Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-26

4 Rsanseo - the san1ay seAesb aad 1b-
ssesssy Annivsesaxy-Ksv. Or. Ever.
sssas Two Sssmess.
There were hundreds Of bright and
happy little faces thronging the gall
leries and q large congregation as
sembled in the auditorium Of the First |
Methodist Episcopal church, ON Duke |
street, yesterday, it being the missionary |
of the church and Sunday |
schools. The exercises were began in the |
continued in the afternoon and |
ended by services in the evening at which |
Rev. DR.. T. T. Everett, Governor Patti |
sons private secretary, preached the SER
mon, which he also did at the morning
session.
The morning services at 1890 O'Clock
were begun by the singing of the Gloria
by The choir, followed by hymn and
prayer, after which q cantata chorus was
rendered by the choir and Sunday school
scholars, the little ones doing their part in
a most commendable manner. Rev. W.
G. Robinson, pastor of the church, then
introduced DR.. Everett, who took as his
text the 9Th chapter, 4th verse Of the Acts
of the Apostles
Therefore, they that were scattered abroad
went every where preaching the W ord.
ing of the strange scenes which the strug-
deavors to spread the gospel presented. He
the good man by his implacable foes, for
whom, instead of himself or his brethren,
he prayed for forgiveness. They were
stoning him to death indeed, but when
death comes to be the property of disciple
of Christ it is baptized and gets another
name, With Stephen it was only falling
asleep. 1t was Stephens influence which
caused Saul to pause in his persecu-
ton of the Christians, though his
first belief was that to end
heresy was to kill the hereto, and men
of such nature are not all dead yet. Paul
was only one of many. Society in his day
was unit against Christianity, and it was
in those dark days that the disciples
proclaimed the gospel truths amidst the
worst of prosecutions. Those we're days
full of distress, baffiings and failures,
which now Christ has changed to victories
vaster than Alexander's and prouder than
Caesars. Yet with all the struggling in
those early times there was an intense
desire to propagate the Christian religion
but in these days of fierce and unpro.
voked denial of the truth we must
sometimes sit down and let God
stand up. Sometimes a season of
inactivity is needful in which higher
power will exert His strength. But we are
not formed to life of inactivity, and in
our efforts for good We must carry our
forces not only up to the very lines of tho
enemy, but take every inch of his terri
tory. True religion is what is required
that which is borpe down down by the
conviction that something must be done.
Failures to some people are terrible, but
to the disciples of Christ they amount to
nothing. Failures to them lead up to
most wonderful successes. The reverend
gentleman cited the names Of those who
battled for Christianity in early times, and
who took for their instrument of warfare
sword Of the spirit that has cut a channel
through twenty centuries of degradation
and won countless souls as its trophies.
The entrance of these early Christian pio-
neers into regions of darkness was never
entirely prevented, for some how, some
where, the sword of Christ has beaten
down the walls and won the victory. The
present necessity and importance of tho
Christian religion appears in great dis
tinctiveness. If We look at society we
must confess that the great bulk Of it is
opposed to tho divine doctrine, and we
may tell those people of their hostility to
Christ in q spirit of Christian charity, yet
they will meet US with some sort of an
excuse which is a personal reason for their
failure to follow the Christian religion.
So the world stands away from God and
declines to como into the holy places
of the church. 1t goes where
it may enjoy its base passions in wicked
indulgences. It is for this reason that tho
church is aggressive, and that she has or.
ganized her forces to 60 in aid of the
suffering and seek to alleviate their mis-
cry. For nearly nineteen centuries the
church has given its study to the subject
of missionary work, and it is now time
to find the solution of the matter. Yet it
seems that ego and spread the gospel"
is sufficient. Christ did not 60 from man
to God he came from God to man, and so
must the church go out to man. In the
first fifteen centuries of the Christian re-
ligion it included 100, 600 souls, in the next
100 years it cared for 100, ,O00, 900 more and
180 years ago, 155, ,00O, 900 were under the
banner OF Christ, while to day 400, ,OOO, 900
are under the protection of it, and vastly
more in an indirect way. Rev. Everett,
who possesses a pleasant and fluent ad-
uICoSs ClOSCu Lilo N6Iy 0OlO SCA hOu, Vi
which the above is mere synopsis, by an
eloquent appeal for further aid for
mission work, after which collection was
taken up and handsome sum of money
secured
Afternoon Exercises.
In the afternoon the church was again
filed with people to witness the exercises
incident to the reunion of tho Sunday
schools, which consisted of responsive
singing. readings, addresses end were very
interesting and highly appreciated.
Evening Services.
At the evening services at 7:15, at which
every available spot in the church was oc-
cupied, Rev. DR.. Everett again preached,
taking as his text the 21st chapter, 11-12
verses of Isaiah:
The burden of Dumah He calleth to me
out of Seir, Watchman, what OF the night
Waterman, what OF the night? The watch
man said the morning cometh, and also the
night IT ye will inquire, inquire We: return,
come
The reverend gentleman spoke of this
noble prophet of God standing amidst the
depravity of his own nation. covered with
the darkness of night. Signing, he
watches for the coming of the dawn, and
he calls to the watchman, "What of the
night?" The answer is cheering. Victory
and joy for the captives !; night for their
taunting enemies; morning for the fathers
of the church night for the infidelity of
the world and tho ,,rOmicod mOrnino