The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-02-05
ST. MARKS NEW PASTOR.
Auspieious Beginning Of His
Passionate = An Inter-
esting Tribute.

The Rev. Mr.. Throop, the new pastor of
st. Matthew's Church. preached his inaug-
ural sermon yesterday to an unusually large
congregation. He has made an exceedingly
favorable impression upon the Pensioners,
all of whom declared their intention of aid
ing him in his church work as much as pos
sible.
The Rector began his sermon by referring
to the fact that the printer had substituted
the word ssPastor'' for "Rector" on the
Lenton card. 'sThis,' he said. II hope is a
happy omen. Rector means ruler and pas
tor means shepherd. / hope that my rule
over you in things spiritual will be that of
the shepherd-always gentle, loving and
considerable"
He proceeded to speak of the ties which
bound him to Saint Matthews as the church
in which he had oficiated as a theological
student, as the scene of the ordination and
the pulpit from which he had preached his
first sermon.
TRIBUTE TO RICHARD ABERCoMBIE.
"But,n he continued, ''there is a stronger
tie than that. The walls are redolent to me
with the fragant memory OF one OF the holt
est of Gods saints. Richard Abercombie
was not one man in a thousand, but one
man in a million. / lave always thanked
my God that my first insight into the work
ings of the priesthood were with one SO en-
tirely unseltish, SO pure and of such transcen-
dent faith one who was so entirely Gods
man. Oh! how he loved Saint Matthews.
He longed to see this chancel full of white
robed choristers, this altar ablaze with
lights, and all the surroundings of the sanctu-
airy of a beauty and magnificence befitting
the glory and majesty OF Him whom
we adore. His declining years were sad
dened by the thought that this was not to
be. AS l pass through this church about
my duties, or as | stand, as l did this morn
ing, at his altar and in his place, it seems as
if he could not be far away. That thin.
spare form, that merry twinkle of the eye,
that sweet laugh of his, that unfailing, old
time courtesy seem more than q memory. 1t
is as though he were in yonder vestry room,
or downstairs with the children at vestry in
the rectory. He seems present with us, n
he is. 1t is an inspiration to me to believe
that this is a happy day in Richard Aber-
crombie's life, that his gentle spirit is with
us and ~rejoices at what we do. 1t is true
that he is behind the veil, but he is only just
behind it. He touches it one side, n we
may touch it on the other, for that veil is
the flesh and blood OF Jesus Christ.
ANNOUNCEMENT.
The inaugural address was followed by the
regular morning prayer. In giving out the
notices of services for the week Mr.. Throop
announced among others that there would
be a celebration of the Holy Eucharist on
Ash Wednesday at $50, then he looked up
from his paper and said in a ringing voice:
"'When l announced a service at 80 in the
morning, that means that we propose to
reach the working classes in this church and
that we show that we want them here not
only by words but by deeds"
THE SERMON.
The sermon was on the text Ephesians vi.
90 IAN Ambassador in Bonds.n The preacher
ShOwod the iu1nortanca of the Understandable
character in both ancient and modern times.
How stoutly then was the text, how strange
the anomaly of an ambassador in bonds.
'Yet history furnishes us with such a case.
In the early spring Of the year 63 A. D., a
man whose bodily appearance, according to
homely garb, worn and soiled with travel,
approached the city of Rome along the APP
plan Way. He was chained to one soldier of
a cohort which guarded him. He was at
tended by a few plain folk adherents, like
himself, of an obscure religious sect. This
simple man, with his plebeian train of follow
ers, was an ambassador to that city
and from her throne Of glory ruled the
world An ambassador, not from some
tributary prince, not from some defiant saw
age tribe, but from the King of kings and
Lord of lords-and yet in spite of the dig
nifty and glory of the Sovereign whom he
represented " dIliDdSSdAOl Ill Olti
Mr.. Throop spoke of the life of the prisoner
in Rome, and said that both European and
American Christianity were traceable to st.
Paul's hired house in the city of Nero.
LERGY R AMBASSADORS.
s'The clergy are, like Saint Paul, ambas-
sailors in bonds. They are held by the
shackles of the faith once delivered to the
saints. We are not original Investigators
with a right to air our speculations before a
curious public. What we are to teach was
decided for us centuries before we were
born. Authority is to nave at least as
much weight in matters theological as in
matters historical or matters scientific.
ssTrue, it has its limitations. Revelati on
is not to crush out individuality, but to
illuminate it. We never intended chat our
minds or souls should be turned out by
machinery each one exactly like the other
The text has a personal application. The
preached sketched conscience as an ambassa-
dor and urged the members Of the congrega-
ton not to receive it as Nero did ST. Paul.
Joy and sorrow are win brethren, each with
his message from the High and Holy One. If
the chain of selishness is put upon them they
will never deliver that message.
ttTborro lie 04a roo1.o arn6nccu1o 1vbioh God