St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-07
REV. SMITH BAKER.
The Park Avenue Congregational
Church's New Pastor.


There was not vacant seat at the
Park Avenue Congregational church
yesterday morning, the congregation
having turned out en- masse to hear the
new pastor preach his initial sermon.
Rev. Smith Baker was secured from
Lowell, Mass, where he has more than
a local reputation. He has spent years
in the pulpit, and has acquired an ease
of delivery that makes his sermon de-
lightful. The dais was trimmed with
ferns and potted and cut flowers to
celebrate the occasion. The new pas
tor appears to good advantage, being a
man of robust frame, Surmounted by a
well-shaped head. His features show
great depth of character, and an ex-
pressiYe pair of eyes faces his audience
fearlessly and seems to meet each
listener as he delivers his sermon.
He wears his iron-gray hair cut close,
and his gray beard, worn short at the
sides after the English fashion, gives to
his dark face a distinguished air. His
voice is deep and resonant, and pene-
trates the uttermost corner Of the large
auditorium without the least effort.
His delivery is thoroughly unaffected,
and his style not in the least tiresome.
The sermon yesterday morning was
upon the paternal being of God. He
spoke first of the Lords prayer, which
he styled the one piece of writing ac-
knowledged by all creeds, and too
beautiful to ever have been the work of
other than divine agency. He dwelt
principally upon the opening words,
"Our Father" and told of the blessing
that was given tohumanity in having as
a ruler kind and indulgent Father.
Some people were proud OF their
lineage from duke. or count or a
king, and even in America some men
were admitted to society simply because
there was hint or a suspicion that
in the far distant time that
family had been connected with
for men in the present day are taken
for what they are worth, not for what
they have sprung from; or, If such be
the case, let every man trace his lineage
back, as all must, through generation
after generations until they come to the
Garden of Eden, and there they will find
that God himself breathed the breath of
life into Adam and created man in His
own image. Let him take for the base
of his family tree the first chapter OF
Genesis, and there he will find God the
first Father; land let him be proud, above
all things, of that heritage.
s'How the little child,' he said, "looks
to the father for everything. When the
father comes home from his toll the
pretty little one sits upon his knee, and
res sting it's head upon his breast tells
him what he must do for mamma and
the children. He is the provider, and
the family looks to him for the necessa-
ries of life, and if he is true man he is
happy in their dependence. So is God
the provider for the human family. and
why not turn to Him. with all the fidel-
ity of a child, and. ask for what is
needed.
$50 is God the Ruler. Every family
must have its ruler and its law. The
boy requires that his father shall in
struct him in what is right and lead him
into the right way. The boy looks to
the father for this instruction; it is
necessary. So does the Great Father
all give US the law and teach the great