The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-13
DOORS, NOT HEARERS.
REV. PIKE POWERS SAYS RELIGION
RIDES IN "A CARRII0E.
II IL Fashionable, but Works Not--Inter'
esting Day at Union stAsion-The Sun
day schoois--Othcr Service.

we i've IN an aSe Nntn Religion IL d
fashion; when 1t IL not as It was in the
early days OF Christianity. Religion
rides. as Il were. In a cariiagc-anJ-four
these days. Then a manger could have
been church. The people were doors
for Christ In those days. but now-how
many are but hearers?
Have you ever been 70 a service at
quaint little st. Andrews Episcopal
church? It's out on laurel street, right
under the shadow of Hollywood. and its
rector IS the Rev. pike Powers. who has
had the pulpit for ages. The church Is
very small--"where two or three are gath
cred together IN my name and there
we're not very many present sunday
| night the sermon was short, Just
a few words to end the day
! of Sabbath praise OF the first Sunday in
Lent and give one thought 10 remember
| or the tourney home, and probably none
OF those present will not carry for weeks
endearjng memories Of the preachers
simple words OF truth.
His text was from the Epistlo OF James
"Be we doors Of the Word and not hearers
only" and he built around IL terse epic
OF prose not to be lightly passed by. II
spected citizen, who during all his life
has been n regular attendant at church
services. lie Is now nearly eighty years
old. A regular attendant, yes and he has
given literally for the support of the
church and its charities, yet he has
never come TO Gods altar and confessed
himself 10 be Chrsts follOwer-hc has
never been i'm touch with Him. lie is
a nearer, not a doer. This Is not Chris
tianity. if Christianity be properly I'M
derstood. TO know Christ is 10 come
near unto him to work I'm his vineyard
To 20 among the people, as He did. How
few OF us do this--how few are those who
attend the churchs service and realize
| all that that service should mean 10
them-that it is meant to teach them 10
be doors of his work
This teacher of the word never raises
his voice. There is no great effort at
oloquence no flights of oratory: but he
has way of saying a thing with sink
ing infection OF the voice which lends
strength to his statements and makes
them 70 deep In a souls soil. If you are
of that sort that is apt TO forget them,
mayhaps you are travelling on the wrong
road to the Gates OF Praise
A Beautiful Incident.
The services at Tnion-Station were
deeply interesting Sunday. Every seat
was taken. and Rev. q. II. Ray. ID. D..
preached in the morning on Soul Rest
Conditioned on Coming to Christ At
night his theme was a Judgment Aitef
Death" following which two persons ask
ed for prayer, and number OF Christians
made requests for their friends. An in
| teresting service for young people was
| held in the afternoon. and three asked
| for prayer. There were two professions
hoo ii mol
dent occurred in the morning worship in
the reception Of the orphan brothers.
Masters Clinton r. and James u. HIT,
whose mother lives at Elkton. Va, both
i'm the Masonic Home. DR.. Ray visited
them at the instance Of the governess,
Mrs. AGREE, and by request Of their moth
en- and had satisfactory conversation
with them, and they appeared by APP
pointment and presented themselves AT
the church chancel, and publicly ratified
and confirmed the VOWS of repentance,
faith and obedience contained in the bap-
tismal covenant" and were admitted 10
membership. Mr.. Willie Davenport and
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis +. Snyder. of the
congregation, were also received. There
will be special revival service on We'd
nesday evening. and Rev DR.. Wright, or
Legh-street Baptist church. and Rev.
Dr. Cannon, OF Third Presbyterian
Thursday and Friday evenings. Mr.. X.
T.. Richardson made one Of the most ef-
fective talks on Church Influence at
the opening on the previous Sabbath.
Baptist unday schools.
The monthly meeting of the Baptist
Sunday School Association was held Sun
day afternoon at $3.50 o'clock at Grace
Street church, President T. ii. Elicit,
presiding The spacious auditorium was
crowded with people who came to en-
gage i'm the interesting exercises. The re-
ports, abstracts of which are given below.
were unusually good, showing an average
attendance of nearly five thousand schOl-
ars in the nineteen schools now repre-
scented i'm the association. The speaker
Of the occasion was Prof c. II. Win
ston Of Richmond College, whose re-
marks. addressed mainly TO the children,
had for their subject the effects of sew
ing seed and cultivating the plant after
il grows up, and by his apt illustrations
he caught the attention of the young
people and impressed valuable lessons as
to the manner Of sewing divine truth
and cutivating it into an abundant harry
est.
After the benediction was pronounced,
the association adjourned to meet on the
second Sunday in March, with the Ven
able-Street church, at which time the
annual reports of officers VIII be READ
and officers for the next year elected.
nllo L. al.cfg n l.