The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-24
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
STATE STREET.

The Rev. DIR. George Leon Walker Of
Hartford, Conn.,. who for nine years was
pastor of the State street church, preached
two eloquent sermons at that house yester-
day. In the evening he spoke of Gods calls
to men. 1t was finished discourse, earnest
and effective and brilliant. The morning
sermon can more easily be epltomized. The
text was Acts rs: snow there were in the
church that was at Antioch certain prophets
and teachers; as Barnabas and Simeon that
was called Niger. and Lucius of Cyrene, and
Manaen, which had been brought up with
Herod the tetrarch. aud Saul" In the in
troductory portion Of the chapter Is shown.
the preacher said, the transition from Pc
ter's leadership of the Christian church to
PauPs. Here begins the history Of the first
great missionary movement Of the Christian
church. There Is here distinct pause In
the scriptural narrative as II In recognition
Of the event. Antioch was point Of ref
uge and became a point Of departure. Re-
sources were counted up. There was no
beating Of drums and no roll of gospel wag-
ons, but the event left its impress In the his
tory Of the universal church forever. The
verse which forms the text notes the act Of
one man who is nowhere else mentioned in
the Bible, and 1t is singular what book the
Bible is for quietly dropping suggestions
which prove to be Of the richest pra ctical
value. When DR.. Walker spoke thus Of the
lessons to be drawn from the mention Of Ma
naeD, his hearers hardly saw what they were
but he made them clear before he got
through. The history Of Herod. Manaen's
foster brother. was reviewed from youth to
old age. His career In Asia. Rome, Gaul
and Spain was briefly recited and contrasted
with that Of Manaen, lone Of the original
board of foreign missions" From the facts
the divinely intended lessons stand
out Two particular points the preach
er dwelt upon. First, how far apart
two lives can 60 which once seemed about
the same. Foster brotherswere Manaen and
Herod. but how different the issue of their
lives. This portion of the discussion was
profusely illustrated from history and poet
ry. 1t is one Of the commonest experiences
OF human life which we meet. Second. there
Is shown that what man brings into the
world with him largely determines his char
acter. what scalpel or microscope could de-
termine the difference In the two little bum
dies Of humanity and tell which would be-
come Herod and which the prophet of the
missionary church Of Antioch. But the one
was the son Of bad father by a woman Of
the mixed and uncertain blood Of the Samar.
itans. while Manaen's father was of the Sc
lect sect of the Essences.
DIR. Walker dwelt upon the Importance of a
good ancestry. IL man wants a good dog
he Is not satisfied with looking at the puppy,
but inquiries his origin. II a man buys a
horse ne wants to know the record Of his
progenitors. 1t does not matter whether or
not my father was a millionaire, said the
speaker, bot IL was OF in
finite concern that he was
a simple. strong, devout, God-serving man.
My mother may not have worn the habili-
ments OF queen and 1t would be beneath
our notice IL she had; but she tUGs queen
Family feeling Is justifable feeling.
Whether woman marries a man or posi-
ton, whether man marries woman or
fortune or fashion plate, means all Of life's
results Tor them and their posterity who are
entitled to a lineage which Is clean. But
there Is another side. The effect Of external
influences Of education and such forces
must not be forgotten. Manaen's mother
had her irresistible influence upon him. BY
such forces wrong tendencies may be cor
influences. DIR. Walkers conclusions were
not fatalistic. The world Is ultimately TO be
converted to Christ.
PINE STREET.
Rev. DIR. Clymer spoke on this subject last
evening: "Shall we send our children to
public or private school," The doctor
thought for the great practical purposes OF
self development and self support our public
school are preferable to private ones.
1. The courses of study; the methods OF
teaching. and the system Of our public
schools, devised by the best educators OF our
times. furnish broader and more substan-
tial foundation In the elements OF true cui-
ture, than do our private schools.
z. Furthermore, our public schools are
preferable to private schools, because, they
are more In keeping with the spirit OF Amer
lean democracy.
Democracy as a government Of the people
by the peoole and for the people, is the es-
seDtlal social, civil and political element In
American life.
CHESTNUT STEET.
1t was with great pleasure the eOngrega
tion OF this church greeted their old pastor
yesterday. The pastor took for his text,
Galatians IL, 16.
The universally OF sin conceded and the
necessity Of pardon is granted. This pardon
is Justification. Paul in the text says 1t Is
secured by faith in Jesus Christ and not by
the deeds OF the law. Christ elsewhere
teaches this lesson. We will test his posi-