The Portland daily press., 1884-10-13
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.

MISS MERRIAM AT THE SECOND PARISH.
AT the Second Parish in the afternoon Miss
Merriam of Boston, spoke In behalf of the
Woman's Home Missionary Association. The
pastor, Rev. Mr. Daniels introduced the speak
er. Miss Merriam first spoke of the methods
of work. The society has now, after five
years Of labor, % teachers working under its
auspices. The work relates to the several
CLASSES. the Indians CT the Indian Territory
of the West, the Negroes, the poor whites Of
Texas, and the Border Mexieans. They COM
menced first with the day school for the child
rem and 30 gain access to the families. The as
ISOLATION seeks to arouse an interest in the
churches; first to form auxiliaries to the par
ent society. They seek access to the children
In order to interest them in the work. The
association sends it's publications free to those
who wsh to know of its aims and works. The
speaker referred to the Indian Territory. In
1887 the first band OF Indians taken by boats to
this region, nearly all persisted. The next
went by land and were more forum ate. Now
there are more than 70, 900 here and many Gull
tivated and intelligent people among them.
White men are not allowed to settle here I'M
less they marry Indian wives. Among these
Indians there are the greatest diversities of
education and moral culture. The wild ones
are absolute heathens, others thoroughly civil
others well furnished dwellings. Much bias
been done for them by taking some away from
home and educating them TO be teachers of
their own race; but the best method Is to edu-
cate them in their own Territory. A training
school has been opened in the northwestern
part OF the Territory, called the worcester
Academy" There are over rs Indians attend
ing this school. The Indians seem to lack
moral sense, which Is one OF the most difficult
faults to deal With among them; yet they are
QffQu fo haor ho raeua1 Tn q mr.
other class of people claiming the help OF the
association-the poor whites-or refugees from
other States seeking new homes in this region,
apparently forsaken God and man. The asso-
citation has station in this section. Their
needs are beyond expression. The Negroes,
Mexicans, and poor whites are all calling for
help from the more fortunate people of the
North, and no Christian can hear of their great
need without feeling impelled to reach forth
helping hand to their relief
The pastor followed the speaker in remarks
imploring the need of sympathy and action to
help In relieving the moral and religious wants
OF these unfortunate races.
AT FREE STREET CHURCH.
Rev. Heman Lincoln, d. D., of Newton
Centre, Mass, preached before a good sized
congregation at this church yesterday morn
ing. His text was from Psalms, 1899: 81
thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto
Thy testimonies"
Religion stimulates thought. 1t was David's
religious mood that led him to think on his
ways. The power of thought distinguished
races from each other, and as applied to life
marks the grade of civilization attained, and
occasions the different degrees of success in all
departments of life. One inference: those who
can think on religion, and those who think
and know duty, but do not become Christians,
are irrational. Illustrations were given from
the lives OF Amos Lawrence, Rufus Choate,
and DR. Richard Fuller
The sermon closed with an appeal to all who
were not Christians, to give half hour of
thought every day in the coming week to the
claims Of religion. Superior brain power will
generally win. The great aim of education Is
TO develop the power OF thought; when it fails
stimulant OF thought is the Bible;its truths stir
feed and strengthen the brain. Skeptics are
dispsraeing the Bible today, but it is capable
Of proof that the great thinkers of the race
have been men Of faith, and the great ages in
history have been ages of faith.
The Bible has done more to stimulate and
mould New England thought than our COM
mon schools, and If as some philanthropists
urge, the churches were closed, Sunday
turned into holiday, and the people sent to
the country or the shore for recreation, the
glory of New England thought would soon be
eclpsed.
Sound thinking leads to religious life The
great object of thought is to lead to wise &C.
ton in business and in public life Those men
succeed who have right principles and carry
them out to their results. The same cause is
needed in religion; first, earnest thinking, then
corresponding action. The numerous CONVEX
sions which follow business commissions or
great pestilences are due to the earnest think
ing on religious subjects which is aroused. If
there be God on whom all men depend for
every blessing, sound thinking demands that
they make him their friend. If there be Sa-
vior through whom alone men can enter hea-
ven and know its glory, sound thinking de-
man6s that they take this Saviour at once to
be their Saviour.
REV. Mr. ADVANCES FAREWELL.
The Rev. 8. W. Adriance preached his fare
we'll sermon at the Woodfords Congregational
church yesterday. He has been pastor of this
church for four years, during which time the
membership has nearly doubled After a rest
OF two weeks he will go to take charge of the
Highland Congregational church in Lowell,
Mass. Mr.. Adriance is clergyman of refined
taste, combining hearty enthusiasm with equa-
nimity of temperament and good sense and is
always courteous and affable, as we'll as digni-
fed in his every day department The house
yesterday was entirely filed, and his discourse
elected the closest attention.
Following is the text with some brief ex-
tracts of his sermon yesterday: "Who shall
separate as from the love OF CHRISTI" Ro-
mans viii: 35. Paul is always represented to
US as great separatist. Not always volunta-
rily did ne become separated, but in the end
his grand spirit always acqu iesced in the sepa-
ration, because he considered that he was led
by the hand of the great Master he so ardent
L. EtsSo pirz rxsy,
he brought up out of the great depths of his
own experience. Neither tribulatioD, persecu-
ton nor peril could take the brightness from
his faith. Above all other growth it is implied
in growing Christian character, that it grows
through the PAIN OF It's separation. 1t marks
the real difference between the weak
and the stationary, and the
strong robust, and buoyant Christian lives
that in one there is never permit given to sep
aration and in the other there is scarcely ever
day in which something Is not given up that
another greater may be done. Fields of trial
become our test points in life.
They break up our formal dreams; they rend
our hearts and make them throb; they tell us
that the world is indeed transitory, full of
beauty. indeed, of joy, of 10y to be used, but
rough hand of the captain calling to Jonah.
awake thou sleeper and call upon thy God"
1t was never meant that this should be all.
There is nothing healing in our separations of
themselves. They are not the Christ; they
are not the blood Of the atonement. Only as
sign posts pointing away from the temporal to
the eternal; only as tremendous voices, nay as
the still, small voice. saying to our cave-dwell-
ing souls, "What dost thou here?l Only as
somewhere in the same world there is the
eternal to lay hold upon, do these things,
"work out for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory" The more we be-
come attached to Christ the more truly can
we say, "Who shall separate as from the love
of Christ?'