The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-24
FAST DAY SERVICES.
Abstracts of Sermons by Or. Hill and
Rev. Mr.. Dunn.
Remarks by Rev. Messrs. wright,
Daniels and Carruthers.

Daniels and CarrutnerS.
Religious services were held Fast Day at the
First Parish State Street and st. Lawrence Street
churches.
AT THE FIRST PARISH.
At the First Parish Church Rev. Dr. Hill
preached from John viii :24-"For except ye be-
lieve that 1 am He, ye shall die in yonr sins"
DR.. Hill understood from the connection in which
these words occur that they are not an an
nouncement OF any arbitrary condition; but
statement OF cause and effect. A sinful state of
heart had led to the unbelief and that unbelef
fostered and Increased the sin. The law and
prophets required Justice, mercy and religious
humility; but pride had led to arrogance, cruelty
selfrigteousness and thus led to the rejection of
fbe One meek ana Iowly of heart. and ensured the
final ruin OF the nation. Ihls pride had been
built upon the very mercies which ought to have
rendered Israel humble; upon their having
clearer knowledge of the moral law than had
been given to any other nation. The CHRISTIAN
church had partaken Of the same m human fralites
auenty than they had put on Chrlst; In some
ages OF the church, they had thought more OF
orthodoxy in belief than of righteousness in life,
but in our day, at least in our community, new
danger appeared; equally to be guarded against:
In our avoidance of dependence upon creeds ana
rituals; in our exaltation of the spirit over the
letter, there was great danger lest we AVOID even
the natural expression of religious sentiment and
the fact that a feeling which finds no expression
is as sure to die as one which exhausts ana
wastes itself in mere words, or mere symDoIsm;
The Puritans had rejected Christmas, Easter, and
Whitsunday as completely as they had Saints,
days. Their substitutes were the autumnal
Thanksgiving, and the yernal Fast Day. This lat
it did this year in Maine, upon the day sacred in
the calendar of the Christian churcht to the mem
Ory Of the last supper, the agony In the garden,
and the betrayal into the hands of those who slew
the righteous One. Was 1t not worthy of consid-
GRAFTON, the preacher asked, whether the Puritans
had not, in their antagonism to the Established
Churches, gone too far and rejected some things
which belong to a natural and proper expression
of Christian faith? Was it not also worthy of very
serious consideration whether in some OF our
churches, at the present day, we are not neglect
ed their & Ghurb and
the ordinances OF the church, were it is true, OF
no value in comparison with justice. mercy and
as matter of fact, kept alive through Christian
faith; the Christian faith was kept alive through
permanently retain its hold upon ordinary men
without the covenants and ordinances.
AT STATE STREET CHURCH.
A union service was held at the State street
church, Rev. Mr.. Dunn of the Free street Baptist
church preaching the sermon, taking for his topic
Indifference, Irreverence, Formality and World.
liness." The following is a brief ABSTRACT
Reference was made to the need of days of ex.
animation and consequent confession and petit
tion, whatever may be the opinion in regard to
the need of an annual appointment of a day of
fasting Church life Is a 4 safe indication Of the the
of community. Unquestlonably, advance has
been made since Fast Day was first observed in
the land Some of the sins our fathers were
forced to confess are little known to u.s. but other
sins today confront us.
Prominent among these sins is indifference.
The active work of the church is left to the few.
The MANY openings of Christian work the mis-
sionary enterprises and the great social questions
are ignored by the many.
Another sin is that of irreYerence. Sacred
things are spoken of lightly and sacred places are
losing their sanctity In the regard of the people,
Many churches are made to serve the purpose at
times of restaurants and theatres. This irrever-
ence, moreover, is growing. The Roman Catho-
lies are worthy OF being followed as examples in
this matter, keeping their churches with rever-
ence.
Formality is closely allied to irreverence. Ex-
cept the heart is enlisted there can be no worth in
the service Forms are essential to all worship,
but when suffered to take the place of heart SER
vice they become hypocrisy and sin. Worldliness
IS the fourth sin OF today, drawing men from re-
ligiOuS things.
AS remedies for these evils the speaker men,
vice coming from the heart; personal responsi-
bility, each person feeling that he has an
individual work to do; and return to simpler
serving to draw attention from gr at truths.
AT ST. LAWRENCE STREET CHURCH.
The Fast Day services at this church were of an
unusually interesting character The vestry was
full, and the meeting was enthusiastic from first
to last Rev Mr.. Atkins of Cape Elzabth and
Deacon Stevenson of the Second Parish church,
offered prayer.
In opening the meeting the pastor, Rev. Mr.
Wright spoke briefly of the true design and spirit
of the days observance. He believed that all
the churches in the city ought to be open for reli-
gious services on Fast Day. There was always
service in St. Lawrence street church on that day,
and always good attendance He then referred
to the burning questions of the hour which called
for Christian thought and prayer. Temperance is
not now the supreme social Question. The Sab
bath question and the labor problem each rival it
in Importance. and each is vitally connected
pressing for attention their solution is to be found
only on the application Of Christian principles to
the social and industrial interests of the people.
Rev. Mr.. Daniels followed, speaking at length
upon mutual antagoniSm of labor and capital He
argued that the doctrine of Christian love, which
requires that every man shall think not upon his
own things, but also upon the things of others,
offers the only practical remedy for existing
His sympathies were with With aborng % % men but M they
must learn that contention for their
rights as laborers was an aim far
irrespective of class interests. The great need is
of true Christian fellowship between employers
and the employed Its the mission of the church
to teach and apply the doctrine of brotherly love-
The church is the friend of the workingman, and
it is pity when this is not made manifest, and
laboring men turn their back upon it.
Rev. Mr.. Carruthers of Farhayen, Mass, was
the last speaker. He endorsed the sentiments
uttered and commended the spirit and method Of
the Christian duty of mutual burden bearing. The
laboring man wants sympathy and Justice.
Genuine Chrlstianity manifested In the spirit and
lives of Christians and its perfect principles both
Illustrated in conduct and applied in the business
world-this is the remedy for all our woes.
So much is an imperfect report of the good
words spoken; the spirit of the meeting cannot
be reported The hope was expressed by the
pastor that another Fast Day may bring as good a
one.
CONGRESS STREET METHODIST.
In this church there will be congregational sing
ing on Easter An interesting concert by the Sun
day School will be given on Monday evening, with
appropriate anthems by a selected choir.