The Portland daily press., 1888-12-10

the life Of a nation. and twenty-five years Is
considerable time in the life Of an Individual.
became your rector 25 years ago, and
since that time the map of Europe has been
largely changed. The civil war in our own
country was at its height, but all the States
have been brought back into the Union. No
country has more cause for rejoicing than
ours. We are at peace with ourselves and
all the world. Great have been the changes
in our own beloved city 1t has sur
vived the calamity Of great fire.
The churches suffered in that great
affliction, but they. too. survived it. Before
the fire there were about 800 families 1t st.
Stephens parish Fifty families were scat
tered by the great fire, and nearly 100 went
TO form st Paups parish, leaving us with
about l5O. The location Of this church was
deemed too far west and it was said that it
could not survive where it is But / proph-
esied then that in 25 years st. Stephens
would be in the center of the city,. and
think that the prophecy, II / may refer to 1t
as such, will be found to be true. Portland
is destined to become a great commercial
city, and the population will go vest, and
venture to say that all below High street
otACCt Will UC uScu 1OE business IN future
years. st. Stephens will be east rather than
west OF the center of population.
Long nave we had church free from debt
IN which to worship. But much better than
tnls IS the entire harmony among us. / have
been your rector % years, and in all that
time l never heard harsh word spoken by
one OF you. Men not only do but must diff
fer in opinion and sometimes they pass into
anger In argument, but have never known
you to do this. 1t has been % years since
this church was erected, and hope it
will stand % centuries at least
There has been a feeling of general good
VIII one for another, and | hope this feel
ing VIII always characterize the parish. OF
oaptisms and funerals In 25 years there have
been In round numbers 500 Of each. Abaptism
and burial every third week for 25 years.
How many who have been active in the
work OF the church have gone from us.
am sorry tnat one OF our oldest members is
absent today on account Of sickness. There
is one who II she lives until next Easter,
Will have attended 80 of our Easter services,
having already actually attended IS Easter
services. In the last Is years there have
been 500 baptisms, 100 as adults and 400 as
infants. Some Of these have been taken
from the church Of earth to the church on
nlgh. Ihere have been about 800, in exact
hgures 296, weddings in the parish, one every
month since have been here. There have
Deen 900 communicates added by confrma-
ton and letter. have preached Of all kinds
oOOO sermons in round numbers, besides $50
secular lecturer in this and other places. /
nave made 5000 PASTORAL visits, rather more
Inea less. rms Is no uncertain statement.
nave stood in the pulpit when | have not
exchanged with some other minister, every
Sunday with only about six exception.
tnank God have been able to do it, The
ndeIty OF our choir has been remarkable. II
en-?
Now, let us consider for a moment our re-
iation 70 other churches. Ours was the sec
ond parish formed from the old first parish.
When was invited to speak on the religion
Oh New England before the Congregational
Club, told them plainly that l did not be-
iieve the Unitarian controversy was on
the whole productive of good. 1t acted as
wedge to drive them farther apart. The
great question today is Has God revealed
Himself to man?' Have we a Saviour at
all? Did He work miracles? When Christ
u reduced to the level Of man the Bible is
turned upside down. 1t must be rewritten
from beginning to end. There is no other
Saviour to man.
Your ministers, from first to last, have CO.
operated with the other churches In all good
things. Your rector should always be man
VINO VIII do this. do not believe in contro-
sermons you have not heard six controversi-
al sermons among them all. The school of
thought to which l belong regards our
cnurch the. historic church Of our race. /
recognize all Christians as brethren. but
Il
cede to any other Then why change for an
other? Let us stand fast, and may God
comfort all our hearts. Fifty years ago
mere was scarcely respectable family In
the city that was not connected with some
church. Today scarcely one-half of the
people go to any church. What an astound-
ing cnange Tor the worse. One-half or more
OF our people non-church goers.
In TINS 8 connection a word concerning the
roman Catholic bretheren. Formerly they
we're regarded as inimical to our institution.
Candidly, we must admit that that was
mistake: That church is power for good
amor among Its people at least; They care for
as We, and they go to church more than we
do. Shall we persecute them because they
presented us. II we do they may become
e;Ig dangerous enemy. They are rapidly as
as whole Is connected with innumerable
gradatlons. Our ritualists are not numerous,
put many OF them, approach very near to the
cnurch OF Rome. Very high churchmen
Keep toucn with the ritualists and moderate
ones with low or broad churchmen, and
oroad ehurchmen run out in the opposite
alrectlon into ratiQnalism pure and simple
linus you see, we have every variety of re-
liglous belief in our very comprehensive
than in our country. tits not necessary
that we should believe as they do. don't
suppose Lever should.
The time is fast approaching when there
WILDE WIN be strong sentiment against the club
church, where only the rich worship. Then
there are the charity churches. The poor
say, we are not going to charity churches.
we tried the free church but found the ex-
pense all fell on a few, and so we changed
Dack. Let the ricn and poor worship to
getner; don't believe In rich churches and
1 don't believe in poor churches, and,
above. all, l don't believe in fashionable
churches. Never boast that no poor people
go to our church. Heaven forbid that it
snould Si please us TO hear that the Episcopal
Church, designated as the church of the rich
or fashionable. And now, may our Lord
Jesus Christ, himself and God, even our
rather, comfort your hearts, and establish
you In every good word and work"
The foregoing is but brief abstract, Civ
ing the principal points in Dr. Dalton's SER
mon:
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
There was special praise service Joining
with many in different countries in commem
Grating hundred years of Christian song
since the death of Charles WESLEY. The ex-
ercises were very interesting, being opened
with music which was followed by prayer by
Rev. DIR. Burrage. Rev. A. K. p. Small,
made very pleasing Introductory remarks
and said that If the origin of many Of the
hymns were known to those who sang them
they would have more priceless value.
Dr. Burrage spoke briefly of the old and
famous Anabaptist martyr hymn writer and
quoted parts of their hymns. He also had a
copy Of the first Baptist hymn book which
was published in 1888, the original edition
having been published in 1888 DR.. Small
then conducted the services, referring to
different hymn writers and then calling up
on some members of the congregation who
had prepared before hand brief biography
OF the writer and history of some particular
hymn. After each Of these interesting ac-
counts OF some of the most famous Of the
Baptist hymn writers, the congregation
Joined In singing one or more verses Of the
hymn that had been spoken OF. Thus the
services were made not only instructive but
very pleasing. Among the writers of song
referred to were Rev. Edward Jones. a
Welsh Baptist minister, author of ''I'll 90 to
Jesus; Rev. Samuel Staneth, DR.. John
Faussett, Rev. Robert Robinson, Sarah
Adams, author of Nearer My God to Thee;
Mary Elisa Leslie, Rev. Robert Lowrie,
Joseph III. Gilmore author of "He Leadeth
Me" DIR. Smith, author of my Country IT'S
of Thee" Rev. K. w. Freeman, and also
Charles Wesley who was referred to above
deneminational lines, and others.
Prayer was then offered by Rev. DIR. Small
and DR.. Burrage pronounced the benediction
at the close of the services.
NOTES.
DIR. Dalton delivered a sermon to young
men last evening, on the "Benefactors OF