Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-19

lower down in front of the pulpit high breastwork was raised for reading desk, and outside of this stood the Lords table, which
 the priest never approached except on com munion Sundays. recessed chancsl was
 rarely to be seen, and, where g surplice was
 worn the clergyman generally passed the whole length of the church or sank away into basement to reach the vsstry room and change it for the black gown to deliver his sermon.
 believe that those of you whose personal
 recollections cover the major part of half century will recognize in this picture some of the principal interior features of St. Paul's church as it was originally built. The plain, plastered ceiling, the pulpit against the wall, the desk of high breastwork and the vsstry room below were all here; and so perfect were the arrange l ments thought to be, that back in the country | where land was cheap and sold by the acre, parishes in erecting new houses of worship patterned after this church even to the gloomy and inconvenient vsstry room In the base | ment. Then when pulpits of considerable depth and an immovable sermon board were constructed with reference to tall clergymen, | the short ones suffered and had to be propped up by temporary expedients to bring them
 into commanding view of the congregation. remember somewhat 1udlcrous incident which occurred in this very sanctuary at one | of the annual conventions of the diocese. A | rector from Eastern Connecticut, slender l and of moderate height, had been appointed, ! and had promised to preach the sermon ln
 the evening in behalf of the Society for the ! Promotion of Christia Knowledge. It wRs | bsfors the day of railroads and rapid travel, and owing to some accident the stage coach was delayed and no little anxiety was felt lest | he might not arrive in season for the service. The congregation had well nigh assembled, and substitute had be0n selected to take his 1 place, when he hurriedly appeared, prepared | to fulfill his appointment. No thought had | been given to his comfort in presenting tho sermon, and az he ascended the pulpit, pssring | scarcely above the brsastwork, smile want
 over the faces of the people when, in fine | tenor voice, he named his text: By whom ] shall Jacob arise for he is small"
 l Unless 1 had been cognizant of all your l subsequent history I should hardly believe l that the church where I ofhciated as deacon was now the beautiful one in which we are gathered, with recessed and spacious chsncel, | the Lords table reverently exposed to view, \ the pulpit and prayer desks conveniently and properly placed and all innsr adornmsnts and annsxes varied and complete. If ''the hands of Zerubbabel laid the foundation of this l house" it has been your privilege to finish it aud to bring forth the hsadstone thereof with Ehoutings, crying, ''Grace, grace unto it, Let me not be thought in anything have said to undervalue tho work and faith of our forefathers. They did well, and merit the tribute of grateful remembrance. But each generation, DCSh or clergymSn aDd laJInon, has its own duties to discharge, and the good women who are ever ready to enlist themselves in the charities of the church must fad their best reward in the service of Him who hon. orsd one of their sex in the days of his humanity with ths blessed commsndasion, ''She hath done what she could" There Is no law of entails-never think there 1s-by which we may leave to others the fulfllrnent of religious obligations that properly belong to us. As things now appear, those who take our places hereafter will be sure to have enough to do not simply in supporting and extending the church and her institutions here in New Haven, but in spreading the true light of the gospel in the dark corners Of this and other lands. We may hope for blessings when we arc faithful in worship and duty.
 Prayer and praise," says Bishop Horne, commenting on the text, (which by grace are will certainly return in the benedic- tions of heaven upon our souls and bodies, our persons and our families, our church and our country like the vapors, which, exhaled by the warmth of the bowels of the earth, mount upward l showers, causing the little hills to rejoice and ! the valleys to laugh and sing"
 If you say to us, my brethren who serve at | the altar, stLift up your hands in the sanctu- ary and bless the Lord," we may give ' back the response, as did the priests of old, 1QS 1OL0 LuAs uao0 AS5ES4 d40 eeA LII SASs0 thse out of Zion" Let us as Christian congregations rsjoice in each others prosper I ity. Let us, one and all, sse that we fall not behind in our duties to ourselves, to society and to the church. Let us remember the day ! and the land in which we live, and do
 what we can to make our parishes and the city where we dwell better for our connection with them, better for all our charities and \ sacrifices and self. dsniAls. By every sign the Lord hath given s'the night cometh when no ! man can work"-the night, but it is the true | day, if we have been wise and done right ! eously. Now therefore and svernlero lift \ up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the | Lord the Lord that made heaven and earth \ give thee blessing out of Zion"