The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-25
Chestnut street Church.

Sn0btn6t 9H0ot SftAtCUs
The first sermon which the Rev. Matt s,
Hughes, the new pastor Of the Chestnut
street Methodist church delivered to his
people was listened to yesterday morning by
large and well pleased audience. Mr..
Hughes Is a very young man for such a
responsible position. He Is slender In
stature, smooth shaven and wears glasses.
His face indicates character and refinement.
His voice is clear and powerful enough for
his purpose. He gesticulates freely and Is
perfectly at home on the platform, and is not
confined to notes. A man of sober demeanor
and without sensational ways. he made an
excellent impression.
Mr.. Hughes took for his text the Sth and
9th verses Of the 55th chapter Of Isaiah /:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts
neither are your ways my ways, saith the
Lord. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
He began with a modest alluSi0n to the
natural feeling he and his hearers had of
curiosity on their first meeting and an appeal
that Jesus only be looked at. The mystery
Of the processes Of thought first engaged his
attention. Even In our unconscious hours
our minds are active. II our thoughts could
all be recorded what great volume would
be made. what record OF character. Happy
the man whose thoughts could be transcribed
and read without the blush Of shame. We
know not whence or how thought comes.
How wonderful the process by which mem
0ry can summon from the past the faces OF
those who are gone. Some Of the thoughts
OF men we can fathom. When we see things
which have been built, or Invented or manu-
factured we can see what thought was ante
cedent. As this church existed In the mind
of the architect before IL was built so Is the
universe the materialized and crystaliZed ex-
preston Of the thought Of the Almighty.
Introducing some illusions to
the beauty of the natural world,
he referred to what the universe would have
been II Gods thoughts had not fixed upon
our welfare and enjoyment. By the re-
cord you can also tell mans thoughts. BY
the words OF Shakespeare and Milton, by
the letters OF the departed. they can be
ISbGgea. o you o wo9ia Know 'ssa wnat Sd GSd
laws Of men are made to govern the body;
that Of God enters into the heart and mind.
1t Is the deeper and higher law. The human
law forbids crimes which can be proved.
That Of God forbids murder even In the
form of hatred. and theft In the shape of
coyetousness.
The preacher said he loved especially to
think of Gods motives. Those Of men are
selfish. not always wickedly so either. The
lawyer or physician who gives advice and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS o4pcCbo W 10 pdiu buCkOAOAs
The friend Of the people who appeals to pa
triotic motives about election time may be
looking for an Office for himself or his friend
and the minister, too, Is not entirely devoid
Of selfish thoughts. But when God shows
his love for us, all He asks In return Is that
we shall come TO Him and love aud be loved;
that we shall lay hold upon the powers OF
the world to come and be lifted above the
sin and care OF the present world. Saliva
tion, said the preacher. is not merely the be-
Ing saved from hell In the future; 1t Is be-
Ing saved from sin now. sin within and
without We know something OF the fleet
Ing nature Of the rewards man gives. How
different those which Gods thoughts have
conceived for His children. Then he closed
with a striking picture Of dying saint, and
his passage past the sentinel stars and the
glimDses Of the moon toward and 10 the
heavenly city and up Its golden streets to the
presence Of the King. Gods thoughts In
deed are not as our thoughts. Let us draw
1ear to Him, love Him more, aud think on
thaaa fhInua