The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-30
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.
RELIGIOUS.
Church Services Yesterday.

The churches were all well filled yesterday,
and In many prayers Of thanksgiving were
offered for the delightful showers Of rain
with which our city has been visited.
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The pulpit Of the Fourth Presbyterian
church, Ninth street, was occupied In the
morning by the Rev. John c. Smith, d. D.,
the pastor, who selected for his text the 9Th
and 9th verses OF the first chapter Of Revela-
lions "Unto him that loved us and washed
us from our sins In his own blood, and hath
made rs kings and priests unto God and bis
Father; to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever. Amen"
The subject suggested by the text b sus-
ceptibie OF four division:
i. The love OF Jesus.
Q. Tho manifestation Of that love In his
acts and life.
8. The honor and glory consequent upon
this love making us kings and priests.
4. The whole meeiatorial work In Christ
Jesus: s'to him be glory and dominion for
ever and ever"
John, the disciple, the writer OF the Book
OF Revelations, seemed to be moro intimate
with Christ than either Of the other two sons
Of Zebedee, Peter and James, whom Christ
most loved. Amer supper these three men
vert out with Christ into the garden Of
Gethsemanc. These same three disciples
were with Christ on the Mount Of Trans.
hguration when he talked with Moses and
Elias. Now, how great the change when
Christ and those three men went Into the
garden Of 9ethscmane. Christ said to them:
.Tarry ye here while go and pray yonder.
He endured In this trial intense agony, and
sweat great drops OF blood. While In the
garden he was seized aud carried before
PLATE. The three followed him and saw
him transfxed upon the cross.
Tho body was given TO Joseph OF Armlthca,
and was laid In the tomb wherein never man
laid. Mary Magdalene coming TO the sepul-
chre early In the morning, discovered that
the stone was rolled away from the door Of
the sepulchrc, and the body was gone. She
went and told the disciples, and John was
the frat to run to the sepulchrc. John out.
lived all the other apostles. His life was
preserved through many dangers rs If by
miracle. lie lived to the advanced age Of
One hundred years. He wrote the gospel
bearing his name, 1.-THE Three Epstles Of
John, and when quite old was banlshed &c
the Isle OF Patmos, where he received the
revelations from God Of which our text forms
q part, In which revelations Is manifest the
tender and divine interest He had In John,
and He communicates through him to the
world the tender interest He has In all who
love Him. More than sixty years after the
ascension and exaltatlon OF Christ to the
majesty Of heaven, He communicates with
John, and reveals to us through him, that
He In like manner cares for each one of us.
He knoweth His sheep, He callcth them BY
name, and no power can pluck them out Of
His hand. Have you confessed Christ be-
fore meni Until that confession, Christ says,
He will not confess US.
We may all be as spiritually minded as
John. The spirit Of the true child Of God
now is the spirit Of the ascriptlon In the
text. People dream Of heaven, and say the
most unwarrantable things about 1t. How
far Is heaycnl The kingdom OF heaven Il
set up within you. At present we are a
children In school taught by the spirit. Tn,
love of Jesus! We cannot measure 1t, III
length, its breadth, Its depth. Children car
never appreciate the love of parents, how
much less can we appreciate the love OF oui
heavenly father.
ID. The manifestation OF Christs love In
his acts and words while on earth and His
interccssion In heaven. He washed away
our sins with His blood, even unbelief. Men
treat unbelief as the smallest Of matters.
1t Is the most malignant and deadly. 1t is
the mind in active hostility to Christ Jesus,
which the holy spirit only eau eradicate.
He that belicyeth not Is condemned already
The unbelief OF parents and children bind
them together as tares for the harvest
When the parents believe the children ar,
In the way OF the covenant. Remission o
sins Is obtained only by the shedding o
blood, even the blood of Jesus. The typica
was under Moses, but Christ Jesus washe,
US In His own blood.
Sd. The honor and glory consequent upoI
his love, making us kings and priests. ii,
exalts US to the highest honors. We arc ex
allied kings and priests unto God and hi
father. II we can perceive and appreciate
this, every sinner must ask for this elevation
this honor, this glory. But Christ saws, v
will not come unto me.
4th. The mediatorial Is in Christ Jesus
and TO him be honor and glory for ever an
ever. wonder that any should desplse thi
grace OF God In Christ. Esau desplsed hi
birthright, but he had little to lose compare
10 what we have TO lose. You despise Chris
and bis offices, and you dash from you thu
honot>and glory and dominion OF Christ, /,
which he would bring you, and that this yer,
morning. Can you meet such responsible
ties as thesei The kings Of the earth SCI
themselves against Christ. "He that sits In
heaven shall laugh" God holds them In
derislon. How will you meet Christ In Gods
avenging dayl How will you meet him who
died that you might liyei What do you re
ceive from the world for all this abandon
ment of Christi What for all this hgh
against grace1 Abandonment, darkness ant
despair. What will you sayi Unto hin
that loved us and washed us from ou
sins In his own blood; to him be glory and
dominion for ever and ever. VIII you con
Tess Christi
In the afternoon the Lords supper wa.
commemorated by full congregation.
sT. srEPnES's CHURCH.
The return Of Father Mentally, after al
absence Of about six weeks, to the scene o
his Jealous aud useful labors, was welcome,
yesterday by a very large congregation, VIII
were re'olced TO see their beloved paste
again among them In renewed health ant
vlgor.
Father Mentally avalled himself of the
occasion to tender his heartfelt thanks "a
the congregation, especially to the good
Sisters Of Charity and the members Of the
conference Of St. Vincent dc Paul, for thu
kind solicitude and generous attention they
have unaffected In his behalf during hi
severe and protracted Illness. Constantly
by day and by night, they had watche
beside him, minlstering TO his every wan
and soothing, as far as human agency coul
do SO, the agonizing pains OF o critical III
ness. lie felt that TO their fcryent prayer
and devoted mlnistrations he was indebted
under the blessing Of Heaven, for his resto
ration to health; and he would ever cherisl
the remembrance OF their friendship witt
the liveliest emotions Of gratitude.
Father Mentally then proceeded to make
few practical reflections on the Gospel of tn,
day, descriptive of the wonderful miracl,
which our Saviour wrought IN raising 10 liz
the dead sou OF the widow OF Main, as re-
corded In the seventh chapter Of st. Luke
verses eleven TO sixteen. We should always
be prepared TO meet DEATH for II Is apo lnted
unto all men once to die, and after death the
Judgment. In view Of the uncertainties oil
life, and Of the absolute certainty of death
we should keep constantly before us the one
great end-the salvation Of our Immortal
souls. We have divine authority for saying
that 1t would profit US nothing II We gained
the who'd world and lost them. Therefore
daily, the merchant, before he goes to his
countlng-room, the clerk, before he goes 10
his Office, the machlnist, before he goes to
his workshop, the laborer, before he goes to
his toll, should ask himself the questions
Am Of the world, and for how longi Arc
these labors, and cares, and anxieties Of life
the end of my existencei Or, rather, am
not placed here but for little while to pre-
pare for the eternal life to comet Keeping
death constantly before us, we shall be bette
prepared 10 meet 1t, and TO earn the great
reward promised 10 those who live in the
love and fear Of God.
During the mass the excellent choir Of st.,