to the encouraging intelligence from so many parts of this country and of Europe, of the multiplication, activity and success of institutions for the distribution of the scriptures. The spirit of christian charity seems to gather strength from exertion Never, perhaps, since the first age of christianity has a holier zeal existed than at the present moment, for the moral and religious improvement of mankind. The British and Foreign Bible Society, that full and living fountain, is still sending forth its streams of truth and consolation to distant nations; and distant nations, whom once no bond but interest connected, are now uniting in prayers and labors for the communication of the gospel to every creature under heaven. At such a period the excitements to christian exertion are peculiarly strong. A voice seems to reach us from every part of christendom, calling us to strengthen the hands and to share the honor of our brethren, in extending that truth which has been the object of affection and hope to the pious and benevolent of past ages, and which we are assured is appointed to have free course and to be glorified, until it shall fill the earth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of GOD. By the Executive Committee. Donations to the Bible Society the past year. A Lady, by Rev. Henry Colman $3 Washington Benevolent Society in Dalton, by Rev. Mr. Jennings Brookfield, by T. Bond A Friend to christianity in Thomas Marshall Cent Contributions in Brighton, Rev. Joshua Bates Mr. Thacher 10 45 12 1 10 E. A. Holyoke, Salem, 5 John Grew Stephen Bean 3 Eben. Parker 10 Mrs. Lydia Pierce, Dorchester 1 R. P. Williams 1 23025 Contributions in Plymouth, by 4 Rev. Mr. Stetson 2 70 Miss Elizabeth Winslow, New Ips. Cent Contributions in West-Pa rish in Brookfield, by Rev. E phraim Ward 21 2 Asher Benjamin 50 Testaments From three Ladies in Worces A Lady, by Rev. Mr. Fiske of 10 A Friend, by ditto Benjamin Whitwell 24 2 Miss C. Baker, Dorchester Cent Society in West Parish in AT Leominster, May 10, Rev. William Bascom. Introductory prayer by Rev. Nathaniel Thayer of Lancaster; Sermon by Rev James Murdock of Princeton; Installation prayer by Rev. Abiel Holmes, D. D. of Cambridge; Right hand of fellowship by Rev. Thomas B. Gannett of Cambridgeport; Concluding prayer by Rev. Charles Wellington of Templeton, AT Medfield, May 24, Rev. Daniel C. Sanders, D. D. formerly Presi dent of the University of Vermont at Burlington. Introductory prayer by Receipts and Expenditures from June Rev. Mr. Wight of Bristol, R. I; Ser 1814, to June 1815. Balance on hand Collection after Anniversary Sermon Dividend on Stock Donations and Subscriptions the past year For Bibles and Testaments sold Cash paid for Bibles captured by the America and transportation from Bath Donation to New York Bible 5377 12 704 50 Society 300 00 Donation of 600 Bibles to 365 00 59 50 Messrs. Mills and Schermerhorn, paid R. Ralston, Esqr's. drafts Paid J. Eliot for printing Paid transportation and freight of Bibles and Testaments from Philadelphia and Hartford Paid J. Simonds for services in collecting funds, obtaining subscriptions, &c. Paid A. J. Allen for stamping Bibles Paid for Bibles and Testaments the past year 46,89 Ordained-At Braintree, June 14, Rev. Mr. Perkins. Introductory prayer by Rev. Mr. Whitney of Quincy; Sermon by Rev. Mr. Thompson of Rehoboth; Ordaining prayer by Rev. Dr. Reed of Bridgewater; Charge by Rev. Mr. Norton of Weymouth; Right hand by Rev. Mr. Huntington of Bridgewater; Concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Gile of Milton. At Newburyport, June 21, Rev. Messrs. Ja's. Richards, Horatio Bardwell, Daniel Poor, Edward Warren, and Benjamin C. Meigs, as missionaries. Introductory prayer by Rev. Dr. Morse of Charlestown; Sermon by Rev. Dr. Worcester of Salem; Con76 25 secrating prayer by Rev. Dr. Spring of Newburyport; Charge by Rev. Dr Dana of Newburyport; Right hand by Rev. Mr. Edwards of Andover; Concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Payson of Portland. 11 33 2182 16 Balance in Treasurer's hands 1631 49 Candidate recently approbated. 5377 12 Mr. Samuel Clark, Cambridge. No. 8. THE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLE. AUGUST, 1815. VOL. III. ADDRESS AND INVOCATION BY THE REV. MR. EDES. On the spot, where stood the elegant meeting house of the "Benevolent Congregational Society," lately destroyed by fire in Providence (R. I.) the foundation of a superb edifice has recently been laid. On placing the corner stone, under which was deposited a plate containing dates &c. of the church, the Rev. Henry Edes, pastor of the church, made the following address and invocation, in presence of a very numerous assembly collected to witness the ceremony. With some persuasion, I have prevailed with him to furnish me with a copy of them, believing they would not be unacceptable to the readers of the Christian Disciple. G. Address made previous to the lay For the Christian Disciple. sacred and incumbent duty. About to lay the Corner Stone of a new temple, intended for the worship of Almighty God, we are now in the face and under the broad canopy of heaven, unitedly to invoke the divine blessing upon our undertaking, hereby acknowledging in the language of the pious Psalmist that "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it." ing of the corner stone. The object, my brethren and friends, for which we are here assembled, is extremely simple and proper: We are not met, merely to witness or to engage in an idle and empty ceremony, for the purpose of ostentation, parade or display; but to discharge what we believe to be a Vol. III. 29 : An interval of almost a year has elapsed since many of us stood upon this spot the mel ancholy spectators of an event as unexpected as it was calamitous. Notwithstanding the materials of which our former "holy and beautiful house, the house in which we and our fathers