USA > Vermont > Bennington County > Bennington > The one hundred year old meetinghouse of the church of Christ in Bennington, Vermont: being a record of the centennial of the same held in the meetinghouse, August the 19th and 20th, 1906 > Part 7
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of God with them, that when they dwelt in their ceiled houjes, and his houje laid wajte, it was jaid to them, ye have jown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
When his people forjook his worship and went after other gods, he vijfited them with famine, with the fword, and with the pejtilence. But when their temple was preferved in due order, and the worship of God attended to according to his appointment, many and great worthy bleffings which they received. Hear how the Lord addreffed his people when they had forjaken his worfhip, and robbed him of his tithes and offerings. Bring ye all the tithes into the ftore houje, that there may be meat in mine houje, and prove me now here- with, faith the Lord of Hofts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a bleffing, that there jhall not be room enough to receive it.
When they were travelling in the road of obe- dience, their enemies were eajily jubdued before them, and they had peace and plenty in their borders. Sin is ftill a reproach to any people, and God will vijit thoje with judgments who do not
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preferve the order which he hath appointed, and there is jtill a righteoujnejs which exalteth a nation, and which is connected with peculiar and ¡pecial bleffings. God being the jame yefterday, to-day, and forevermore, we have full evidence to believe he will remain holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works, averting judgments from the penitent, and granting bleffings unto the obedient, but executing divine vengeance upon thofe, who will none of his counjels, nor any of his reproofs.
3. We jhall have no jujt cauje to complain of our reward in the future world ; for according as we improve the talent of talents which are given us, fuch will be our reward : For whatjoever a man joweth, that jhall he aljo reap. For he that foweth to the flesh jhall of the flesh reap corrup- tion, but he that joweth to the fpirit jhall of the ¡pirit reap lije everlafting. They that fow in tears jhall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious feed, jhall doubtlejs come again rejoicing, bringing his jheaves with him.
But this I jay, he that joweth fparingly jhall reap fparingly, but he that joweth bountifully fhall reap aljo bountifully.
4. The fubject of liberality to thoje who love the order which God hath ejtablifhed, is a very
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important and delightful jubject. God is a very bountiful God. Heaven and earth are full of his goodnejs, and thoje who love him take pleajure in imitating his benevolence, in complying with his command, love your enemies, &c. Agreeably to this direction, or expreffion of the revealed pleajure of the Father of all mercies, it is declared by the voice of infpiration, the liberal devijeth liberal things, and by liberal things jhall he ftand. The liberal will jeek to be bountiful in the way which duty requireth. Saith Job, in the exercije of his liberality, I was a father to the poor, and the cauje which I knew not I jearched out. Thus are the liberal jeeking for juitable objects on which they may bejtow their bounty. He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again.] Yes, all who lend unto the Lord in this way, will be repaid more than a thoufand fold. Not a cup of cold water given to a child of the Redeemer, in the name of a difciple, will be forgotten, or in any wife lofe its reward. The Lord is infinitely bountiful to thofe who imitate his example of liberality. And this furely is not one of the leaft acts of charity, in those who are enabled by the bounty of heaven, to erect convenient buildings, in which themfelves and the poor may affemble,
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to worfhip the King, the Lord of Hofts, and which duty we have profeffedly and cordially complied with.
[5. In preferving the order which God hath eftablijhed, and which we have afjented to in dedicating this houje unto God this day, we muft not forjake the afjembling of ourjelves together for focial worfhip, as the manner of jome is ; for the order which God hath eftablijhed in his wor- jhip is good, and praije is comely. If at any future time we jhould forjake the houje of God, the language of our conduct will be, the Lord is not worthy of our worship : and thus we fhall become mockers of him, in firft erecting an houje where He might record his name, come unto us and blefs us, and then neglecting it. And in this way bring upon ourfelves a great curje; for be not deceived, God will not be mocked, and not dif play his anger.
To be uniform in our conduct, we mujt fre- quently affemble at this houje, with real defire to jee Jejus and worship the Father of mercies in Spirit and in truth. Then may we hope that the great head of the church, though he dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as his only and eternal abode, will dwell in this houje by his gracious prejence, and be our God and portion.]
