The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-10-18

So God is ready to bestow upon the returning
sinner Believing in that love, receiving ii.
trusting to it, let us all return to the God
from whom we have wandered, and we too
shall know how blessed it is to get back to the
light, joy and peace of our fathers house
w1LLIsToN CHAPEL.
Rev. +. E. Clark preached his fourth ami
versary sermon yesterday afternoon, taking his
text from Deut. 81, 11:13 We give an at
stract, as follows:
We commence this day the fifth year of our
mutual life as pastor and people. 1t is a mile
stone in our journey, which reminds us of our
mutual relations. During the four years past
$50 have been added to the church, 16 have
been dismissed by death or. by letters to other
churches Our congregation has been doubled
each year. Our Sabbath school has never been
larger than now. During the past year 80
have been added to the church. Has the past
year been to each continual growth In spirit
ual things?
Let us look to-day at the mutual relations
between pulpit and pews. What is the right
kind of preaching What is the right kind of
hearing q? 1t is SO much easier to preach about
preaching than to preach that approach this
subject with difhdence. One of the first argu-
ments is simplicity. What is sermon? SIM
ply the holding up of mirror, in which shall
be revealed the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
How plain were his words! "He spoke as man
never spoke" Preaching should not only be
clear and simple, but it should also be inter-
esting. If there is an subject that glows with
interest it is the message of our Heavenly
Father to his sinful children. Every sermon
is to persuade men to be better, to be the fol-
lowers of the Lord Jesus. 1t should be also
true. This is mentioned last, but it is really
first. A sermon may be simple, interesting
and persuasive, but if it is not true it is worse
than useless.
Now may ask you to look with my eyes
upon your duties. First, the congregation
should be as regular in attendance as the
preacher. If the preacher can know of a GER
tainty that all will be present to whom he
would bear a message, he would prepare his
sermon accordingly. You would not like to
build house without knowing what kind of
people were to live in it. And all should come.
'Gather the men, women and children, and
the stranger that is within your gates" The
Sabbath school is not the only religious instruc-
tion which children should receive. Gods
house is a dormitory, not a quiet place in
which to reckon up gains or to plan for the
weeks business. 1t is divine service! it is
Gods wordsl Terrible words of warning!
Blessed promises
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
At the First Baptist church, Congress street,
Rev. Mr. Anderson preached from the text in
Isaiah 55:7-"Let the wicked forsake his way
&c." This prophet was especially the fore
teller of the Christian dispensation, and so in
his boob is presented the fullness of the gos-
pei message. In this chapter is given call to
return to God, and the fulness and freeness of
the invitation imposes upon all greatly increas-
cd oh CO s,,o }I,a
ness of the gospel cali places upon US weighty
obligation. First, there is to be renunciation
the wicked is to forsake his way. Second, there
is to be a conversion; we are not only to return
from evil, we are positively to seek the good.
Why are we to forsake our former way? Be-
cause our former ways are not in sympathy
with Gods ways. We are not in harmony
with God, and since Gods ways are unchange-
able, so we must change our course. Until we
change our natural course we cannot have
peace or receive the blessings that God
promises What are the announcements to
obey this exhortation? God promises to have
mercy upon the penitent We find in nature
no place for grace: nature is good to the obedi-
emit but it is stern to the transgressor. With
her is no place for pity. But with God there
is grace and He will pardon. Men desire for
giveness; and God, against whom we have
snned, will forgive. Is not this result worth
an effort to secure? When we look above we
do not see an avenging God, but we see kind,
loving, forgiving father. Then may we have
of sin.
The Rev. Mr. Nichols of Bddeford preach
ed yesterday at the First Parish Church on
an exchange with the Rev. Dr. Hill.
Mr.. W. X. Needham conducted the service
at the Young Mems Christian Association
rooms last evening.