Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-26

to ny in, and capacity in man for endle..
progress means immortality for such nropress-
once more, 1t is credible because il IL the
only theory that gives US proper motive IN
moral endeavor. If there is no immortal;,v
there Is no soul, and if no soul no virtue. and
so our life is empty of all moral grandeur
but over and beyond all these considera.
I,ons point you, on this Easter Sunday. to
the risen Christ, which is as well attested a.
any fact IN ancient history. If He did not
appear to His disciples after His cruci6xion.
the change in their conduct from doubt to
exuitlng faith, from towards TO heroes 4,
without explanation. How doe. the fact If
Cnflsts resurrection affect belief in our
resurrection? In this way: His aature va.
IKE ours; death did not DESTROY Hi. soul. il
', WI not therefore yours and mine. He still
iives; so do our friends who have been taken
from US. The cage is shattered. the bird ba.
SCARED in rejoicing freedom into the broader
air.
know there is much to perplex and dis.
tress US here. But there comes the promi.e
tnat what we know not now we shall know here
after. Then the mystery shall be solved.
The repose we sigh for shall be found when
the gates of pearl swing inward for our en-.
trance before the hands of those who have
gone In before us. and who now wait To vel.
come US thither, when, then, shall open to US
the vast and bright eternity, all vivid with
GODS love, in which vision shall become ioy.
ana an immortal labor shall become to us an
immortal rest.
In the evening there was a large and in.
tefesting Easter Sunday School concert at
this church.
At the Methodist.
The decorations were tasteful, but not
elaborate, there being no floral designs. but
simply an arrangement of choice pot plants.
with few boquets of cut flowers. The mu.
SIC was by the regular qusrtette and included
an Easter anthem" This being the closing
sunday of the conference year and of full
term OF ministerial service, (three wears
belng the time limit" of Methodist minis
ters pastorate,) there was a crowde house.
Rev. Mr.. Bradlee said that he would not
preach farewell Sermon" as under the
economy of the Methodist church there was
no place for such discourse. He would
speak few words-whch were in his heart
IN reference 10 the new pastors reception,
whoever he might be. He advised the people
to get acquainted with him at once, and to
give him their sympathy and cooperation
from the start, etc. The sermon was from
Acts XII, 4-the only place in the Bible where
the word easter" occurs, Git is rendered
P"SSN'Si hOIC Ill TIC new TeSlSlOu) ana the
text was chosen to furnish opportunity
for imparting desirable information to those
who had not studied the subject, and especially
to emphasize the more important lessons Of
the day and service having it for name. 1t
Is not custom in the Methodist Episcopal
church to observe this season of the year as
the Protestant Episcopal church does, but the
wonderful events COMMUNICATED are full of
interest to all christians. Easter day contests
with Christmas the place of the brightest day
IN the christian calendar. Easter is the me-
moral OF the most momentous past in the
history of the human race. The doctrine of
the resurrection is the foundation plank in
the christian scheme; without it the hope of
man could not be ''as an anchor to the soul s"
Comforting words were spoken to those who
had been bereaved during the pastorate, and
an earnest appeal made to those who had re-
sisted the appeal of the preacher during the
last three years, to come, on this last Sabbath
of his stay among them to the risen Jesus
and feel the power of resurrection life in
their souls
At the CongregatiOnalist.
Much attention was given to the floral dis
play. A gorgeous bank of bright hued gera-
NUNS fronted the pulpit. nearly hiding it from
view, and at the right on stand, was pretty
basket of hyacinths; on the left another of
cleaning tulips. Several handsome flower
ing plants in pots appeared around the pull
pit. On the wall at the right was suspended
cross of geraniums and callas, the effect of
which was very pretty. Rev. Mr.. Skeele, the
pastor, delivered a thoughtful and able SER
mon Text: John IL, 23-24-"The hour is
come that the son Of man should be glorfied.
Verify, verify say unto you, except grain
of wheat fall into the ground and die. it abid-
eth by itself alone but if it die it beareth
much fruit" In the thought of Jesus His
glory and his death are closely united. A
voluntary death lay before Him as a neces-
sary step to the highest glory of His charsc-
ter, and to the fruitfulness of HIS life. Our
Lord thus teaches, that if we would aft er the
power of His resurrection rise into the glory
of new spiritual lite it must be under the
condition of self sacrifice. He also teaches
that self-sacrfice is necessary if we would
make our lives fruitful as His was. We must
give up something of our life in order to see
it reappear in the lives of others. Thus only
shall we know the power of His resurrection,
when we experience the fellowship of His
sufferngs
One of the pleasantest features of the en-
tire service was the music, which was spec
ially designed for the occasion. The choirs
both occupied the organ gallery.
At the First Baptist.
At the First Baptist church the pulpit and
chancel formed a perfect bower of plants and
flowers arranged in the most artistic manner.
The music of the large choir, under the di-
rection of Prof. c. c. Hunt, was very fine
and appropriate to the occasion. The sermon
BY the pastor, Rev. Mr.. White, was very
earnest and convincing. His text was "Come
see the place where the Lord lay" In the