The Portland daily press., 1879-06-16

Soh ~ ID III accord With Gods reason. The re-
semDlance of Christ to man ceases with his
death. AS man he died-as God he took his
lie again. He was crucifed because of his
claim to divinity. The humble Nazarine will
be our judge and will call to the right those
VINO accept him. At the left he will place
all who reject him.
CHARLOTTE HOLMES
preached at Free Street Baptist church yester-
day morning. She has very forcible address,
which, coupled with a clear ringing voice and
manner of appearing in the pulpit, gives her
words great power over an audience. He1
custom of reading the hymns selected for the
service is very pleasing to all, few words pre-
face each reading, explaining the sentiment of
the selection.
Mrs. Holmes sermon was delivered extern
poraneously, the text for her remarks being
found in Luke, xv:2-"This man receiveth
sinners and eateth with them" The speaker
in commencing her discourse spoke of the
curiosity naturally manifested by an audience
when new speaker appears before them.
But today, as true minister of Christ can
only preach to you the cold, old story which
you hear every Sabbath, though it will be from
different mouth, and L trust you will receive
my words in a different spirit from those who
listened to Christ, as contained in the text.
Christ had met Matthew at the receipt of Gus
toms and approached him with the remark
Follow Me, and the poor man was overjoyed
at the great condeScenSOn Of one who at the
time was so noted parsonage; to show his
gratitude he gave a supper and invited his
friends that they might see and hear this won
derful man. AS ever, Christ was followed by
those who listened to Him that they might
find something to deride. The speaker showed
w q rict 10 oil inv. .fo
tions, from the lowly as well as those in high
places, to come and sup with them; and today
He is as willing as when upon earth, if we ap-
proach Him in the right spirit. Christ is no
respecter of persons. Mary Magdalene and St.
Paul, the latter of whom called himself the
chief of sinners, went to Him and were not re-
pulsed; their sins were forgiven and they went
their way joyfully, preaching Christ crucified
and His great love for them There are but two
classes here today; one is to be saved through
belief in Him, the other will be lost
through the sin of unhelief. But none need be
lost; Christ is able and willing to receive and
save all. Do you ask how He receives us? BY
repentance toward God and belief in Jesus
Christ. The simple act of being sorry for sin
is not repentance; at the same time we must
receive and abundantly pardon us. Today
there are many who realize their sinful course
as did the prodigal son, but they cannot make
up their minds to come to his manly decision
II will arise and go to my father" &c. We all
know how he was received. Instead of being
lectured upon his former sinful actions his
father at once clasps him in his arms and
gladly receives him again to his heart and
home-not as servant, but as "his son who
was dead and is alive again. Thus does our
Heavenly Father receive His wandering chill
dren again into that dear relationship that He
calls us His dearly beloved. Having returned
we must strive to feed the soul with the food
which He provides. Gods word should be our
daily food, and let us partake freely of it that
we may grow in His grace and favor, and fin
ally be received by Him into eternal life.
Mrs. Holmes preached in the evening at ST.
Lawrence street church on The Love of God
taking her text from John III, 49, The SER
mon was valuable in its clear statement of the
nature OF that faith in Christ, whereby all the
blessings of Gods great love are realized by
sinful man. 1t was listened to by a large and
deeply interested congregation.
HELEN BALKwILL
of England preached at Chestnut street church
in the morning. After the Introductory SER
vices by the pastor, Mrs. Helen Balkwill was
introduced and addressed the congregation for
about fifty minutes. The sermon was most
earnest and impassioned appeal for greater
faith among Christians 1t will be long re-
membered by those who heard it as grand
sermon.
We have met together this morning, said the
speaker, with different purposes, sins and OBJ
iects in our lives, but having one common,
definite purpose with reference to our immor-
tai lives. If we should try to forget that death
is before us, its icy hand strikes some one dear
to u.s. We are shown that here we have no
continuing city. Then the question comes,
shall we meet these friends again? Then the
Bible becomes dearer book to us, and we
find our questions fully answered. We are
told that we have spirits, souls that must live
on; that we are different from the beasts of the
field. Even the infidel can hardly stif1e the
conviction of future life beyond the grave.
Then we shall be face to face with God. We
can no longer hide our lives and our purposes.
Those who are without God fly from one ex-
citement in life to another, in the vain hope of
escaping from before his face; from pleasure to
pleasure; from politics to music. Come into
His presence now!
1t is a blessed thing to pour out our confes-
sions of sin and wanderngs, and to accept His
blessing through believing. There can be no
happiness, no deliverance for us without con-
Tossing our sins and obtaining His pardon. No
one can set down with Him in heaven, can see
His face without we are freed from sin. Heav-
en- would be no heaven with one sinful heart
there. If we have any thing unholy in our
hearts we cannot enter there. There is no
help for us in anything short of heaven. Our
friends, our earthly endeavors be they never
so earnest, are not sufficient. If we begin the
day with the intention of keeping Gods COM
mandments, before the day, or the hour, or
even the moment is gone we have broken our
faith.
There is no value in those outward manifes-
tations unless there is spiritual correspon-
dence from within. % that we would put
away these crutches that hinder our divine
progress and go on unto perfection. 1t is no
use to be church member, to wear the plain
clothing, to say 'thee and thou" unless we are
spiritually in accord with our professions
We cannot understand God by reason. But
when we have been born again, when our reas-
on is subjected to the divine influence, then
we can know something of Him. We must
first believe, just as the little child believes
We can not buy salvation with silver and gold
A price has been paid for our redemption a
price commensurate with the value of all hui
man souls, divine agony so great that the
hosts of heaven, the Inhabitants of earth were
silent in fear and sympathy Our sorrows. our
pains, our griefs were bound on Him and He
bore it all for us. Let us come boldly before
the throne of grace, because we have so great
Saviour.
VIM. A. sIMMs
of North Carolina, delivered an eloquent dis
course at the Chestnut street church in the
afternoon. His sermon was based upon the
text from Genesis 81 22-24-"and Enoch walk
ed with God three hundred years." etc. In
II: 5, we find: "By faith Enoch was
etc. Also in Jude, 14th verse, we
find another reference to him, and this COM
pletes the record of this great and good man.
We delight to read the history of great men
and to trace them in their growth from child
hood to old age, noting with interest any i'm
portant development in their career. For three
hundred years he walked with God and at the
close of his life God took him to himself-by