The Portland daily press., 1875-05-03
SUNDAY SERVICES.
ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The pastor, Elder E. A. Stockman, preached
| an off hand sermon on the parable of the man
who built his house on the rock. he TOOK nus
| text from the 18th chapter of Mathews and 24th
verse. Therefore whatsoever heareth these
| sayings of mine, will lken him unto wise
| man which built his house on rock. The
preacher said that his remarKsIwould be ''spon-
| taneous" as he had made no preparation. The
rock spoken of is the word, and building on the
rock is hearing the word and doing it. Build
| ing on the sand is hearing the word and not
| doing it. Every man knows both the sand and
| the rock and he has his choice to build on
either One does the commands of Christ and
| the other does not No man need go to
Bates College for instruction on this subject.
| for if he lacks wisdom he can ask
God for it and receive it in abun-
dance. All professors of religion are
willing to keep the commands of God in some
things, where it troubles them the least. In
fact they keep the commands which they can
with the least sacrifice When the wishes of
God are directly contrary to our wishes, and we
obey Him then we are building on the rock.
1t is impossible for a man to get into pace
where lie cannot find principle to suit his
case. At this point in the Discourse the
preacher gave his hearers a few plain words in
regard to fine clothes, church politicians, etc.,
etc. To keep just what commands we wish to
is sure damnation. He remarked that be liked
to preach the word so as to cut people, and that
he was the least hurt by having men mad at
his preaching the plain truth. He closed the
discourse with an earnest appeal for his hear
ers to keep the whole commands of God and
build on the sure rock.
PINE STREET CHURCH.
Yesterday the Pine street Methodist society
occupied the present church edlfice for the last
time; and the occasion was one of deep interest
to that earnest people. In the afternoon every
pew was crowded and chairs were placed in
the aisles. Rev. Mr.. Johnston, the pastor,
conducted the services. After Introductory
services, the pastor said that 1t had been
question among the brethren as to what serv-
ices would be most appropriate as the last in
the old church edifce which had witnessed the
growth of the society. After consultation all
agreed that ''love FEAST was the most fit ng
service for the occasion, because it was cal,u-
lated to call forth the gratitude of brotl erS ADD
sisters to God for mercies past anu was
renewal of that love which was the life of the
church. Referring to the fact that it would be
four months before the society could again
meet in its own church building. he said he
had no fears that the church and congregation
would SO scatter that all would not return
again. They all loved the Pine street house
church SO harmonious, so strong in its SYM
pathies, so Jealous in carrying out the Masters
work. On the contrary he was sure that the
whole flock would gladly return with all that
ardent affection which prompts loving chill
dren to return to the home of a loved parent
after an absence. The society will gain power.
MIR. Johnston said that he publicly took that
OCCASION to express in behalf of the Pine street
church their thankfunesS for that Christian
fellowship and thoughtfulness which prompted
the State street Congregational society to offer
them the use of their church edfce while they
were building. He thanked God that be lived
in an age when Christian churches of different
denominations were recognizing the great
truth that all are the children of one Master
and are SO willing to unite to press forward the
great work.
The emblems of the love feast, the bread and
water, were then passed to the whole congrega-
ton, while hymn was being sung. The next
half hour was devoted to short and ferveut
exhortatons interspersed with the singing of
stanzas from those stirring hymns which are a
characteristic of Methodist social meetings.
Mr.. M. L. Burr said he had no fears about the
members wandering away while they were
building. We never feared that our loved
children would forget home when they went
from the parental roof. Uncle Oliver Davis
was very happy; the thought of Gods mercy
and love caused him to exclaim "GlOry to
God;" and the old man backed it up by saying,
when the contributions for the WORKOUT
preachers were called for: II have five dollars
of the Lords money" Capt Sturdivant said
he had just come from the Mission where peO-
PIE gathered who had no church He spent all
of his spare time among them, but there was
great deal to do. He thought the Pine street
people should have gone down to the Allen
Mission to help there instead of going to State
street. Mr.. f. A. Smith said that what was
now the Pine street Sunday school was first
organized thirty years ago last September in
the ward room on Bracket street. The April
following it contained ITO scholars and II
teachers. OF that number but 10 are now con-
nected with the society in any way, and but
one of the eight members who volunteered to
leave Chestnut street to form new church in
the upper part of the city, is living.
We have no space to further notice the re-
m arks made. All were brief and full of earn
estness, which has made Methodsm a power
in the land. Twenty exhortations were made,
several by ladies.
The Pine street society will hold service Sun
day at o'clock in the State street church, and
the weekly prayer meetings will be held on
Wednesday evenings instead of Tuesday.