CHURCHES BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS
A HISTORY OF THE
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS IN
PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by
REV. D. H. FOCHT, A.M.
CHAPTER III
SECTION I
ZION CONGREGATION
AT BLAIN IN JACKSON TOWNSHIP
During the last quarter of the last century,
and the beginning of the present, a large number of families belonging to the
Lutheran Church settled the very fertile and beautiful scope of land west of
Loysville. Blain, a village in Jackson (formerly Toboyne) Township, about
ten miles west of Loysville, is located at about the centre of this rich,
charming, and densely populated part of Sherman's Valley. At the close of
the last century the members in this region enjoyed already occasional preaching
by the Rev. John Herbst, at different places in private dwellings,
school-houses, barns &c. Encouraged by these occasional pastoral
visits, and with a view to the building of church and the securing of the stated
preaching of the Gospel among them, a piece of land was bought where Blain was
afterwards located. This church-land is part of a tract located by Abraham
Mitchel as early as 1762, of which tract James Adams afterwards sold two acres
for church and graveyard purposes, as the following extracts from the deed of
conveyance show:
"The Indenture made the 10th day of January, 1801, between James
Adams of Toboyne Township, Cumberland County, and State of Pennsylvania, of the
one part, and Christopher Bower, Henry Zimmerman, Adam Hubler and Peter Brown of
the Township, County and State aforesaid, Trustees for building a German
meeting-house in said Township, of the other part,-- Now this Indenture
witnesseth that the said James Adams, for and in consideration of the sum of
twenty-five pounds Pennsylvania currency to him in hand paid by said Christopher
Bower, Henry Zimmerman, Adam Hubler and Peter Brown, hath granted, bargained,
sold & c.,... a small moiety of land, containing in all two acres without
any allowance for roads, &c.,... to the aforesaid Trustees for the foresaid
congregation and their successors in office to said congregation or their
assigns forever, &c." Vide Deed-Book, Letter O., p. 497.
Though the members had now land whereon to erect a church, still they had
preaching only occasionally. After Rev. Herbst left in 1801, they were
visited successively by Rev. Messrs. Sanno, Osterloh, and it may be by
Oberhauser. Until they had a house of worship of their own, the members
here went to Loysville, a distance from eight to fifteen miles, on sacramental
occasions. The young people also attended catechizing at Loysville and
were there confirmed. Some time in 1815, the members secured the pastoral
services of the
Rev. John William Heim,
who organized the congregation. The first Lutheran Church-Council consisted of the following members:
John Sieger & Henry Zimmerman, Elders.
Abraham Bower, Solomon Bower & John Stambach, Deacons.
In the spring of 1816, the congregation sent a petition to Synod, requesting
that Rev. Heim might be recognized as their pastor. This request was
granted by Synod. The scattered members were now collected and much
encouraged. But the want of a suitable house was soon and deeply
felt. The members were in this section of the valley comparatively
numerous , and they were not only necessitated, but also able, to build large
church. The following is a translation of the heading of a German
subscription circulated for the purpose of obtaining aid towards erecting the
proposed church:
"In the year 1816. A petition for aid, for the welfare of the
congregations, to build a joint German Lutheran and German Reformed church in
Toboyne Township, Cumberland County. As our neighborhood is very
inadequately provided with churches for the worship of the Triune God, and as we
should not be indifferent respecting this matter, it is highly necessary that we
build a house of God, where we can assemble and unitedly engage in praising the
Lord for his unspeakable goodness and mercy manifested towards us to this
time. It is our prayer and entreaty that this proposal to build a church
may meet with a hearty response and active support, because we should feel it to
be our duty to do a good work, and because it is a work so highly
necessary. It is proposed to build the edifice of stone; and all the
church-members are requested to contribute towards its erection, and we would
also ask our fellow-brethren to help us, so that this good work which we are
bound to do, may not remain undone."
"Accordingly," so says the records, "the commencement of this
building was made on the 6th of May, in the year 1816." The following
Constitution, though without date, was without doubt written and signed only a
short time before the laying of the corner-stone, in which a copy of it was
deposited. It was written in the German language, probably by Rev. Heim,
and is singularly difficult to decipher. Rev. J. T. Williams says: I
confess I never undertook anything so difficult to translate as this
Constitution. It is bad in orthography, bad in syntax, bad all over.
