Connecticut western news., 1879-02-05
The Sunday Sermons.
AT THE CONGREGATIONAL oHURoH.

AT THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
 The sermon at E ,st Canaan was on the sacraments. The Roman Catholic church has seven sacraments, ,-Baptism, The Lords Supper, Continuation, Penance, Ex tr, me unction, Ordination, and Marriage. The Protestant church distinguishes be- tween an ordinance and a sacrament. w. have ordinances of worship, but only two sacrAncnts. There are tbree views of the Lords Supper. The extreme low regards it as a memorial service, like the celebration ot an anniversary; the extreme high re- gards It as a mystical and miraculous rite; the middle unltes the two, and regards It as commemorative, and at the same time as appointed and as bringing very near the un- seen Chlist. Baptism Ihe other sacrament. ;marks the initiation. into the visible church. No mode is prescribed, and the children oi believers should receive tha rite.
 AT THE METHODIST CHURCH.
 E At the M. E. Church the sermon WAS from Matthew, V, l4-l6!h. Tue speakeI showed first, that Christians were '.Lights of the world, that it was their duty to re- fleet the light which they had received; tha, when Christ shil es into the heart of a! man or woman He intends that the light gwen shall be reflected. Several reasons were then given why Christians should let itheii light shine; the principle one Leing the one mentioned in the ext,-Ihat God may be gloridrd. The ways and means hy which this is to be done were briefly referred to, after which the speaker tried to impress up- on the congregation the truth that dU could shine for Jesus, that there were none so feeble. none SO poor or unknown that they could not do sOnaething tor him. Lamps do not talk. but they shine. A lighthouse makes no noise, but it shines and cheers the mariner.
 "How far that little candle throws its beams.
 So shines good deed in naughty world"
 Some of tue most powerful forces in the universe are silent forces. Such is the power that binds the particles of our globe together, and prevents It from crumbing into atoms. So of Christian influence, si-
 lent. tut On how powerful. How much power m word, an act, a look. how they may shine fur God. And this light will not go Uut with our lives. It is said of Abel
 Gle being dead yet SD :aketh." Abel was no sage, no poet, no cOnqueror, only shepn; I'd watching his flock. IL is true h. was a martyr, but the apostle does not as- crlbe his immortal influence to that, but i, was his life of faith that shone on alter h, was dead. The light which Moses kindled by his life, did not cease to shine when that life Went out on the top of Nebo, but It is shining still. The faith of Abraham, tn, patience of Job, the love of John. the works Of Luther, of Wesley, of Calvin, art lights that will shine upon the world for eyer. Sometimes Christian parents ar al most discouraged because their children art not converted, and think their prayers and labOrs Tn vain. But you are not to be dis c cyuraged, not to doubt God, Your work mt ;y ua;o Vr,1r (lhriofiap lifG xu ill h., a light to them after you are dead and gone it will be remembered, and will lure them heavenward. Longtellow in one of his poems bids you stand on the green sward and shoot an arrow in the air. You watch it's flight upward, but it falls so swiftly that your eye fails to mark its, resting place. You search for It and pronounce it lost but years after as you are wandering over the field, you find it sticking in an aged oak. It was not lost. but has made an impression that you cannot tfface. So with your work for God. Long years may pass be- fore the results are visible, but it is not in vain. A light has been kindltd that will shine when you are dead and gone, and your Father m heaven will he glOrlded.
 AT CHRIST CHURCH.
 The Rev. Elisha Wbittlesey preach d in Christ Church on Sunday last, from tht 29th verse of the 9th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark. And H, said unto them. thls kind can come forth by no,hiut but by prayer and tastirg." The alvin, RedeemeI--he said knew the power ot evil in men There IS therefore no sym uathy with sinners like that of tbe Re deemer himself. The narrative of which tn text is part, reveals bO h this kn W ge and ,hls sympathy which is the result uI His clear insight into mans nature. The | preacher then proceeded to show the | course of Christ's actions. First, He de | tectS and dt fines the evil, shows it's kind. | Sec nd, He shows tbe means for it's cure, l ''P ayer and fasting 'Tbird, He heals the | infirmity by His power. We learn from | the method of Christ what course to pur- l sue with ourselves. First, to learn txnct- | ly and define what kind of sin has power | over us. We must needs find out .1h l sin which doth so ensiiy beset us" Al l evil is of single genus. hut that is divided | into many species or kinds or classes We | must find out what particular klnd ot evi | and sin has power over us. St cOnd. W. must recognize and HSe the proper remedies. ! These are prayer and fasting. Whether ours be sins of the mind as envy, ambition and avarice, or sins of the flesh. the in diligence of bodily appetites to excess; both kinds are cured by earnest persistent prayer, ank self denial, restraint of sinful tendencies of mind or body, as the case may be. Unless these remedies are ap- piled, what may seem little sins now may gain complete mastery over us, and finally overthrow the whole of the better nature n ms.