The Portland daily press., 1874-06-22

INDIA STREET CHURCH.

lNDlA SlhEhI ChOhOh'
The pastor, Rev. Geo, w. Bcknell, spoke
yesterday afternoon from the words found in
Romans 1911. SIT is high time to awake out
of Sleep" Sleep is indicative of inactivity. To
be awakened is to be in readiness to 60 forward
in discharge of duty. Too many like sleep
when there is auy disagreeable duty to perform.
Thousands want to 60 through life easy-wlth
their eyes shut-it is such trouble TO De &C
tive. But lite is no season for hstlessness.
The demands OF the age require men 70 DC up
time they were awake. They need to be agi-
tated. God teaches us the lessons OF activity
and agitation. Nature is beautiful, glorious,
unfolds and produces because 1t Is alive. So if
men would be noble and useful, would grow,
would amount to any thing, they must breathe
in the spirit of agitation. The past exhibits
its power 1t has. by developing thought, pro-
noting liberties and exterminating ignorance,
gained grand results. Politics and theology
afford bright examples.
Nature IS dependant upon agitation for life.
Yet agitation is not more essential to produce
purity in air, sweetness in Y ater than purity
and usefulness in thought and act. Agitation
is necessary to keep down miasms and pesti-
lence in the sea. 1t is necessary to keep down
the pestilence of wrong opinions in man. Peo-
pie will see the results emanating from agita-
ton among thoughts and beliefs, and seek the
best and the true. There are those who will
bad or listless influence is to be let alone, but
the question of its tendencies agitated until its
power is extinct. Inactivity in morals opens
the way for the tempter Politics require agi-
Eating, that principle may have an opportunity
questions for himself, and not bow to the die
tum of any man. Keep religion in its secta-
rian character ESPECIALLY agitated. Any idea
which cannot stand this test il not worthy OF
life or notice. No one sect has tho whole truth;
hint fhA xrlA su hryrv
prehension of a true faith, to fuller under
standing of the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus.
We are not to stop with what we possess but
seek the broadcast and tho highest compre-
tensions of truth possible s=za -44
He closed by urging the friends of the bright
faith, which teaches that Christ must ultimate
~ crush every enemy, and establish that per-
feet reign of holiness, which shall ..refect the
glory of God and the elevation of man, to be
awake and active, believing that God regards
the action of those to whom he has given
bright faiths, and even as they are active and
faithful, so will He bless.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
The ffty-seventh anniversary of the Sabbath
school connected with the First Baptist church.
was celebrated yesterday afternoon and even
ing. The floor of the pulpit was completely
covered with flowers; above were hung fes-
toons of evergreen, and the pillars on either
side was entwined with evergreen and flowers.
In the centre Of the pulpit was fountain.
The exercises in the afternoon opened with an
organ voluntary followed by an anthem
by the church choir. Rev. DR.. Champlin, late
President of Colby University, offered prayer,
after which came scripture responses, in which
the superintendent Mr. d, B. Kicker, and the
assistant superintendent. Mr.. j. B. Math ews
led off and which were joined in by the school.
The latter, which occupied the front seats then
joined in a chorus.
The various officers of the school then made
their reports. From them we learn that the
whole number of scholars is 288 and the num-
Der of teachers 80. During the last year the
average attendance has been 1873. -Four have
been baptized, and four have died-Miss Jennie
+. Dryden, John F. Chase, Louisa Bracket
and Cyrus Knight. As their deaths were an
nounced, accompanied with appropriate re-
marks, the surviving members of their respec-
tive classes brought forward memorial wreaths.
The receipts of the school for the past year
were 1922 O., S215.5 So of which were contributed
by the scholars through the missionary boxes
and devoted to foreign missions. The library
contains 600 books. $50 have been given by this
school to churches in the eastern part of the
state. REGULATIONS and songs by the children
followed the reports, after which addresses
were made by the Rev. J. N. Murdoch and the
pastor, the Rev. DIR. Smaller.
In the evening the church was crowded to its
utmost repletion to listen to the exercises,
which were of very interesting nature. They
closed with remarks by Revs. Messrs. Oh amplin,
Harris of Baltimore, and DR.. Smaller, the
pastor.