The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-25
CHURCH NOTES.
Sunday School Celcbrat lon Confirmation An
niscrsary Exercises Pastoral Call De-
Glued Exchange Of Pulpits
Special Services, etc.


Special Services, etc.
Last Sunday was bright and beautiful
day. and all the churches were thronped
with apparently devout worshippers. our
notes tell OF services unusually interesting
at several chufches, and we also Law before
our readers several items Of ecclesiastical
intelligence. c'>,0'''~ o'>'''
Episcopal - III -
Inc Sunday-school of old 81. -.Jobn,s
lhurch Hill, had an anniversary celebrate
on sunday afternoon, which was attended
oy az many people as could press into The
,,.h;ah anu spacious building in
winch It was held. Rev. DR.. Wall rect -.
st. Johns, presided, and was assfste eS' ~,
Rev. DIR. Minnigerode. president of tho
IIenrico Sunday-school Union. The sinn.
ing was unusually good. 1t was hv tho
children of the Sunday school and tho
| church choir, under the leadership of Prof
Hyncrnan and Mrs. Fitzwilson. ;.
The Introductory service consisted of sing
Ing and selections from the Mission prnS-
cr.book, the latter read by the rector. Or.
Minnigcrode then made i most intcrestino
and impressive address, in which he took
occasion TO give his ideas of the true mis-.
sion of the Sunday school and of the inn
menSe influence it yields for good upon the
rising generation. lie also spoke of the
great responsibilities of the teacher, and
urged the scholars to improve their oppor-
! tunlics for spiritual as well rs intellectual
Improvement. Singing and prayer brought
the exercises to close.
st. Johns Sunday school is in 4 most
prosperous condition. Captain John ID.
Whitehead is the superintendent !; lie is as
sisted by Mr.. John ID. Currle.
CONFIRMATION AT ST. JAMEs's.
Tht confirmation services Mt ST. Jame>'s
last night were most solemn and imposing.
There were five Episcopal ministers in the
chancel-Rev. George WOODBRIDGE Of the
Monumental, Rev. II. 5. kcplcr, Rev.
Joshua Petclkin of st. James's, Kew. L.
Minniecrode, OF st. Paufs. Bishop Johns
delivered an impressive sermon from st.
john, which moved many of his hearers to
tears. Twenty-nine persons were confirm
ed-tcn gentlemen ard nineteen ladies. at
ter confirmation. the Bishop, as usual, adj
dressed himself appropriately to those who
had taken upon themselves the solemn OBJ
legation Of Christian.
CONFIRMATION AT GRACE CHURCH.
There was n large congregation gathered
in the morning ut Grace Church to witness
the solemn rite Of confirmation, which was
administered by the Rt. Rey. john Johns,
d. D.. to fifteen candidates-ten ladies' and
five gentlemen. The services on the occa-
sion were conducted by the rector, Rev. T.
, NJ. Baker after which Bishop Johns de-
: liyered an interesting sermon from 1st
Timothy, 1>t chapter, 55th verse.
CONFIRMATION AT ST. MARKS. .
In the evening ut st. Marks, Of which
church Rev. II. g. DaSlliell is the rector.
the bishop confirmed twenty-five persons
four gentlemen and twcnty>onr ladies.
Bishop Johns preached again at that church
from Romans. 9TH chapter, 9th verse
And hope maketh hot ashamed.'
Baptist.
Rev. DR.. Sam>on'S visit to Richmond has
; been source OF mulch pleasure and profit
tVlnany outside OF the society by whose in
rtaton he came hither. On Sunday m0ril-
! ing he preached at the Second Baptist
/ Church before Il good congregation, and in
the afternoon delivered lecture at the
| pecially Jerusalem" On both occasions he
spoke with force, and with the chaStc elo-
quence for which he is distinguished.
| But the event OF last Sunday in the Bap-
tist part of this community was
THE TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF
/ THE YOUNG MEMS MISSIONARY SOCIETY,
which took place ut the Second Church at
night. The house was crowded In every
part, and the deepest interest was mani
tested in the exercises, though they were
perhaps unusually protractcd. The pulpit
was occupied by Rev. McsSrs. Burrows.
.Jcter, ChamblisS, Wilson, and Garlick, OF
. the Baptist church, and Rev. DIR. Hoec,
Presbyterian. The introductory services
consisted of singing, prayer, and reading of
the scriptures.
;,tr
delivered most entertaining address, his
subject being "The Providence Of God in
the Progress OF the Gospel rs The Inter-
prefer of His Word" The present. he
said. is regarded 10y all thoughtful men rs
an era, if not Il crisis, in the foreign mission
work. The secretaries of mission boards
in all evangelical denominations arc OPP
pressed with care lest Il work has been Wl-
liertaken which the churches will fail to
sustain. 1t is an era, if not Il crisis, and rs
in all ages, so now, thoughtful students of
history look to the young men. because
they care strong,' to prove worthy of the
times.
The theme proposed for consideration is
strikingy illustrated in the Scripture read,
Acts 10Th. The first council of the churches
is called, and the apostles have assembled
from their various fields. 1t is fourteen
years after PauPs conversion of Saul, and
seventeen years after the death of Christ.
Luke in thus narrative, and Paul in Gala
tions, I'd chapter, develope the occasion,
the question discussed, and the result. For
the first time, at this late period, the whole
church understands that the GentlleS are TO
be brought to Christ-for the first time the
meaning of the conversion Of Cornelius, the
Roman, eight years before, is comprehend
ed-and for the first time the apostles them
selves recognize that "knoWn unto God
are all his works 4" in human redemption
"from the foundation of the world" A
principle is here indicated which has had
! its successive illustration in every age Of
the church, and which is still to be even
more gloriously eXemplified. .......
There is an eternal purpose of God to re-
deem the nations of the earth by the Cos
pei. That purpose is to be accomplished
through imperfect men, prepared and sent
to different fields, for which they are Spe-
cially qualified; and the people Of God
the churches of Christ-are TO sustain them.
The fields to be entered, the men to be en-
ployed, the means Of sustaining them, are
to be, as they have been, developed ut try
ing, and sometimes discourasing, crises,
and the true lovers of Christ always have
been, and always will be, proved equal to
the emergency. All through the apostolic
age. in succesSiyeleras OF the Church, this
truth has been confirmed. When Constan-
tine gave the support Of the Roman power
to Christian angelizalion-when the
Goths received an imperfect Christianity,
perpetuated in Spain, their chief final
asylum to our day, when Irish missionaries
spread the knowledge of Christ 10 the lands
Of our Saxon ancestry, this truth was pre-
eminently illustrated. When the reform
began, and Huss and Wicklitie brought
men back to the Word of God when Lu.