The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-12
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
FREE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.

rs FREE STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.
At the Free street church yesterday,
Rev. DR.. john GU Stockbridge, of Prov-
dence, R. l., former pastor of the church,
| preached at the morning and evening SER
vices. In the morning his sermon was on
the text: Psalm lXXIII, 49, Thou shalt
guide me with thy counsel. and afterwards
receive me to glory" Commencing, the
speaker said that Gods guidance Of His peo-
| pie and their need of it was the subject to
be considered. BY His people, was meant
those who had accepted Christ and who
were struggling through the present life
looking to full Qualification In the future
life The, doctrine Of Divine guidance. the
preacher said, has been monstrously pervert-
ed, instancing Guiteau and the Pocasset
murderer as some who had claimed that
their dreadful crimes were ordered by God.
Because of these abormal things sceptics say
thereis no such thing as Divine guidance of
plain, everyday people through their little
affairs of life. The Bible shows without
shadow of doubt that God guided Abraham,
and Daniel and the other saints, is it
therefore presumptueus for us to suppose
ourselves objects of Divine guidance.
How sweet it would be if Christians believ-
ed what they sometimes sing, ''He Leadeth
Me-" But, said the preacher, here comes in
the doctrine of free agency. We claim to
be free. How then can we submit to guild
ance? We are endowed with reason. Why
can we be expected to sit with folded hands
waiting for directions?" This, he said, was
puzzling question, and one that had never
been settled.
Let us, he confined. suppose ourselves at
the latter end of our earthly journey looking
back. What tangled web we see! and yet,
we should readily see in it all Gods guild
ance, and that what at the time 1t occurred
seemed fatal mistake, was only step In
the grand plan of our salvation. II, he said,
an old man, looking back can thus see that
God does guide common people through
their lives; young people whose life is all In
prospect ought to convince themselves that
God who never lies and who promises to
guide them, will not break his promise.
Continuing, the preacher said that many
things would come to the young mans
knowledge to shake his belief, sin and cor
ruption. II God is guiding us why does he
let us fall into sin? It's simply that we may
learn ourselves, may find out our weak
points and may build up our characters to
double strength. After years of struggle
and temptation, when a man has learned to
recognize Gods agency, to trust In Him, and
to realize that He cares for him and is guild
Ing him to glory. be has laid hold of an ever
lasting peace. When he has formed the
habit Of bowling to Gods will, the end of his
strife has come, and he feels that all things
work together for good. In time, he said,
the habit of submission would pervade our
very being and would rule us In all things,
great and small.
Looking about him, the preacher said he
saw some for whom Gods guidance would
soon be over. This, he said, is not sad
thought. Such persons looking back would
see all the mysteries of their lives cleared up
and would see that where Providence had
thawted their desires it was because they
had desired that which was not best for
them. x .
At the close Of his sermon DR.. Stock
bridge recited che beautiful hymn "Can 1t
Be That The God OF The Universe Cares
For Me-"