Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-13
A GOOD STA&T.

Installation of Rev. J. .. Rodger as
 First Pastor of the First Presbyteri-
 an Church of New Haven-An Inter-
 estfng Occasion.
 The lecture room of the late Third church was filled last evening on the occasion of the installation of the Rev. J. c. Rodger as pas tor of the First Presbyterian church of this city. The exercises were opened by Rev. Charles E. Allison, moderator of the Vest chester Presbytery, with prayer. Rev. Dr. Todd, of this city, followed with a scripture reading, after which Dr. Barbour, the college pastor, invoked the divine blessing upon the exercises of the evening and upon the new church.
 The sermon by Rev. Henry A. Davenport of the First Presbyterian church, Bridgeport, was from the text ''I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave ths increase" ''The church." said he, ''is garden set apart from the world. A-Christian grows just much as hill of corn. How Peter grew! How Paul grew! Thank God we cannot always remain weak if we wish to grow. As Pauls church at Corinth grew, so the whole Roman empire grew in Christianity. To-day to what proportions has the church of God de- veloped! The Bible is read in hundred tongues Consider that God must give the increase. Many short-sightedly stop with na- ture and consider her the source of life, but where does nature derive har vitality Man cannot discover the secret of life. God alone can give the increase. The end of the gospel is the regeneration of souls, making men new creatures in Christ Jesus. Has all the progress of Christianity been a natural
 L 1 s.-l cza of the chilling minds of worldly discourage ment beneath the grinding aoofs of oppres inclined plane drawn by power from above. Paul planted Apollos watered.' God must have his instruments. God could have brought his people out of Egypt with out human instruments. Who so fitted to plant and water the work of God as one who is redeemed himself? To have suffered and wrought with Christ! What success might not such one expect In New England the Presbyterian church has grown to be the third church in power, and the first in it's contributions to Christian charity. I saw last week new corn planter by which one man could plant as fast as three or four could formerly; but I noticed that the planter used the sarae old ruddy faced kernel. With all the inventions and i'm whatever changes we make in the form of worship it is the same spirit of God that gives the increase. To him we look for we alone can give vitality and kealthful growth to our faith" The moderator propounded to the candidate and to the church the inter- rogatories customary, after which MT. Rod ger was pronounced pastor.
 Rev. Dr. Wilson Phraner, D. D., of Sing Sing, N. Y., gave the charge to the pastor, commenting to him Paul's epistle to the preachers of the early church, t'Magpify your office" Said he: 'sThe Christian min ietry is apart from other professions. Its servants are called of God. You are the ambassador of the King Jesus in this voca- ton. In regard to your duties and respon- abilities in connection with this church, if God has given you good health, cherish it, but don't be too careful of it.
 ''I would have you earnest, faithful and industrious. You will meet with enmities. Fidelity to truth always brings them. Peo- pie will ask unreasonable things of you, but be patient, for it is not as unto men but as unto the master. But especially I charge you not to neglect your own spiritual devel- opment. So will you be more successful and happy in your work"
 Rev Dr. J. Aspinwall Hodge, of Hartford, delivered the charge to the people. ssRela- tion,' said he, involves obligation. In all the relationships of life there is an ought that binds all the parties related Between father and son such an sougIe exists. Sc be-