National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-11
} THE CHURCHES. YESTERDAY.
By DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS.
EpIPRAAY SERVICES 1T ST. lLOYslUs:
Dr. sundefland q ths Presbyterian.
Memorial Church end Other Religious
20. obserVances. - So

Memorial Church end Other Religious
0bserVances.
The clear. cold weather OF yesterday had the
| effect Of nllfnR the churches Of the several de-
noninatiOns with WorshipeTs, and the services
generally were Of an interesting character. Be-
/ low are given reports Of several:
Ninfh.Street IN. P.) Church.
Notwithstanding the extreme cold weather OF
| yesterday there was . large congregation at the
Ninth-street Methodist Protestant church to hear
| the Rev. VIM. s. Hammond upon the necessity
Of human effort, and those who Yentured out were
| fully repaid by his most admirable treatment Of
the subject. It was so thoroughly interviewer
| with . sermon previously delivered upon Gods
help TO the sorroWinE heart that We give synop-
sis Of each.
The hrst Of the series was from the following
text; Mark xvi, s-"whO shall roll rs away the
stone from the door Of the sepulchre7" Three
devoted; nhfG T ION S sSd prepared SPICES WITH
their views OF the sanetity Of the Sabbath that
they waited until the dawn Of the nrst day Of the
mission. How anIiouSiy they watched for the
coming Of that mOrninEi When the nrst indIos-
| to the tomb. As they drew near : single aueS-
ton engaged their minds. The door Of the sspul-
chre had been closed By stone. Their united
movsl. 1t had been sealed by the Roman seal.
They dared not attempt to break that They
roll us away the stoneP" When they reached the
spot they found that the stone had been removed,
that II. the tomb os empty en- ThsS to
their Lord; they went away 70 proclaim that
JESUS HAD RISEN.
The propositions discussed we're the following:
| First, that many Of the difficulties with which
our imaginations. While Mary Magdslen and
| her associates were AnxIously asking, Who shall
feW open. The diticuIty which they expected,
| and did not know how to overcome did not exist.
Imaginary evils are more numerous than those
/ In support Of this view. Second, he who yields
himself to the depressing influence Of anticipated
and his ability to meet such difhcuities as may
occur greatly lessened. The melancholy pleasure
| which Mary and other friends sought was 70 some
| extent marred by the anticipated trouble In re-
moving the stone. They could ind no solution to
the question, Who shall roll away the stone2 and
therefore could derive no beneft from its investi-
| cation. They could not remove it. The apostles
dared not attempt It. The soldiers would not re-
move IL, nor would they suffer others 70 do It. I'M
/ less they were overpoWered, and Mary could not
command q sufficient force to accomplish this.
| Third, when anticipated evils seem about to be-
fall us, God frequently removes them or affords
MS grace BY which to bear them. Those women
expected to look upon the closed sepulchre; but
10! the stone had been rolled away. Angelic
hands had done what theirs could not do. How
Unexpectedly have threatened evils frequently
passed. BUTT Is not always best that they should
| be removed. They sometimes do us good; they
| strengthen and develop us through Divine grace.
Fourth. God sOmetimes, when we can see no way
Of escape from threatened evils, opens to US q new
field Of usefulness or happiness In the activities
| OF which we forget our gloomy forebodIngs, or
| only remember TO contrast them with our joys.
only relieved from their anxiety about the re-
moval Of the stone by finding the tomb open, but
they were told to 20 and tell the disciples that
Jesus had risen. They found new employment
and new happiness, Q sphere Of usefulness and
joy such as they did not expect.
an aIossS ~ ~ Hh.sts sSS - 0' 1tpP 1
ton with Us is not, Who shall roll Us away the
stonef From the open tomb Of our Lord We go
living Saviour and that without undue anxiety
about the future, We can leave all our interests In
his hands.
YESTERDAYS SERMON.
The following is the sermon preached yeSter-
day: Text: stake ye away the stone" The
Doctor said We are not here to ask who shall roll
away the stone from the door Of Christ's sepul-
chre, but to consider q command uttered By our
Lord at the tomb of Lazarus.
It is not our purpose, as upon . former occasion,
to speak Of anticipated evils, but to insist upon
the discharge Of present duty. There are i'm
usefulness in respect TO which Christ says, flake
| ye away the stone" He keeps before us our re-
CATIONS. GOD never does FOR man what he can do
| for himself By . word he could have removed
the stone from the tomo but man could do II, and
| he would not.