I think I have, however, succeeded in giving the sense, thought I had often to
guess it out, for the words and the construction of the sentences frequently
convey no sense. " As we have been informed, one of the members
transcribed the Constitution into the church-record in a careless manner, and
hence no doubt the difficulty Rev. Williams experienced in translating it.
The Constitution reads as follows:
THIS CHURCH SHALL BE STYLED ZION CHURCH.
Church rules.
The Church-rules of the joint congregations
are the following:
ARTICLE 1. The minister preaching in this church shall be of good report;
he shall teach according to the Holy Scriptures and the Large and Smaller
Catechisms,* that is, the doctrines he preaches shall be in harmony with
the pure Word of Jesus Christ and the Lutheran and Reformed confession of faith;
and he shall administer the Holy Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper and
lead an upright and godly life.
*The Lutheran and Reformed Catechisms are meant, as the
"confession of the faith" of each congregation.
ART. 2. The minister and church-council shall see to it that order be
preserved in the church, and when children are baptized that their names be
recorded in the church-record.
ART. 3. In the election of pastor, of schoolmaster, of the church-council,
and in all matters relating to the church and school, the majority of votes
shall decide.
ART. 4. When the congregation is without a pastor, the church-council
shall then invite a minister to preach a trial sermon, so that the congregation
may have the opportunity to hear him, and thus be enabled to judge whether he is
likely to be useful among them and will prove to be a good witness in doctrine
and life.
ART. 5. The church-council shall exercise care that the minister, who
takes charge of this congregation, be and continue sound in doctrine and
exemplary in life; if he, however, fail to be so, the council shall then notify
the congregation of the fact and admonish the minister, and if he does not
reform after having been admonished, he shall then be discharged by a majority
of votes.
ART. 6. The Elders and Deacons of this joint Lutheran and Reformed
congregation shall always be elected by a majority of votes, viz.: two elders
for the term of six years and three Deacons for the term of three years, by each
congregation; the retiring members of the church-council, if they have been
faithful in their office, may be re-nominated and re-elected. The
church-council shall lift the collections of the congregation, and once a year
make settlement of the money collected.
ART. 7. The land belonging to the church and the graveyard shall be the
joint property of the two congregations; the money obtained by collections shall
belong equally to both congregations, and shall be used for the improvement of
the church and school-house; the altar-cloth and sacramental service, the keys
of the church and such like, shall be held and used jointly by both
congregations.
ART. 8. It shall be the duty of the church-council to take care that the
land belonging to this Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed church and school,
together with all the buildings thereon erected or that may hereafter be thereon
erected, be and continue for all time to come the property of this Lutheran and
Reformed congregation.
ART. 9. The church-council shall, out of love to these congregations,
render their service at divine worship free of charge. When, however, a
minister or school-teacher is invited from a distance, if required, his
travelling expenses shall be paid by the congregations.
ART. 10. The pastors shall be elected by their respective
congregations. The Lutherans shall elect their pastor, and the Reformed
theirs, and the Lutherans shall support their pastor and the Reformed theirs.
ART. 11. It shall be the duty of the church-council of each congregation
to exercise diligent care that during the time of divine worship and school-term
good order be maintained.
ART. 12. The church-council shall see to it that as regards appointments
for preaching, one minister does not interfere with the other. When one
minister has announced an appointment for divine worship, the other shall then
make his appointment eight days later, so that all things may be done in peace
and order.
ART. 13. The church-council shall take care that, if two deaths occur near
the same time, the one that died first be buried first. If, however, the
friends of the one that died first be not ready to bury, they shall then notify
the friends of the one that died last, and these shall then proceed to bury
their dead. If in this matter any one should be negligent and cause strife
at or in the church, men shall then be chosen from each congregation, and these
men shall settle the case and severely reprimand the guilty.
ART. 14. In this church the church-council shall permit no person to
preach, who has not been examined, found qualified, and been licensed by one of
the Evangelical Lutheran or Reformed Ministeriums to perform the duties of the
office of teacher or preacher.
That we will be governed by the above rules, we obligate ourselves by affixing
our signatures:
Henry Wentz, John Zimmerman; Elders.
Solomon Bower, Jacob Kroemer, Jonathan Faust, Jacob Arnold; Trustees
Jacob Wentz, John Berkir, Jacob Shuman; Deacons.
