USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > Manual, catalogue and history of the Lafayette St. Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, N.Y. > Part 14
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As the returned pastor neared the pulpit he was met by a number of the clergy- men of the city, who had been assembled in the chapel, and congratulations were exchanged. Doctor Heacock ascended to the pulpit, accompanied by the Rev. Doctors Clarke and Chester and the Rev. Messrs. White and Barnes. The other
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LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
clergymen, the Rev. Messrs. McLean, Cook, Bogue, Ward, Dick, Robie, Marshall, S. M. Clarke, Kendall, Peabody and Stuart, were seated in chairs in the space between the pulpit and the pews.
The exercises were opened with prayer by the Rev. Erskine N. White, of the Westminster Church. The Rev. Mr. Barnes, of the Ninth Street Baptist Church, followed with reading of Scripture, the selections being the 12Ist, 128th and 133d Psalms, as follows :
PSALM CXXI.
I I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
PSALM CXXVIII.
I Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house ; thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion ; and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.
PSALM CXXXIII.
I Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard ; that went down to the skirts of his garments.
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
The following hymn, written by Anson G. Chester, was then read by the Rev. Doctor Chester, and sung by a choir of Sabbath-School children in the organ- loft-the chorus being sustained by the children in the body of the house, and the word "welcome" being echoed and re-echoed by singers stationed in different parts of the church :
SHEPHERD, WELCOME HOME.
Back from the margin of the mighty main The shepherd comes to lead his flock again- And while the sheep, delighted, hear his voice, Shall not the little, loving lambs rejoice ? Back from the golden country, Back from the ocean foam, Back to the lambs that love thee- Shepherd, welcome home !
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The streams were chill, the fields no longer fair, Without thy love, thy guidance and thy care ! God watched thy journey from a distant shore, And brings thee to the fold and flock once more. Back from the lordly mountain, Back from the ocean foam,
Back from the golden country- Shepherd, welcome home !
O, strength of Jacob ! Israel's rest and rock !
Defend, alike, the shepherd and the flock; And grant us all the guidance of Thy hand To greener pastures in the better land.
Back from the golden country, Back from the ocean foam,
Back to the lambs that love thee- Shepherd, welcome home !
The exquisite music to which the hymn was sung was composed by Mr. J. W. Bixby, the chorister of the Church. Here we again quote from the Express ::
"During the closing strains, a dear little girlish figure advanced, with the sweet composure of innocence, to the pulpit and up the steps, holding a large basket of beautiful flowers, which she timidly proffered to the loved pastor, while she joined in the words,
' Back to the lambs that love thee- Shepherd, welcome home !'
" Bessie Childs was the name given us as that of the little creature thus honoring the man whose declared mission is to learn from these little ones the way he must point out to their elders."
Mr. Andrew Parker, one of the elders of the Church, then delivered the following address of welcome :
MR. PARKER'S ADDRESS.
Honored and Beloved Pastor :
If your reception by us, to-night, be somewhat formal, we beg you to believe it is not a mere formality, but that we desire thus to give dignity and emphasis to a united expression of our love for you and our joy at your safe return.
During the long months of your absence (they have been long to us), we have hailed with eager interest every line and every word that brought us intelligence of your well-being and of the measure of success God was giving to your labors in the far Occident. Though separated in the body, we have followed you in spirit withersoever you went. If God had been pleased to open your eyes as He did of old, those of the Prophet's servant, to see things invisible, you might have beheld at your Sabbath ministrations, a duplicate congregation of familiar and loving faces, waiting upon your words as you spoke of the things pertaining to our Redeemer's kingdom. We have followed you, this invisible congregation, up the heights of the Yo Semite, away to the Geysers, along the track of the railroad, through the territory of the modern Sultan of the Latter Day Saints, to the truly saintly presence of that venerable servant of God awaiting in a ripe old age the Master's call to go up higher-ever invoking for you the care of God's good Provi-
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dence and His benediction upon your work, looking and hoping for your reunion, which we so happily hail to-night, with those who for a quarter of a century'have learned to love you so well.
