USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Granville > Centennial of the Baptist Church in Granville, Mass. 1790 - 1890 > Part 4
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Michael Angelo, carving a statue that was to be placed in a niche in the wall, was asked why he was so particu- lar with the carving on the back, seeing it was out of sight, when the great sculptor replied, "I am carving for the gods, and they see within and behind the wall." So the omniscient eye of Jehovah sees within and behind every motive ; and, laying the motive by the side of the act, He judges righteously. May God help us bring great stone, costly stone and hewed stone, and build wisely for God, and heaven.
LETTERS.
SILVER LAKE, MASS., January 13, 1890. Dear Pastors and Brethren :
Upon receiving your kind invitation to be present and bear a part in the sacred and affecting services, in observ- ance of the Centennial of the Granville Baptist Church, my heart responded, that nothing earthly could be more gratifying. But for two weeks I have been confined 10 my home by sickness, from the prevailing epidemic. Yet in my weakness I cannot forbear writing somewhat, touch- ing my short ministry with you from May to November, 1881. I entered a field earnestly and faithfully cultivated by the labors of our beloved brother, Rev. D. A. Dearborn. It was my delight to see the deep and affectionate hold that he, with his beloved wife, had upon your hearts. He had sowed, he had reaped, he had garnered; but in the last, there lacked completion. The Lord gave me to see quite a number standing at the door of entrance to the church, professing themselves to be Christians, and yet neglecting to take upon themselves the yoke of Christ, in the Solemn Covenant of true Christian Obligations. My heart was deeply moved. I wept and prayed, and prayed and wept. I could see with plainess my calling : trusting in God, I preached and labored with this end in view.
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My themes of discourse were : God, as a positive Being .- His word and promises as positive Truth .- His require- ments as positive in their obligations, unto one and all who would with honor, and acceptance to God, bear the sacred name of Christian before the world. The lurking places were lain bare and individuals confronted in public and private labor, until they were constrained to give up the ghost of a false and fruitless profession, or if true, to come forward llke true sons and daughters of God, and ap- propriate the garment of espousal to Christ, by a formal unity in Christian Fellowship, as shown by the Word.
In all of this work I was heartily seconded by the offi- cers and membership of the church. God was pleased to signally bless our combined and united labors. July 3, of that year (a day never to be forgotten by those living witnesses), we crowded around the baptistery amid yonder hills, and Sisters Mrs. G. D. Felton, Mrs. L. Gibbons and Miss Emma Randall, were formally united to. Christ, and buried with Christ in Baptism. O sacred, hallowed scene ! Like a dove did the Holy Spirit brood over that wave and over those souls. With what holy fervor did those two aged sisters grasp hands, and linger upon that endeared spot. Are they with you to-day? Dear aged ones of Jesus ; with what a halo of joyful light must your counte- nances be surrounded. as you recall that sacred hour of your espousals. All rejoiced ; many wept with joy. If there was one who rejoiced over another, it was dear Father Felton, as he led his loved companion to my hands
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at the water's side ; with what a fullness of holy thankful- ness and praise did he receive her anew ; even as one from the grave. But however tempted, I must not linger here. This event, as I humbly trusted, opened the way for fur- ther fruitage. August 5, two more followed the example so gloriously hallowed. Then, October 2, four others brought up the rear in triumphal praises to the King of Zion. Of these last, your devoted and worthy clerk is one. All, I hope and trust are honoring their profession. Thus was God proved, and thus and much more did God prove himself unto us. Soon after, sickness in my family compelled my departure. Rich had been our experience of God's presence with us and sad was the hour of our parting. Ours was the unity of love ; I loved the church ; I loved Father and Mother Felton, with whom I had spent so many sacred hours ; I loved the Deacons as true office bearers in the church; I loved the members, old and young in the true love and sacred tie of Christian broth- erhood ; I believe in turn the church loved me, and hon- ored me with true affection and esteem. Upon no portion of my ministry do I more delight to linger than that brief space in which I labored in your midst. My prayers are still with you for your blessing and up-building. I can join hands heartily with Brother Dearborn and the pastor following me, in united prayer and desire for your good. Much, very much ground have I left untouched ; but my weakness and your weariness calls for a close. O glori- ous assembling of yourselves together ! may God crown
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it with his special favor, that even the absent ones may feel and realize the great outflows and onflows of his rich grace. As your notes of praise swell from devoted tongues, may your hearts, aye, your very souls, be lifted unto a holy contemplation of that grand and glorious gathering, where all remnants of the great Christian Brotherhood shall as- semble and behold the King in his beauty. D sacred day of holy greetings ! Farewell ! Dear loved ones of Jesus, Farewell! If not here -- yet there; there may we meet, where in the holy clasps of a sacred and eternal re- union, we shall never hear the tolling knell of separation. May great grace abide with you all.
Yours in the holy and sacred bonds of the union and fellowship of Jesus Christ.
C. L. THOMPSON.
LELAND UNIVERSITY, NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27, 1889. To the Baptist Church, Granville, Mass. :
DEAR BRETHREN :- You are in a few days to observe the Centennial of the history of our church, and as it is im- possible for me to be with you on that occasion, as I should be delighted to do, I am very glad to respond to a suggestion that I send you a few words of fraternal greeting by letter. It is a cause of gratification to me that, after having had my membership in quite a number of churches during the in- tervening years, my name should now be again enrolled with this church, into which I was received when I was baptized.
