Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-02-16
BISHOP HALL
IN BRATTLEBORO
Red Letter Day at st. Michaers.

Reception TO Bishop Hall NJ the Rec-
tory ---thc sunday Services --- Three
strong SermOns---In of the
New Pastor of Souls.
Last Sunday, which in the church calen-
dar was the first in Lent, will long be re-
membered by the members of St. Mchael's
Episcopal parish as a red letter day in the
history of the church. 1t was the good
fortune of the church to have with il on
that occasion the new bishop of the do
cese, the Rev. Dr. A. G. A. Hall, and it is
to be counted as an honor that the second
Sunday after the bishops conservation was
given the Brattleboro church. Saturday
evening from 8 until 10 an informal recep-
ton was given at the rectory, when not
only the Pensioners of ST. Michaels but
many other prominent citizens were pres
ent, upon the rector's invitation. and re-
ceived cordial greeting from Bishop Hall.
On Sunday four services were held, three
in st. MiChael's church and one in Christ
church at Guilford. At o'clock in the
morning the bishop celebrated holy COM
munion, the rector assisting. At 1890
there was the usual service of morning
prayer and sermon, when the church was
filled by an attentive congregations Bishop
Han sermon was from st. Matthew w.,
l: "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted of the
DEVIL In plain, simple language the SER
mon taught the lesson of the temptation of
Jesus, showing how the temptation came
to him just after his baptism, when the
Holy Spirit descended upon him, and
voice from Heaven proclaimed "This is my
beloved son in whom | am well pleased
Just so with us; our temptation may come
after special season of grace or of heaven
y communion. We 90 to the temptation;
it does not come to us. Do not think temp
tation is sign of divine disfavor. Don't
think it ought to be kept away from you
by Gods grace. Satan did not 90 to Jesus
but Jesus went to him.
a good Lent is a Lent with Jesus, and he
went into the wilderness to be tempted.
really good and profitable Lent then is a
Lent in which we have some pitched bat
ties, and in which we make some headway
against our besetting sins. We shall re-
ceiye strength through temptation. We
have had sometimes some special fervor and
sweetness in our prayers, and then perhaps
we are led up into the wilderness to be
tempted. 1t is a lesson that should en-
hard on the baptism. Means of grace are
followed by temptation for the very pur-
pose that we may appropriate and assmi-
late grace We appropriate it when we
hold to it amid the temptation, and our
strength grows with resistance.
The temptation precedes the ministry.
Not until Jesus has been tempted does he
preach a single sermon, does he work
single miracle, does he call single disci-
pie, does he lay down a single precept: not
until he has earned his right to lead, not
until he has manifested his power to SYM
pathize. First of all he must do battle
with the powers of evil himself. He must
prove his power to lead. Remember this,
dear friends - Jesus, our Lord, never SAYS
to any, $50 and do this or that, 20 and
bear this and that 1t is always: Come,
Come. take up your cross and follow me.
Come and bear something of what | have
borne. Come and share in my experience.
| will lead you in every path. no maAter
how thOrny and difficult First he WIS
tempted; first he does battle with eviN
then he says, Come and follow me-
50 with us temptation must precede our
useful ministry-our really effective spirit
ual influence. Said Martin Luther: There
are two things above all else that 20 to
make good priest. One is prayer, by
which he learns to know God: and the
other is temptation, by which he learns to
know man You must know God if YOU
would lead others to him. And YOU must
learn in your own experience human need
and human sorrow and human aspiration
if you would be really helpful to others.
1t is the law of the Lords ministry 1t
must be likewise the rule and fashion of
the church and of his people.
Summing up in conclusion, the speaker
said; The temptation following Immediate
ly on the baptism; after means of grace.
after times of special refreshment, then
comes the temptation. DO not think that
God does not carr. DO not he surprised.
Now you have a c'ialce of showing your
sincerity, and the strength you have gain
ed. Temptation is the opportunity for us
to remove our former wrong-doing The
temptation precedes the ministry 1t is
out OF our experience that we are enabled
to help others. For their sakes | sanctify
myself" Take these thoughts for the be-
ginning of your Lent May God make
them truly profitable to you. We COM
mence by medtating on our Lords tempta-
ton; and we end by attending him as, the
trial and suffering over, he rises the third
udy rom Int lOInO, anu lne heavens being
again opened, he takes his true place at
the right hand of God 1t is the conquest
of evil for our sake that he, the Captain of
our Salvation, has gained; and may we so
live as to share his glory and his reward
before our Father in heaven.
The Evening Service.
AT the evening service the church was
crowded as perhaps it has never been be-
fore at any preaching servi e. Extra seats
were put in every available place and all
the standing room was occupied, while
some listened in the vestibule. The text
was the familiar one from Corinthians: 81
therefore so run not as uncertainty; so
fight |, not as one that beateth the air"
This also was lenten sermon, direct and
practical in its terms, and aimed at the
everyday life OF its hearers. Using the
smile of runner in prize contest the
preacher said the Christian life must be so
run as to attain definite object. II must
have definite end in view. Our sins
must be fought and conquered in Just this
definite way. 1t is not enough that we
confess ourselves miserable sinners" or
that we confess our sinfulness in any gen
eral indirect way. What we need to do is
to confess our sins. At all times we should
do this, and especially in this lenten sea.
son. We must consider with earnestness
and prayerfulness what things really him
der our Christian life. The sins of thought,