Hen. Zimmerman, John Garber, Henry Wentz, George Faust; Building Committee.
George Leiby, Daniel Wentz, Daniel Gutshall
Jonathan Sieger, George Stroup, David Kern.
The above "Church-rules" have long since become a dead letter.
Each congregation now manages its ecclesiastical affairs according to the Synod
or General Synod of its own Church.
According to the church-record, "the corner-stone was laid on the 23d of
May, 1816, being Ascension Day, when Pastor Heim, Lutheran minister, preached a
suitable discourse from 1 Pet. 2:6-8, which reads as follows: 'Behold, I
lay in Zion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe, he is
precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence.' "*
*In his journal, Rev. Heim says: "On the 23d of May,
1816, laid the corner-stone of Zion Church in Sherman's Valley. Preached
in the forenoon from 1 Pet. 2:6-8. Hymn: Meinen Jesum lass ich
nicht, &c. In the afternoon I preached from Rom. 10:17.
Hymn: Versuchet euch doch selbst, &c. Baptized five
infants."
The church was consecrated in July, 1817, by the name of Zion
Church. On this occasion Rev. Heim and Rev. Conrad Walter of the Lutheran
Chruch, Rev. Mr. Helffenstein of the Reformed Church, and Rev. John Linn of the
Presbyterian Church, were present and took part in the exercises.
The church-edifice is of stone, a substantial structure, forty-five by fifty
feet in size. It has inside a high gallery on three sides. The
pulpit is high and ascended by a flight of steps and over it is suspended a
sounding-board. The altar, in front of the pulpit, is circular, elevated
one step from the floor, and wholly surrounded by a balustrade. A cupola
and bell surmount the church. We should suppose the church has capacity to
accommodate from six to eight hundred persons, and judging from the work
expended on it, it must have cost from four to five thousand dollars.
Withal, the internal arrangement is not good. At the time the church was
erected, it was, however, considered a great church as to size and felicitous as
to arrangement.
From 1815 to 1849, Rev. Heim preached here regularly once every four weeks,
exclusively in the German language. On the 27th of December, 1849, in his
68th year, the Lord called him from his labors in the church militant to his
reward in the church triumphant. For want of a church-record, we are
unable to learn who or how many were from time to time admitted to membership
whilst Rev. Heim was pastor of this congregation. The number must have
been large, as at present upwards of two hundred and fifty members belong, at
least nominally, to the Blain congregation. The Lord crowned the labors of
his servant, here as elsewhere, with great success. After the decease of
Father Heim, the congregation was vacant about ten months. In November,
1850, in connection with the Loysville pastorate, the
Rev. Frederick Ruthrauff
commenced his ministerial labors here.
He introduced the use of the English language in preaching, a measure for a long
time much needed among this people. His pastoral labors were crowned with
marked success, and under his ministry many were added to the Church. Soon
after he commenced preaching here, he formed a class of catechumens, whom he
instructed in the doctrines of religion. Though he has since jointed the
ransomed in glory, he did a good work here, and long hereafter many will dwell
on his name with delight, filial affection, and sincere gratitude to God.
He labored diligently; the words he spoke were those of a father, who desires
the good of his children; and in all he did and said he pointed to Jesus Christ
as the only Savior of the soul. His words of love will not be forgotten by
those who heard them. The large number whom he inducted into the Church
will ever be a witness to his faithfulness and success as a minister of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. On the 18th of April, 1851, the following persons
were confirmed:
Joseph Wentz; Andrew S. Loy; John Shuman; George Wentz; John Ebert; Joseph B.
Garber; William Stambaugh; Peter Stahl; David McCartel; George Ernst; Sylvester
K. Baltoser; David Kissler; Henry Gibbons; John Shoemaker; Samuel Klaus; James
McCartel; John Sheibley; Margaret Garber; Lucinda Baltoser; Elizabeth Baker;
Caroline Loy; Susanna Bower; Eliz. Jane Baker; Jane Gutshall; Magdalene Briner;
Lydia A. Wentz; Jane Shoemaker; Mary Gutshall; Catharine Phillips; Margaret
Stroup; Margaret Loy; Mary A. Gutshall; Mary Kissler; Sarah Ernst; Mary
Schambach; Margaret Kissler; Catharine Klaus; Maria A. Henry; Rebecca Henry;
Elizabeth C. Saltzberg; Eliza Ewing; Sarah J. Wentz
Michael Loy*, Mary Loy*, Elizabeth Chestnut* (*by certificate).