May I add that, willingly as we consented to your temporary absence, it was not without some secret misgivings that the call for tried and true men to stand up for Jesus before the mixed and rapidly growing population of this forming empire of the west might seem to you so imperative, if the way should be providentially opened, as to lead you to accept a permanent place at the western front. It was, therefore, with a shade of malicious satisfaction that we learned how chilling were the breezes that came up from the Pacific, past the Golden Gate. As we trust they did you no permanent hurt, we assure you they were very sedative and pacific to our apprehensions.
Nobly as your pulpit has been filled during your absence, we shall hail with glad- ness your familiar presence there and your words of instruction, of warning, of counsel, out of the Book of Life. We have missed you sorely from your pastoral work ; the dying have hoped, if it might be the Divine will, to see you once before their departure ; the bereaved and mourning have yearned for your presence with messages of comfort and hope. Those appointed to die still anxiously await your arrival, that they may meet you again before they go hence. In the congregation, in the Sabbath School and in our homes, we have longed for your return to us.
Joyfully and thankfully, therefore, with heart and voice and hand, we bid you a glad and affectionate WELCOME to your parish, to our hearts and our homes, and to your own household, and we pledge you a more earnest support and co-operation in the work our common Lord may appoint us. May His blessings and help ever be with you and with us, that we may each, at his allotted post of duty, as His faithful and valiant soldiers, serve Him in the final conflict that shall usher in the already dawning glory of His coming kingdom upon earth !
The hymn commencing " All hail the power of Jesus' name," read by the Rev. Henry Ward, of the East Presbyterian Church, was then sung by the congregation, to the tune of Coronation, after which the Rev. Walter Clarke, D. D., welcomed Dr. Heacock, on the part of the clergy, in the address which follows :
DR. CLARKE'S ADDRESS.
It has been assigned to me, dear brother, to give you, on behalf of your clerical associates in this city, congratulation for your safe return, and welcome to your old associations and walks. When you left us three months ago, in a way so little expected, we sent after you two very different styles of thought. We were glad, for your sake, and that of our brethren on the Pacific coast, that you were on your way to minister to them. But what if some evil should befall you-from accident, exposure, the change of habit, or the severities of the untried climate ? What if we should never see you again, or see you enfeebled and unequal to your former self? Above all, what if those sharp-witted and much appreciating people, lying in wait for good ministers, there at the gates of the West, should find out, what we have long understood, that in your case, however much the candle may cost, the game is worth the expenditure, and should seize our Samson, bind him with bands
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of entreaty, buckled with gold, and say to Lafayette Street, get yourselves a minister as we have done! We knew that Buffalo bore you ; we knew that you did not bore Buffalo ; we had seen again and again your willing love for your people ; we had witnessed, to our satisfaction, their willing endurance of you, and we had comforted ourselves with the conclusion that no divorce could separate parties so equally yoked, till, in premature dotage, you should accept a call to Indiana. But had not San Francisco a kind of bait that had caught not Eells only, but Wads- worth, and Scudder, and Stone? And, if Boston and Philadelphia had been com- pelled to contribute their brightest stars to the constellation that lights the entrance to the Golden Gate, might not Buffalo have cause of alarm in turn? It is true that when any of your people inquired if we had fears looking in that direction, we fanned our courage to a momentary blaze of assurance, and answered, that Dr. Heacock knew his people, himself and his native city too well to accept a weaker call than that which drew Abraham to the suburbs of Sodom. We have consorted very much with you in our thoughts, while you have been away in that distant field -have felt your midday heats, your evening chills, your scruples at the well-loaded tables ; your misgivings at the seasoned and seductive dishes, the relish with which you tasted the forbidden cake, the regret with which you vexed the ensuing night with your undigested repentance, your desire to be useful, your homesickness, your patience in sowing the seed of truth, your joy in gathering the first fruits of har- vest, your solicitude for the dear family, your concern for the precious flock on this side of the mountains. We can never tell you, and yet, to know the place you have in our hearts, you need to be told the anguish we felt, three weeks ago to- night, when a stray rumor reached us of your detention by sudden and serious sickness. For hours I could see nothing and think of nothing but Heacock fallen, Heacock unconscious, Heacock gone. No epitaph could more emphatically express the sorrow or declare the esteem of brethren, than a record of what we felt during that little space of uncertainty and alarm. But, my brother, you have escaped all the disasters we feared-the call to San Francisco, the call to Salt Lake City, the crash of cars, the perils of climate, and, at sight of you to-night, we exchange all our forebodings for hearty congratulation and a loving and grateful welcome.
