Arizona republican., 1890-06-09
AT THE CHURCHES. Services Held at Four of
 them Yesterday. Rev. Downs of Tempe, Fills the Methodist Pulpit. Gist of the Sermons by Rev. Pear son, the Episcopal, and Rev. Rick ersOn, the Baptist Ministers.

The PfJtestant Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist and Christian churches held services yesterday. Despite the warm weather the attendance averaged well. Rev. Downs of Tempe, filled the pulpit of the Methodist church in the morn- ing, presenting discourse upon Prayer"
 Rev. Ingram filled the pulpit of the Christian church, choosing for the sub feet of his evening lecture, "Man."
 At Trinity Episcopal church an es- pecial feature of the morning service was the music. Prof. M. M. Harris sang the baritone solo, Resting in Jesus." Rev. R. w. Pearson selected his text from Hebrews xii I, upon
 1.-THE CHRISTIAN RACE"
 The reverend gentleman divided his discussion of the subject into two heads: {: First, the obligation set forth by the text to lay aside all the burdens of the purely material life. Like race in the Olympian games, to be free from in- cumbrance-to lay aside every weight and the sins that do beset. Second, the inspiration, possessed by the fact that we are encompassed by a cloud of wit nesses.
 At the Baptist church, Rev. Kicker son presented his fourth sermon upon Faith" entitling it
 "RELATIoN OF FAITH TO WORK"
 After reading Hebrews xii :6, z, touch hA faith nf ha desires of Christian, Mir. Rickerson said:
 "If we search for examples of heroic faith, unquestioning obedience, toilsome patient, triumphant work, we shall find none more marked, none more sugges- tive of human possibilities and divine rewards than the case of the patriarch Noah. With that apparently studied simplicity, which is the strength and beauty of bible narrative, the historian says, And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, will des- troy now whom have created from the ', and the creeping things and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace said, Make thee an ark and when the mighty architect of the eternities had carefully drawn the plan and rehearsed the specifications in the ear of his chosen master-workman, what sublime words f,,ll of Ex-;n. thoughts of truth, as field of phecy of harvests. Thus did Noah, him, so did he.' You know it all in a sentence; the long-suffering patience of God, it's outrage and its awful rebound the labor and it's reward, the faith and it's victory. Gods word came and the work commenced. In the forests the click of the axe and the ring of saws was heard on the plain the tramp of hurry ing feet, the tread of patient beasts oi burden. The keel was shaped and set the ribs stood up-the skeleton of Gods greater whale to rescue from the perils of mightier sea, this more heroic Jonah, the purchase of righteousness tC world of Ninevahs-the hammer rattl' ed, the ark grew on through the years to its grand proportions, the world railed at the old builders folly, and sneered at his blind, childish faith, and howled their triumph over his de mented predictions and defed the power of his God. The last hammer-strokt was made, the door was shut, the hand that holds the seas was opened above the parting heavens, the ark rose on the S.t ,NI T triumphant shout and howl of defiance was forever hushed beneath the waters. God is not man that he should lie,' hath he said and he shal not do it? Or hath he spoken and shal he not make it goodp There is nc evidence that the actual time of the floods coming was revealed to Noah Wonder, somewhere, was the worlds destruction; here was today's work, thu commencement of the ark. Both tht future flood and the present duty rested on faith. God would give strength for to- days toil. God would care for the final issue. It was simply his business to fiji the gap between, whether it were { gulf of days, or months, or years, ol centuries. So he stripped for his worl and went at, and through it to success and reward. If reasonable apolog, for unbelief could ever be framed, then surely, it might have been done here In the heavens above, and on the eartf beneath, there were no signs of com ing tempest, the months went on, tn, fiocks fed and grew on the hill-sides, tn grain sprOuted and ripened and wa harvested in the valley, morning b, morning the dew fell and glistened ant was gone. evening by evening the SUI bade the earth goodnight and lief behind no fiery warning, the cloud gave pattering showers, cominj with peaceful messages of good chee to the waiting earth and when tn, tempest howled it spent its fury in al hour and the sun hurriedly burs through the clouds to mock all risin, fears. The years slipped by, there wal marrying and giving in marriage genera tions came and went, century rolled It's weary round, there was no iurthe prophecy of impending destruction no other voice cleft the awful clouds Q darkness where the wheel of God' power rolled. All rested on the simpl, unemphasized testimony of God-utteret wonder, far down the years, till the echC was well nigh lost in the fast increas Ing distance-I will destroy man whom have created, make thee an arkv No a sentence was transposed, not a wort was omitted, not letter was changed Noah believed it, every sentence anC word and letter, just as God uttered it and acted, lived like man believing tn, testimony of God, and so, becomin, heir of the righteousness which is h,