This year the congregations at Blain obtained another parcel of land, as the
following extracts from the deed of conveyance show:
"This Indenture, made the 1st day of November, 1851, between Arnold
R. Fahs and Julia E. his wife, of Jackson Township, Perry County, and State of
Pennsylvania, of the one part, and Solomon Bower, Jacob Kremer, David Snyder,
and George Souder of Jackson and Toboyne Townships, County and State aforesaid,
Trustees of the congregations at Zion's Church, in Jackson Township, County and
State aforesaid, of the other part, Witnesseth, that the said Arnold R. Fahs and
Julia E. his wife, for and in consideration of the sum of five dollars to them
in hand paid by the party of the second part,.... have granted, bargained, sold,
&c..... one acre neat measure....to Solomon Bower, Jacob Kremer, David
Snyder, and George Souder," &c. See Deed-Book,
Letter O, p. 498.
In order to render honor to whom honor is due, it is proper to state, respecting
this one acre of land, that Alexander F. Toply donated three-fourths of an acre
of it to the congregations. But before making a deed of conveyance, he
sold his tract of land adjoining the church property to Mr. Fahs, with the
understanding that these three-fourths of an acre were to belong to the
congregations. Mr. Fahs afterwards sold to the congregations one-fourth an
acre in addition to the three-fourths. Mr. Toply had previously donated,
and then gave the congregation a deed fro one acre. The congregations paid
Mr. Fahs five dollars for the one-fourth acre he sold to them.
A year had now passed away, and others were found willing to attend a series of
lectures on the Catechism. The Lord smiled approvingly on the faithful
labors of the pastor. The congregation was reviving and prospering.
A deep interest on the subject on the subject of religion was awakened in many
hearts. On the 9th of April, 1852, the following persons were confirmed:
Samuel Bloom; Jacob Briner; John Beistlein; Benjamin Beistlein; George
Hohenshilt; Daniel Shoemaker; Peter Yohn; Thomas Stump; Alexander Stump;
Benjamin Shoemaker; George McCartel; George Holtz; Sarah Beistlein; Elizabeth
Beistlein; Mary E. Brickley; Sarah E. Cless; Eliza J. Ernst; Mary Gutshall;
Elizabeth Garber; Sarah Hohenshilt; Sarah Yohn; Sarah Seager; Catharine E.
Seager; Susanna Reinsmith; Rebecca Zimmerman; Hannah Zimmerman.
Having served the congregation as pastor for two years, to the great regret of
all, Rev. Ruthrauff resigned in November, 1852. The charge was then vacant
about four months. Having accepted a call, the
Rev. Reuben Weiser
commenced his pastoral labors in the Loysville charge on the 1st of April, 1853. Whilst he was pastor of this congregation some twenty persons were confirmed; but as their names were not recorded, we cannot give them now. Rev. Weiser preached here once every three weeks. About one-half of the preaching was now required in the English language. Having been pastor of the congregation about two years and a half, Rev. Weiser resigned in September, 1855. The charge was then vacant about seven months. Having received and accepted a call, on the 25th of May, 1856, the
Rev. Philip Willard
entered on the discharge of his pastoral
labors here. Rev. Willard toiled incessantly in this part of the Lord's
vineyard, and here, as elsewhere in the charge, uncommon success attended his
ministry. Through his instrumentality many were led to Jesus Christ, and
now give full proof by their life that they are in the way to glory. He
catechized almost constantly. No sooner was one class of catechumens
confirmed than he formed and instructed another. Much, very much, of this
success was owing to this faithfulness in the lecture-room. Here it was the
revivals under his ministry commenced. Here he was at home. Not by
any labored effort, not by anything peculiarly eloquent in his sermons (though
these were always instructive), not by vapid appeals to the feelings of his
hearers,---no, in one of these ways did he accomplish what he did; but he
catechized as one who feels deeply that he must appear before God and answer for
the manner he dealt with the souls committed to his charge. With him,
catechization was not a dead formality. Truth, the truth as it is in
Jesus, with all its life and saving energy, its fulness and glory, was clearly
set forth, illustrated, and enforced with unction from on high and amid ardent
tears and fervent prayers. The result of such labors--labors continued
from day to day--we have in the large access of members to the Church under his
ministry. The mystery of his success is easily solved. Would that,
in this respect, his example were more generally followed! In catechizing,
as in preaching, a man may be slothful and inefficient, and with all his formal
and heartless, spiritless and Christless catechizing, both he and his
catechumens may sink to hell; but, on the contrary, in catechizing, as in
preaching a man filled with a due sense of responsibility to God and to souls,
speaking from the heart to the heart, holding forth the whole counsel of God,
and directing the sinner to Jesus Christ as the only Savior, will be successful
in leading sinners to Christ, and catechizing will evince itself to be a
glorious means of good. Much, very much, depends on the manner and spirit,
the zeal and deep earnestness, the longing of soul and deep desire of heart for
the conversion and salvation of the catechumens, in order to success in
catechizing. The life and spirit of Christ must give life and spirit to
the instruction imparted, and then the truth will be the power of God and the
wisdom of God unto salvation. But to proceed with our narrative. In
October, 1856, the following were confirmed:
Joseph Beistlein; Samuel Smith; Jonathan Beistlein; Jacob Seager; David H.
