Morning journal and courier., 1893-04-01
UNITED FAST DAY sERyIoE..

VI eAA0 AsSSA0OAAAS@1 At0ts LIZ u4S4Ao00 vi 6kkO
College street church, Rev. DR.. Munger of
the United church, and Rev. DR.. Smythe
and Rev. DR.. Twitchell were the pastors on
the pulpit.
Rev. Mr.. Hutehins offered the invooa-
ton. DR.. Phillips read the Scripture les
son, and DR.. MeLane followed in prayer.
DR.. Smythe then preached the Fast day
sermon from the text, "And 1. If be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me-" John XII: 80. There is strange
fascination about the Christian faith. It
draws all men unto it. The world can
never cease looking at 1t. The many years,
the long centuries, make no difference
with Its perpetual attraction. The re-
ligion of Jesus has more fascination
for the minds of the men of the
min century than It had IN
the vastness of the mystery of the crea-
ton lends intensity to every question of
faith. Science invests religion with a
more awful fascination. God must be-
come all, or nothing, to this generation.
The very homelessness of the modern
sense of human life makes faith in this
world as Gods world the question of the
hour. For we seem. all of Us, to be cast
adrift upon this little earth, which is
floating in the infinite unknown; whittier
is it Fastening through measureless space,
towards what goal and fnality it is sent,
none of US knows. We, voys2ers upon
this solitary world. may find life pleasant,
many hours Of it; but at best our exist
ence here is all too orsmped, confined and
restless; we cannot help at moments
silent horizons for something unseen
which by some subtle instinct of being
within as we look for as that which ahall
appear; meanwhile in this narrow earth
on which we are adrift in space, what
human struggle and confusion we must
witness;-every day rushing of men and
women for the first seats at life's table,
and many trampled down in the crush; and
we who are friends are not even permitted
to keep long together to make the best of
such world IS is given to us; for 10, one
is taken, and the other who is left sees the
pale face of his friend vanishing in the
night, the depths rising to receive him,
and he ia lost from sight forever in the
dark unknown. Our small world, cast out
on infinite space, is indeed q strange ark
in which we are crowded, and one genera
ton finds room only as all before it perish.
No wonder that an olive leaf that may
seem to have been plucked off and brought
to US from beyond, is the most fascinating
sign to be discovered on this earth. The
absorbing interest of the religion Of Jesus
for us mortals lies in this fact that 1t is
the one solitary thing which We have found
in this world which doss not seem to be-
long to 1t, which looks as though 1t had in
some way been waited to it from beyond,
which is in itself more heavenly than
earthly.
DR.. Smyth, after speaking of the attrsc-
ton of Christ as seen in bis death and of
the saoredness of Good Friday to believers,
proceeded as follows:
As our Lord went down to his death
taking the sin and the shame Of the world
| to his heart, We this day, in his name,
| should take to heart not our own need
only, but the sin of our city, the sin of the
| state, the sin that everywhere darkens and
corrupts humanity. I repeat, therefore,
| not as discordant with the most sacred
I usage of this day, nor though
Introducing an. alien theme, these
Fast day 7osg poasa lords Of esu sst
the people of this commonwealth, on that
| day to assemble in their places of worship
| and invoke the blessings of heaven upon
their country; that the people hereof may
be guided inethe paths of righteousness,
| avoiding evil, and seeking only those
things which may be of benefit to their
| fellow men and of glory to God"
To-day, therefore, under the shadow of
the cross, being not selfish in our most sa-
| cred feelings, and not content in the pres
/ ence of Christ's sacrifice to remain merely
| liturgical Christians, lot US look, as the
servants of such a master should, upon
any work now nesding to be done in orde,
that things evil may be avoided. We need
before all to make confession of our OWE
sins of neglect, or Indifference, OR lack of
Christian courage and hope with regard to
the removal from the community of thingt
evil, and the accomplishment of things OF
benefit to our fellow men.
It Is usually easy for us to confess the
| Gins of other men; and it seems particu
larry easy for us to satisfy our own con
sciences as citizens by confess sing the sins
Of those who manage for us our politics
and the administration of the laws But
in our searching indignation over alleged
legislative corruption, or in view Of vice
defiant of the laws, it would also be profit.
able for us to examine our own civic con-
sciences, if we have any, and to inquire
whether we have always taken pains to be
present wherever our personal influence
| might have been thrown in for the public
| good; whether We have trusted our fellow.
men enough to ask them even to lay hold
with us for any cause of public morals, OF
| whether we have contemptuousiy and
wickedly left the management of the af
fairs of the city to those who had mind
for such things, and held ourselves aloot
from them as though We were too right
eous to work with publicans and sinners
True devotion to human welfare must
become at times holy fame of indigna-
ton; but it should first be kiadled as q
searching light in a mans own conscience
concerning his personal obligations as q
member of the community. Much, 1t
should be here gratefully remembered,
has been wrought III times past
by true and godly men who gave
| themselves without measure and without
| fear to the service Of the public good.
Some thirteen years ago, to mention enc
illustrious example, remember read
ern city for their encouragement to
needed work of moral reform the following
| reference in a ne wspapsr Of the day to a
| distinguished citizen Of New Haven, and
| one of his good works: 1.-THE society in
New Haven for the prevention of crime is
| doing good work just now In seeking to
| reduce the number of licensed groggeries
| and other demoralizing resorts. The low
! variety theaters have already been refused
| licenses, thanks to the efforts of President
Porter and others, and some of the SELDOM
AcoPoA5 AnsO eAu5 1aE ldI1SN 20 H6G GDG1r
licenses renewed owing to the vigilant and
persistent efforts Of the society" Having
| in the year 1880 in a distant city referred
for the encouragement Of others to this
| word of the late President Porter for the
Improvement of the moral condition of this
city, deem it fitting word this merning
to recall his example and his service for
our own stimulus to similar needed work,
as 1t is also grateful task to lay an added
work of tribute among the honors which
have already been paid to his memory, and
to acknowledge the public Indebtedness of
the citizens of New Haven to q scholar,
philosopher and theologfan, who did not
regard the most vulgar forms of humsn
temptation as beneath his ethical re-
gard, and who through his wise coun-
sells, enforced by frequent appearances
in person before the judiciary committee
of the legislature. has left the abiding
marks OF his intelligent and courageous in
terest in the welfare of this community
upon the statutes of the state.
This work of improving and of cleansing
the conditions of life around us is indeed a
work requiring periodic attention, work
in some form always needing to be done,
for evil is prolific in new forms. But
whenever any form of human passion
grows to evident fulness of perdition, then
it is ripe for the destructive wrath of
community that claims to have any regard
for virtue. To leaveopen and known sin I'M
visited and rnscathed as by the lightning's
blast, would be for us to become ourselves