National Republican., 1878-08-19
IN THE CHURCHES.
Visitors Impression Of Foundry Church
and DIR. Lanahan.

anu Lhnhhhn.
The Sabbath sun shone hot and bright In
our broad streets, and every man meeting his
neighbor, even at so early an hour as eight
o'clock, borderod his salutation with remark
on the heat. Yet the shady hooks were cool
enough, tho wind blew softly from the South,
and the living tides that met and passed. on q
street, turning into the open gates Of Epiph.
any and Foundry gave promise Of good congre'
cations at each Of these old representative
churches Of our city. Lot us follow the crowd
that enters tho latter. IL Is a beautiful ediice
The happy groups of children are coming out
Of the Sunday y-school room below, which Is also
the locturc.r room OF the church, where the
weekly praycr.meetings were held. The first
time, rs stranger In the city, ever entered
that prayer-room was on a Wednesday even.
ing. Rev. B. p. Brown was giving out the
hymn, and as he stood on the platform, en-
wrcathed with the golden word Welcome"
It seemed to strike the keynote of
the inner spirit and life of the
church. 1t Is wonderfully homc-likc church.
Tho word Of welcome Is not only written on
tho walls but beams Nom many honest faces.
Tho whole service Is social deyout, edifying.
That one casual visit to the weekly prayer
meeting has fixed the churchhomc OF one
wandCrCr for two years past.
SluCC Ihhl tllnt lnt CUutcl has Chlngcu pas
tors. Dr. Brown, tho methOhiral, dcvout, earn
est, untiring, has become presiding elder orthc
district and DIR. Lanlhan il now the preacher
In charge. There he Is, coming up the aisle n
pattern IN this as in all his official duties, of
the punctuality which he is going to preach
about by.and-bye. sIuarc.bult, mussivc-
looking man; nothing In look or manner put
on for effect but that head surely carries
deep thought. When he begins to preach
the style illustrates the man In its two
main actoristics-simpliCitya and strength.
dc seems very cool, calm speaker
for Methodist preacher, as he announces
his theme, the importance of punctuality in
things secular and spiritual, and opens IL in u
few pitby sentences on the flying, vanishing
nature Of life and all human things Yet 1t Is
foundation nohy laid, anl under the logic is
cleaning hidden fire. which breaks forth now
and then in nervous motions Of th1 body and
intense force OF expression. Did that text in
Psalm cNiX., 80 80 ever seem quite so clear he
fore? There was no Theological array of words,
but steady stream Of illustration always ar.
resting or holding the attention, aud at the end
the text" 1 thought on my ways and turned
my feet unto Thy testimonies; made haste aud
delayed not 10 keep Thy commhnhmcnts'-was
painted Ia living letters on the memory -
An orator! No; not in tho accepted sense
Of melo drama pulpit-polish aud fine rhetor-
ical display A reasoner, very decidedly an
sICNhtIt CtlsilHiN ana AZ Nfi AhihiS
a very instructive and impressive preacher. ]
don't think Paul had much ambition above
this in the line of oratCry. There are all the
way through the "hidings Of power" In the
eulogism on morning, rs he speaks of having
seen it "skirting the hills with silver aud
painting the clouds with gold, and other seu.
tenccs OF greater beauty and fancy, there Is
genuine poetry lIumor is laid under contri-
button, too, Gs when he says "a stitch in time
saves nine especially iGthCy arc scwing.ma'
chine stitches. " Aud also when he Illus
tratcl the wisdom Of Baltimore politicians in
the matter of punctuaiity by voting cary, AMI
not only carly, but often, and voting pudding
tickets, and says hcj ! do not know what that
means, unless It be ono ticket with hroll IN
its ample folds that drop ont after the mother
ticket Is put in, aud look rs innocent in the
ballOt.b0x as children caught eating sugar.
This may speak well enough for their punrtu-
ality he added, but is no great evidence oi
consistency, when in doing this they heap
whole continent of mud OIL others fOr the al
legged doing Of similar things. But tho Smile
Is, under those pungcnt sentences, oaly the
precursor Of deeply serious thonght and, on
the whole, my friend agreed with Inc Us We
walked home that if Foundry aud DR.. Lana.
han represented fifty Washington preachers
aud churches, our city wa, IN this also highly
favored place VISITOR.