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We cannot upon any rational principles hope to receive favors from Zion's King, by only ex- ternally dedicating an houfe unto him, and then neglecting it as an ufelefs building. Can God behold with pleafure an empty houfe, a deferted temple, in this or in any place? And of what fpiritual benefit can it be unto thofe who will not worfhip therein the King, the Lord of Hofts ?
A little felf examination and exhortation, my numerous and refpected audience, I conceive will not be improper on this occafion. Have we not folemnly and devoutly dedicated this houfe unto the fervice of our God? And have we a right to revoke the folemn tranfaction we have juft performed ? No never, never, to the bound- lefs ages of eternity ! The vows of the Lord are now upon us, and dare we prefume to break our folemn obligation with Jehovah? Should this be done, our criminality would be of the moft Heaven daring kind, for it is better not to vow, than to vow and not pay. Could we even prefume to apologize for ourfelves, if we fhould not preferve the order which God hath eftab- lifhed in his worfhip? If we neglect to meet together to call upon his name? If our future conduct fhould declare, that we had no regard
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to our maker, in erecting this building and calling it his houfe? Shall we dare to fay our motive was to appear refpectable among other towns, and wipe off the reproach of being a heathenifh people? That our motive was the rife of our property in value, the population or aggrandife- ment of the place, or any motives which were only of a finifter kind? Shall we ever be fo bold in fin as to appear before God with pleas of this nature as an excufe for our future conduct, fhould we, from worldly intereft, in the exer- cife of indifference in the fervice of God, or from enmity to the religion of Jefus, forfake this houfe of worfhip? I prefume not. [Let it never be jaid we are jo far junk in the very dregs of human depravity, as to have had any motive fhort of that which will praije the Lord, in erect- ing a building, where he may record his name, come unto us and blefs us. Let it never be jaid at any future time, that by our indifferency to the good which Heaven hath to impart, by jaring interejts, or by animojities of any kind, we fall out by the way. Let it never be jaid we ceaje from affembling ourjelves together in this houje of God, that we reject the counjels of our Saviour, dejpije our own bejt good, difregard the good of pofterity, the glory of God, and all things truly
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valuable; left Satan get the advantage againft us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
I would hope better things of you, dear firs, tho' I thus fpeak; even thoje which are according to true godlinejs, and thoje by which you may profit and edify one another. But knowing jome- thing of the depravity of the human kind, I pre- fume we will all readily admit, we are in danger in a greater or lejs degree, by the many arts, the wiles and the fnares which are encircling us on every fide, to be led aftray from the path of duty ; to be deprived of that heavenly good which can only be obtained by walking in wijdom's ways, and purjuing all her paths.]
Therefore, as my beloved brethren, I befeech you to follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace jhall be with you, and blefs you with his divine prefence, with the privileges of his children, with the confolation of a well-grounded hope of an happy exchange of this world for the future. Yea, he will blefs you with eternal life, when you fhall bid a final farewel to all tranfitory enjoyments.
[My aged Fathers & Brethren, Permit me to
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congratulate you upon what you have done for yourjelves and pofterity. You have the pleafure of now beholding a very dejirable houje, in which yourjelves and children may worfhip the living God. You have this houje, this very expreffive token of your love to your God, and love to your pofterity, to leave with them when you go to your long home, to dwell with Jejus. In taking your lajt leave of your dear offipring in this world, in your dying moments, you can jay to them, here our dear children, we leave with you this houje of God, which hath been erected with toil and much coft ; we leave with you a compaffionate Saviour, we leave with you precious Gojpel ordi- nances. We have done for you what we believed was bejt calculated to produce your bejt good, and may we not now, O our affectionate ones, for whom our hands and our jouls have been in labor, hope that you will, in the enjoyment of all theje privileges, with the blejjing of heaven, jo improve them, that we jhall, in God's good time, jee you in our heavenly Father's eternal blijfful home, never to part more, and with our expiring breath we commend you to our glorious Lord, bidding you a dying farewel.
