life is sac
rilice and those who are unwilling to
make the sacrifices cannot be follow
] ers OF Jesus
The sacrifice is willing sacrifice.
God who has right TO command men
only beseeches them. He leaves them
to i1ake the choice and show their
real selves by their choices. This sac
rihce is also a bodily sacrifice. The
soul is like a gem with the body as
its setting and no man can give his
soul to God without his body. The re-
demption Of the bodily nature was the
hope of ST. Paul This sacrifice must
also be holy and as a result the
Christian will be separated from the
unclean thing. The sacrifice is not
for It's own sake. God does not ask
men to suffer for the sake Of having
suffered; but God asks men to sacri
fee for service to their fellowmen.
The speaker then showed that this
willing. bodily. holy. serviceable sacri
fee would result in the transformation
OF the whole being Faces will shine
and hearts will be glad and men and
women will have joys that abide, In
stead OF pleasures that leave a sting
behind them. Men gain by losing
The Christian gains self by losing self
This sacrifice. therefore. is reason
able The end thereof Is the ever
lasting enrichment OF the souls life
At the close Of the sermon a large
company came down the alsles and
stood about the preacher as he asked
Gods blessing on those who had con
secrated their lives TO Him. DR.. Gran
stan then turned the meeting back In
to the hands OF the chairman who call
ed on Rev, Frank X. Morris. secretary
of the local committee. who gave 9
brief survey OF the Mission and an ex
preston OF the appreciation OF IN,
churches OF Bennington for the hell
and inspiration OF the eyangelists dur
, ing their stay In this community
, Revs. II. S. Rowe and ]. p. Harper al
so. voiced their own appreciation an'
God speed.
This Kings Business" campaign Il
? Bennington closed last night In on,
way only TO begin In another Tn
movement goes back into the loca
churches and the results OF these Nv