The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-04-22
EASTER.
A General Observance of
the Day.
THE CHURCHES TRIMMED IN
BRIGHTEST ATTIRE.
The Flowers, Music and Services
of Yesterday.


away the joyous words, He is not here. for he
has risen," which the angel spoke to the wo-
| men at the sepulchre, still are heard on Easter
morn and prove to millions of believers the
truth of their religion. The warm sun awak-
ening to life the vegetable kingdom, the pure
| and beautiful flowers of spring time, the an
| thems of praise chanted in thousands of
churches and cathedrals, are fitting emblems of
that event which lifted from the hearts of the
| disciples the gloom and sorrow that hung over
them like pail during the days their Master
slumbered in the sepulchre. Never did nature
better typify the joy and gladness of the resur-
rection morn than yesterday. The air was
warm and spripglke the earth was carpeted
! with green, and under the genial influence of
the warm sun the trees were putting forth their
foliage. 1t was such day as irresistibly draws
| the beholder to contemplation Of natures
works and to the worship of natures God.
Under its stin ulus the sanctuaries were
| thronged with worshippers, and from almost
| every sacred desk some words were spoken in
recognition of the event which the day COM
memorated, while from almost every choir went
up hymns of praise and thanksgiving for a
risen Redeemer
FIRST PARISH CHURCH.
At the First Parish church, the pastor, the
Rev. DR.. Hill, took as the text for the days
discourse the fifteenth chapter of the first
Epistle of Paul to the chnrch at Corinth,
wherein the fact of the Resurrection is set forth
as the cornerstone Of Christianity. DR.. Hill
dwelt with peculiar emphasis upon the argu-
ment of the Apostle based upon the rising of
our Lord from the dead, and the promise and
symbol thereby given that "his mortal must
put on Immortality" The entire sermon was
an exposition of the truths taught in the chap
ter, aud of the promise and lessons of the Res
direction. he argued that there was no room
for reasonable skoptcism as to the doctrine,
that Christ rose from the dead. upon which
Christianity is founded. The latter part of the
sermon was a fine exposition of the closing
verse of the chapter: Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast unmovable, always
Astounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch
as ye know that given labor is not in vain in
the Lord"
The floral display, though not as extensive
as in years past, was in exquisite taste. Upon
the organ Tyre fashioned of flowers was
placed according to custom, and boquets we're
put before the seat of each member of the
choir. The arch in the rear of the pulpit was
edged with evergreen studded with great
callas. The desk itself was almost hidden by
masses of evergreen, while upon the altar table
we're the memorial offerings very beautiful and
for the most part in the emblematic colors of
purity and passion.
In the afternoon at 3 o o'clock occurred the an
nual joint Easter observance by the First Par
ish and Prebe Chapel Sunday schools at the
former church. The exercises consisted of re-
marks by Rev. DR.. Hill, the reading of an
Easter poem by Mr.. Burgess, and singing by
the children of both schools. The
children of both schools were present
ed with Easter cards instead of
bouquets as formerly. Mr.. E. A. Jordop, the
with a very handsome bouquet, as was Mrs.
Phelan. Mr.. Phelan was detained at home by
sickness. There was very large attendance,
and the exercises very interesting.
The following is a list of the music rendered
by the choir under the direction of Kotzschmar:
Morning 'Service.
organ voluntary. ..kotzschmar
Easter Anthem Hmm EiVey
Angel roll the stone away. Kingsley
Hymn.
He dies the friend of sinners dies 90. Cum mings
Festival Hallelujah.. Zeuner
YespeT Service.
Gloria Patrl. DR.. Hodges
uo,,, -, - :. 7,,,, Hymn. r..u,o,,,
Anthem.
Hallel91ah to the Father. ...........; Beethoven
Know that NV Redesmer Sc Hanael
Hymn.
Congregational.
HIGH STREET CHURCH.
The floral decorations at this chur ch were
not as elaborate as last year but the display
was much more artistic and was pronounced by
many to be the finest made 10 any church in
the city. On the wall of the pulpit recess
were the words "Christ is Risen" worked in
flowers. The letters were placed on the wall
itself with no back ground and the legend
was surrounded with a wreath of flowers. A
large cross formed of flowers was beneath this
inscription. In the front of the desk was a
beautiful star formed of white camelias with
heath andwhite rose buds. The communion table
in front was perfect mass of rare cut flowers.
A large bunch of brilliant azalias attracted
attention. On the desk were large bouquets
while on each side were handsome ferns. On
the sides and rear of the platform were large
pots OF several varieties of plants including
green land red palms. The gas jets were
| entwined with wreaths giving gala ap-
pearance to the whole front of the church.
The singing by the church choir was very fine.
In addition to the hymns 20 come let us sing
unto the Lord" By Clapple, and GLOW are our
Fathers" by Hummel.
The pastor, Rev. W. 81. Fem, preached an
Easter discourse, taking his text from Mark tx,
10: ~ What the rising from the dead
should mean" The subject of the sermon was
the foregleams of the resurrection as disclosed
in the EMANCIPATION. In both. Christ in the
| body was to be identified and recognized, and
| yet gloriAed. In both, Christ Withdrawn and
| yet ever present. The preacher said that the
disciples could only conjecture the meaning of
Christs resurrection from what they had al
ready seen, to wit: The raising of Jarius
daughter and of Lazarus. But these had been
raised TO die again. Chrsts resurrection was
to be unparalleled in this that he rose once for
all. The following were the main points of the
| discourse:
| First.-The resurrection of Christ was meant
| to show that life and not death was the nor
NAL law. That mortality was to be swallowed
up of life.
Second.-The resurrection of Christ was
meant to show the glorified union of the risen
body and spirit in one, as against the oue-sded
| doctrine of materialists or the one.sded doc
trine of the spirituaists.
Third.-The resurrection of Christ was
to be the type of the progressive RESTRICTIONS
of the soul-the successive crises and epochs
of its development through eternity.
Fourth.-The assurance for all this was in
the person of Christ. He even refused to he
separated even in thought from his disciples.
They were to share in his death, and in his
throne and therefore his resurrection was the
promise and pledge of the like to every mem
Der of his body.
Two differences were drawn from the aboye
thoughts. First, the great comfort of the res
direction of Christ lies in the fact that our dead
sleep in Christ. However little we know of
heaven we are taught at least this, that When
he shall come he will bring our loved ones with
him. Second, The stimulus and warrant of all
Christians work for the individual and church
is in the faith of a living, present and om-
nipotent Lord. The hope for the future as the
announcement for the present is in the fact
that he who rose from the dead attests the re-
ality OF his life and the scope of his aims by his
present operations Christ lives for he works
| still Christ musf honopoo II al g.