Smyrna times., 1872-02-07

/. Church, of this town, on Sunday last, was q
matter OF interest to our citizens throughout
, the day. The morning service was attended
by a crowded audience which Dr. Dashie en-
tertalned in an able sermon from the text
! Luke 1910 For the Son of pan is come tC
} seek and save that which was lost A brief
? outline OF the discourse may show its drift.
However much he said, we may reason against
the fallen condition Of man, facts would upset
our logic when we leave our own comfortable
domciles and face the wretchedness in the
world. When we stand on a fashionable
thoroughfare and see the rich costumes the
gay thrODgs, the grandeur and happiness
that move before us like panorama of art
more than picture in real life we asked our
selves the question, is not this lost condition
we hear OF myth-a mere sentiment, rather
than reality? We might receive this idea
II we only sat before our own comfortable fires,
IN our sipperS and gowns, with the good of
the world before us. But we only have to con-
front the world in another phaze, from
another standpoint, to dispel the fancy. We
walk square from the gay thoroughtare and
see the mass of wretched humanity in their
sqnalor and degradatOn and we are ready to
ask ourselves if this world is not fleeting
show; HIS theme would be the ''hOspital
lcea OF the church, phrase which he used
lor the want OF better word. The Son of
man spent but three years in the ministry on
the earth and then left the church to do his
Work-''tO seek and to save that which is lost. -
tie did not claim this as the only mission of the
Church, however 1t was to lead in the
van of civilization to instruct the world and
elevate the asthetic tastes of society lie would
not argue against the gold and the marble Of
our elegant city churches let them be made
attractive to the people of the world; let their
interiors be inviting to them and then let the
teachings from their pupitS be such as will
tend to seek and to save them. He was glad
that the MethOdsts OF Smyrna had caught the
! inspiration and were executing a work that
must inspire their neighbors Of all denomina-
| tons Tor Il hundred miles around 1t made
him contrast to-day with forty years ago. and
made him feel proud that he was native of the
| Peninsula. He and others in that house could
remember when they worshiped in little un
comIortabe churches, from which they we're
driven by smoky stoves; the little brown
church were he was converted in Salisbury,
| Md, was set back now behind a better edi6ce
and to day he was in a building that would he
a credit to the age and his denomination. Its
steepe, rejecting the golden sun light from
its gilded ball, also reflected our advancement
IN esthetIc taste, in denOminatona entcrprise
and material progress. When he was told.
months ago, that we contemplated an improve.
ment OF $40 600 on our already large edifce he
"NhillCu Jul SIII(, Uul WDCn ne DoDelu II
Its present unfinished attractivencss. and
learned that we contemplated an expenditure
OF $4,000 he felt proud Of our religious order
and enterprise But We must not shut our
religion up within these magnificent walls and
be satisfied. This was the fault of the Church
OF England when the WesTeys were raised up
1t had reached point of elegance and ease
that made it forget 'to seek and to save them
that were lost 1t failed to execute the mis-.
sion OF the Son of man. We must do the work
delegated to Us, and not be satisfied with this
much. we must leave our comfortable fire
sides and seek our work among the fallen and
the degraded-seek to save those who had
fallen again and again. He closed hv
pathetic alluSion to an event IN the life of the
saviour. lie was on one occasion invited bv
a rich Pharlsce, to dine. While in the marnifi
cent house OF the rich mar, a poor. degraded
woman, magdalcn, entered the room unbid
den and approached the Saviour. The
Fharlsee was amazed that the Saviour did not
drive her from him. He felt himself and his
guest dlSgraced by her presence But the
Saviour received her, and she, in her contri
ton, knelt down before him and washed his
feet with her tears and wiped them with her
long, disheveled hair. He blessed her, and
accepted her repentance.
The sermon was highly appreciated. At the
close he called upon the audience for $4,000
to enable the Building Committee to complete
their work. $4,000 were raised.
AT the Sunday School meeting, in the after
noon, 500 were raised. This makes about
%45o raised by the School, the scholars having
! formed themselves into society known as the
Church Extension Fund Society, at the com
mcncement of the improvement. Ii Is mainly
from this fund raised by the children that the
| lecture room has been SO handsomely furnished
In the evening the rooms could not hold all
that came. Rev. A. Rittenhouse. former
PASTOR preached a sermon Of more than usual
power, and we regret that we cannot make
room for a synopsis this week His text was
| We preach Christ cruciied, to the Jews a
sStnmbllng'b block and the Greeks foulishnesS. -
ne collections were continued in the evening
when 81, 100 were raised making the contri
buttons OF the day $4,000, "a degree of hbcr-
aIv that Was not anticpated
W ork will be resumed on the main audience
room next week. The audiences on Sunday
expressed themselves highly pleased with the
rooms, and Mr.. Pcckey, the Superintendent of
the work, is highly cOmplimented for his skill
lhe appearance of the building, with its ornate
Uotnlc front, tall spire, handsomely wrought
cornlces and brown-stone trimmings will pre-
sent marked contrast to the former nlain
church, that originally marked the site.
1HE MInDLETOwN BALL, last FRIDAY night
was one OF the largest and most successful
entertainments of the kind ever given IN this
State There were about two hundred persons
present, and at the first of the evening fourteen
sets, one hundred and twelve persons were
whlrng through the maizes of the quadrille.
band, the ladies displaying beauty and taste
IN toilet that gave to the scene the appearance
OF magnificent panorama moving before the
spectator. Middletown, Smyrna, Odessa. ST.
Georges, Delaware City and Maryland ladies
displayed generous rivalry in costume, but
Smyrna was accredited the palm in this particu
lar, we are Informed. The reireshment table
was magnificent, and was supplied with deli
cacies only of the rarest selection. Evcrv
thing was on a liberal scale and we'll maintain
ed by the managers