184 A HALF CENTURT. 



THE FUTURE. 



God grant this golden wedding 



Of Christians to their Lord 



May prove a holier baptism ♦ 



To the Lamb whose blood was poured; 



A full re-conseeration 



To the Mighty Son of God, 



Whose death brought our salvation, 



And whose love is shed abroad ! 



God make this church the symbol, 



With its flowers and greens and psalms. 



Of the Saviour's " many mansions" 



And His host with victor-palms ! 



God make us faithful stewards 



Of all Thy boundless grace; 



And sanctify us wholly 



That w^e may see Thy face ! 



Grant us, as Christ's own members, 



To bear his image here; 



And with Him at His advent 



In glory to appear ! 



Thus shall we keep Thanksgiving, 



Where many nations be, 



And sing our Hallelujah 



Upon the crystal sea. 



LETTERS. 



A large number of delightful letters have been received by 

 the committee on correspondence^ from friends and former 

 members who could not be present at the exercises. Selections 

 from many of these letters were read by the committee, some 

 extracts from which are here given. 



The first letter read was from Mr. Frederick H. North of 

 Chicago, the son of Major Seth J. North, so often referred to in 

 this volume. 



"This invitation carries me back to the early beginnings of the 

 South Church. 



" When in my 'teens ' it was my good fortune to be present on an 

 occasion which marked the tfnception of the undertaking. Among 

 other reasons there had been some talk in a general way of tlie desira- 



