Smyrna times., 1888-04-04

IOT6 0OOu EIludy, udkluB IliS I6ilS-
iOus festivity one of unusual apprecia-
ton. Bright skies, warm sunshine,
tempered by the moist breath of spring
were fitting characteristics of Easter
Day, which marked in fashionable cir
cles the farewell to the gloom of the
Lenten tide. 1t was a day to call
everybody out The churches on this
more than any other days are objects |
Of attraction, and the morning service |
found them all filled from their res
pective attendants. At
ST. PETERS CHURCH,
this is the day of the year when the
edifce is entirely tOO-small, especially
at the Easter offering service of the
Sunday School of the evening.
The morning exercises as mapped
out by the Prayer Book, conducted by
Rector Mock in clear, distinct, reson-
ant voice, interspersed with special
music for the occasion, made it a ser
vice including the sermon, in full har-
mony with the spirit of the day
At the Sunday School exercises of
evening, a considerable portion of the
church being reserved for the children
who entered at the proper time from
the chapel in classes, there was not
room for perhaps more than half of
those who sought admission. The
music formed principal feature aided
by the orchestra. The missionary Of
ferings of the respective classes was
the chief feature, the aggregate
amounting to $2899. The dressing Of
the church was much less elaborate
than has been sometimes the case, the
only flowers being a collection at the
pulpit, lectern and baptismal font.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
f which makes less of these special
7 demonstration, than at the other
f, churches had the baptismal font pret-
e tily set off with flowers, as was also
t the chancel table. Preaching is sup
e piled from other places in the absence
f of pastor, the minister on this Occa
i sion being Rev. G. S. Sweezey, a theO
5 logical student from Princeton, who
e does not complete his studies unit
j. May. He preached without manu-
= script, in a clearly defined line o
thought, and evidently made a strOnl
a impression on the congregation as {
man who in a few weeks, ought t,
preach there regularly twice a day
A feature of the music was a solo b.
Miss Ethel Cooper, who is home frOu
!, school for the Easter holidays.
81 AT THE METHODIST CHURCH
: the large audience room was fillet
,s with an expectant congregation. Tn
of attractive feature at the sacred des
y was a bank of flowers that rose up frOr
70 the chancel in its front shutting it Ou
8 from view, geIaniums, begOnial
IA fuschias, Gala lilies, numbering of tn
! latter a dozen large white sheathe
4. blooms. Hanging baskets were ais
70 suspended from the brackets about tn
n pulpit.
40 The prelude to the services was
n spirited new Easter anthem by tf
n choir Rev. VIM. S. Robinson preacl
- ed Il sermon on the Resurrection, VIII
no it was aud what it taught, that elicitt
'e9 the closest attention of his audience f
vn nearly an hour. The point of the di
~ course was that Jesus became our re
no direction by reason of the new birth
&c spiritual life in the soul, that the re
,vs resurrection is not a thing of the futu
or but a thing of the present, that th
n, life and the eternal life are not sepe
- ate but one, that in the believer Il
of life of the future is identical with t
- present even rs the life of the flow
nd is identical with the life of the stO
No and root from which it is deVelOpe
arc He. went into an argument as TO t
he credibility Of the scripture stateme
,nt of the resurrection Of Jesus, drawi
49, many points of his argument from t
/ 20 T., 4
in Apostolic days the doctrine of the
surrectiOn was more emphasized tn
it is to-day, and was more emphasis
than any other doctrine. He tn
spoke OF the joyfulness of the christi
80 life; a clear note of rejoicing and glf
~ ness sounds through all the books
n neI the new testament, and ought to sou
aattJ through all the pm pit teachings of
mi mi day, and should be the distinguish
WI "a characteristic in the life of every CHI
~ tian. Sadness and gloom are out
~ harmony with the christian fai
no Christianity had ever carried in
ies, le, train, light and joy-health to the si
10 70 !" liberty to the captive, life to the de
~ ~ In obedience to the spirit of christian
r men to-day are everywhere rising
" of the lower life into the higher !
coming up from the graves of desp
Md. dency, grief, moral death into the
8. of the resurrection life. We celebr
the the resurrection of Jesus with our ia
'Ost, lifted heaVenward like Stephen of
Del we can see Jesus sitting at the ri
hand of the Father; we can see
was the faces of those we have loved {
in lost, and look forward without rel
8th, tance but with gladness to the h
ma when we too shall join the thrOng t
the islands spOtless before the Lam
( of Filled with the hope inspired by
{ to resurrection of Jesus, we can say "
her, the Apostle, 20 death where is
sting, 0 gave where is thy victor
re- With him we can exelaim, thanks
for to God who giveth us the vict
his through our Lord Jesus Christ"
ecu AT ST. POLYCARP.
lself The preceding, Palm Sunday,
r all the regular semi-mOnthly day
al a Father Graf, of Dover, to b
T the service, but an early service
tate, held on Easter morning so
IN Of could get through and return to
church at Dover. The cOngregat
had was out in good numbers to particiJ
own in the Mass, but there were no q,
! the decorations to mark it as different +
! he the usual worship.
who An ruv coroprn cuupcure
milv the decorations were more elabol
,reat than at any of the others. At the {
cate nial church, Rev. J. w. Lankford,
tor, there were three or four evergr
uliy, arches, Fnstlo baskets and pot floy
in surrounding the pulpit.
ward At Bethel church, Rev. j. w. MOI
Twin pastor. it was also made an import
r the occasion. A large arch spanned
d so central aisle, flowers abounded on
platform and among other thing:
interest the Sunday school chile
was we'll designed hen and broo
AER. chickens.