The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-18

heard and understood his teachings, but did
not apply the knowledge thus acquired.
They were uuwise.
The word, "Theophllus," In the context
means friend Of God. Il may have been
the name OF q real or an ideal person. In
either case the lesson TO us Ia the same. Ger.
tain things arc inserted In the gospel, nc
cording to Luke, that are not found In Mat
thew, Mark aud John.
Luke was educated, they were not. His
gospel Is remarkable for purity ofstylc and It's
correct statements. II Is said 10 be written
In the best Greek In the New Testament.
We read with pleasure the accounts he gives
OF the prodigal son, the rich man and the
two travellers to Emmaus. He was anxious
that all might know tho certainty Of the
things wherein they had been instructed.
Uncertain knowledge Is as no knowledge.
How Is II that In so much instruction as we
give aud receive there Is so little fruit In the
lite. The object Of instruction Is, that the
people may be litod up. rhc fruits we see In
come places very little, In others not at all.
The question recurs, Is our instructions clear
and correct The plan of salvation Is re.
yealed to us In few points, and easily un
derstood. Let us know OF q certainty the
things wherein we are instructed. We do
not dwell enough upon essential truths.
There must be certainty In law, medicine,
mechanics, accounts, every profession or oc-
cupa Ion; so must there be in religion, and
so much the more so as the consequences
depending upon II are more important. II
we have not this certainty we are carried
about by every wind of doctrine and cunning
craftlness OF men. The Sunday school is
most important branch OF the Church.
The baptized children should know the GER
tainty OF the things wherein they have been
instructed.
Consider the Lords supper, how simple,
how expressive, how significant. It Is de-
signed for all classes and conditions of men.
Believers In Christ arc called children. The
old man comes as little child. Read the
Bible carefully iu regular order, day by day,
and with the purpose Of fixing this certain
knowledge In the mind.
In1delity Is advancing In many guises.
Many are wagering. He that wavereth Is
like wave OF the sea driven and tossed.
Let not that man expect anything of the
Lord. Why are so many waveringi May
IL not be because we lack n knowledge of the
certainly OF the things wherein We have
been instructed
In the afternoon, DR.. Smith preached from
the Both chapter Of Isaiah, 2lst verse, "And
thine ears shall hear word behind thee,
saying, this Is the way, walk ye In 1t, when
to the Left"
AT THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
Rev. Mr.. Foster preached In the morning
from the words, "Behold! now Is the ac-
cepted time behold now Is the day of sal
walton" His first position was, that there
was not one present who, If he only desired
1t, could submit to the Saviour aud become
Christian at once. The proof was to be
found In the declarations OF the Bible and
the testimony OF our own reason. The first
evidence Of the possibility Of becoming a
Christian, If one will, was shown 10 the fact
that there Is nothing to prevent 1t except the
obduracy of the will. Tho various excuses
given by persons for not becoming Christians
were then answered such as
that he has not enough feeling, or that he has
not thought enough on the subject, or he Is
not good enough, or that tho Holy Spirit is
not helping him.
The advantages OF immediate action were
also stated as proof Of the possibility Of be
coming Christian at once. The practical
bility Of immediate repentance was shown
from the experience Of the past, reference
being made to the cases Of Andrew and
Simon Peter, the woman Of Samaria, Zach
Gus, the conversions on the day of Pcntecost,
and others In ancient and modern times.
God has, by his word, declared that 1t Is
practicable, and he commands Ii when he
says: $40 day, IL We will hear his voice
harden not your hearts," &c. There is no
reason for delay In the nature of the act of
becoming Christian. The first act Is simply
q single choice, simply an unreserved sub
mission Of the will to Christ. That choice
Is instantaneous, though the practice OF the
duties OF religion are the work OF life.
Whenever one chooses to take the step he
may become a Christian. The conclusion
was, that whoever Is not a Christian Is
without excuse, and an earnest appeal to the
Impenltent was made to consider what
answer they would give when standing
before God In Judgment If they continued to
neglect the plain duty Of the present hour.
ST. ALoYsius SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The weather was such yesterday as to in
yite all persons, old and young, out Of doors,
and many persons could be seen long before
the hour Of mass vending their way to St.
Aloyslus church.
The good-naturcd face OF Rev. Father
Wlget, s. j., was again seen amid the
smiling CONTINGENCIES of the children. He
returned last Thursday to this city. He
spent eight days on Il retreat In Chester,
Pennsylvania, thence he returned to this city
and then went to Richmond, Virginia, for
the same purpose, and where he stayed seven
days closely confined to his heavenly work.
His next mission, will be at st. Mary's, Mary
land, to which place he will start next week.
Of the building Of St. Joseph's church, on
Capitol Hill, will not commence until next
'pring, and in the meantime he will be |
'uslly engaged In collecting money, and we
nave no doubt that many good hearted |
Christians OF this city will contribute largely
owards the completion of such q noble
office.
After the ending of the usual Sunday
'chool exercises, Rev. Father RocofIort
hanked the children and teachers for their
attendance on the occasion of the day of
jubilee, and for the good order kept In the
procession, and he hoped that 1t had made q
ieep and lasting impression on their minds,
80 that In future day they will remember
that they participated In the great jubilee of
1869.
The reverend father celebrated Mass, dur
ing which the choir sang with good effect
several choice selections Of hymns, In which
he children participated, accompanied by
Miss Maria Conlan on the meodeon.
The venerable father then announced that |
his day was the feast of St. Francis Borgia,
Duke of Candle and the son of Joanna Ar |
agon and Ferdinand the Catholic. He was |
Employed In the court of Charles V, as |
governor Of the province Of Catalonia, and |
vas very conspicuous by the plety, innocence |
md austerity of his life. He was appointed |
0 convey to Granada the remains of En-
,ress Isabella. At the moment when he |
lad to deposit the corpse, the lid OF the
ofiin being removed, he saw the awful |
'hangc wrought by deaths ingers-for that
person was reputed one Of the most beauti-
'ul OF that age-and be Immediately resolved
o leave the world and to consecratc himself
10 n life of zeal and plousness.
After the departure of Eleonora dc Castro,
The noble Spanard left all his possessions TO |
Join the Society Of Jesus. The suiferiugs |
that he restricted himself to were most APP
palling aud painful. He was appointed pro-
Vincial OF Spain, and then he was elected as
he superior Of the society to which he be- |
oDged. To him we are indebted for numer- |
rus missions In Poland Mexico, Peru, and |
n the various highlands of the New Con-
inent. lie refused the cardinalate offered
o him more than once by the sovereign
'ontlfs. He employed great deal of his
ime In mental services around the sick and
Helpless, and consollng them with his kind
dyiee. He died In the year 1879, at the
noment when he tried, by order OF the Pope,
0 rouse the courage Of Christianity menaced
y the heavy army OF the Turks.
The Gospel of st. Matthew, chapter nine
cen, was then read, and the reverend father
poke In an interesting manner on the sub
,ct OF forgiveness, and the debt all are under
} forgive their fellow-men in view of Gods
forgiveness of the sins of the world.
AT ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.