worshipped God," were of a combustible kind, yet, such was its insulated situation, that no idea was more remote from our minds, than the possibility of its destruction by fire, and had the earth here opened her jaws and instantly received the building within ber bowels, the surprise would hardly have been greater than was experienced when we saw it falling a prey to the ravages of the cruel and devouring flames. Our surprise however, my friends, was not greater than our grief on account of this unhappy event; and nothing short of an unbounded confidence and trust in the wisdom of that Being, who in mercy afflicted, could then have soothed or sustained our drooping spirits. We who were most nearly interested in, and deeply affected by this occurrence, considered it ourselves as it seems to have been viewed by others, as a judgment from heaven upon usnot sent perhaps on account of our distinguished transgressions, the peculiar heresy of our doc trines, or the uncommonly wicked practices of our lives; "not because we were sinners above all who dwelt in Jerusalem," but as a merited correction from our divine Father, which, we hope, will be religiously improved by us, and ultimately made to work for our good, as we are assured all things will, toward those who fear God. Bowing, as we trust, with christian resignation to this correcting stroke, and confessing the goodness as well as justice of God in its infliction, our desire and our intention now is to repair the breach he has made upon us-to rebuild our ruined walls, and from the ashes of our old to cause to spring up a new edifice to the honor of his name, fervently praying, that both as respects the beauty and elegance of the building, and the zeal and piety of those who may hereafter worship in it, the glory of the latter temple may be incomparably greater than that of the former. With our own we hope that the prayers of all the well disposed, of all catholic christians will ascend; at least we should be extremely sorry to suppose, that there should be any so uncharitable in their feelings and principles, so unfriendly to our interests as a christian community, as not to wish us God's speed. Towards our fellow christians of every denomination we have ever cherished sentiments of cordial esteem and good will. The rights of conscience, which we hold among the dearest, and which we are ready to defend at any risk, we have never been disposed to deny to others. Our affections have never been withheld, nor our fellowship refused to any, merely on account of a diversity in their forms or mode of worship, or a variance from our own in what we are led to consider speculative points in theology. We acknowledge all as christians who conscientiously profess, as we do, to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth; and whether of our own particular communion or not, we never have failed, and I trust never shall fail, to pray that grace, mercy and peace may be multiplied unto them. We receive the holy scriptures as containing the revealed will of God; agreed and determined to construe their meaning for our. selves, and desiring to make them, and them only, the rule of our faith and our practice. We claim no infallibility of judgment in our peculiar construction of the doctrines they unfold; nor, on the other hand, do we shrink from the anathemas or reproaches which our own openly avowed sense of their sacred con tents may draw upon us. Our spiritual edifice we profess to build upon that foundation which God has laid in Zion, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom we hope all the building fitly framed together will grow up unto an holy temple in the Lord. Such, my friends, being our feelings and such our principles, we think we have a claim upon the good wishes and fervent prayers of all who call themselves christians; and on these grounds, we presume that all, of whatever denomination, here present, will unite with us in the address which we are now about to offer up to Almighty God. Invocation on laying the corner stone. In the presence of that Almighty Being whose blessing we have invoked, I now lay this corner stone. May this foundation and the superstructure to be raised upon it remain uninjured in strength and unimpaired in beauty for centuries to come; may nothing but the mouldering hand of time or the general convulsion of nature disjoint or disconnect the stones, of which this building is to be composed; but compiled and arranged in architectural order, elegance, and beauty, may they long, very long, stand a noble monument of the skill of the artificer, and of the munificent spirit of the people who erected them, a proof of their zeal for the honor of God, and of their desire to promote the influence of the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ. To this spot, as in times past, may many soon again resort, to hear those glad tidings of great joy, which proclaim peace on earth and good will to men. Here may a new altar for spiritual worship be erected, and therefrom may pure and abundant incense of prayer and praise rise up in acceptance before the throne of God. Never within these walls which we hope to see swiftly rise upon this foundation -never may the bloody or persecuting spirit of bigotry take up her residence or erect her standard. There may religions intolerance, gloomy fanaticism, ignorant and overheated zeal, or pharasaical pride never find a place; but there may the angel of love descend, the heaven born spirit of charity ever delight to live and dwell. To this spot, at no distant time, may many come to plume their wings for flight to happier worlds, and in the temple, about to be here ereeted, may thousands, born and unborn, become prepared for a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And now unto him that is of power to establish us according to the gospel, to God only wise, be glory, through Jesus Christ, AMEN. |