Shall we give you a fraternal hint ? Just one, before we sit down? In our respective pulpits, we are trying to outdo all our former achievements in the way of preaching the Gospel of Christ. And it is our purpose, if possible, to improve on our present performances, as the winter wears on. We do not say this to alarm' you, for we long ago found reason to conclude that you have nothing to fear from your clerical neighbors of one sect or another. But news has not unfrequently come to us during the months of your absence, that from Sabbath to Sabbath, your people were taught in a way to create, by its excellence, great relish for good ser- mons. In other words, that he who was for a time filling your place, was at the same time excavating a place for you to fill, and that it might require bigger sermons to sate the spiritual appetites of the good people of Lafayette Street, than those which so easily surfeited the requirements of the Howard Church in San Francisco.
To your new work then-to its increasing demands, to the joy that shall come of its fruitage, to your spacious former place in our sympathies and affections, and to those Christian interests which summon us to co-operation and a common aim, we give you to-night earnest, united and grateful welcome.
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LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Rev. Alexander McLean, of Calvary Church, read the familiar hymn, " Blest be the tie that binds," which those present joined in singing. After which, the fol- lowing poem, written by Anson G. Chester, was read by its author :
POEM OF WELCOME.
" He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."-Ps. cxxvi. 6.
" Bearing the precious seed, go forth and weep !" Such to his servant was the Lord's command, And he, obedient, took the seed and went And wept and labored in a distant land. His loving ones the Master ever keeps, His faithful ones the Master never leaves-
So he who went in heaviness and tears Returns in joy, for lo ! he brings his sheaves.
We hail the hero who, in triumph comes From reddened fields, where war's hot work was done-
We wreathe his conquering sword with fairest flowers, And shout the victory that his valor won ; How should we, then, his nobler advent hail, How should we twine his spear and deck his sword,
Who comes, with triumph shining in his face, Fresh from the endless battle of the Lord !
Thrice welcome, friend and pastor, to thy flock ; Thy tranquil home, with all its peace and rest-
To those who, there, have longed for thy return, Who love thee most because they know thee best ; To duties sweetened by a ready will, And cheered by all a perfect trust imparts ;
To old familiar burdens and rewards ; To smiling hearth-stones and to happy hearts.
All thanks to Him who bade His servant go And cast the precious seed in yonder soil, And brings him to his loving flock, to-night, Rich in the golden fruitage of his toil. O, Gracious Father ! give him length of days, Thy choicest blessings on his pathway shed,
And when, at last, his earthly work is done, Then place the crown of glory on his head !
Two verses of the hymn commencing, "'Mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints," read by the Rev. B. D. Marshall, of the Cedar Street Baptist Church, were sung to the immortal air of " Sweet Home," when Doctor Heacock addressed the assembled multitude as follows :
DOCTOR HEACOCK'S RESPONSE.