Smith; William Anderson; Solomon Gutshall; Wm. B. Gutshall; Samuel Gibbons;
George Beistlein; Elizabeth Wentz; Catharine Wentz; Margaret Wentz; Jane Bower;
Sarah Gutshall; Caroline Gutshall; Sarah B. Smith; Mary A. Shearer; Mary A.
Ebert; Arabella Beistlein; Sarah Bower; Susanna Shatto; Marg. Hollenbaugh; Eliza
Seager; Malinda J. Seager; Nancy Gibbons.
It may with great propriety be said that this congregation, as well as the whole
Loysville charge, enjoyed a continual revival whilst Rev. Willard was pastor of
it. God poured out his Spirit on the people, and their hearts were opened
to the truth as it is in Jesus, and made them willing to receive it in the love
of it. The lectures on the Catechism were continued and well attended.
Everywhere the inquiry was, "What shall I do to be saved?"---and the
answer always was, "Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus
Christ." On the 7th of June, 1857, the following persons were
confirmed:
John Brickley; Thomas Reeder; Daniel Anderson; Samuel Kuney; Henry Baker;
Abraham Trostle; Catharine Shuman; Esther Philips; Margaret Gutshall; Elizabeth
Loy; Mary C. Trostle; Julia A. Bower; Mary M. Brickley; Susan E. Smith; Matilda
Wentz; Sarah Gutshall; Rebecca Shoemaker; Caroline Baltozer; Caroline Faust;
Margaret Kuney; Elizabeth Shuler.
During the early part of 1858, it pleased the Lord to pour out his Spirit
copiously upon this congregation. A large number professed to have
experienced a change of heart, and the members were greatly revived. The
lectures on the Catechism were continued, and the converts were still more fully
instructed. The pastor met them for several months once or twice every
week, and under his teaching their views of the doctrines of our holy religion
were enlarged, their experience was confirmed, and their duties, positive and
relative, were made clear. Found willing to unite themselves with God's
people, on the 25th of April, 1858, the following persons were confirmed:
Christian Streiker; Samuel Weibly; Samuel P. Gutshall; Cornelius Baker; Henry
Wolf; Conrad Comp; Simon Gutshall; Andrew Kessler; David Stahl; Andrew
Schreffler; George Briner; George Stahl; Samuel Ebert; Henry Allison; Susanna
Shuman; Mary Reeder; Mary A. Shoemaker; Susan Bernheisel; Cath. E. Shoemaker;
Hannah Gutshall; Hannah Stump; Susan Gutshall; Ann Stump; Susanna Weibly; Sarah
A. Stump.
During the summer of 1858, the matter relating to a division of the Loysville
charge was agitated. The charge was too large and laborious for one
minister, and Rev. Willard's health began to fail in consequence of incessant
and severe application to supply the wants of the members. On the 26th of
October, 1858, a division of the Loysville charge was effected, and he concluded
to resign and thus open the way for each charge to call its own pastor. As
he had, however, for some time been instructing a class of catechumens, he
continued to meet them a few weeks longer and on the 6th of November 18(5)8, the
following persons were confirmed:
Jacob Guttshall; Daniel Leiby; William H. Leiby; Emeline Schreffler; Catharine
Baltozer; Lydia A. Gutshall; Clara Stambaugh; Mary A. Gutshall; Mary E. Bower;
Susan Schreffler; Flora A. Stambaugh.
