The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-24
CHURCH NOTES.
memorial Services At ,he menumental
AN INTERESTING oCCAsIoN-THE MEMO
!, R1ALwIHDow-sERM BY THE REV. Mr..
Observation-Disclosures AT THE OTHER
CHURCHEs-yo MEMS CHRISTIAN AS,
ISOLATION MEETING, &C.;

CHURCHES-YoUNG MEMS CHRISTIAN AS
ISOLATION MEETING, &c. 49,,
Sunday was very interesting day at the
Monumental church, and will doubtless
| long be remembered by all present. In the.
morning the pastor preached q memorial
sermon, which was listened to with marked
lattention by very large congregation. Line
music, too, was unusually fine, and altogether
the services were very impressive, Mr..
| Armstrong selected as his text the words,
g am the Good Shepherd; the Good ,Shep-
herd eiyeth bis life for the Sheep" He be-
gan by saving that in one OF the walls OF this
church there has been inserted this past
week memorial window. 1t is an offering
of love on the part Of the vestry and members
Of the Church to the memory Of its late la
mented rector, George Woodbridge. Called
| by you, said he, to be the successor In Office
Of that deeply-yenerated and loved man. /
should be doing great and culpable- violence
| 70 YOUR WarmeSt and most sacred feelings
did not make this act OF your devotion to
his memory, and this attestation OF your
high appreciation and loving remembrance
\ of him as man, as Christian, as friend,
and as pastor, the subject to-day OF some
very special remarks. : -
The sneaker then proceeded, not to de-
liver highly-wrought eulogy, but to give
voice to the deep feelings to which no heart
in the parish is stranger-feeiings OF sor-.
row as of children bereaved Of father and
of the very tenderest remembrance OF him
| in all the characters already mentioned.
Nor in refraining from doing this would l,
said he, be letting come out before you my
own real feelings. What he knew OF his
| yenerated predecessor deepened and inten-
sified in his heart the conviction OF his low
| ing and sanity character, and OF his Or
derly, conservative, and exemplary church
manship. He had already learned some
what of the extent and depth Of the love for
the late rector; and with clear conscience
| aud sincere heart he stood there to say that
| into that love he with unfeigned and
thorough sympathy entered.
AS go down into your hearts, said Mr..
Armstrong, and hear your bereaved ones
tell how deep was his sympathy, and how
tender were his words towards you when
the strokes were falling; as'I hear those
who are now in the prime OF manhood and
womanbood tell how gentle yet how firm
were bis words OF admonition and warning
against sin and wrong when they were boys
and girls; as hear so extensive and uni
form testimony borne by you to his fidelity
and unceasing labors as a pastor: and as [
listen TO the good things spoken OF his con-
slant self-sacrifice for their comfort by the
poor and lowly-the things spoken often
times by those in tears; as / hear these ut
terances OF devotion and loving remem-
brance. not q spirit OF unmanly and unchris-
tian jealousy rises up within me, but dis
position to give the utmost freedom to the
utterances on your part, and on my own to
give an attentive ear and sympathetic heart.
While might feel that SO almost unparal-'
lelad devotion might render my posi-
ton as his. successor all the more
difficult if not the more perilous, yet can
rise to the plane Of regarding such devotion
as both honorable and beautiful, while am
all the more deeply convinced Of the neces-
sariy sanity and self-sacrifcing character
Of the one who could draw it out. lwould,
| too, be stimulated and encouraged by this
devotion to initiate the sanity and orderly
| wear somewhat worthily his fallen mantle,
and may in some degree commend myself
| to your affection.
| The text had been selected for the inter-
esting and solemn occasion not as q mere
formaity, but as basis and guide for de-
| lineation Of the character and work OF 4
true shepherd of Christ's flock. 1t harme-
nized with the symbol that had been Sc
lected for the memorial window as this har
monizes we'll with the most distinguishing
traits OF character of him to whose memory
| it is offered as a loving tribute. He then
proceeded very beautifully to deineate the
character and work OF q true shepherd of
Christ's flock and Of His under-shepherds.
| OF the work Of good shepherd he spoke
OF it briefly as including spiritual instruc-
tion, spiritual feeding, and spiritual care by
the members Of the Church, and must be
regarded as an essential part Of the work OF
every under-shepherd Of Jesus. And so it
| is virtually the charge that St. Paul COM
mitted to the presbyters of Ephesus. The
faithful pastor will give good heed to the in
struction of his people. He will labor to
have them obtain so clear, definite, and full
knowledge Of the truth Of God, and to have
them so in love with it, that they will be
rooted and grounded in the faith, and that
they will not be like children tossed to and
| fro by every wind of doctrine. He will
labor to have them spiritually fed. In their
discouragements he will carry to them Gods
promises, and when their souls are fainting
and their hearts are sad he will lead them
up by sweet persuasion and encouragement
to the Church's nourishing, Strengthening,
and comforting sacraments. These are the
green pastures in which he will make them
to lie down, and the still waters besides
which he will lead them. .@
He next spoke OF the beautiful descrip-
tion Of Christ as q shepherd in that given
by Isaiah" He will gather the lambs in His
arms and carry them IN His bosom "-and
also the words, "The good shepherd giveth
his life for the Sheep"
AS an under-shepherd, he whose memory
you would make even these walls SO i'm
pressively perpetuate. possessed to q very
eminent degree the qualifications already
spoken OF. A pastorate OF over forty years,
and this, too, Of much more than ordinary
intimacy between pastor and people, surely
well qualities a people to be competent and
credible witnesses In such matters. He was
indeed good shepherd. How many rooms
in the life and work of. this parish has his
fidelity and unceasing labor and orderly
way Of doing things built, furnished, and
left ready for the occupancy OF his success
sor! So nicely arranged and well-ordered
are all things that, said he, have scarcely
the disposition to move one hair-breadth the
smallest picture on wall. !: :l-,g..
The symbol, therefore, which you have
chosen for your memorial window must be
recognized by all as a very peculiarly fit
| ting one. 1t tells no lie in It's intention /;
it speaks forth no false praise in its express
siye and beautiful meaning. AS you and
your children's children will look upon it
Sunday after Sunday, and festiyal-day after
festival.day, the hearts utterancel will be
s.this is eminentiy appropriate aud right !"
as, underneath the figure OF the "Good
%v,1 fI,o ~