My Very Dear Friends and Brethren :
My head is swimming yet with the rush and plunge of the railway train, on which, for so many days, I have been coming home to you again. I expected to have to-night a steady heart, if not a steady head, but the tide of this grateful welcome, so strong, so deep, moving in the current of familiar and impressive speech, rippling
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in the brilliancy of wit, murmuring in the sweet cadence of verse and song, makes my heart as dizzy as my head ; and yet I want to return all that a heart can return for such a beautiful and earnest welcome as this. Said a friend, as I came into the pulpit, " How happy such a welcome, since you know it is sincere." My dear friends, its sincerity is its sweetest element. I have reason to believe that the hearts looking out of these eyes are those of long-known and long-tried friends. I have thought many times, when looking forward to this hour of welcome, the meeting with my family-bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh-the greetings of this assem- bly, how much like this reunion will be the blessed reunions of Heaven. There will be the company of dear brethren, faithful and beloved in the ministry of the Word-brethren of a common faith in Christ's cause and kingdom. There will be the faces of old men with gray hair, and the beautiful faces of saintly women-the true Madonnas of our faith, such as walked with Christ through His sorrows and tasted also the sweetness of sanctified life. Then there will be the forms of dear little children, like the one who brought me this basket of flowers; and the streets of that golden city shall be full of the voices of children, like the dear little lambs of the flock who have welcomed me back to-night.
There are hearts here which would beat with a quicker pulse at the mention of the names of those who warmly greeted me in the far-off places where I have been tarrying.
I feel, as I look into these familiar faces, that a more fitting response should be made to your congratulations ; but I shall have other opportunities of speaking to you and of discussing those great interests that have passed before my mind in this brief sojourn on the Pacific coast. As I now look upon you, the memory of your griefs and the joy of your rejoicings recur to me. I have, indeed, thought of you often, and the invisible congregation to which allusion has been made was not, at any time, distant to me. We never worshiped God without thinking of the hymn which was rolling its full diapason far onward toward the Pacific coast; for your Sabbath came before ours.
But I must not detain you longer. I stretch out my hands to you all-a hand to each of you-and in each hand I hold my heart as I offer it in the glad and grateful greeting of such an hour as this. God bless you; God make me more wortliy of the love you bear to me, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
At the conclusion of the address, the Rev. H. H. Peabody, of the Washington Street Baptist Church, made the closing prayer.
The doxology, in long metre, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," was sung by the entire congregation, after which the benediction was pronounced by Doctor Heacock.
The returned pastor then received the hearty personal congratulations of his people, and others, after which he retired to his home.
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LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
[C.]
A MEMORABLE WELCOME,
GIVEN TO THE PASTOR AT THE LAFAYETTE STREET CHURCH, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETURN FROM HIS LONG ABSENCE ABROAD, JUNE 12, 1870.
The welcome to Rev. Dr. Heacock, at Lafayette Street Church, last evening, was one of the most remarkable, in all respects, ever witnessed in this city. And this, not so much in formal speech or by well regulated programme, as in the deep feeling and love that found expression from all hearts. There could be no mistaking the fact, that Dr. Heacock was welcomed back, after a long absence in foreign lands, as one very dear, as pastor, counselor and friend.
At an early hour the church was crowded to its utmost capacity by the congrega- tion of the church and friends outside of it; and those who had had no previous opportunity to witness the scene which the interior of the Church presented, must have been fairly bewildered ; for such a profusion of flowers, in such varied, sig- nificant and elegant devices, had never, we think, been seen in Buffalo before.
The pulpit was fairly enshrouded with rosebuds, carnations, calla lilies, while the communion-table in front of it was completely surrounded by calla lilies, and inside of these were cups, plats and pots filled to overflowing with cut and growing flowers. At either side of the table stood a tall vase containing cut flowers, and in the back ground was a mass of ferns, from the center of which arose a monster pyramid of choice flowers. In front of the table, on a stand, rested a rustic basket filled with rare flowers, while on a stand at either side of the table were French straw baskets of unique design filled with flowers of bright colors. Receptacles at the front corners of the pulpit contained plants, some of which were in blossom, and trailing vines graced the sides of the pulpit. At either side of the pulpit, near the foot of the stairs, were terra-cotta vases containing plants in blossom, and plants and flowers and vines were otherwise distributed with a view to rendering the artistic effect as brilliant and beautiful as possible.
In the arched space in the rear of the pulpit appeared, woven in evergreens, the word
WELCOME.
