Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-28

| wen attended. The sermon, by the pastor,
| Pey. II. NJ. jackson, was from Romans Wilt,
! y "For we know that al things work
together for good 10 them that love Cod
The preacher said: The great lesson OF the
! DAY - belief IN and thankiuneSs for the
Divine Providence. The doctrine Of Pro-
vidence il in sar greater peril than that OF
| creation. Men can never really believe
Otherwise than that The world had Gre
a'or; hut the tendency j. to represent the
world under. the control Of its own forces
and hvs-wound up, 80 to say, and lest to
| run rs course. Over against this r. the
Christian doctrine OF Providence the doc
trine which teaches an immediate Divine
supervision and control Of al the universe.
| Tie Saviour teaches this when He tell- us
That not q sparrow falls 70 the earth with
| out the Fathers notice: and as for our
| selves, the very hairs OF our head are num-
| bered.
The preacher then took up the prevalent
ldea that Gods hand Is in only the great
things Of life. The great things, be said,
ar" not the most important things, nor the
most wonderful. Niagara Itself is not near
80 wonderful as the pulsing Of blood through
The human frame. HistoTy is only a nara
i've OF the extraordinary things in nl-
lions l;fe, but history il never true history.
The periods OF real growth in national
| NE are the resting times. but history passes
over these in silence; II win only say as the
| ChrOnicler Of the Judges. "The land had
rest for forty years" The hand Of God rs
! Just as much in the ordinary as in the ex-
tra0rdinary-iust as much in the breeze az
| ~ the hurricane, in the still small voice rs
| in storm, and wind, and tempest. People
talk OF special proyideuces, interpoSi,:ona,
and the Ike: but God is just as much in
the life that flows without ripple.
Next, the idea that Gods providence
! concerns only the good thtlgs OF life. We
! think Il is Of Gods mercy that we have
been spared thi. or saved from that. II is
10 loss OF His mercy that sorrow has come
| upon M or we have suffered some iii iaster
II We have received good. shall We not re-
| ceNe evil. The Apostle says "QH ihings
work together for good not simply the
good things Of life. Doubtless il we had
eyes to see il. the trials are the greater mer-
cies Of the two. Doubtless they "wOrk -
| better than properties. The rains, the
| deNs OF night. the DAYS glad sunshine.
work together for the good Of the harvest;
| but no less do the plough and the harrow
! and the threshinc implements.
The preacher next spoke OF the mystesi-
| ousness OF tho Divine Providence. We call
"lrowuing proyidences mysterious, bu.
! it never occurs 10 IL 10 think there is any
| thing mysterious about, let rs say. sudden
/ accession 10 4 fortune. II is all mysterious
/ but il is the mystery Of ignorance. Wearc
/ like men standing amid the confusion OF 4
half. finished temple. with is hall columns
and heaps Of marble aud granite. GO again
! when il is completed according to the de-
! sign OF the architect. when order is brought
/ ont Of chaos. We see that there was plan
! where We saw only confusion. What mys-
I terry there Is in Divine Providence arises
/ from the fact that We DO not see perfectly
/ the plan upon which God i working; bat
when the temple OF the soul j, built, the
/ Divine plan realized, we can then praise
Him withihe iull snowledge that God wa,
working all through with infinite wisdom.
| This We have now 10 take on fifth.
The past year has been one OF peculiar
blessings to oar land. God hI, been won.
deriUly good 10 us-harvcsts, opening
prO> >porty. peace. and plenieOu-ne-. Join
ing hands. II may have brought 70 some
signal sorrows. bat It sall one-ble, ing or
sorrow. The course oi event, /, I'M
der the eve Of a henehcent Ruler. ordering
all things for the good oi His servants.
We owe TO God the Offering OF thanks
Giving and praise. II We believe IN His
providence. we owe Him gratitude. Thank
fulncss l. the child OF Faith, the sister Of
Love, and the mother Of Pity and Con-
tent. Remember in your Joy those who
are in poverty or sickness. "GO your
way. eat the iat and drink ;ue weoi. and
send portions unto them Tor whom nothing
Is prepared"
After the sermon the offerings Of the
people. 10 be devoted 10 city charities.
were received.
MONUMENTAL.
The .ery,cc AZ this church was hciG IN the
large lccturc-roOm. and it W3s hllcd to
OycrllOwiuc. Tue opening service up 10
the communion was read by Rev. Robert
4. MAYO, Jr.. rOW a student at the tbeo-
logical seminary near Alexandria. and who
gives promise Of being a very able and ac-
compli,lcd minister. lie has fine personal
presence. and j. blessed with good voice
and has the art Of being a good public reader.
The choir. composed Of young ladies and
gentlemen. members OF the church, rcn-
dored good church music.
The Rev. John 4. Newton, rector,
preached the sermon. Text: Psalm cNvi;
II. u. and 13 verses What reward shall
/ give unto the Lord forall the benefits that
He hath done unto me-" &c The sermon
was one Of great power, setting forth Da-
Vid thanks 70 God for the many blessings he
bad received: and then turning the case 10
the service Of the day he drew . picture OF
our social. RELIGIOUS. aud personal bless
ings, showing the great and many bless
ingS We have received from our Father IN
Heaven. and how We should render thanks,
not only with the hps. but by our acts
in rendering practical thanks in giving OF
our means to the Lords poor in our midst.
The Offering asked by the rector wa FOR
the poor OF the parish. and wa, most liberal,
amounting 10 over Sl00. The service was
closed by the prayer appointed 10y the
Church. which j. a. follows:
go most mcrciful Father. who ha,t
blessed the labor, 0i the hu,bandman in
the returns OF the fruits Of the earth, we
give Thee humble and hearty thank, for
this Thy bounty. bescechng Thee 70 con-
tinue Thy loving kindness 20 H., that our
land may ,till yield her increase 10 Thy
glory and our comfort; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen."
IT. MARK>.
DIR. Da.mell took his text from Palms
cXNi.: /. ,: Il love the Lord because lie
hath heard the voice OF my -upplicliion,
because He hath inclined His ear urtO me.
therefore will | call upon Him a. long
a | live" The Doctor said this i
not a treatise or discourse upon prayer,
hut testimony as to it. efficacy.
David had knowledge OF God,
and he applied that knowledge IN this way
He did not reason. nor speculate. nor theo-
rize. He "caIIed upon God put his
knowledge to good account-made Use Of
| il. He received the promises and believed
them: heard the invitations and accepted.
He called upon God. lie was heard. and
the effect wds, as in the ease Of the Apostle,
he " loved Religion is the highest kind
| Of common sense. We believe we love and
we live for CHRIST, for the best and most
satisfactory reasons. We love Him be-
| cause He first loved Us"
We call upon Him and pray to Him be-
| cause He incllnes His ear. We praise and
bless HIM for His goodness and loving
kindness. To-day we thank HIM for all
past mercies. especially for the return OF
seed-time and harvest, and for the
| ingathering OF the fruits OF the earth
we have reason 10 thank Him. la
| the year past we have had sor-
rows and Affections, but in them all He
has shown a Fathers care, Fathers
watchiulness. We have had blessings I'M
numbered. How shall we thank Him
Not by bOasting OF them. not by cherish.