Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-19
DIR. ROGE AT THE OLD MARKET
Surec.,fuI Resumption of Ills SnndaJ-N.gh'
serylces.

Surc,s,fuI Resumption OF Ills SnndaJ-Ngh'
servlcts.
Ii will be remembered that the in
terestiDg services conducted last year
by Dr. Hoge in the 0ld-Market Hall
were abruptly brought to a close last
May by an official announcement that
the building was unsafe. Since that
time the bricklayer, the carpenter, the
glazler, and the painter have been busy.
and now the old unsightly, lOng.dlsused
room has been transformed into'a place
worthy Of being termed public hall.
Upon the completion Of the improve
ments recently DR.. Hoge, losing no time,
entered at once upon the work of max
ing the necessary arrangements for the
resumption Of the services. And it was
with pleasure that those who followed
up these services last winter, and noted
the yigor with which DR.. HOge pursued
the enterprise, read in the papers Of last
week that he would begin anew the ser
vices on the following Sunday night.
On the opening night last year, as DR..
lloge rose to begin his sermon he said /:
"When | came down here tonight |
didn't know whether | would find a
hall Of empty benches or not, and |
cannot but be highly gratiied to see
these seats filled with an attentive and
respectful audience
The Doctor could hardly have gone
down last Sunday night with any such
feeling of uncertainty after the eager
reception he met with last winter from
his Old-Market constituency and the
steady interest with which they gather
ed around him through the whole sea-
son. Nor was he disappointed. For
although the streets were wet and slip
perry, the seats rapidly filled up, and
by the time the Doctor came in the
ushcrs were robbing the choir Of chairs
TO accommodate the people who came
from every section Of the city.
The choir also turned out in full force
despite the short notice. a nuEber Of
the Moody selections were given by
them while waiting for the regular SER
vices to begin. One Of the most enjoy
able features Of the music was a solo,
" Even Me-" finely rendered By Miss
Dora Denzler.
As on last year the choir was led by
cOrnet and organ.
Promptly at O'Clock the services
were formally opened with the hymn,
All Hail the Power Of Jesus Name"
The congregation had been supplied
by the ushers with printed slips con-
tanning the hymns for the evening, and
everybody, choir and people, sang with
a spirit worthy If the grand old hymn.
DR.. IIoge then took for his text the
sermon of Peter on the day Of Pente-
cost.
1t would be idle to attempt
in a limited space any reproduction Of
the Doctor discourse. Suffice it to say
that it was pronounced to be one Of
the very best ever delivered by
him in the hall. In enforcing the
teachings Of his text, he said as he
looked over this hall he recognized the
faces Of many whom he saw the first
night he had ever preached there, but
he might look long and in vain for
others. They were not there, because
they had been called to their final home,
and all that was mortal Of them lay
buried in the cemetery. His power to
reach them was forever gone. 1t was
a blessed thing to be minister Of the
Gospel; it was an awful thing
as well. lie felt responsible for those
to whom he preached but be hoped,
should he hear this week Of the death
Of any Of those now present, he should
feel that he had presented Christ 50
plainly tonight that nobody could fail
10 understand.
The Doctor persistently adheres to
the old-fashi9ned plan OF preaching
Gospel sermons" both in his own
church and outside Of it, and yet his
manner of doing so is always new and
varied. His originality consists no less
in being unlike himself than in being
unlike others. lie held the strict
attention Of his hearers on Sun
day night to the close Of his forcibe
discourse, and it was evident that the
people were only waiting for the op-
portunity to sit under his teachings
orce more. Many Of those who regu-
larly attended last winter came up to
him after the close Of the meeting and
expressed their great qualification that
the commencement Of the services, to
which they had looked forward with
such pleasure, were now an assured
fact.