The Portland daily press., 1876-07-31
SUNDAY SERVICES.
FREE STREET CHURCH.

Rev. A. X. p Small, the former pastor,
preached in the morning and evening. The
morning text was from Chron, 2SIO-"Take
heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to
Dulld house for the sanctuary: be strong and
DO it, This is the summary of David's in
struction to Solomon, and it may be taken also
as the summary of divine teaching to every
human soul-the law of Gods method of work
ing in the world. Here we find the expression
OF the great truth of Gods electng choice
his special providence Those who throw away
this truth, throw away all idea of the divine
government of human affairs In recent wears
great progress has been made in the study and
explanation of natural laws, hence this text has
Its natural Interpretation; for, these scientists
say, Solomon was chosen to build the Temnle
because he was the most forcible and kinelv
character in Israel-.ike the Law of the sunrem.
acy and survival of the fittest But how do we
explain the choice of David tc be king. the
youngest and most insignificant of the sons of
jesse? How strikingly was the divine choice
illustrated also in the call of Abraham, and the
choice of the nation of Israeli in the deliver
ance of Joseph at the precise time when there
was no other means of saving Israel; in the
call of Moses, the raising up of Elijah, the
neailng or Naanan, the rescue of Daniel, in
the case of BuDyan in Bedford Jail, and the
myriad wonderful interpretations kof God in
human affairs which natural laws wholly fail
to explain. Can natural laws have created our
centennial with its numberess minute objects?
1t so, then most material things have miracle
working power 1t was not natural law tn at
interposed in all these events,-it was the
electing choice of God-the special interpos-
ton of the Most High Why need we look
away from the text to learn this? 81 have
same particular interposit6n, was to arise a
greater king who should rule in Zion.
But il so, then Gods choice leaves nothing
TOR man to do, one may say. This does not
follow, for God chooses man and man is to use
diligently all the means appointed. But. saws
one, God works through great natural laws,
and what can prayer or human effort do to
modify or interfere with those laws? Grant
this, but was the building of the Temple with
all its marvellous finish and splendor working
out Of the laws of nature? Yes but one of the
links in that law was man with his reason, brain,
and in all the work he carried out all the laws
appropriate to such being Was our own CEN
tenniai created and prepared for this people by
natural law? Was not one great link in it the
struggles of the Puritans in England, and the
leeds and sufferings of our fathers in this
country? Did not the centennial bells ring out
honor to God as the chooser, and to those noble
men as the willing, working instruments of
this wonderful national creation? And when
the choice is left to men whether God, or ma
ture, or chance, shall be the ruler of events do
not all at once cry out that God alone is to be
our Ruler, tor He alone can save? How wildly
did all realize human helplessness and the need
and propriety of prayer ia the darkest day of
the recent war! So in the verse of the text.
God tells Solomon what He had chosen him to
do; but Solomon was also warned that he was
to be true, faithful and strong to do the work
to which he had been chosen. In this sermon
the preacher had discussed the Godward side of
our earthly work, but at another time he might
discuss human obedience as the great pivot
upon which turns our happiness or our success.
But we may derive this lesson from our subject,
that If God called Solomon to do special
work and warned him to be faithful in it. He
has given to each of us something to do and
our life work is just as definitely assigned to us
OF God as was SolOmon's. How important that
we learn the lesson aud heed the divine in
junction in the text: ''Take heed now, be
strong and do it."
FIRST PARISH.
The Rev. W. H. Gilbert, District Secretary of
the American Bible Society for New England,
gave an exceedingly interesting address at the
First Parish church yesterday morning, occu-
plying about 45 minutes. After giving a few
figures to show the magnitude of the work
which the society is accomplishing, he passed
to few facts to show the magnitude of the eff
fects which that work produces; and demon
strated by ''the logic Of events that it is not
rhetorical flourish, but sober historical truth, to
say that civil liberty is, in all nations, more or
less directly to be traced to the influence of the
Jewish and Christian Scriptures; and that the
circulation of the Bible among the people has
been one of the most efficient instrumental
ties of the past fifty years, in producing not
only social but political reforms in the whole of
Christendom. He added also some striking
anecdotes to show that still greater advances
were probable in the near future, not only in
nations already nomlnally Christian, but in
Mohammedan and heather lands; the first
symptoms already showing themselves as pro-
duced through the same agency. And the ap-
plication of the truths is obvious-that it be-
bones the good people of this state not only to
keep our own population familiar with this
well-spring of all blessings; but to contribute,
every man his share, towards sustaining the
central society in New York, in its grand work
of printing and distributing the Bible without
note or comment in all lands and in all lam
guages.
In the evening Mr.. Gilbert addressed the
State street church and society.