O permit me to congratulate you, my dear youth, on this auspicious day. Look around and behold
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what your Fathers have done. No, let me rather jay, look around and behold what your God hath done for you. What burfts of gratitude from your youthful bojoms, fhould fill this houje with praije. Here, O youth, you have a very expreffive token of the love of your parents, a very expreffive token of the love of your God. Here may you meet for focial prayer and praije, and Heaven delight to hear the rapturous ftrains flowing from pious fouls. O how great is the obligation of gratitude you are under to your parents ; for how could they have given you a more expreffive token of their love to your fouls, than in prejenting you with, and leaving you in the poffeffion and jweet en- joyment of precious gofpel privileges? But ef- pecially how great is your obligation of gratitude to Him, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift; for you muft confider him as the great author of the whole. Behold this houje, therefore, built under the fuperintendency of a kind providence.
Behold all your bleffings flowing to you from the benificent parent who prefides over all worlds, and whofe mercies are flowing to the children of men in plentiful effufions.
Hear him addreffing you this day, as he did Ephraim of old, in the bowels of compaffion, as an infinitely benevolent Saviour. How fhall I
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give thee up, Ephraim? How fhall I deliver thee, Ifrael? How fhall I give you up, O youth of Bennington, after your having received fo many fpecial tokens of my love and mercy? How fhall I make you as Admah? How fhall I fet you as Zeboim ? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
Can you refrain from loving and praifing this God? Can you rejolve to fink down to hell under all this preffure of love and mercy ? O remember your creator in the days of your youth. Accept with gratitude the bleffings which he is bejtowing. Improve the price which is put into your hands to get wijdom, in fuch a manner as to grow wije for time and wije for eternity.
Follow your parents wherein they have jol- lowed Chrift. Commit unjullied the bleffings, and greater bleffings ij poffible, which are com- mitted to you, to thoje who are yet unborn, that bleffings may dejcend from Father to Son, from generation to generation, until time jhall be no more. In pioufly doing which, when you take your departure from all jublunary enjoyments, you jhall ajcend to Abraham's bojom, to be en- circled in the ocean of boundlejs love, to triumph with the redeemed in their glorious reign with King Jejus forever and ever.
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May the Father of all mercies grant this to be the unj peakably happy portion of us all, for his great name's jake.
AMEN.]
DEDICATION PRAYER 1806, 1906 WITH HYMNS AND ODES
DEDICATION PRAYER
BY REV. DANIEL MARSH, A. M.
January Ist, 1806 (Adapted)
O THOU great and eternal Jehovah, we, Thy de- pendent, sinful creatures, acknowledge that our blessings are flowing unto us through Christ, our dear Redeemer; and we do praise and adore Thy (didst) (fathers') name, that Thou hast put it into our hearts to erect a convenient house to assemble in for Thy worship; (didst) (succeed) (them) (their) that Thou hast succeeded us in our undertaking; that (the fruits of)
we have enjoyed the unanimity and harmony that (them) (still stands) (has) prevailed among us; that the house is now in (re-dedicated) (further) readiness to be dedicated unto Thee, for Thy gracious abode and our worship; and we do now, O Lord, in Thy presence, with deep humility, with holy cheer- (re-dedicate) fulness, and with profound adoration, dedicate this (again) house unto Thee; beseeching Thee to accept this (through our fathers)
offering which Thou hast enabled us to present, as Thy gracious abode so long as Thou in Thy good providence shall continue it in existence.
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(still)
Here, O Lord, wilt Thou command Thy peace, (still) here wilt Thou bless Thy people with the fruition of Thy love, with the spirit of prayer and merciful an- swers, causing them to share largely in Thy grace and behold displays of Thy glory. Here, O Lord, (still) wilt Thou meet in mercy perishing sinners, until all Thy gracious purposes shall be accomplished, con- cerning the people assembling in this house to call on Thy name.
SINGERS AT THE RE-DEDICATION
HYMNS
(Tune : Majesty)
THE Lord descended from above, And bowed the heavens most high; And underneath his feet he cast The darkness of the sky.
On cherub and on cherubim Full royally he rode; And on the wings of mighty winds Came flying all abroad.
He sat serene upon the floods, Their fury to restrain; And he, as sovereign Lord and King, Forevermore shall reign.
The Lord will give his people strength, Whereby they shall increase; And he will bless his chosen flock With everlasting peace.
Give glory to his awful name, And honor him alone; Give worship to his majesty, Upon his holy throne.
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HYMNS
(Tune : Duke Street)
O GOD, beneath whose guiding hand Our exiled fathers crossed the sea, And when they trod the wintry strand, With prayer and psalm they worshiped thee.
