72 FACTS RELATING TO GROTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 



The change on which we are congratulating ourselves to-day has 

 long been thought desirable, and many of»us have cherished the 

 hope that sooner or later it might come about. 



If any work was ever begun and carried on in prayer, I am sure 

 that this work has been. When the Spirit of God, I believe, led me 

 to present the subject to you on the eleventh of last March, he also 

 prepared your hearts to open wide to give, even as the children of 

 Israel, with willing hands for the carrying on of the work. I remem- 

 ber with what hesitancy I entered the old Vestry on the following 

 Saturday, not knowing what would be the result of the meeting, and 

 a little later came out with a light and grateful heart at your generous 

 subscription of ^1800. During the following week the sum swelled 

 to over $3000. The movement seemed to be spontaneous ; and 

 whenever any movement in the interests of God's Kingdom or in 

 obedience to his will is thus taken up by his people, he often blesses 

 them far above that they even dared to expect. So has it been with 

 us. We planned for a chapel, without any thought of improving the 

 church, and lo ! we have as beautiful and attractive a vestry as any 

 one could wish. The church building itself has been wonderfully 

 improved externally, and our eyes have already caught the transfor- 

 mations that have taken place within. Who would have dared to 

 hope, six months ago, that all these changes could have been made 

 without incurring a large debt, and best of all, with hardly the sound 

 of a discordant note. And yet this is what God has wrought. And 

 shall I tell you the secret of our marvellous success ? In a word, I 

 believe it was prayer. Not a meeting of your Committee has been 

 held without first invoking the special guidance of our God, and 

 when we have been unable fully to agree at first, we have fallen on 

 our knees and besought the Lord to direct us, and we have heartily 

 agreed on the work to be done. And more than the Committee 

 even dared to hope has been accomplished. 



That there are many things that we could improve upon were 

 we to do the work again, is only too true ; that others might have 

 done the work better, we do not doubt : but I do not believe that 

 any work was ever done on a church building or on any public 

 building where there has been more outward harmony and fraternal 

 good-will than has characterized our work ; and to God alone shall 

 be all the praise. 



