Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-01-01
CHRISTMAS IN THE oHURoHigs.
ST. MroHAEr's CHURCH.

church at p. NJ, and sang their Christmas
carols under the direction Of Miss Brasor.
Following the church service came the annual
parish festival at Crosby hall, where gifts we're
distributed to the children from gaily-decked
tree, and one.sct drama in three scenes was
presented, with the following cast Of oharao-
ters
MRS. BARR..................... DAVID WILLARD
ktrrlE BARB .Oorneuh Devens
OLhAhhfIA BARR. ss''.....s.' Evelyn manley
MRS HEDDtNG. Annie Wilson
ALICE MAUD SMYrHK. ...............M Minnie Quttner
BRipoEI ''.'.'.......; ..........'..Mai Mendon
Mn. ALoERNoF SMYrHE,l '''''''''''' "''i' 0'''''
Every part from that Of Mrs Barr, the
widow who had two manageable daughters
and knew how to run a boarding house on a
strictly economic basis, to that Of lice Maud
Smythe, the enfdnt terrible, was remarkably
we'll taken, and the young actors fully deserv-
ed the hearty applause they received An
impromptu feature of the program was Tue
appearance, In a recitation and cong, OF wee
Miss Charlotte Kidder whose performance
quite csptivated her audience. Refreshments
were served, and the festivities closed with
very pleasant dance.
THE CENTRE CHURCH SERVICES.
Rev. @. o. Day at the Congregational
church preached from Luke l., 10, IL, on
1.-THE Relation OF Prayer 10 Spiritual VISION.
There are two ways, be said OF viewing God
and truth. The cold, rational, abstract, for
NAL way, which would be insane or inhqmah
| toward a mother or child and ought 80 TO De |
held II toward God. But there is another
way the deep, vivid, feeling look into the
living truth or God. Such spiritual lnsiBnt
into spiritual reality is the need both OF priest
and people. The minister must have an or
der of his course" the round OF work, BOOKS,
visiting. But what is that worth without the
vision What is the altar without the angel
He must have hours when the mystery IL IN.
minous and the veil is rent. He must De
prophet. He is ordained into spiritual sue
oession to be a man of insight into COD
Such also is the need OF the people. Inc
"praying without" the endless serVleek snu
forms would be irony indeed II nothing came
of IT, Think Of it-prayer, but no God
Form. but no life Never a realization OF
what we say and do. Life would not De
worth living, for there would be the sure ran
. back into atheism, aud that is the ruin OF 30
ciety and suicide Of man.
a Nv succession Of signs given ut CRISIS
9 times through the history OF reVelauou' anu
Q nv the resultant spiritual disoernmeut OF
g a1ostles. this vision is offered TO men. God
10 training aims at this, and all is summed ny
l. In The incarnation of the Divine Son IN Jesus
ss Christ He is divine life and truth made Wis
To ible that mems spirits may be taught 70 SO
le tbinos inyisible. God draws near IN frau an'
IN diving man, that men may look at the 'hing
v. unseen and eternal, The WORD PECAN ssSNaui
20 flesh and dwelt amongst US, lhd we oehdi
., His glory"
at What has prayer to do With in Preyer
We the human side OF communion with God
re aud God presents Himself to prayer. Iher
'tn is q causal relation between prayer snd Vl'
"e ion The people pray the vision comes
Prayer is the swinging back OF the Ioor 0
the soul for look into the deeper spritua
is reality in which we ''live and haye FUR be
mn -, - -
q ascent to God. The richest spiritual expert
mt ence is the proof Of this Trial verife
to the divine power But the prays Of tn
IDS people availed for the priest. Why He
he a corporate part OF them. The spirits give
I'D 10 the church. Evidently his visi,n mus
he depend on their prayer. They slpuld an
of must pray for him, therefore, tina be ma
ra- see God and declare him in lifting wa,
Of Yet they too shall have the vision Pentt
nd cost is their prayers full answer.
i've Consider. finally, the effects wrouRl
Jo- through vision. For the minister power {
H. utterance. II he be dumb, like iaoharia
ra- that shows his responsibility. Bot after al
c. good preaching Is made in the heats Of Il
the people. Their deep experience makes II
D." simple story mighty power. Pastoral poy
asst is his also. He is butthe embcdment ,
dr. their experience. Their prayer aowsbin,
isk and he carries the rich treasury the con.
