The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-06-18
CuIIDR E\S DAY.
Interesting Services at the Methodist Epis
copai Church.

Inc children or the VI. II, nitTtu NibidI II
school of this town, after a long season OF
stormy and chilly weather, dawned clear
and pleasant. with an atmosphere invigo-
rating and hrariug, and everybody seemed
inclined To be ont OF doors. When the honr
for morning service arrived, the church was
filled with the sunday school children ana
their friends, all eagerly Teasing, their eyes
upon the attractive floral decoration dis
! played. The pastor, Rev MIR. Avery, enter
tanned the children, As well as the otter por-
ton OF the audience with an appropriate
and interesting sermon. The tiorai display,
though not so elaborate As on former occa-
sious--on account of the scarcity of flowers
this season.-was very pretty, good use hay
inw been made of what material they had.
y large floral harp displayed in front Of the
pulpit stand was very much admired: also
the star suspended in the alcove. ON the
wall in the alc0ve in the rear o. the pulpit
in large floral letters, appeared the words
Praise the Lord" From each side of the
chanccl arose a floral column, aud around
the arch OF the pulpit was draped Il very
pretty floral rope, while around here and
there and every where were scattered floral
baskets, bouquets, rotted plants, etc, in
prottlsi0n. The whole effect was striking
and The taste displayed highly compliment
ed. This display was the handiworll of a
committee OF lady teachers OF the Sabbath
school, Ecadel by Mrs. Lucy Litzenberg,
Mrs j. +. Alexander. Miss Jane T0rherr,
the Misses Walmsey, assisted by Il number
Of others
The main service of the day was held i'll
the evening, which was set apart for the
childrens service especially. Long before
: o'clock, the hour fixed for the beginning
of the service the house was illed 10 its
utmost capacity, fully six hundred persons,
4 including the sabbath school. being present.
The children of the school, with their teach
erS, were seated in the front pewS, and the
remaining pewS and the galleries given 10
the audience In the absence of the Super
intcndent William Tofbert, Esq, who was
unable to be present +. \. Ellis, Esq, was
called to preside. The service was opened
10y singing by the school "our Glad ,Iubi-
lee" and prayer by John Perkins, Esq.
After another song, a Hand Full Of
Leaves" by the school, Miss Helen Gilling-
ham, Il young amateur eloc",oniSt, recited
in her USUAL effective manner 1.-The Last
+ Hymn" which WAS received with marked
signs of enjoyment by the audience. and
had the place been other than it was no
doubt but that she would have been greeted
with Load applause. The infant class then
sang Il very pretty little song III a remarka-
blv creiitubic manner, which was followed
hv a solo, oft is Well with Me-" by MIS-
Eva Perkins, assisted by Misses Maria and
Fanny Jones. This is very pretty piece
and was most effectively rendered Then
followed the Grafton Of the occasion, 10y Geo.
y. Bake, Esq, OF the Elkton bar, we'll
known and popular sunday school worker,
who for half an hour held the close atten-
ton of the audience, both old and young.
We give the following synopsis Of his adj
dress
In all ages the higher instincts ui men
have taught them to rise above the earthli-
ness OF their natural condition. The writ
ingS of poets, moralistS, historians, and phi
lOSOpherS have abounded in the theories OF
moral utNtloptltnt lbf Tue NDiIS. ne ilit'i
read in y newspaper that certain critics
claim that they have not found i'll the sun
day school system any one Of the powers
which have aided i'll the advancement Of
modern society. If this criticism is true,
how empty and vain has been the work
OF II hundred years. But is il true" No.
lie claimed for the sunday school that it is
the most perfect SYSte6, of moral training for
the youth which the world ever saw, be-
IT. nj, * ia, hri NIL he
troll OF the conscience. The conscience is
above the passions, the reason, and the will
placed in mans soul to pronounce upon
his acts as right or wrong. Those inStitu-
lions have brought men to the highest Stages
of development, which have brought them
To Il realization of this. Human nature has
in revolutions, etc, throbbed and pul>ttrd
for light. Moses struck bare the conscicnCeS
of Israel aud laid upon them the obligations
OF the moral law. Luther, Knox. and Wes-
! ley asserted the supremacy Of conscience.
: Why wait, however, for men to be raised
= by great revolutions from their blindness:
: The wisdom and goodness Of God are riSi-
Bile i'll the Sunday school, Ivy which the
! young are aroused to moral life. But what
would the critic substitute" Education.
/ Well enough, but how far Mans nature
is threefold, moral us we'll as physical and
mental. Harmonious law runs through
these sides OF his being. But of what avail
will it be if he discover all laws, but know
not when he olfends? Hence lie has pain to
warn of otienseS against physical laws in
sanity of otienSeS against mental; and the
/ conscience to warn of atfeuSe against moral.
, Those systems Of education are defective
. which overlook this last truth. Hence all
+ education must be made Il means i'll this
4 law to the production of Il race of CenScien-
tiouS men and women. But the sunday
school teaches that the conscience is placed
in the soul to speak not its own law, but
the law of God and that the natural con
science is perverted and needs to he enlight-
ened by the spirit and word of Cod. The
standard of right by which it judges must
he not what mans will may frame, or the
regulations and customs of society set -,
hut what the Bible shall name He urged
the necessity for living a practical life ac-
cording to the teachings Of enlightened con-
sciences. that thereby the darkness of the
human heart may be dispelled. The Sun
day school teaches that the conscience was
placed i'll mans soul in mercy to warn him
of impending judgment, and that only
thrist'S blood can make it clean and man
tit to meet his God,
At the close of the Grafton, Il half dozen
little girls of the Sabbath school sang
pretty little song-the title Of which we
failed 10 catch, (which greatly delighted
all present, the little ones seeming all the
time The most popular. Miss Dillingham;
then rected, in a very touching and pa
thetc manner, Rock of \ @es," which was
followed by another song by the school.
" We are More than Conquerors. Then
followed Il ceremony, common 10 all Nethn-
distic gatherings, 1.-THE taking Of IL colec-
ton, - which was done by several members
of the school. after the manner ot old veter-
ans.
On motion Of f. A. Ellis Esq, chairman
vote of thanks was rendered Miss Gilling-
ham and Mr.. Blake for the acceptable ser
vice rendered, when the exercises, at 81 =.
o'clock, concluded with another song by
the school, con to Victory" the doxology
by the entire congregation and the bencdic-
ton by Rev. Mr. Layticld and he audience
dispersed, highly sratilled with what they
had seem and heard
The collection taken at The t%o .erl ices
morning and evening" amounted to the snug
sum Of $1,000 which will be appropriated
partially to the educational fund of the
church in general, and partially to the pur-
poses III the Sabbath school.
The musical portion of the service was in
charge of Mr. Henry Ninsinger who ham
died matters in his usual energetic manner,
and Miss Ella !ort presided at the Grgan.
We have but one criticism to ina l,e, and
Il, 81, =