The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-28
SUNDAY SERVICES.
Sermons by Prominent Methodist Clergy
men.

Sermons by Prominent Methodist Clergy
Yesterday was beautiful spring day and
the pulpits of many of our churches were hiieo
by prominent clereymen in attendance on the
Methodist Conference. We are enabled to pub
lish abstracts of some Of the leading discoarses
which attracted very largs congregations to
listen to them.
BISHOP FOSTER.
Bishop Foster preached at Pine street church
yesterday morning, from Galatians ", 81
when the fulness of time was come" After
few Introductory remarks, he said the lead
ing thought suggested is, "Iu all Gods doing
there is method, definite plan, grand result
to reach. We wonder at Gods delay in reach
ing the fiusl result. 1000 years before Christ
came, ere the fullness of time, why was not the
time of promise, the right time? We would
vindicate the ways of God from seeming arb-
trary by showing the necessity of his methods.
God is eternal, but his projections of himself
are in time. Every act has a beginning, and
its conditions must be in time and require time.
Hence all Gods doings are on.a plan Of pro.
gress forever. In spiritual matters and beings
there may not be eternity, but there is immor-
tally. Gods plan relates to an order of exslt-
ed existence, deathless and progressive forever.
If We can learn his purpose we may. in part at
least, learn his methods. We must study him
so we can see and fellowship his plans.
/. We must study his works; their design,
order and methods. This is the frst and oldest
Book.
q We must study the Bible, in which he
reveals himself, and plans of nature, provi-
dence and grace.
God is never in hurry; man is in hurry
because his time is limited. GOO works in
eternity, His plan is one that will require
eternity to work cut fully. The soul is not Gre
ated aud perfected at once. There is history
for the shining ones around the throne, OF pre-.
vious life. So with every soul, there is . be-
ginning, history before the glory. So our
text-when the time, the right time, had come,
God sent his son."
Gud's plan was to build up!a spiritual king
dom composed Of souls perfected and forever
progressing. Gods first approach to con-
scious soul ia in tie form of law; conscience,
conscious rule of duty. Law must be first and
be violated, before there can be any gospel.
That law was. and must be, very simple law,
but it puts the soul under moral government.
other laws there might have been. Mans
original perfection was the healthy activity of
all his powers before sin had disturbed them.
He did not know every thing that man has
since learned, but he did know all he Ieeded to
know, that he must not touch that tree. But
the soul 10 its powers and faculties like tree
grows from within. After he fell God came to
man with promise, one promise only, but that
was all The Bible he needed. SHE seed of the
woman, sc. From time to time as man has
"a
So man became capable of receiving it. "God
deals With Us "a sons," giving direction, sup
plying want, this while we are childreo. So
the law is our school-master leading US on, and
on finally to Christ. God adopts this plan as
necessity, for there must be capacity before he
can fill it and capacity is the result of progress
and life experience.
Originally man had not a language which
was capable of receiving the revelation that We
have. a full revelation requires q written
language 70 express it exactly and perpetusse It
exactly, This the world was without for 1000
years 1t therefore takes time for God to
make this great argument and bring this plan
to contamination. Now in His word we find
it all, see it all. When the question was asked
"What is trush?' the answer was, search the
Scriptures for they testify Of Me. Jesus also
confirmed it by miracles, thus meeting the de-
mands of prophecy. Thus we have "a sure
word of prophecy" We can stand upon Gods
plan; at the right time He came; when the
wisest men expect him. He came as God,
manifest in humanity. And He will come
again. He has said it. 1t is not noao We
know not when. 1t may be centuries first. But
de has come to us; to every believing soul with
peace and pardon proclaiming Himself ''migh-
ty TO save" He saves US now. Glory be to
God
REV. DIR. Foss.
Rev. DR.. Foss, President of Wesleyan Uni.
versity, preached at Pine street church yester-
day afternoon.
The theme of DR.. Foss was Opposite views
of death entertained respectively by Jesus and
st. Paul." as indicated in Mat. XVI, 80; John
xvi, II, and PHILIPPIANS j, %, "a.
Attention was first called to the contrast in
the views of death here disclosed. Jesus in
the garden cries, "If it be possible let this cup
pass from me" aud on the cross, "My God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me-" Paul
in prison writes to his beloved son in the faith,
81 am now ready to be offered" Sc, and be-
fore this he writes to the Corinthians "For
we know if our earthly house of this tabernacle
were dissolved, we nave q building of God,"
&c.
There are things which make death hard.
Among them are physical pain. parting with
friends, record of sin, moral impurity, an
unfinished career and uncertainty with regard
to the future. In all these respects Paul had
much which might have rendered the thought
of death repugnsut to him, while Jesus had
nothing. And yet it is Paul who welcomes
death, while Jesus prays for deliverance.
What is the reason of this contrast? The
scriptures are silent about death bed scenes,
while We make much of them. They do not
even tell Us that Paul died, but the gospels,
II. khnv al 10 awnlr Al
death of Jesus and recount all the crcum-
stances attending 1t. Paul dies for himself
alone. Jesus dies not for himself at all. He
dies solely for others, and when we consider
the nature of his sacrificial death, no wonder
that he cried, my Father, if it b, possible,
let this cup pass from me-"
With reference to the church the contrast Is
reversed. Paul wanted to live for the church
Its interest seemed to require his presence, his
care, Jesus says for the church's sake he
$40 abide in the flesh is more useful for you."
Jesus says to his disciples, sit is expedient for
you that 60 away" The church lost less and
gained more by the death of Jesus than by
hat of Paul The church gained, by the death
of Paul, one more witness; that was all. By
the death of Jesus we gain all we have or ever
shall have.
After the sermon Bishop Foster ordained G.
W. Btadee, S. Hooper, Geo. G. Andrews and
W. J. Murphy elders.
REV. c. s. ROGERS
Rev. G. S. Rogers of Boston, presiding elder
of the New England Conference, preached at
the First Universalist church, Congress Square,
ia the morning, from the text James iv, IA,
"For aohat is your lile'" The speaker in the
Introduction to his discourse referred to the
common accusation that Christians cheat
themselves out of present happiness by empty
dreams of future heaven, and said that the
real fact is that multitudes disrobe this life of
all its deep and holy meaning by divorcing it
from the life that is to come.
In answering the question of the text he
would not attempt to fathom the mysteries or
explore the possibilities of life whose origin
is in God; whose powers are from God, and all
of whose outgoings, when rightly controlled
and directed, are 10 harmony with God.
We bring as the answer for the hour, this
Life is time divinely given for the develop
ment of character, usefulness, and happiness
The speaker asked attention especially to the
first Character was spoken of first as thing
of growth 1t doesn't come to man ready
made like his clothes. 1t is not inherited like
the color fhs hair or the features of his face,