Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-02-25
Sunday in the Churches.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Text Eze. SO, 81. IS. Thus saith the
Lord God, will yet for this he enquired
of by the house Of Israel to do i, for them.
| will increase them with men like flock,
as the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem
so shall the waste cities be filed with foeks
Of men, and they shall know that am the
Lord" This text is all example of divine So
lioquy. We hear God talking. with himself.
Soiloquy is always a striking form of
speech. 1t is of frequent use in the Bible, as
in all oriental literature. When we over
hear man sohloquizing. We get at his true
thoughts. Here God reveals Himself in
soliloquy. VIVA, is His secret thought? 1t
is, LIST, tina, Of a flock The Jews we're now
in exile. God looks at their waste cities. ard
says, Il will increase them with men like a
flock" Great numbers indicate great pros
peri'y. 2nd, Gods thought is that of
holy flock. They shall know tina, am the
Lord Not simply great numbers, but
great numbers who kHoc the Lord, and
are therefore holy. This was Gods thought
for the captive Jews-the grand oousum-
nation he planned. and il was not less grand
because It was 10 be brought about BY the CO.
operation Of men. Il will yet for this be en-
quired Of by the house of Israel to do it
for them" 1t has always been Gods plan
to have a holy aock. Holiness and great
numbers are according 10 the nature of
things Relative duties are the most impor-
tsni, and the most difficult Though we
may love God with all our heart in solitude.
II is only in society that We can love our
neighbor as ourself. 3D. The idea of
holy flock is prophec, sure of fulfllment
Death is disinregration, bu, life is harmony
One voice may indeed make melody. but the
harmony Of the new song" requires many
voices. Numbers and righteousness is Gods
plan for the New Jerusalem, aud man is 10
cooperate with Him IN carving it out.
NE iii'RiNl III ~ II.
Text Have the gates Of death been
opened INTO thee ?" Job. - Il.
JOB had been Iameniing his great affic-
tons. He had pronounced a curse upon
the day Of his bnih, and wished that ia, had
been hi. last The three friends sought 10
convince him that has own transsressions
were the cause Of his suFerinss. Blu, he
protested his integrity. and called upon God
TO witness has innocence Then Fiihu
sought to show Job his error. Blu, in the
estimation Of tie Almighty they had ali
'dsrkened counsel hy words without, know
ledge, aud henoefotth God plead, his own
cause before Job. God, method Of arru.
ment j. that Of Interrogation He plies Job
With series Of questions which reveal tb,
ignorance of the sufferer On the one hand.
and The wisdom, power and goodness Of
him who aiiiic'> the children Of man not
willingly On the o,her. Ihi. process. .a,ls-
fed Job and he complained 70 more. From
this We learn
/ That mans ignorance j., good r,a-
son fer submission 10 all di,inci, appointed
discipline. Chris, urges the same principle
when he saws, What Dc thou knovest not
now. but thou shalt know hereafter" s..
Paul harmonizes in III, uttersrce. Now
know IN part but then shal. know as | am
known" Although our faculties for gaining
knowledge are lsrgel! limited TO ihis world.
Yet We can get only a rudimental know
ledge Of the things Of this life hence how
little DO We know of the future life. or Of
the processes necessary to fit US for ,ha, life
II. let US seek an answer TO the ques-
ton in the text. Have the gate, OF death
been opened unto thee ?" We regard the
question as capable OF both a negative and
an affirmative answer. In our treatment Of
it We shall consider death ia its threefold
meaning, VIZ Physical, spiritual and e,er-
nal. We shsl regard man as on both sides
Of the gates Of death. On the outside as a
questioner, and on the inside as a prisoner.
First, We vii! consider ourselves as ques-
TONERS outside Of death, gates, and answer
the question in the negafire
Secondly. We will consider ourselves a.
prisoners inside the gates Of death and
answer the question in the afirmqtire
Christ BY bis death and resurrection opened
TO Us the gates Of thFeefod death His
triumphant boast Is, 81 am he iha; ll,eth. and
was dead and. behold. | am alive forever
more. and have the keys Of he'll and O:
death" While there was ma man 10 hea>en.
or on earth. or under the earth. that could
open the book Of revelation. or the gates
Of death. the ''LioH IF the tribe II Juia"
who is more than man hath prevailed to
loose the seals Of the book. and to burs, the
bars Of death. He hath abolished death.
and brought life and Immortality TO ligh,
through the gospel" As he ascend, the
skies he sends back the victorious message,
Behold | have set before thee an open door,
and no pan can shut il"
BAPTIST CHURCH.
Text-John l6 O. When the Spirit Of
Truth is come, He Will convic; the world ''of
SIN because they believe not on me"
1t is not strange that the Holy Spirit take.
the sin Of unbelef, or lack of confidence in
God, as His great argument with which to
bring home to men the heart piercing con-
vlctlon that they are sinners. For
lst Unbelief is the condition Of heart
out Of lchich all other sans arse Faith n
Jesus leads man TO believe His words. and
follow him. The natural outcome of faith
is holiness. The natural fruit of unbelief is
sin. Peter, warned that he would deny his
Lord. and urged to watch and pray protested
that there vas no danger and went 10 sleep.
II was his unbeief that caused his great sin.
Every other sin is like that sin of Peters.
in that il needs the sol of unbelef in which
10 grow. A man must post every item Of
wrong doing that stands upon the day book
Of his past life to the account of unbelief
ID. Unbelief is therefore ansperaJle for
all the unhappy-the terrible consequences Of
l.. /