The Newtown bee., 1894-02-23
Affairs About Town
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH NOTES.

The third meeting of the pastors class | for instruction in the truths that are em- phasized by all Christians, was held at the parsonage Wednesday afternoon. There was good attendance and the same keen interest was shown. There seems to be no clear reason why children who quickly grasp the problems present. ed to them in the school room should not gain some insight into the simple truths of religion. In order to take the step to Christ, it was pointed out that there must be felt the need of Christ. Once man was in harmony with God; his thoughts were pure, his aims were holy. Through disobedience selfishness took the place of love, joy was no longer found | in holiness. Man could not in his own | strength resist evil {; a new life must come from above, new power must be set working from within. This power is Christ. Through Christ earth is again linked with Heaven, with His own mer- it's Christ bridged the impossible gulf between sin and holiness. Only through Christ we are made righteous, but how are we to come to Him? Peter, to those who cried at Pentecost, 'What shall we do?" said, "Repent." Repentance in cludes a sorrow for sin and turning away from it. We must turn from sin
 not because we fear some threat of pun ishment, but because we see its sinful
 ness. Judas felt sorry for his sin be- | H1uG1 he fnFnsa his yEfnl doom Wp
 shall see the sinfulness of sin when we
 look at the cross. "Was it my sin that
 nailed the Saviour there, was all this sac
 rifice demanded that 1 might have ever
 lasting life?' we shall tearfully ask. The
 Saviour is constantly attracting us from
 the unsatsfying pleasure of this life.
 When we feel this drawing love, we must
 yield our hearts; we cannot change our ; course when we choose. The education
 of a lifetime thoroughly moulds the
 character. The first condition of accept ance with Christ is acknowledgement of sin. Peace never sought is never found
 True confession makes no excuse for it.
 self. It crIes, "Father, I have sinneG against Heaven and in Thy sight" Asl God to give you a new heart and believe that He gives it. "Rise, take up thy bed
 and walk" said Jesus to the paralytic al Bethesda. The diseased man did mol . stop to ask, "Lord, first make me whole so that 1 can walk He believed what
 Jesus said, so he rose and walked. By l this simple act of believing, you are s child born into the family of God.
 The next meeting of this class and tn, , last for the present will be held at tn,
 parsonage next Monday afternoon al , 30 instead of on Wedn sday as before
 The program of the monthly mission
 ary meeting, postponed by reason of the l weather from last Sunday evening, vii be found in another column. A request is made that the people bring to thi;
 meeting helpful and instructive chil
 dren's books or papers, which have beer
 laid by in their homes. The books vii
 be forwarded through the AmericaI
 Board to the mission at Okayma, Japan
 of which Rev James H. Pettee ha! , charge. Connected with the mission there is boys school with 26 member. : and a girls school with 30 members The papers are for Miss Alice P. Adams a cousin of Rev MT Pettee's who has ;
 class of young men. Miss Adams alsC requests cards for use in teaching chil dren.