The Portland daily press., 1884-11-24
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
FREE STREET CHURCH.

AN FLA FVKH.
FREE STREET CHURCH.
Prof. Herman Lincoln, D. D., of Newton
Centre, Mass, occupied the pulpit at the Free
street Baptist church yesterday afternoon.
There was large audience present and they
listened to an admirable discourse, an abstract
of which is below:
The preacher took his text from Gen. 1st.
27th-"So God created man in his own image.
in the image of God created he him:"-also
Psalms, 8th, 6th-"Thou madest Him 10 have
dominion over the works of thy hands; thou
hast put all things under His feet'' He said
that We live in an age that calls itself an
Humanitarian Age' al age that thinks much
OF man and little of God. Philosophers like
Kent and Hamilton tell us that the infinite
cannot be comprehsnedd by the finite, land if
we attempt to thiak of the infinite, as we have
reason to do, we shall inevitably fall into error
and they advise us to drop the infinite
Scientific inen like Huxley and Tyndall tell
US that all the knowledge that man ACQUIRES
is that which comes to him through his senses.
and that we ought to conHne our inouirv tn
what can be seen and handled. Leaving the
supernatural world wholly ont of view.
Christian preachers even, sometimes tell ms
that the great plans of God are beyond as: that
we cannot understand the divine decraes
therefore the way for Christian men to do il
TO contne themselves to the practical teachings
OF the Bible which they can understand and
obey andItheseEgreat thinkers OF our dav do This
IS they say for the interests and advancement
OF the race and to forward human progress
Now have no hesitation in saying that
along this line human progress cannot come.
nave no hesitation 1n saying that all human
improvements come from the Divine side,
from mans relation TO God. Now, for ex-
ample, let us shut up ths Bible and take the
advice OF cur friends who would counsel us to
apply practical lines of thought and let us see
what an inspiring view we can get of man.
We fret come to philosophy. Emerson, one
OF the greatest thinkers of our day, tells us
that man is an effiuence from God. The life
OF an individual is like bubble that bursts
and Is swallowed up once more in the infinite.
What can you and get from this that will
help as to deal with the temptations of life.
Materialistic philosophers say that man is a
little finer organization than the lower ami
mails and that when man dies he comes to an
end ike the treesor the brote. I don't think
You and can get much comfort in that or an
couragement to aim at noble ends in life.
Turning from philosophy We comeyto science.
Mr.. Darwin tells us that man is q higher de-
velopment from the ape; Mr.. Huxley tells us
that man is merely form of protoplasm, Just
the same as the meat IN the turnip, and the
pith OF tree, or the muscle OF an OK are the
human brain and the human body. This is not
much comfort for you and me to think that
We belong to the lower order of beings. Turn
aside to history which gives the record of
1acts OF our race, which brings the
past before u.s. the great deeds OF great men.
Take one of the greatest historians of our
country. mean Motley. He deals with the
Dutch republic in great period. Flow zeal
GUS the great man struggles with noble lives
and deals with great principles Yet one closes
the volume as did with profound despond-
ency The men who pass over the scene
without one or two exceptions, are poor speci-
mems OF humanity; most of them were despot-
ic, With no interest for anything great and
good.
Shut up the Bible and turn to philosophy
and history, then turn to biography, and Sheir
teachings drive one almost to despair,
Let us open the Bible and see, the prospect
becomes at once cheering. We don't 90 to
Huxley and Darwin. We go to God and ask
what was man and his origin and we have the
answer in Genesis "God created man in his
own image; in the image OF God created he
him." That is something grand and inspiring.
We learn that this nature comes from God and
1t differs from the brute. The Bible tells us
that we are not only made in Gods image, but
that we are in Gods stead clothed with soyer-
eighty; that everything has bsen put under
our feet Paul carries out the idea in the
second chapter of Hebrews, that man Is not
put in sovereignty iB this world alone, but is
TO be the sovereign under God over the whole
universe.
Look at the vision pointed to us By john, on
Patmos. We look on palaces built OF pearl;
what glorious city is that. I,ol there flows
the river OF life through the midst of the city
and a tree OF life is growing on either bank
Look again: What a multitude walking slong
the banks of that river; they are clothed with
robes OF spotless white; they have crowns on
their heads, they have harps in their hands,
they break into melody. Who are they who
make 1p that multitude? Men and women
uyh itfat, 1ol
and were overcome by sin, and, filled with
penitenoe and Temorse, looked only to Jesus
"a! "a ,!sz q 81 tfi9iant % s qiaHr III - -
iought, the victory won; they have entered
into glory, where there shall be no more suf-
feriDg, no more sin. Thanks be to Goa who
has given us the Bible pointing to mans crea.
ton free from sin in the Garden aud mans
glorious destiny, free not only from sin, but
Tree from temptation, before the Throne OF the
Lamb.
Now, my hearers, cling to the Bible 1t
gives the only cheering view Of mans origin,
and the only inspiring view of mans future.
Outside It's lids all is gloomy; inside all is
bright with promise.
CONGRESS SQUARE CHURCH.
The Rev. Mr.. Blanchard preached Thanks
giving discourse at the morning service yester-
day. He gave notice of a union service to be
held by the liberal churches and Swedenbor-
gans in the First Parish on Thanksgiving dey.
ME- blanchard expressed the hope that ano,h-
er year the orthodox churches would unite in
similar service with the liberal churches and
said he should make an effort to consummate
such result.
The preacher selected the text from Paul's
epistle to the Galations, vi chapter 9th and 1Oth
verses.-an let us not be weary in well doing.
for in due season we shall reap IL we faint not.
AS we have opportunity, let us do good unto
all men, and especially towards them that are
OF the householder faith
The point made was that we ought to be
thankful for the opportunities we have for do
ing good. The household of faith is felt iu
church and in local home charities and then
the diffusion of the gospel far and wide
Among those charities which receive the ap-
PROBATION OF all good citizens Mr.. Blanchard
enumerated the following: The Portland Fra.
ternity, The Orphan Asylum, Thes Woman's
Chrlstisn Temperance Union, Old Mems
Home and Widows Wood Society. for ali of
which the preacher made an earnest plea to his
congregation advising them to contribute lib
orally towards thelr maintenance. Mr. Blaach-
ard alluded eloquently and powerfully to Pre-
fessor Stewart and his work in behalf of Iibe-
ria. He remarked that Professor Stewart was
one OF the most eloquent and highly educated
men No hed ever had the pleasure of meeting,
and that the cause he represents is endorsed bv
the most distinguished scholars, clergymen and
merchants Of America, and he hoped that
thousand dollars would be raised in Portland
Ior the purpose OF establishing the proposed
college hall in Liberia
Mr.. Blanchard expressed hopeful view for
the future OF oEr country. In concluding he
urged all ''Not to be weary 10 having so many
drafts made upon them to assist humanity, and
remember the great words of the noble aud
liberal Apostle Paul, who said that in due sea-
son We shall reap il we faint not.
NOTES.
The Thanksgiving concert given BY the Sun
day school of the Second Parish Society proved
o great success last night. The different class-
es recited texts of Scripture inspiring charita-
Die habits, and after each uiass had taken mart
they carried their contributions to the treasurs
er esr OF she SCHOOL, the suIa amounting to over
ence to overlooking.
The First Baptist Society had very large
congregation at their Thanksgiving concert:
@nich was similar in character to that of the
Second Parish
DRESS BOOTS for gentlemen, at T. e. Moselev