Thou heardst, well pleased, the song, the prayer - Thy blessing came; and still its power Shall onward through all ages bear The memory of that holy hour.
What change! through pathless wilds no more The fierce and naked savage roams : Sweet praise, along the cultured shore, Breaks from ten thousand happy homes.
Laws, freedom, truth, and faith in God Came with these exiles o'er the waves, And where their pilgrim feet have trod, The God they trusted guards their graves.
And here thy name, O God of love, Their children's children shall adore, Till these eternal hills remove, And spring adorns the earth no more.
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HYMNS
(Tune : Azmon) O GOD of Bethel, by whose hand Thy people still are fed; Who through this weary pilgrimage Hast all our fathers led!
Our vows, our prayers, we now present Before thy throne of grace; God of our fathers! be the God Of their succeeding race.
Through each perplexing path of life, Our wandering footsteps guide; Give us, each day, our daily bread, And raiment fit provide.
Oh, spread thy covering wings around Till all our wanderings cease, And at our Father's loved abode, Our souls arrive in peace.
Such blessings from thy gracious hand Our humble prayers implore ; And thou shalt be our chosen God, Our portion evermore.
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HYMNS
(Tune : St. Anne) OH, where kings and emperors now, Of old that went and came? But Lord, thy Church is praying yet, A thousand years the same.
We mark her goodly battlements, And her foundations strong; We hear within the solemn voice Of her unending song.
For not like kingdoms of the world Thy holy church, O God! Though earthquake shocks are threatening her, And tempests are abroad: -
Unshaken as eternal hills, Immovable she stands, A mountain that shall fill the earth, A house not made by hands.
(Tune : Rockingham)
WHEN I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
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HYMNS
Forbid it, Lord! that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to his blood.
See, from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o'er his body on the tree; Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
(Tune : Rock of Ages)
ROCK of Ages, cleft for me! Let me hide myself in thee ; Let the water and the blood, From thy wounded side that flowed, Be of sin the double cure ; Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
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HYMNS
Not the labor of my hands Can fulfil the law's demands ; Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow, All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling; Naked, come to thee for dress, Helpless, look to thee for grace ; Vile, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die!
While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyelids close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me! Let me hide myself in thee.
ODES SUNG IN THE COURSE OF THE CELEBRATION, ONE HUN- DRED YEARS AGO
ODE ON CHARITY
(Tune : Lenox)
* ALMIGHTY Prince of Peace, Who sits enthron'd above, Visit this sacred place, And charm our souls with love. And may Thy grace In constant rays, For numerous days Attend this place.
* May joyful numbers meet, To hear Thy word and pray, And wash the pilgrim's feet, And wipe his tears away: And grant relief And heal the wound That may be found, And soften grief.
* And may Thy sons appear To imitate their Lord, To clear the brow of care, And needed aid afford.
* Only verses as indicated to be sung to-day.
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ODES
Then may Thy house Be throng'd with those Reliev'd from woes, Who pay their vows.
O may they help the poor, The sick and sore distrest, And to the op'ning door Receive the wand'ring guest. For Angels, some By friendly cares Have unawares Conducted home.
O may they walk in light, And have Thy love in view, 'T will lure the erring right, No longer they 'll pursue The downward road, But join and raise Aloud Thy praise And bless their God.
O may Thy daughters here In grace and love abound, Their ample gifts prepare, And bounties scatter round, Give with delight While here they dwell, Remembering well The widow's mite.
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ODES
Their labors crown with peace, Shed blessings on their names - Their oil and meal increase Like Zidon's happy dames, Like her proceed, The just and great Will ne'er forget The giver's deed.
Like Martha's, may their door Be open night and day To welcome in the poor, Who for assistance pray; Remember all Who act like her Thy voice prefer To every call.
Like her who freely laid The fragrance of the East On Jesus' Sacred Head, Their mem'ries shall be blest; The ointment sweet, With rich perfume, Shall fill the room Where'er they meet.
And when at last our clay Shall crumble to the dust, May angel bands convey Our souls among the just;
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ODES
On columns here Of widows' pray'rs And orphans' tears Our names appear.