THE HISTORY OF CHRIsT's LABoRs
| does not furnish single case in which he ever
performed miracle 70 accomplish for man what
| man had the ability TO accomplish for himself.
P fhs aod VII .Ss y.Ss d0 asa
We can. We recognize these powers rs his gifts,
SSt he Etl not use them for a. This Is OuT.OE6.
are from his hands, bat he does not believe for
| rs, nor does he repent for as. II asked whether
~ nE an ~ Il
his wish TO be or not, We answer yes! Saul Of
| TarBus is an example. But II asked whether Q
ssnt Wa snsTsT no EsT SAM xss conHsrtsS he
| asked the Lord what he would have him do, and
he did as directed. He bowed his own will to
| Of the salvation Of many men. The Saviour said
| IN his lsmentation over Jerusalem, I'VE would
not come unto me, behold your house iS len desc
| late. He will not come unto me that ye might
| have life." There may be other impediments-
| appetite or sinful affections. Take ye away the
| stone" is the divine command.
| When man does what he can in accordance with
divine Instructions, God will do for him what he
cannot. Many cases were cited in support Of this
| THE BLIND MAN
| sent to the foul to wash; the woman saying 'fl
may touch but his clOthes;" the man with the
The command to take away the stone carries
with Il the assurance that the requisite help will
Doctor made an appeal TO those in sin to seek the
Lord, assuring them that great as the stone may
/ Do they enOulQ make the en0rL, ana that GfO0
would do for them what they we're powerless to
| do for themselves. Are you willing or do you
wait for the Lord to roll away the stone2 II this
Take Il away {: ASy for your safe1, the worlds
| sake, the church's sake. 1 do not pledge him to
anything ne viii ne perform ae M neat Ht vii dI Se
and love. You will rejoice In the elevation TO the
epi9yments and pleasures Of the hereafter.
| The sermon was listened to throughout with
the greatest attention.
Rev, DIR, sunderlaud,s Church.
Notwithstanding the severity Of the weather
yesterday morning, the Four-and-a-half street
| Presbyterian church was we'll filled with an in
| telligent audience to listen TO the Rev. ByIJn
Sunderland, d. D., who selected for his text
| Matthew xviii :ls-20-"And Jesus came and
spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto
me in Heaven and in earth. Go you therefore
and teach all nations, baptiEing them in the
name Of the Father, and Of the Son, and Of the
Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe al things
| with you Away, even unto the end Of the world.
| Amen" Under this passage the Doctor began
| by saying that the subject Of the morning is
| foreign missions. From the very outset the
Christian cause has been . grand missionary Ope-
ration. The founder OF Christianity was himself
| the most marvellous missionary that ever ap-
peared In our world. He came to make known
10 mankind the doctrines Of repentance, resurree-
tton and Immortality. Here we have the Author-
| fly upon which he acts-"all power in Heaven
| and EARTH Then We have the commission to the
| Christian Church and ministry ito proclaim the
this authority. Then We have the anal seal and
| promise Of the triumph Of this commission-"Lo,
| am with you Away to the end OF thu world"
| What an amazing enterprise 10 here unfolded!
| What divine purpose Of transcendent bench
| cence is here disclosed! Nothing can be more
| sublime or more inspiring.
| The Doctor then rapidly sketched the progress
Of Christianity through the last eighteen centu-
| rles down to the present hour. He showed how,
| through all this movement, the divine and
| human agencies were combined. God said he
| stands back Of u.s. God supplies and strengthens
| and directs US. Nothing but this grand fact can
| support the Church in the work before her.
| He then showed what the American Presbyte-
| rian churches are doing In foreign missions, going
| over q wide field and disclosing vast operatio
| throughout the globe. We know, he continued,
that At the same time the people Of all classes In
| our country have been passing through period
Of stagnation and depression. Men In business
/ have been embarrassed. Thousands have been
| thrown out Of employment Thousands have
4 suffered from famine, fire and food. Unusual
| demands have been made upon the charity Of the
people. The American Church has felt this Hni-
versal pressure, and yet the good work has been
carried forward.
1t Is true We are living In times Of upheaVal, In
times Of immense agitation In all the departments
4 OF human knowledge and enterprise. We are
| living in times Of divine Judgment, when the
thoughts Of the hearts OF men are diyulged, when
| the mystery Of human life itself is undergoing