The confirmation of these persons, and the administration of the Lord's Supper
on the day following, closed the ministerial labors of Rev. Willard at this
place. He had with great acceptance served this congregation about two
years and a half.
The new charge, consisting of the Zion and St. Paul's congregations, and now
known as the Blain charge, was then vacant about four months.
Having received and accepted a call, the
Rev. John T. Williams
as the first pastor of the Blain charge,
commenced his ministerial labors on the 1st of April, 1859. He located at
Blain, and preaches here once every two weeks.
Early in the spring of 1860, the charge erected a fine parsonage at Blain for
the pastor. This was highly necessary, and the congregation deserve great
credit for the manner in which they accomplished this needful work. Every
charge ought to have a parsonage. It saves expense, and is a great
convenience to pastor and people.
Having been carefully instructed, in the spring of 1860 the following persons
were confirmed:
John Baker; Andrew Shearer; Baltzer Beistlein; Mr. ---- Beistlein; Adaline
Stroup; Eliza Jane Shearer; Malinda J. Boltosser; Miss ---- Ebert.
This congregation requires about one half of the preaching in the German
language. But as there are no German schools in this community, the use of
the English language will gradually supersede that of the German, and will
finally supplant it altogether here, as it has done in nearly all the other
Lutheran congregations in the county.
As the old Church-rules or Constitution had long ago become obsolete, and the
congregation was in a manner without any rules for government and discipline, in
November, 1860, the Formula appended to the Lutheran Hymn-Book was adopted, not
without opposition, as the Constitution of the congregation. At the same
time a move was made towards having the congregation incorporated. We may
well ask, how can a congregation manage its affairs properly, and administer
discipline fairly without a Constitution? The pastor did well in urging
the adoption of a Constitution. To have the congregation incorporated was
also a move in the right direction. From the charter of incorporation,
dated January, 1861, we make the following extracts, exhibiting the position of
the congregation as to doctrine and government:
"That whereas they (the members) have associated themselves together for
the purpose of worshipping Almighty God according to the faith and discipline of
the Lutheran Church in the United States of America, and for said purpose,
&c. ---Art. 2. This church acknowledges itself to be a member of and
belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Central Pennsylvania, and as
such recognizes the Augsburg Confession of Faith as a substantially correct
symbol of its faith, and the Constitution and Discipline adopted by the
congregation as its rule of government and discipline.---Art. 3. The
pastor, or pastors, of said church shall be elected as the Constitution of the
church prescribes, and must be a member of an acknowledged Evangelical Lutheran
Synod of the United States, or if not a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod
of Central Pennsylvania when elected, he or they must unite with it at its first
meeting thereafter, and a refusal to do so shall be regarded and taken as a
resignation." &c.
Having been carefully instructed for some time in the Catechism, on the 3d of
May, 1862, the following persons were confirmed:
George Stum; George Fry; Elizabeth C. Briner; Lydia Gutshall; Catharine Shuman;
Mary A. Stahl; Mary A. Kessler.
Much labor is required to make all the members of this congregation
efficient. Many of them, living a considerable distance from the house of
God, are very indifferent and do not attend the ordinances of the sanctuary, nor
concern themselves about the interests of the church and their souls, as it is
their duty to do. As the charge is reduced, and as the pastor resides
among the members, it is to be hoped that the large Lutheran population in that
region will be gradually brought into a state of progress and activity.
There are in the congregation many most excellent men, whose hearts are alive to
every good cause and who are willing to do their utmost to elevate the
congregation in piety, intelligence, and Christian benevolence; but there are
also many who care but little about these things, and whose hearts are not
lighted with wisdom from on high. The present pastor has already
accomplished much in the way of general reform, and the hope is entertained that
in future still more will be accomplished by him. To this end may God
bless his labors, and stir up the hearts of all the members to prayer and every
good work!
"Lord, shall we lie so sluggish still!
And never act our parts?
Come, holy Dove, from the heav'nly hill,
Renew and warm our hearts.
"Then shall our active spirits move,
Upward our souls shall rise;
With hands of faith and wings of love
We'll fly and take the prize."
