Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-22
FASTER SUNDAY.
NM r. wAs OBSERVED IN ST. PAUL
r,.r~a Attendance at the Churches-.Flow-
era in PROPULSION and Music of the Choic-
est Kind--Dr. Dana's Presentation of
"Easter Lessons"

zealously attached to their churches
and creeds, one has no need to be in the
city beyond one Sabbath to be convinced,-|
the streets deserted and given up to the
stiffness of holy rest-the churches thronged
by congregations of devout and earnest
worshipers. This is more particularly ap-
parent upou church festival days, and yes
terday was no exception to this rule. A
visit yesterday morning to the leading
churches by GLOBE representatives, found
them without exception well attended. A
festival also is an excellent means of bringing
out the resources of community in musical
development, and cultured taste, and one
going the rounds of the churches
yesterda! would be led to
wonder where so many choirs of cultivated |
and melodious voices came from. The floral |
decorations, too, in all the churches visited,
displayed refinement of taste and artistic |
knowledge of color and arrangement that is
surprising in city where the cultivation
Of the eye enters into no part land to the
shame of our educational bureau it is record
ed) of the system of public instruction. The
first house of praise and prayer visited was
Plymouth Church,
where the congregation was large one. It
should be here mentioned there was not that
attempt on The part of the ladies to appear
finely dressed that is sometimes
noticed at Easter-a desire to throw off the
sombre garments of the severer season and
assume the lighter and gayer raiment of the
vernal days. The organ loft, reading desk
and platform were tastefully decorated with
beautiful flowers, conspicuously displayed
being q magnificent cross Of exotics. The
excellent choir rendered most carefully and
we'll the musical selections, especially the
Gloria and Jubilate Dec. In connection with
the music at this church, it should be men,
toned that Miss Clara Bell, at the evening
that my Redeemer liveth,' from the Messiah,
Her clear, ringing voice with it's liquid mid
die notes, was heard to great advantage.
The Rev. DR.. Dana preached an eloquent
sermon upon "Easter Lessons" He took
for his text:
Colossians 2, -: Wherein also ye are
risen with Him, through faith of tho opera
ton of God, who hath raised him from the
dead.
The Rev. DR.. said: It is happy circum-
stance that so universally Christendom OBJ
serves with devout heart this day, as its
Easter Sabbath. It does not argue that we
are lapsing into FORMS or fondness for SO
called church days, 50 rigidly avoided by our
fathers, but that as life for each Of us and
for the nation broadens out into greater
Catholicity of feeling and belief, the need is
recognized of lifting life above the trading
levels. It betokens that the heart inclines
now to notice those anniversary days, which
bring to it the help of great and tender mem
cries. Our days, we all confess it, are full
enough of druid gery, and with tedious same
ness they bring us through the usual rou-
tine of breakfast, dinner, the morning pa
per, few sales, and more or less gossip
Now we are beginning to reach out for what
may vary this sameness and inquire why
they should not be given up to something
beside the dull plodding that so generally
characterizes them. Why should they not
be forced to educate as in healthful thoughts
and higher aims? Why should not some at
least of these passing days, be imbued with
some great message of memory, and come to
us with it, like some old prophet, whose pur-
pose it is to lift the heart Of the people for
one brief throb nearer to the divine life and
to God. Because we all instinctively believe
they can, and should, do we throw aside the
narrowness that would deny to us the joyful
commemoration Of this Easter Sabbath, and
welcome it with even added impressiveness
in our services here, because of the great
life and the supreme fact in that life, it re-
calls to mind! l. has become, even
to the descendants of the Puritans,
and now very generally in New England
churches, the joyful Sabbath, and the pull
pits words are heightened and charged with
unwonted meaning by the music and the
flowers which unite to put into them their
charm and fragrance. The spiritual associa-
tons of this festival Sabbath should help us
to forget what is petty in our lives, what is
crude and unkindly in our intercourse, and
as we come to dwell in thought upon the sub
lime spectacle of one dying for the children
of men, and rising from that death in
attestation of his supremacy over it and the
grave, we cannot but become strengthened
and ennobled. Is it not well for the world
to halt for awhile in it's tasking pursuit of
money and knowledge, and on this signal
day remember the sudden and awful silence
which will fall upon each Of its busy deni-
zens, while they ask that question which SO
often comes up before US, will that silence
ever be broken; and from out that dark q17a-
Icz0,c11, into which we must 60 with blind
eyes and dumb, white lips, shall any come
again? The day surely is needed, for it
serves to awaken a thoughtfulness somewhat
unusual, and its message is one We cannot
wholly thrust aside. AS the remembrance
of the hour is of a risen Christ, we will strive
to got our lesson out of that event, and in.
quire, wherein we are risen? For
this is after all the great
question with every one of us, have we
risen! There can be no spiritual commence
ration of this day, unless for us, this matter
of our rising, not only to a joyful resurrec-
ton by and by, but even 7ao1o from the old
worldly, unbelieving life, is true in our ex-
perience.
First, among the practical thoughts
suggested by the day, is this one, have you
risen from the death of sin?
Second, and part of this Casters in
quiry is this, have you risen into Christ?
Third, this rising, let it be remembered,
Is to be in and through Christ's power.
Fourth, the inquiry goes further, and
suggests, have you risen into the hope OF
Christ?
In the evening Rev. DIR. Dana preached on
the duties suggested by this Easter Sabbath.
Unity Church
was magnifcently decorated with garlands,
festoons and greenhouse plants, and Mr.
Gannett addressed his congregation from the
center of a perfect bower of beauty which
filled the beautiful church with airs of deli
cious fragrance. The singing at this church