More than a quarter of the century over which we now
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look back has passed since I became a member of the church, and there are, perhaps, a very few among you who can include half of it in a personal survey ; but while more than half the membership, probably, has changed since my first connection with the church, nearly all of it has been received since the middle of the century, and no one who joins in this celebration can remember when the church had its beginning one hundred years ago. Yet it is, we be- lieve, as fully alive and as vigorous to-day as it has been at any period of its history. There is thus an analogy be- tween the life and growth of a church and that of a human body. The latter lives and grows by the constant death and removal of the material of which it is composed, while new material is as constantly supplied to take its place ; and none of our bodies-if we have lived upwards of twenty-five years-contain to-day any of their original con- stituent atoms. This continual death of its individual molecules, is absolutely necessary to the vigorous life of the whole body. May it not be just as essential to the continued health and vigor of a church, that its individual members should, one by one, either by death or by re- moval, drop out of its constituency to have their places filled by others? Thus the church may live and enjoy the vigor and strength of youth for a hundred years. We are apt to mourn, when an efficient laborer is taken from us, as though the life of the church was endangered by the loss ; but it often happens that such a loss at once calls out and develops new talent that would otherwise have
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continued to lie dormant, and thus the spiritual life of the church is increased rather than diminished. It is the Master's way of keeping the church alive. Let us learn the lesson well, that our faith be not shaken in what may sometime seem a discouraging hour.
We believe that as disciples of Christ we have a great mission and a corresponding responsibility. This we share, as Baptists, with all other evangelical denominations. But we also, as Baptists, have an additional responsibility. We have a mission, as a denomination, to hold up before the world certain doctrines and practices that we believe the Master has commissioned us to maintain, but in re- spect to which our brethern of other churches are not yet in harmony with our views. Our attitude towards them should always be one of Christian confidence and affec- tion, ready to join hands with them in every good work, but never one by which our peculiar beliefs are compromised. We are not-at least we ought not to be-Baptists from mere convenience or force of circumstances, but because we have reasons that compel us, in obedience to our con- science, to be so. Still more, in our attitude before the world, we must stand fast and firm by our colors, never al- lowing the line which divides the church from the world to grow indistinct, but maintaining with aggressive earnest- ness the truth in regard to repentance and faith and right- eous living. Union among denominations should not be sought by going down the mountain about whose sides they are grouped. The nearer the broad base we get, the fur-
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ther apart we shall be. Let us rather press upward to the narrow summit where truth is enthroned, and when we all reach that point, there will be union. If we believe that as Baptists we are nearer that summit than others, let us draw them upward into union with us. The marvelous growth of our denomination, and the still more marvelous growth of our doctrines in other denominations, encour- ages the expectation of ultimate union on this plan.
Union with the world is not for a moment to be desired. The church that becomes broad and liberal, in the com- mon acceptation of these terms, for the sake of gathering in the world, will itself become entangled, if not lost, in the world.
Let us learn these lessons also.
With earnest prayers for the greatest prosperity of the church in the years to come, I am,
Yours in Christian fellowship,
GEORGE H. FELTON.
MOUNT VERNON, MAINE, January 13, 1890. To the Baptist Church, Granville, Mass. :
DEAR BRETHREN :- I am in receipt of your kind invita- tion to be present and participate in your Centennial cele- bration.
I would be glad to accept it were I conveniently near, but I have got so far down East that I feel obliged to fore- go the privilege and pleasure of being with you.
One hundred years in the life and history of a living
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country church in New England ! I have been trying to estimate something of its worth to our own land and to the world at large; how much it has contributed to the life and power of many urban churches ; and how much of its best young life has gone to develop all that is best in society and state, on our Western plains and even the Pacific slope. And then I think of all that is wrought into the life of the community in which the church exists. I think, too, of the very many who have left this church here below for the home in the Father's house of many mansions ; and who shall say that the existence of such a church, for such a period of time and for such ends, is unimportant ?
I rejoice in your present prosperity, and I trust that in the new century of life upon which you now enter, the church may enjoy a larger and richer prosperity than ever before. May all its members ever walk in the truth, and may all its ministers ever faithfully hold forth "the word of life."
Fraternally yours,
H. M. HEYWOOD,
ROCKVILLE, R. I., January 12.
My Dear Brother James :
Your favor of the 6th inst., inviting me to a participa- tion in the Centennial observance of your church has been duly received. It would give me very great pleasure to meet with the dear brethern of Granville and enjoy the exer- cises of the occasion ; but " la grippe " arrived in Rockville
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before your kind invitation and claims so much of our at- tention, and the attention of the community, as to make it quite impracticable to leave home. Indeed, the trouble is so prevalent as to render it quite unsafe for those who are well to leave home for any length of time. I really re- gret that I am not able to be present with you, for I have promised myself much pleasure ever since I learned your purpose of observing your Centennial. Trusting that God will be with you, and make the occasion one of great and lasting blessing, and that the dear little church in Granville will continue to grow and prosper under the approving smiles of our Heavenly Father, I am,
Your brother in the Lord Jesus,
ALEXANDER McLEARN.
MASSACHUSETTS BAPTIST CONVENTION. TREMONT TEMPLE, BOSTON, MASS., January 14, 1890.
Dear Brother Smith :
I cannot leave to go to Granville to-morrow. I am much disappointed. Hoped to have been present with old friends and hear of the days of Adam Hamilton, Ira Tuck and John Leland.
I never break an engagement I can avoid. Hope you will have a blessed day. Tell the Granville people noth- ing but dire necessity keeps me.
Fraternally,
W. H. EATON.
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WARNER, N. H., January 13, 1890. T. A. James-Dear Brother :
I thank you for your very cordial invitation to attend the Centennial of the Babtist Church in Granville. I shall be unable to come, but trust it will be a joyous occasion, and that you will be encouraged to step bravely into the next century, for Christ and humanity.
Yours truly,
ROBERT BENNETT.
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