Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-12-03

as the herald OF ChrlSt, as a white
robed messenger from heaven to earth
to proclaim peace through Christ from
the curse Of the law; peace to the
troubled conscience peace to the soul
tossed with tempest and not conforted
/ peace to the surging, restless, strug
CLING world.
1t is true that you have sought t,
give expression here to those attributes
which must preside in every sanctuary
Of the Most High, and which gird
with strength the salvation We pro
claim. In the enduring marble quarried
from the store house, where in the
hoary ages past it was laid up by the
eternal God, you have d memorial Of
Him who is the same yesterday, today
and forever. Remembering His maj
esty. you have given what you could Of
subimity to this, His habitation. In
clustering together "the wealth ol
wood and weight of stone, the strength
of iron, the light of gold, you would
give some faint gIimmering of His
exuberant wealth. You walk beneath
these vaultIng arches as through the
arched aisles of His own forests, where
between their sprea ling boughs you
behold the blue of heaven and the
glenn us of golden stars. These
pointed arches, there is no repose in
them. They are all aspiration they
point to God, and beckon you up.
wards, whore Christ dwells, where
JOY is full and pleasure is eternal
Bat all this is not the Gospel. Be.
yoni and above it all this Church
must tell the story Of the cross, and ol
Chrlst's redeeming love, and Of the
reconciled Fathers love, and of eler.
ma! life for the lost and dying. /,
must wave the olive branch Of peace
on earth, sing with JOY and gladness
of the palm branches which the re.
deemed shall wave in heaven. Aud,
therefore, yoa have dlsrobed it Of the
sombre aud the gloomy, and decked il
in the cheerful garments Of praise anu
thanksgiving. You have arrayed the
herald of peace in the vesture Of peace,
that it my speak at once the 6 lad nd
lngs of salvation. Proclaim these
truths,ye consecrated walls! Ye waves
of light, which burst from crystal
fountains and ripple through the sane.
tuary, with your seven-fold hues pro.
claim peace, like that bow of peace
which spans the temple of the skies
Proclaim these truths, blest symbol Of
our redemption; mount up to the
temples loftiest pinnacle, reign be.
nlgnly there over forest and field and
flood. Proclaim the Sun Of righteous
ness while yonder sun both climbs
the east, and when high noon be
gains and when he falls.
Let your light shine before men.
Long has this mandate of Our Saviour
Christ been obeyed on this spot. Long
has the light been stirring here from
a Christian Church, to the Glory ol
God our Saviour. 1t was more than
two centuries ago that the first Christ
Church was built. Few were the
men here then to see the light, few
beside Il o,e children Of the forest
who witnessed the coming of the white
men to their Potapaca, "the town be.
tween high hills" for las the hills
stand round about Jerusalem,' SC
have these hills stood about your Zion
\ little more than two centuries age
these hills saw this light first kindled
Upon what changes have these ''ever.
lasting hills" looked down since tina,
day! They have seen generation fol
low generation as wave follows wave.
They have seen government succeed
to government. When that first
Church WAS built Charles the Second
ruled in England and over this spot
AMI these hills saw the English flag
floating at this capital seat Of this an
cient county of Charles; they saw il
taken down to give place to the Star
Spangled Banner. These hills looked
down on an established church, the
Church Of England, "Jerusalem in
bondage" here as at home, they look
down now upon the Protestant Epis
copa. Church of the United States
one indeed with that true Catholic
and Apo,tolic Church but "Jerusa.
lem free" as the soil which she inhab-
its. Thes. hills have looked down on
changes in nature herself. Where are
the white winged barks of commerce
that once folded their sails in the ha
ven between these hills? Where the
haven itself? No longer
The stately ships 90 on
To their haven under the hill
But these hills have looked down
on one unchanging thing-the light
kiniled here two centuries ago has
never, never gone out Through all
changes all generations, all govern
mcnts,all revolulions,amid the battles
confu>ed noise and garments rolled
in blood" for two centuries the light
has shined On b torr men to the glory
of our Father in Heaven. Doubtless
spea. now to descendants of those
faithful men and women who in that
distant generation kindled the light.
for | speak to the sons and daughters
oil Maryland VINO are won I 10 say I"
those who would en- ice them from
their ant. .stral homes 81 dwell among
my own people: and you have reason
to thank God for the succession If
godly men and women who never,
never suffered that light to 60 out
How often was it otherwise in those
older da s! How Often" saws q his.
torian of the Church in Maryland,
"have stood amid the ruins of some
Church built in colonial days, once
thronged with worshipers and vocal
with the praises Of God, now disman
tied, desolate. silent, no fount for bap-
tism, no Holy Table, not one solitary
worshiper within the crumbling walls!
Here godly hands guarded the sacred
edifice and kept the lights burning.
Here the portals Of Gods house have
been ALWAYS Open--here the white.