The Washington times., 1895-02-18
Religious Services for the Ma
tiOnaI' Council of Women.
METZEROTT HALL CROWDED
Rev. Annis Ford Eastman's Eloquent Ser
mon-Living Faith the Virtue Which
Means Strength and the Temperance that
Stands for Forbearance Make the God-iike
Man-Many Noted Women Were Present

formal convention of the National Council OF
Women, were held yesterday afternoon, be-
ginning at 3 o'clock, at Metzerott Hall.
Although at that hour there were largely
| attended services in many of the churches,
at which delegates to the council were pres
ent and participating, the gathering at Metz
croft Hall filed the building. The presence
| was a particularly gracious one, as it was
composed almost-entire!y of ladies' A part
of the honor proposed to be paid the dlstin-
guished visitors was thus paid, the attend
ants being well rewarded for their courtesy
by the exceeding interest and beauty Of the
exercises
The announcement too, that woman min
ister was to preach sermon, an unusual
event even in Washington bad perhaps some
thing to DO with the presence Of many in the
audience.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE STAGE.
A committee, of which Mrs. Jeanette
Bradley was chairman, was in charge OF the
( arrangements, which were simple but taste
/ ful. the stage teiug decorated with vases OF
I flowers and growing palms.
| The music was by quartet Miss Pierce,
Of Boston; Mrs. Stoddart, Dir. Player, and
/ Mr.. Croft. Mrs. w. A. Flint being the accom-
! panist, and Mr.. w. 4. Flint, precentor.
The stage was occupied by Rev. Anns Ford
| Easton, Mrs. l.. NJ. n. Stevens. Rev. Anna
/ Howard Shaw Miss Eiizai eth U. Yates, Mrs.
! L. b. Grannis. Mrs. Katherine Lente Steven
1 son, Mrs. Emeline Buriingame Cheney, Susan
! b. Anthony, May Wrigut Sewell. Rachael
] Foster Avery. Emeline b. Wells Jeanette
| Bradley, Minnie ]. Snow. Clara C. Hoffman,
Louise Barnum Robbins, Hannah J. Bailey,
! Kate Browulee Sherwood, Mrs Frank Gibbs,
! Mrs. l. c. Manchester. and Margaret Ray
| Wickns
In the center front of the stage was Rev.
/ Annie Ford Eastman, who was to deliver the
! sermon.
The services were opened with prayer by
/ Mrs. Eastman. q woman rather under the
medium height, with intelligent gray eyes,
/ brown hair, and face of clear-eut features
/ and lovely expression
Oliver Wendell Holmes hymn, Lord of
| All Being Throned Aar." was read by Miss
/ Yates ana then sung by the quartet
! Mrs. Cheney read a part of the Scriptures,
| after which Miss Pierce sang with religious
feeling and expression, ''Reioice Greatly,
| from the Messiah"
Then followed the sermon, which was on
/ the text: AND besides this. giving all dull
gence, add 10 your faith, virtue; and to virtue,
! knowledge; aud TO knowledge. mperance;
and to temperance, patience; aud to patience,
Godliness; and TO Godlness. brotherly kind
ness and to brotherly kindness, charity"
REV. MRs. EAsTMAN's SERMON.
The speaker began by noting that the
| painting of picture was slow process, and
that the accom- plished work was only pos
sibility after the use of many materials, at
each stage the picture presenting itself as in
! complete until the last. There is always an
| indelinable something wanting which is only
made manifest by the finishing touches OF the
! artist
SO in the text from from the Apostle Peter
! we may follow his development OF a perfect
human spirit or soul. His text was not a
composition of instantaneous writing. 1t
was long process, embody ying, as he pro-
1 ceeded new details, Just as the artist COM
ple;es his picture. The apostle first draws
/ the outline OF ne. .estic future, his ideaS be-
inc the image Of the invisible God II human
nature.
From the study OF an artists work We can
determine whether it is to be OF Il spiritual or
material character: so by the words OF the
! apostle we know that he is about 10 present
man flied with the goodness of God and
| the highest attributes.
Faith is the groundwork of the sketch and
! gives life TO the whole. The world is full OF
the smoke OF battle among those eontending
| for non-essentialS. but the one thing neces-
sary is faith. whereby ruth is discerned.
| Faith in Christ as e son of God is the foun-
! dation of the believers OF the Son of God in
/ mankind. God calls 10 man as deep calieth
unto deep. and we move on to higher things
under the inspiration of heroes, martyrs, and
| saints.
! VIRTUE THAT MEANS vIGoR.
! After faith the apostle places virtue. but
virtue in the Latin sense OF the word. ''vigor''
or energy Virtue does not mean the aspira
ton, ooh, to be nothing but that energy
| and will which tend to produce harmony
/ between the soul and its God. Vigor is neces-
sary. as Gods best gifts are invitations tc
| overcome. TO conquer, to remove Obstacles
Just as is the natural process of a child learn
ing to walk. Gods garden is His gift, but
| YOUR achievement; for all that is best and
| most beauti ul in human achievement is the
result of overcoming difficulties. Faith would
never falter if it were aided by yigor.
But TO faith and virtue must be aided dis
eliminating knowledge. working faith j:
necessary. Scientist may engage in specu
lating on the origin man. but a better spec
ulation would be his destiny, the all-importan
matter to be considered. The butterfly doe.
not spend its life in reverting TO its origin
1t is not the question what shall think o
the dead body OF the past" but what snail
l say when l walk in the light and likeness o
God?" 1t is for us to rise on stepping
stones of our dead selves to nobier things.
Modern science cannot do for man wha
simple faith did for David.
Sef-government, the true signifcation o
the Temperance" OF the text, is the next ma
teriai. and this hegets patience, the "tende
glow OF character not the patience OF de
spair. but that of hop but for the latter o
which the world might be an asylum 70
raving maniacs.
Aud then comes brotherly kindness, the in
dividual or family love- and, above all. tha
universal love which completes the pietur
and makes the man perfect rs an image o
God. This, the speaker held, was not an i'm
possible ideal. but one Of nearly approximate
attainment by men and women vino live,
lives of Christian faith and virtue.
OTHER SERVICES OF THE EVENING.
The manner of Mrs. Eastman is quiet He
enunciation is clear and she uses only tn
emphasis of her words. The sermon. @
which only the principal ideas are given. wa
filed with striking compar sons and was
fine effort both in thought aud delivery.
The announcement of the Offering wa
made by Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, afte
which the hymn, Love Divine, All Low
Excelling," was read by Mrs. Katherin
Lente Stevenson and sung by the choir
| A communion service. opened by the sing
ing OF Rise. My Soul. and Stretch TIL
Wings" was then held, the communion bt
ing administered to all who desired it by th
ministers named. This closed the services.
The formal opening of the council will tax
, place this morning at 10 O'Clock at Metzero
Hall.
} 1t was announced yesterday that ConveI
| tion Hall would be open to-day from 10 a.
TO II m. to give all those who wish an OF