May JESUS greet us there, "My faithful servants, come; This kingdom I prepare For your eternal home; For you supplied The drooping saint,
Who, sick and faint, For mercy cried.
" You gave the hungry bread, Nourish'd and cloath'd the poor, You rais'd the captive's head, And your reward is sure; For endless days, In robes of white, You shall delight My name to praise."
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ODE II (Tune : Luton)
* COME let us raise a sacred song, And praise the God whom we adore, Wake every heart, tune every tongue, To sound His praise, His grace implore.
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ODES
'Ere time began or nature's frame Was reared by His creating word, He, uncreated, was the same, The true, the everlasting LORD.
Thro' ev'ry age His glory shines, In ev'ry world His pow'r is known; But grace and mercy here He joins, On earth His greatest love is shown.
Kingdoms and realms around the earth, Hearing the gospel trump proclaim The glorious Savior's timely birth, Shout loud Hosannahs to His name.
Awake, Columbia, favor'd land! Bid all thy millions now adore The mighty God, who by His hand, First led thy sons to seek this shore.
Here, in a howling wilderness, Where savage beasts & savage men Held the joint empire of the West, Our fathers sought a home to gain.
On the Atlantic's swelling tide, Like Israel's host they shap'd their way, Their faithful God, their faithful guide, In flames by night, in clouds by day.
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ODES
God's wond'rous works our fathers saw, He vanquish'd all their savage foes, They rear'd him temples, kept his law, "The desert blossom'd like the rose."
* This sacred spot our fathers chose To praise their God, to lay their dust; Here in their graves their bones repose 'Till the last trump shall raise the just.
* Their guardian shades around us throng, With smiles of joy they seem to say - "O children! raise your noblest song To praise that God who was our stay."
Yes, dearest shades, your voice we know - We'll praise our King, our fathers' God; Our highest notes shall sweetly flow, While we proclaim His praise abroad.
* Hosannah to the God of Grace - May this, Thy temple, from this hour Become Thy Spirit's resting place, And all our souls here feel Thy power.
ODE III (Tune : Lisbon)
* WE celebrate the praise Of our Eternal King, Who dwells with humble contrite hearts, While filling worlds unseen.
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ODES
* Record His holy name, Ye Angels that attend, That blessings may within these walls In gracious showers descend.
* This latter building raise To glory, that exceeds The former tokens of Thy love Our fathers have received.
Since planted by Thy hand, In a waste wilderness, Their banners in Thy name they spread, And here Thou gav'st them peace.
* Thy presence we invoke, To set our spirits free; Help us with joy to dedicate A dwelling-place to Thee.
Make plain Mount Zion's road, 'Till all Thy power's reveal'd, And the predictions of our God Are gloriously fulfill'd.
And we around Thy throne, With bliss shall meet above, Join the redeemed'd and chaunt the song Of everlasting love.
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ODES
Seraphic voices sound, To aid the sacred song; Jesus and His salvation dwell On every heavenly tongue.
DEDICATORY ODE (Tune : Old Hundred)
* WITH joyful hearts and tuneful songs, Let us approach the Mighty Lord. Proclaim His honors with our tongues, And sound His wondrous truth abroad.
His glorious name, on golden lyres Strike all the tuneful choirs above; And boundless Nature's realm conspires To celebrate His matchless love.
* The Heaven of Heavens is His bright throne, And Cherubs wait His high behest; Yet, for the merits of His Son, He visits Man in humble dust.
In temples sacred to His name, His Saints assemble round His board, Raise their Hosannas to the Lamb, And taste the supper of the Lord.
* O GOD, our King! this joyful day We dedicate this house to Thee; Here would we meet to sing and pray, And learn how sweet Thy dwellings be.
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ODES
* O King of Saints! O Triune God! Bow the high Heavens, and bend Thine ear, O make this house Thy fix'd abode, And let the heavenly Dove rest here.
Within these walls may JESUS' charms Allure ten thousand souls to love; And all supported by His arms, Shine bright in realms of bliss above.
There Saints of every age and tongue, Shall join the armies of the Lamb, Hymn Hallelujahs to the Son, The Spirit, and the great I AM.
Their songs seraphic shall they raise, And Gabriel's lyre the notes resound, Heaven's full-ton'd organ join the praise, And world to world repeat the sound.
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