Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-17
CHURoH NOTES.

O1A ADOAA NV = @-@Se EotttnGs From City PuIpitax-Duty of
 Earnestness in Christians-Encour-
 agement to the Tempted-Other Sug-
 gestive DiscOurses Yesterday.
 A powerful discourse was delivered at the street Congregational church yes terday morning by the pastor Rev. MT. Bray. It was an earnest appeal for high spiritual liv- ing and decided work in the Lords vineyard. The church of Christ suffered when apathy prevailed among Christians and what spirit and inspiration is given the work when this apathy gives place to earnest zeal. The apathetic, 1ifeless Christian may well be compared to dead tree still possessed of it's limbs and branches, but bearing no fruit, or may also be compared to tree without sap, which speedily withers. With life in the church, with earnest, humble working Christians, self-denying and devoted Christians, the ark of the Lord moves onward and joy reigns in Christ's kingdom. With this spirit animating all the Christian churches what glorious work would be achieved and what grand movement there would be along the lines against the powers of darkness. In the evening the Rev. Mr. Bray delivered sermon full of suggestiveness and wholesome moral lessons upon the subject, Before and after the bat tie; or, lessons from the recent political con- test"
 At Calvary Baptist church yesterday morn ing the large congregation present were priv ileged in hearing discourse from Prof. E. Benjamin Andrews of Brown university on the subject, ''The temptation of Jesus. J The sermon was full of words of encourage ment to perseverance in well doing in the face of difficulties, trials and dangers such as human beings are subject to, and the exam pie of the divine master, who was tried and tempted in all points, yet without sin, was finely portrayed. The same preacher oficiat- ed in the evening
 Rev. Father Russell at St. Patrick's church, yesterday, spoke of the St. Patrick's fair now in progress and made brief but pungent ap- peal for liberal patronage of the fair dur ing the remaining days
 Rev. Father Cooney, at St. Johns church, announced Q concert to be given at St. Johns Hall, South street, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings by the McEvoy combina- tion the object of which is to raise funds for church purposes.
 Crowded congregations listened at the United church yesterday morning and eyen- ing to Rev Ruen Thomas of Brookline, Mass, a gifted preacher. On the altar table a vase of chrysanthemums of bright and varied coIors oYerfowed like fountain into shallow glass dishes on each side filled with the same bright colored flowers, while from the platform on each side of the table tall clusters of the same flowers reached to the height of the vase, one yellow, the other white The organ recital, the anthem, the soprano solo and the singing of the well chosen hymns were usual admirably given. Matthew xxiv 35 s'Heaven and earth shall hT7f xvoTd shall not nae away,r was the text. These words of life were spoken with the emphasis and clearness which marked every syllable from the speaker. The prayer, the reading of the scripture lesson and the responsive readings, like the sermon itself, were so simple, plain and clear as to fix the attention of the hearers. The permanence, certainty and per petuity of true Christianity was the theme of the discourse. Rev. MT. Thomas preached in the evening from Daniel 4-29. Rev. Dr. Dex- ter, of Boston, and Rev. Drs. Barbour and Todd, of this city, were present, also some who have heard the speaker in bis own church in Brooklne. Many stopped after the sermon to speak with him. The text was the self gratulations of Nebuchadnezzar at his own greatness in the great Babylon he had builded. A wonderfully vivid pen-picture was drawn of that great city, seventy miles in length, two hundred square miles in extent, with walls around it on both sides of the River EuphrateS three hundred feet 1n he1Sht, and streets upon them eighty feet wide, be- sides palaces and hanging gardens. A most impressive moral lesson was drawn from Gods dealing with this mighty prince in his seven years of punishment The preacher showed that similar lunacy aff1icts persons at the present day who at the same time have their senses and are otherwise rati onal. When Nebuchadnezzal looked up in prayer to the true God his senses returned and he became well. The speaker showed forcibly that all vanity and conceit and self-praise, no matter if well de served, brings punishment and shame; while if the glory be all given to God, a just anG eternal reward awaits him who achieves great good to his fellow men and himself.
 HOWARD AVENUE CHURCH.
 At the Howard avenue church last evening a special service was held which was attended by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- neers Addresses were made by the pastor and E. B. Dillingham;, of Hartford. The ser vices were much enjoyed.