Smyrna times., 1859-05-12
The Services ofLast Week at St. Peters
Church,

:; a very interesting religious season in S
e Peters Church has just passed by and tn
s. sacred associations connected with the impres
siVe ceremony of consecration and confirmation
If deserve TO be chronicled as we'll upon the leave
e OF our local paper as upon those bound up il
!, The book OF memory.
e Several of the Clergy of the Diocese were
present at the Association and remained unit
e Saturday morning. Among them, were Rev
f Messrs. Wright, of Lewes Slack, of Seaford
Godsborough, of .Middletown; Brinckle, oi
Brandywine Hundred, and Marshal B. Smith, OF
wilmington. Besides these, there were also
Rev. DR.. Sparrow, of Theological Seminary,
Fairfax county, Va, and the Right Rev. Bishop
of the Diocese.
Rev. Mr.. Brinckle preached the first sermon
on wednesday night, which was of a very earn
est and practical nature, upon the lst verse of
l2th ch. of Romans. This was followed by a
direct aud iorciblc exhortaton from Rev. MIR
Smith.
Next morning at 6 o'clock, goodly number
were assembled at the clurch for PRAYER and
6rIet, informal addresses; on this occasion. Rev.
Messrs Brincklc and Smith, and the Rector
olhclated. AT l0a, Rev. Mr.. Smith preached
from 4th verse of The lst chap of Acts, and was
followed by few remarks from Mr.. Grammer
At night Rev. Mr.. Wright preached from
Matt. l3 1915 VS..
Oh FRIDAY, at q IA. m, prayer meeting was
again held, when the services were conducted
by Rev. Messrs. Wright and Smith, and con-
cludcd by Dr. Sparrow and the Rector At
10y o'clock, the hour for the cousecration of
The church, tie Bishop, accompanied bv the
clergy in their canonicul dress, passed in solemn
procession from the vestry-roOm around to the
church door, where they were received by the
'estry, and according TO the rubric entered the
chancel and were seated. The letter from the
Eeslry, requesting the coDsecraton, was deiy-
cred to the Bishop by the Rector, when he arose
to perform that imposing office. The sentence
o! cohsecration was read by Rev. DR.. Grammer. |
TO large and attentive congregation, among
whom we noticed Rev. Messrs. Hi! and Ouio
ley. DIR. Sparrow (who had been invited by
the Bishop TO preach on the occasion) delivered
a thoroughly Evangelical and Scrplural dis.
course from 9th Chap. Ezra, II v. An historl
cal sketch OF the building of the first aud second
Temples at Jerusalem the objects for which
The Christian edice was erected nd consecra-
ted, viz: for "prayer" and preaching the
Word" formed the general outline of the ser.
mon. The endearing and saving influences
which flow from the pulpit, and the sacred as
'ocatlons which have their rise and growth in
he house Of God, in al. the significant and
beautiful rites of our religion, beginning with
he dedication of the child n baptism. and
binding our hearts, as by chain Of golden
INKS, in confrmaton-at the table of the Lord
before the matrimonial altar-and IN the last
'tices of love TO those, the silver cord " of
whose life has been " loosed," or the golden t
'owl broken" were dwelt upon with terveni c
enderness and eloquence that enriched this t
bile discourse upon the uses, privileges and a
'eneits of the church nOtU consecrated TO the |
Worship of Israel's God There is colossal t
trength in the productions of Dr. Sparrow ,
Which towers above all the claims of mere Q
rhetorical diction and irrGsstably attracts the q
attention whilst it convinces the reason aud
caches the heart. j
On Friday night Bishop Lee preached from c
Timothy 6: II v. On Saturday, the 6 Goclock i
'rayer meeting was conducted by Rev. Messrs. t
Wright, Slack, Smith and DR. Sparrow. AT "a
light the B ishop preached from ii Cor. 5th ch. ?
4th v. h
The preaching of Bp. Lee is marked by $
and purity Of style rarely equalle
n the pulpit. The method and tullncss of his c
ermons constitute their chief excellency.- &
They drip with the JUNCTION of Scripture truth.
They lead US TO Christ. Like SO many rays of =
light convergng in the source and centre of .
heir origin, the tull-orbed sun, they unite their
ocal power and attraction in Jesus "the light /
f the world" the great sun and centre of Il
iod's revelation and of mans hope for Heaven. +
such preaching must accomplish great work h
n the church and in the world. II
Saturday night DR.. Sparrow preached from Il
1eb. 3: l3; On Sunday morning from | Kings [
8: "; in the afternoon from l46 Psalm, 9Th g
eIse. At night, in the presence of a crowded #
ouse, after prayers by the Rector and a sermon U
rem the Bishop on ExSdus 80 ch. 26 v: "Who [
on the Lords side!'' most impressive cere- D
nOny was performed. Fourteen persons-in- o
uding the boy of thirteen aud the man of v
ifty-the mother, with her sacred responsible /
les and the youthful girl, with all the trials of
ife before her--knelt together around the Q
hancel, with "one mouth - TO confess the faith 1
# Chrst-with zone heart" to bind them. n
clves by precious covenant to God in all b
hings well ordered, aud never we trust to be t
,roken. Oh how solemn the scene! What t
moral beauty may be exhibited by it to every t
ght-minded beholder! Who can doubt that
he angels of Heaven rejoiced over the memo f
able, happy hours of that night f