Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-30
nAYENPoRT CHuRCH.
Sermon by Rev. s. ID. Paine, of Jack sonvilIe, F1Orfda-A Delegation From Admiral Foote Post in Attendance.

| Sermon by Rev. s. ID. Paine, Of Jack. l sonviIIe, FlOrfda-A Delegation From 1 Admiral Foote Post ia Attendance. 1 At the Davenport Congregational church yesterday morning Rev. s. D. Paine oi
 Jacksonville, Fla, who has been supplying 1 the pulpit during the vacation of the pastor Rev. MT. Meserve, preached his last sermon previous to his departure for the South. About fifty members of Admiral Foote Post were present by invitation of Rev. MT. Paine, who is a comrade of the Grand Army and
 chaplain of the department of Florida. This
 is MT. Paine's second summer visit to New
 Haven, and while here he has made many
 friends who will regret his departure and
 welcome him should he return next summer.
 The church was very handsomely decorat-
 ed with flowers yesterday, the front of the
 choir gallery being one mass of flowers and
 evergreens, while in front of the preachers
 desk was placed an elegant cross of white
 flowers with boquets on either side.
 The preacher chose as the basis of his re-
 marks the words found in Galations, 1st
 chapter, 11th and 18th verses: s'But I certify
 you, brethren, that the gospel which was
 preached of me is not after man," etc. In
 his opening remarks the preacher said: The
 first question that Paul tremblingly put to
 
 tLord, what wilt thou have me to do?''
 Then God pointed out the duty to Paul, and he travelled unfaltering in the way until he felt the edge of the axe in Nero's dungeon, when he ex- claimed, sI am ready to be offered up, have fought good fight, have finished my course, have kept the faith; henceforth
 there is laid up for me a crown of righteous ness which God, the righteous judge, shall give me in that day.'
 One of the strong elements of power in
 Paul was, that God had appointed and com
 missioned him as an apostle of Christianity.
 He commences his epistle to the Galations,
 "Paul an apostle, (not of man) but by Jesus Christ" Alexander never went on expe- dition unless he consultedttP gods, and we come down to old Cromwell and he believed that God had raised him up with his army to do certain work; and then we follow along down to good old Abraham Lincoln, and he believed that God was moving along with him in all that he did. In that great struggle, with all the nations of Europe op- posed to us, it seemed as if there was neither sun nor stars in the skies of our nation. It was then that the patriot army marched forth to battle for the right, and when defeat came, the despots rejoiced; but light and liberty came at last, and it was this God back of us that brought victory.
 The gospel comprehends the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is revelation of SD ritual or religious truth. The Jewish conception of God was very narrow and dwarfed they thought that God came for but themselves; but Jesus Christ came and taught us that God is our father. o what conception of God, that he is our father, | bending over us. God so loved the world | that he gave his only begotten son, that | whosoever believeth on him shall not per | ish, but have everlasting life. The thought | that occupies our minds IS, what will be- | come of us when we die. Job said: If I die | shall I live again2 Christ tells us of man sions prepared for us in the skies, that where | he is we may be also. We believe that we | shall live hereafter. I believe heaven is place of unions and recognitions; so we thank God that this system we term gospel | is revelation to man. I leave all specula- tions on these questions to men who love to discuss them and know more about them when they get through than when they com menced.
 We know that sin is here, and we don't care how it got here;but it is here and the question is how shall we get Id of it. Every thing has been tried, but there is only one specific, and that is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else has failed. | This has done the work all through the ages of the churchs history, and millions to day can testify to the power of the gospel, and | that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all | sin. While Christianity has been persecuted it lives on. It is not infidelity that has threatened it, but it's own adherents. But we are getting back to the Sermon on the Mount and we shall yet see most glorious time. The gospel will again be preached as Christ preached it. What we want to day is more of the gospel in its simplicity and beauty. It is built upon the rock and the | gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
 In closing the preacher said: Comrades l and friends, Ifeel especially honored to day | by the attendance of comrades of Admiral ]. Foot Post I want to say that if there is friendly set of men in the world to-day it is l those whose friendships were welded in the l fire of-battle. I am proud to belong to such an organization. go back in memory to- day and am again on the banks of the Rappahannock and the Rapidan fighting the enemy who are pressing forward to capture the Capitol of the nation, and see foreign nations standing ready to l the independence of the | when the Capitol shall be l taken, but the time came when the Union | army was triumphant and they returned to l their homes with every star in the old flag | undimmed. Comrades, we are passing away. Thirty thousand of our number died last year, and very soon we will all be gone. l o, let be soldiers of the cross. In little l time we will get home and receive the thanks | of our great Commander, and we march | by he will say, ''Well done, good and faith l ful servants" I hope to meet every con- l rade in that better land.
 The exercises closed with singing ''My | Country Iris of Thee,' and the benediction. |