The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-28
GRACE CHURCH's NEW PASTOR.
His Inaugural Sermon to Large
Congregation.

HIS Inaugural Sermon to Large
Congregation.
Rev. ]. T. Ryder took up his new charge
as pastor of Grace Methodist church yes
terday. He preached at both the morning
and evening services. A programme of
Christmas music was rendered by the
choir. That for the morning service was:
Organ voluntary.
Anthem, GLORIOUS Is the King of Is
rael"-Hayden.
Anthem, Father, Oh Hear Us"-Palmer.
The programme at the evening service
was:
Organ voluntary.
Anthem, GLORY to God in the Highest. !"
Anthem, ''The Angel Heralds"-Palmer.
The choir is composed of Miss Maymie
Saracker and Mrs. Crittenden, sopranos:
Misses Eula Thorpe and Estella Pease,
contraltoS; MessrS. j. E. Benson and D.
=. Kustn, tenors; Messrs. c. Hardy and
=. Wright, bassos; Mr.. j. E. Benson, di-
rector and Mr.. w. NJ. Cler organist
Mr.. Ryders morning sermon was lis
tened to by large congregation. It was
from the text, Job, 11:l3:17, on the blessing
of repentance.
The evening sermon was preached from
the fifteenth verse of the seventeenth
chapter of john which tells of the Christ
hIIavlns prayed for his disciples, not for
lotted time, but for them to be delivered
from all evil.
Mr., Ryder began his sermon by direct
ing the thoughts of his congregation to
the subimest of spectacles, that of Christ
at prayer; the Christ who, clothed in his
immortality, walked the earth doing good
az al times. And this sublimity of the
ciples.
There is comfort and encouragement"
LNNFTn -
Christ is praying for US now. Our friends
or our dear ones may pray for us. and il
gives us joy; but how much more Joy
should we experience in the knowledge
that Christ, who has such an interest in
US, IS interceding in our behalf"
rms interest in us. he said, is one that
ne holds by reason of his having shed his
blood and given his life for the redemp-
ton of the human race, and it is on ac-
count of this interest that he prays for MS
he prayed at the time he was laboring on
is continued in heaven.
Mr. ryder dwelt with particular empha-
SIS upon the fact that He did not pray for
tne disciples to be taken up to heaven. He
Wlsned them TO remain on earth, as the
good heaven to do His work here The
thoughts of the world to come as Mr.. Rv-
der SAID, should not detract from the work
f fnst II 10 be done in the Lords vineyard,
LOT l4 az nave missions to perform, and they
snouId De responsive to the tasks that are
set mere on earth, and then, in His full
ILL peTlecl time, be ready to receive their
reward. 1t was prayed that the disciples
might be delivered from evil. in order Thai
they might remain here as good men TO
save souls, for in heaven, where He pray-
ca they might not be at once taken. there
are no souls to be saved.
,,,u MT hyuer sad that, if we desire to
I'VE in this manner and in
the joy of Christ there comes the spirit
OF progress, and that there is no progress
IN the dark or without the light. which is
Christ The world made but little pro-
gress' he said, before Christ came INTO
t the world, and, after his coming, the
prosLess was but slow, for it needed the
that nave OF late years sent the gosnel
TO all the lands of the earth. to make
me world what it is" He said that the
cnurcn mas been moved forward by fhe
spirit OF Christ, while the world has heen
moved forward by the sn.rit Of IL ci,,,n 80.