The morning call., 1893-10-23
SOME FOLLOW HIM.
The Rev. Kenneth Duncan
Finds a Few Friends.
In a Modest neeting-Room He Ad-
dresses His Adherents on
Themes Appropriate.

In Dr6W6 DdlI, ht III N6W mOub-
gomery street, between thirty and forty
sympathzers occupied the chairs abov,
the carpeted floor of the chamber in which
the Ancient Order of Hibernians holds il
meetings and listened to the Rev. Kenneth
Duncan, late of the Howard Presbyterian
Church.
1--WE are only a few friends of Mr.. Dun
cans" said a lady, after the services were
over, land we feel that Mr.. Duncan hat
been a very much abused man."
Mr.. Duncan himself stated that 1t was
no schism from the Howard Church. A
few members OF that and other cOngrega-
tiOns h ad simply started 10 hold services
there the Sunday previous, and this was
tie first Sunday he had filled the lmprOvised
pulpit.
1--WE hope to start a mission" he ex-
planned.
In the morning he had chosen for his
theme that of PRAY ell" and his discourse
at night YVES one to encourage faith, his
topic being The Ability and Stability OF
Gods Covenant"
Quite dramatic was the tboughtful-eyed
young preacher in his deliveEy-very ella b.
crate in his descriptions. rather exact In
his mathematics and scientific calculations s.
and very proliGc of references, and al
times he was slightly poetical. Following
is an extract of bis sermon, which he
preached from cOpiots notes. his text be.
ing from Jeremiah xxxiii :21-26:
Thus saith the Lord: If ye can break
my covenant of the day ana my covenant
of the night Then may also my
covenant be broken with David, my SER
want"
Said that great student of spiritual laws
in a natural world, Phillip Brooks Il have
been struck by fine instance of the dis
nf in ha 1ipo ~
Providence which occurs in the history OF
Martin Luther 1t was at a time when
things were going very hard with him
when all the human props of the reforma-
ton seemed ready to fall away. 1 saw,
said Luther, a sign in the heavens. What
sigma pillar of fire? an outstretched
handP a rolling chariot? No, not any OF
these. [ was looking out of my window
at night and beheld the stars and the
whole majestic vault OF God, held up by
some unseen power, and / was unable to
see the pillars upon which it rested"
This strange inexpllcable mystery face:
you aud Inc to-night-the spacious firma.
ment On high with all the blue ETHEREAL
sky. For all which man has created there
is some foundation, but this great canopy
above is sustained by nothing of human
mechanism. And there are an eternal
order and intelligent movement about the
heavens, whose motive power and impulse
are as secret as the upholding power of the
skies.
Mysterious forces unseen exist by which
the unwearied sun from day to-day doe.
his creative power display, and this stu
pend0us rotation of the globe-this indIs.
soluble union of material atoms and at.
mospheric iDfiuenceS-this fouDdationless
temple are the most apparent of all wit
nesses to the truth of my theme ton ig hit,
The Ability and Stability of Gods Coven-
ant with Us.
This day has been one of clouds and
gloom. and now it is dark outside. How dc
l know 5ut this night is the precursor OF
eternal darkness. Sometimes over oul
lives come strange dispensations of gloom
and darkness. People talk in whispers Il
us and hide their faces in black veils-
there is an lev feeling at the heart and 9
mist before the eyes. How do we know
that 1t will ever be bright and hopeful
again? But there is no despair to hin
| who hath ever seen the sun rise.
One asked an old negro why he believed
| in the existence of God. 'Sir," said he
Il hab been here hard on fifty years
| Every day since | been in dis yere wo'ld
1 see de sun rise in de east and set In de
west. De moth star stan's in de same
place it did when l fust seen 1t. De seben
stars of jobs coffin keep on de same ole
path. 'Taint so wid mans works. Dey
run well fO' a time. but dey are not SC
| sartaiD."
Thus, and with many apt references tC
philosophe and sage, and quotations from
holy writ did the speaker embellish his
| subject, while his hearers were devOtedly
attentive to his every utterance.