The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-19
EASTER nay CELEBRATION.
Religions ExsrcIsss Elaborate and Street
Dlsplays Beautiful. 8

resurrection. Easter day il ono Of the
greatest festivals of the churchea and In
Wilmington the day was more deliberately
observed than ever before.
The prettiest feature Of the celebration
10 the floral decorations. In the churches
hundreds Of plants and flowers wefe used
In tho Catholic and Episoopalian 0hufuhes
the displays were superb and were well
worth seeing as objects OF beauty, alone.
as did the Baptists and Methodists. The
Friends were about the only denomina-
tion who did not make extra preparation
for tho day.
As for tho weather II could hardly have
been more pleasant The air had warmth
but was braoing and not for an instant
did the sun hide its face under clouds. 1t
seemed that all nature was celebrating the
resurrection. 1t was impossible to feel
was compelled to say that he felt bright
and gay, and filled with kindness toward
his fellow man. TWAS also o day for new
bonnets and dresses so many Of the streets
were brilliant with pretty light clothes
and spring bonnets were sopretty that 1t
would have been difficult to pick out tho
most attractive
The CHURCHES were crowded all day.
In tho Roman Catholic Churches the
celebration was attended by all the beauty
and pomp Of the impressive ceremonies
Of the faith; with the rendition Of mass
music and with the Identification of high
affairs that were In themselves tableaux
Of blazing grandeur.
At st. Paul's the services were most
| elaborate and the ediflce crowded. The
choir numbered fifty voices and the affairs
| were almost hidden beneath beds of
| flowers and world Of light. In the even
l Fatbnr Fnllnn
Resurrection"
The services In the Protestant Episcopal
churches are always particularly beauti-
full. The churches were gayly decorated
and fine musical programs were given.
Bishop Coleman was at Stanton, Marshal
ton and Newport during the day and at
Stanton talked to large congregation
| Christ OF the seed Of David was raised
| from the dead" II St. Timothy, 2, s. The
remembrance of this stupendous event is
we'll calculated to cheer and embolden all
the disciples Of Christ. And what makes
| 1t all the more encouraging is the fact
| that He was q man.
He was 'of the seed of David" Just as
wehave seen already, only on Friday,
comforted by the knowledge Of His having
| shed, as man, His own blood for the re-
demption of tho sins Of all other men, SO
now, on Easter Day, we rejoice in know
ing that as man He arose from the dead.
thus making 1t possible for other men to
| attain unto like resurrection.
Thus, when pressed hard by our spirit
ual foes, or disheartened because Of the
apparent failure of Christianity, and
when conscious of our own weakness and
unworthiness, we shall do well simply to
remember His resurrection inWhom who
soeyer believes shall live, though he de-
That He was thus the Son oflGod Is alb
solutely sure from His most solemn and
unequivocal declarations. And THAT the
Jews understood Him to..clailn this same
exclusive sonship Is equally evident from
their reiterated charges Of blasphemy
against Him.
Any other view of His relations to us
would rob His resurrection Of the virtue
1t possesses in assuring as of Its illimltable
power.
In emphasizing the fact of Christ's hui
manity, we do not forget that He was also
Divine. Indeed, any celebration of Easter
without o genuine confession Of His two.
fold nature would surely be unmeaning
and vain, contrayening, US 1t does, tho uni
form teaching of the Catholic Church, 1t
is as being the Son of God in an especial
and exclusive sense that His resurrection
and mediation became effective for our
redemption.
Lawyer Tilghman johnson, residing on
Jefferson street above the avenue, has one
Of the handsomest beds Of hyAcinlhs to be
found in our city
Edward Reed clerk in tho recorder of
deeds office at the court house. is off duty,
being confined TO the house with an at
tack of grip.
At the Church of the New Jerusalem
Rev. P. B. Campbell preached In the
morning from the subject 1.-THE Christian
Passover taking the text from Luke,
xii 10Th.
Rev. I. ]. Mason spoke in tho Reformed
Episcopal Church on tho 'Easter Mes
sage"
Rev. Alexander T. Bowser in the Uni
tartan Church spoke on Easter and the
Resurrection" taking his text from limo.
thy, /, 10; Jesus hath abolished death and
brought life and immortality to light.
- AT st. Johns Episcopal Church the Rev.
George G. Hail preached yesterday from
Acts s, 26.
Why do ye think it thing Incredible
that God should raise the dead?
The Rev. Thomas A. McCurdy preached
at Central Presbyterian Church in tho
morning from the text: Corinthians u,
55.57: 20 death, where Is thy stingY D
grave where is thy victory The sting Of
death is sim and the strength of'sin Is the
law But thanks be to God, which giyeth
us the victory through Our Lord Jesus
Christ"
Rev Mr.. MacGeorge preached in Della.
ware Avenue Church on the New Crea.
ton" His text was Isaiah 81, 10; II will
greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall
be joyful In my God; for he hath clothed
me with the garments of salvation"
Rev. Mr.. Murray preached q strong
sermon at st. Andrews In the morning
and in tho afternoon the sixty-eight an.
niyersary Of the Sunday school was OBJ.
served. Easter anthems were sung and
Robert Adair reported the large school to
have thirty.three teachers and 1866 scholars
and the infant department one teacher and
seventy scholars.
At Grace church Easter and missionary
services were held. Row. Henry Baker
ID. d., delivered an address and John S.
Mullen Jr., read report which showed
that the total number of officers and
teachers enrolled is eighty of scholars in
large room, 420; In the infant room, 1876
considering the necessary unsettlement
because Of our bereavement and loss of
our pastor, continues the report, 'tho at
tendance for the year has been remarkably
good the average attendance of officers
and teachers being fifty eight of scholars
In the main school, 275, and of the infant
school 90 Two died during the year.
At St. Johns Church services began at
$50 o'clock with the Holy Communion,
At 1880 o'clock the Communion was again
celebrated In the afternoon the chill.
dren's festival was held.
At Asbury Rev. Mr. Tinker talked ap-
propriately and IN the evening the Sunday
school rendered d program. Superinten.
dent Butler, of the Camden, N. j., NJ. E.
Sunday schools, spoke
Presiding Elder Barrett preached at St,
Paul's NJ. 4 Church in the morning from
tho Acts of the Apostles, |, "a
The Christian Endeavor service early in
the evening was led by Mrs Mary Thomas
| but the interesting celebration was later
In tho evening when the combined Sunday
school service was held. The church was
crowded and the music under the direc.
ton Of Harry9 j.. Guthrie, was especially
interesting. Harvey Hotfecker, president
OF the Sunday School Association presided
| and with him on the platform were 5. H.
Baynard and Charles Gray, the superin-
tendents, and the Rev. W. L. S. Murray,
| pastor.
| In report by Dr. Murray it was shown
that $6466G, 80 had been raised during the
year.
At st, Patrick's Church. Rev. Father
Finn preached on He is Risen." He
| spoke of the life of Christ, and drew from
it historical facts and moral applications,
In the evening he spoke on "Our Faith
the Victory" The congregations during
the day were the largest that have ever