nto mon life to all homes aud nfeds. So. too
om their power results The chlrchA PRAYING
81 church ''the prayer and be vion"-that
IL is the way we talk Of the ever at Beth
The lehem long ago. But nSE Ctist would
by seem to walk on earth sgah Tat sums it
old up. The church gives hfsslf 70 prayer.
to Spiritual insight comes. his is eraby an
en-. incarnation the Spirit of Christ n the Body
ine of Christ. Christ is ane intheTorld, heal
his ing, comforting, blessing. Mt anew Christ
rye but the same eternal Son of God who once
me was born Of virgin, ami vac now comes
OPP again in q new gift, through htiisciplss, OF
the incarnate love, sacrifice and salfta
the The church was appropriate decorated
os- for the occasion, and a ohort choir sang
ere Christmas music at the mornina ssrvics. In
an the evening Sunday school corer was Civ
a'e en-, with the various parts selecta and rang
the ed with reference to the Ohristeas festival.
90 THE DAYS CELEBRATION AT THR kJNDERALIsr
n CHURCH.
tad At the Universalist church The msic at
the morning service was chose with refer
I'D eHpe to the Christmas season. The Astor,
at Rev. E. w. Whitney, preached upoif'Th
me Christmas Prophecy" from IukelL, II.
fol- This shall be a sign unto ytn." hseem-
TIA ingly small causes, he said gsat redts ara
on often involved. The gigantie.ree itil germ
pit within the nut, the egg prophecies 'h4 brill
'ol- liant plumage and exquisite stng OF hN hndI
,as By the landing of the Pilgrims thaif iues
of America was foretold. while tbs birth o
Christ was the token Of new 81 Of ligh
and life.
10 1. Clearer aud more spiritual though
A., a.. came to the world by the advent i Christ
"a In the dreary details Of the Talmt, in use
"a less quibbles about unimportant points, il
NJ empty rites and dogmas the rabbit were alb
h. sorbed. Jesus with wonderful fore and in
"a sight spoke Of the practical dutk of life
"a a OF repentance, justice, mercy, sy4athy ant
si love. How wildly he revealed Joe laten
w. possibilities of the soul How trongly b.
"a depicted the unrest and condemnt ION in tn,
~ sinners heart How plainly he bought lif
49,. and Immortality to light Too SO j. the clear
~ ness Of Christian truth was ecbsed by pa
gan errors. The fires and tdtures Of
~ heather hell were substituted tr the mora
rs discipline of Christ conformit to creed
=" and councils took the place OF be Christian
spirit and life. To-day, tha8 God, al
rec branches Of the church are refining TO the
ST. plain teachings of the Bible, nh made dog
the mas are less insisted upon, and there is ev
,Sn erywhere growing liberality Of thought
tier This process will go Oh until ID future reli
as gious thought shall have a deph and spiritu
ny ality akin to that of Christ
In ?. With the birth of Jesus hee has also
or dawned a broader philanthropy, Before tn,
III Christian era prejudice and hated were dom
inant. Jews, Greeks Romans bsed eacl
StHSAt anu every EhllOu was uiNldet INTO rtNd
M classes. Christ rose above thess petty bar
ii riers OF birth and creed. Between the Jev
ISL and Greek the bond and free u made n
I'VE distinction. He was the friend d publican
ne, and sinners. The poor, lame, blind, sin
di- sick of any nation never appealed to, him il
iis. vain. His followers caught the sape spirit
his In every succeeding age they lave cared 70
The the widow and orphan, the si1s5 inhrm, aged
at with Christ.lik tenderness 'Iihe increasiIl
Ell charities OF the present day srikng, believe
CHI from the growth of the snili of Christ il
zen the world. fHt
lss 3. From the Nazarene tS faith of me
has received a wonderful ID hulus. Hevt
ks has humanity been entireh, evoid o. rel
or gion. Man has a spiritual 1 are, and 10 Il
ist rudest ages has been forced believe in II
oh unseen and eternal. In " gan religion
i there are many foregleamsH 1 ChEktanit
in BY his fuller revelation, hon. or, Christ ga
al. to the race a firmsr faith in I'D, duty 81
he Immortality. With his adv 1 ii tkqold feS
"a and doubts vanished, as thea tht - fees
the rising of the sun. Our N ~ sure a