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Above this, and dropping from a festoon of evergreens which was caught up with a bouquet of flowers, depended an exquisite floral harp. On either side of this arch and over the doors appeared evergreen shields. In the center of one was a floral anchor, while the other was graced with a crown of flowers.
It would almost seem that this great floral display would suffice, but this was not all, for at the south end of the church, in front of the organ-loft, appeared, woven in evergreens, the words :
THE LORD HATH KEPT THEE.
This motto was set in a frame of evergreens, in the center of which was a bouquet of flowers.
At regular intervals, on the walls and around the front of the gallery railing, . were placed large white shields, nineteen in all, and representing the nineteen months' absence of the pastor. These were trimmed with evergreens, and in the center of each was a bouquet of flowers. Indeed, to enter fully into the details of the floral decorations of the church would be to devote a great deal of space to it, and so we content ourselves with touching upon the more salient points of a'remark- able floral display, and one which as elegantly expressed a hearty welcome as any that words could give.
THE EXERCISES.
Immediately before the opening of the exercises Mr. John Otto announced to the congregation that, when they heard the first sound of the organ, they should rise and remain standing until Dr. Heacock should have passed to the pulpit.
The organ, which was in charge of Mr. E. L. Baker, soon gave the signal, and as Dr. Heacock and family passed up the west aisle they were received with tremendous applause.
Awaiting Dr. Heacock in the pulpit were Rev. Dr. Lord, Rev. Dr. Chester, Rev. Dr. Hotchkiss, Rev. Dr. McClure, Henry Childs, Esq., and John Otto, Esq., with all of whom Dr. Heacock shook hands. Dr. Heacock's two sons occupied seats in one of the front pews.,
After the introductory on the organ, Mr. Otto, who acted as master of ceremo- nies, stepped forward and in a few appropriate remarks formally announced the return of the pastor of the Church. The following hymn, composed for the occa- sion by Mr. Bixby, we suspect, was beautifully rendered by some twenty young ladies, members of the Sabbath School and Bible Class, Mr. Bixby leading the congregation in the chorus :
HYMN OF WELCOME.
Welcome home, welcome home, from a foreign shore,
Our pastor dear again we meet, and clasp his hand once more. Home again, with loved ones near, the ocean dangers past,
The Father's hand hath safely led, and brought him home at last. CHORUS-Welcome home, welcome home, from a foreign shore, Our pastor dear again we meet, and clasp his hand once more.
Welcome home, welcome home, to these courts again ;
Within these walls may love abound, and peace a guest remain. Here we passed the parting hour, and here again we meet,
And "Mizpah " was our constant prayer around the mercy-seat.
CHORUS-Welcome home, welcome home, to these courts again. Within these walls may love abound, and peace a guest remain.
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LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Welcome home, welcome home: gladly now we raise
To God, for all his watchful care, our thankful songs of praise. Home again, with health renewed, once more the flock to guide, Grant, heavenly Shepherd, still Thy grace, and with us all abide.
CHORUS-Welcome home, welcome home: gladly now we raise
To God, for all His watchful care, our thankful songs of praise.
Henry Childs, Esq., President of the Board of Trustees, next stepped forward, and addressing Dr. Heacock, who stood at the opposite side of the pulpit, spoke as follows :
ADDRESS OF HENRY CHILDS, ESQ.
Beloved Pastor :
It is made my pleasant duty at this time, on behalf of the Church and Society of which you are the pastor, to say a word of welcome on your return to us.
You have been absent from us nearly twenty-one months, and it is no exaggera- tion to say that we have followed you, and your dear family, with constant and anxious interest during all your wanderings. Constant, because it is impossible, for a day even, to forget one who, for more than a quarter of a century, has watched over the interests of this people with such tender and loving regard. Anxious, from an intense desire that the freedom from parochial duties, change of climate, and the inspirations of foreign travel might be blessed to your complete restoration to health.
It has been your privilege, during your absence, to visit places and view objects of rare interest. A trip to Great Britain and Europe, now-a-days, has become so common as to be almost destitute of novelty.
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