The Portland daily press., 1880-05-17
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.


| 1sO'' A,Ai' <AAuOioou pIcdCucu Ill luo disSA
| noon from the text in Luke xiv, 49, "And
| they all with one consent began to make ex-
cuse." In the scripture teaching we are i'm
| pressed at once with the depth and simplicity
| of the truths presented; hence we are not to
| stop with the reception of abstract truth, but
we can, and it is our duty to, apply that truth
to the formation of a beautiful Christian char
acter. The text gives us marked illustration
of tendency of human nature-that of ex-
cusing oneself from duty They all at once
began to excuse themselves. The habit
began with Adam and it remains to this day.
First, the habit is general-they all began to
do it, Again, the habit fosters ypocrisy
and self deception. 1t leads to the habit of
lying, for we are not sincere in giving the ex-
cuses. Again, it is evil because it leads to
habit of disobedience. We give our word to
meet one on a matter of business at certain
| time, and it is passed by, and we learn thus to
violate our word. SO we excuse ourselves
from benevolent giving, from attendance at
church or the prayer meeting, and so we learn
to be disobedient But we see that the excuse
Itself implies the existance of Obligation and
IN our excuse we place slight obligation be-
fore greater one. So much for the evil ma
ture OF the habit We may ask for It's source.
First, 1T has its root in intense selfshneSS.
We throw off the claims that others have upon
us and confne our entire thought and efforts
to our own selfish enjoyment. Again. what is
the result of this habit? 1t confines us to
pleasures that are transient and heeting when
we draw back from the duties which God has
imposed upon us. By excuses we omit duty
and lose the power to do or to enjoy. If we
fail to improve our talents we shall lose the
talents themselves. Again, by the habit we
lose large measures of delight. 1t is perpet-
ual Joy to engage in duty, to promptly perform
Gods work Again, we lose power-the. pow
character. How shall we apply this subject to
our own life. We are not to permit the cares
or duties of this worldly life to choke the word
OF life. People give these weak excuses and
secure brief earthly advantage or enjoyment
but in doing it they cheat themselves of eter-
nal life.
STATE STREET CHURCH
Rev. DR.. Merriman preached in the morning
from Galatians iv, 5: THAT we might receive
the adoption of sons" God has great affec-
ton for His children, in whose nature is some
what of His nature, and between whom and
Himself are constitutional ties, and He longs
to have them inherit His kingdom and bless
edness. His love prompted Him to send His
son, not only for the redemption of His child
rem, but also to bring them to sonship, which
is the true Interpretation of Adoption
The design'and object of redemption is that
we may have our sonship and be qualified for
the inheritance which awaits all who are in
Gods family.
The evening service was very fully attended
and was most interesting DR.. Merriman's
sermon was based on the 2Sth verse of the 32d |
chapter of Genesis: "Thy name shall no |
more be called Jacob but Israel" After a |
thrilling review of Jacobs experiences and |
dealings with Laban and with Esau, and his |
wrestling with the angel, the preacher drew |
instructive lessons from the following points: |
1st-Jacobs distress brought him to prayer |
2d-He was crippled before he was blessed. |
3d-Jacob's prayer was successful.
4th-Peniel is better than Bethel.
The music at State street church is of high |
order.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH. |
The Rev. j. X. Smyth preach ed yesterday |
on the second coming of Christ, taking for his |
text Mark xiii, % and 80. The second coming |
of Christ was to be known by the darkenng |
of the sun and the falling of the stars and the |
parable of the fig tree was taken to indicate |
the significance Of the sign. Three trees are |
used in the Bible to represent different |
churches; the fig, the bay and the olive. We |
believe that the Lord has commenced to come |
again. Over hundred years ago the Swedish |
seer proclaimed it to the world land the church, |
like the fig tree, is putting forth its tender |
leaves. The natural sun was not darkened, |
but the spirit ual son, the shining sun of Gods |
love, which warns and revivifies the world, |
was darkened by the clouds of false doctrines, |
the pure moon of faith was obscured by false |
beliefs, and the stars were falling before the |
attacks of materialism, but the opening of the |
seals upon the book, revealing the interior |
meaning, has brought in new heaven and |
new earth; flood of light has burst upon the |
world, education has come to the masses, and |
progress is making in everything. Here in |
our own city, very recently, a religious assem- |
bly, has almost unanimously decided that the |
time has come for new statement of their |
belief in the atonement The spring time is |
here and summer is at the door. Let us throw |
wide open the portals Of our minds that the |
warm breath Of the coming age may reani- |
mate us, that we may thus welcome the Saw |
Jour in his second coming.
After the services the church committee re-
ported to the society that the voluntary system
of supporting worship for several years past
had not proved as satisfactory as the former
method of taxing pews. and that the other
method would be re-adopted, although it was
with extreme reluctance that the idea of
making it free church was abandoned
wHITsUNDAY.
Yesterday was Whitsunday and was proper
ly celebrated at the Episcopal and Catholic
churches AT st. Lukes the chancel arch was
beautifully decorated with flo Eers and elegant
bouquets adorned the reredos. In the after
noon the children formed a floral ladder, the
highest in rank in each class adding a step of
flowers. The Sunday school is about the same
size in number as last year, but several new
classes have been formed.
At ST Dominics and the Catholic Cathe-
dral the floral decorations and gas illumina-
tons were very beautiful and brilliant