The Portland daily press., 1883-08-06
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
cAsco ST. CHURCH.

cAsco ST. CHURCH.
The announcement in our issue of Saturday
that Rev. B. d. Peck of New York, ex-State
Treasurer of Maine and formerly of this city,
would ofticiate at the Free Baptist church on
Casco street, had the effect to attract a very
large congregation to that church yesterday
afternoon. Many personal friends of other
days were present
In the prayer Mr.. Peck alluded to the sor-
rows he had experienced, the backslidings he
had known, anu the sins committed, and he
almost broke down with emotion, and his
feelings sensibly affected many in the congrega
tion The hymn commencing Amazing
grace" was next sung after which
Rev. Mr.. Peck announced at his text, I'd Peter
Isl, 10th verse. "For We have not followed
cunningly devised fables. when we made known
unto you the power and coming our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eye witnesses of his majesty"
tie gave an exposition of the passage and of
the circumstances of Peters life, by which he
was enabled to thus speak by authority: then
he made an application of the subject TO the
situation of Christian believers of the present
day. He alluded TO the great power of God
IN prayer and gave several signal illustrations
OF 1t. He said he had experienced it himself,
and II he had not he would never come here
years to proclaim 1t. In his darkest hours Of
trouble and in his checkered life he had seen
many such, he had cried out in very agony to
God for help and deliverence, and He had
heard his cry and had granted him release. In
the application of his SUBJECT to the work of re-
form he cited several extraordinary cases of
answers to prayer. One was that of a man in
Washington who coming home from the civil
war in which he bad served creditably-he
stopped in Washington, where he became A
OQmhiar q nd q drp ukar I'd he
10, so that his wife could see no earthly help.
AT last as final resort she went into her closet
and shut the door, and stayed there and pray
ed and agonized in prayer to God for the sal
walton OF her husband. When she came out of
her chamber she said she know God had
swer to it already and she felt that her hus-
band would now be saved. About that same
time Major Hall vas in gambling house, and
while gambling he said suddenly he could not
play his cards, and when asked to drink more
whlskey said no! that was not what he wanted,
he had taken too much already and would
never touch another drop, and he must go out
and take some pure air; he felt very singulary.
de did go out and strayed soon afterward into
Christian meeting, where he was converted
and now he is shining light in Washington;
and if anyone doubts it, let him go to his
church there on Eleventh street, and he will
soon be convinced.
The work of Jerry Massey in New York in res
Oulue 81 many young uulS anu girls HUH Ii prOD-
able life of sin was related, 100000 such kav-
ing been found homes and sent away to the
pure air and farmhouses of the Middle States
No wonder that the minister said at his funeral
that he felt unworthy TO utter his praises. The
work of Mr.. Van Kleek at his hospital for
drunkards was alluded to and the great work
being done by him and many others was prop
erly extolled. Mr.. P. then recited Leigh
Hunts significant legend of "Abou Ben Ad-
hem" very appropriately.
In onp n1sscs. Ar Do 81, H..
glad to be present, that he was devoutly thank
full that God has spared his life and pardoned
his transgressiODs so as to enable him to appear
once more at least before the public. What
changes have taken place. said he, since left
this beautiful city. / was here one year ago,
and walked these streets for two hours and on
ly one person recognized me, for have chang
ed as much as any OF you. 1t is TWENTY-FIVE
two years since last lived among you. Thirty
five years ago in June last preached my first
sermon in this church, and thirty-five years
next month was installed over this society,
but alas, how changed is every thing now. At
threescoie and ten, with comparative strength,
/ am with you again, but / miss SO many If
my old associates in this church Joseph Sy-
monds, Dea. Samuel Small, Dea. Charles j.
Morris. Bros. Cobb, Sargent Shaw, and sister
Body and many another worthy man and
woman who have gone to the bright world OF
glory where we shall all soon go and meet
them. If / have offended or done wrong am
could not help saying this. / may never be
here again, or see any of you more, but hope
to welcome you around our Fathers throne.
God truly bless you, and grant His heavenly
grace and everlasting salvation to you all, "for
We have not followed cunnngly devised fables
when we made known to you the power of Je-
sus Christ, for we are eye-witnesSes OF His
majesty" After the singing of Lord dismiss
us with Thy blessing" and the benediction
by Mr.. Peck, many old friends went
forward to take the old preacher by the hand
and extend word of kindness for which he
seemed truly grateful and somewhat surprised.
During the communion service which fol-
lowed, the pastor invited Rev. Mr.. Peck to as
sist, and just previous to the blessing of the
wine Mr.. Peck said, Il feel very peculiar
emotions to-day which almost prevent my at
tendance. l am surprised and pleased to see
so many of my old friends as well in this
church as out of it come forward to greet me,
and hardly dare to trust myself TO speak
further than to say that ] feel very thankful
for the privilege of speaking once more in the
church, and especially deyoutIy thankful to
Almighty God that my life has been spared
aud after many reverses OF fortune that am
able to praise Him and to speak forth the
words of truth as l have always believed them
through these many years. l indeed miss the
faces of the old friends whom once knew SO
well and we call them lost but they are not
lost, only gone before TO that better land
whether we are all tending and where it is my
prayer, that we all may meet. / recognize
hardly any of the young people in this church,
they have grown up since | left aud though
they may have heard of me they knew me
not Goddess you all, is all / can now say.
Rev. Mr.. Peck is attending the Free Baptist
oamp-meeting at Ocean Park, Old Orchard,
and hopes to be present at the conference
meeting at the vestry OF the Casco street church
tomorrow tuesday evening.
STATE STREET.
Sunday morning Rev G. II. Richards, d. D.,
OF Madison, Wis, preached an interesting SER
mon. taking for his text a part of the sixth
verse Of the fourteenth chapter of Revela-
lions, "And saw another angel fly in the
midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel
to preach unto them that dwell upon the
EARTH"
The discourse was a clear and forcible pre-
sentation Of the everlasting nature of the
gospel. The permanence OF the gospel IN
comparison with human life and natural OBJ
iects around ns, was clearly shown, and its
future power and triumph assured. II was
Gods truth and must stand. Opinions as TO
the construction to be placed upon different
portions of it may De at variance, but of the
trnth itself, it has been and will continue to be-
the same in all ages The new theology"
was referred to, the preacher contending that
there was no such thing as new theology"
but new Interpretation of the old. The four
hundred millions who have believed in the
old gospel have not been deceived, and there
is no fear that those who put their trust in 1t
will be. "The foundations of God stand sure"
The Madison Wooden Mills.