The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-09-24

Mr.. William w. jackson, Jr, OF Lowell,
Mass, spoke to large audience in the lee
ture room of the Peoples church at South
Portland last evening. His subject was
Gods presence and providence demon
strated In the beginning and progress of
great events" The lecture was well deliv-
cred, and was listened to with close atten-
tiOn.
CHESTNUT STREET CHURCH.
The home campmeetings at Chestnut street
church will be continued this week, when
Rev. Frank Z. Haddock, son of the distin-
guished temperance martyr, with other able
clergymen, will be present to aid in the SER
vices. Rev. Aaron Hart who has been con-
Quoting the singing, will also be present
throughout the meetings. Yesterday after
noon, Rev. William Mcdonald, ID: D.,
preached, followed by the pastor, Rev. N. L.
Whitaker in the evening.
FREE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.
Rev. James McWhinnie, d. D., of Cam
bridgeport, Mass, occupied the pulpit at the
Free Street Baptist church, yesterday fore
noon, and preached an effective sermon. DIR.
McWhinnie took his text from Genesis, viii.
/: "And God remembered Noah" In the
beginning the speaker referred to Noah's
trials and the difficulties which surrounded
him at that period; secondly, Noah's faith
fulness in time Of trial was depicted, and
nnally, Noah's reward for faithfulness in
time Of trial was clearly presented. In the
study OF his life one finds an example worthy
of being initiated.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
Rev. A. w. Small, of Colby University,
occupied the pulpit at the First Baptist
church yesterday morning He took his
text from Philippians, iii :13 The subject
was christian idealism." The text is a
characteristic utterance Of genuine ideal
ist, not as philosophers use the term, but Of
a man with strong understanding Of present
realities, with clear perception of their
faults, with definite vision of possible i'm
provement, with the irrepressible spirit of
progress, with the courage and enterprise of
the pioneer. The gospel is gigantic system
of idealism, because it presents visions of
better things than men have yet attained,
and teaches that they are the only feasible
permanent changes and means of changing
from worse to better. If we know nothing
further of Christianity than this, we should
need to conclude that 1t was, in so far, the
final religion, because not the lever, but the
magnet typifes the most potent spiritual
agencies We may be sure that the religion
which shall maintain its authority over men
when they shall have attained the highest
possible development, will hold its sway by
still oeckoning to every unsatisfed aspira-
tion from heights above fits can
be discerned. Christian ideals are 1.-The
ultimate triumph Of perfect righteousness.
The gospel points to a time when God, per-
feet in wisdom and goodness. shall in all
things have His own way. 2-The sover-
eighty Of divine righteousness is to in nvolve
the consent and preference of all men TO at
is not of sins forgiven and sin left rampant
as before. Imputed righteousness" implies
impaired righteousness. The ideal is the
expulsion Of sin from our hearts so that God
shall rule over us through the reign of right
eousness within us. 3-The accomplishment
of the divine purposes through the service
of men so devoted to the desirable good that
no personal and present sacrifice is too great,
provided it may help remove some obstacle
to the reign Of Christ. Not negative good
ness, whose best development would be only
innocence, but active, enterprising, heroic
championship of good.
The world will never outgrow its need of
the religion with such ideals. Because the
traction of Christ, for love Of men in the
trammels of sin hold up these ideals, hold
out these Christian helps, which, in
every century, in every genera
alton, in every land and place where the
power of Christ has come, have made men
more like God than they could have been
without.