Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-04-22
Easter at the Churches

Easter at the Churches.
Easter becomes each year more OF day
OF general rejoicing throughout the Chris
tian world 1t falls at a season well adapt
ed to the observance of the event il cele-
| brates-the period when nature awakes
from her winters siumber and tree and
plant feel the revivihg touch Of the Mas
| ter Hand as our Savior felt it when he
walked forth from the TO NIB. The perfect
weather and the special exercises at our
churches Sunday attracted large congre-
cations to all OF them.
| At the Baptist church-which was deco
rated in the usual manner with flowers
The pastor, Rev. T. A. Howard, preached a
sermon replete with bright gems of
thought from the text found in Matt.
XVIII; 20, "Lo, lam with you Away,
even unto the end of the world" The
thoughts of the Christian church are
turned once more toward our Redeemer's
glorious triumph. The text spoken by
Christ, after his resurrection and prior to
/ his ascf Dsion, must have given great com
fort TO his disciples The worlds Redeem
er is pr Mt in the world. Human beings,
| when dead, are as far as we know dissev
cred from all direct and active connection
with the events of time. The result of
their living may survive them when they
| have ceased to tenant the earth. The liv-
ing Christ assembled into Heaven and has
passed beyond the reach of our bodily
senses but he has not terminated his con-
nection with this wo Id He has not
ceased to be real because he is invisible TO
US. The risen Christ is present in the
hearts of his people. A great mystery, hut
so are human life aud the eternity OF God
and the incarnation OF Christ profound
mysteries. He "dwells In our hearts by
faith" and he would fiji the hearts of his
people. However slightly the door OF our
heart may be opened, Christ can enter and
will enter, but IL we swing wide open our
heart door and give him an abundant adj
mission we shall be CHILLED unto the full
ness of God Our risen Lord has prom
ised to be with his disciples "unto the end
OF the world and those who have made
complete yielding up OF the whole heart
TO him have an experience that NAV be eX-
pressed in the language q Peter: "Nhom
having not seen, We love in whom though
now We see him not, yet believing, We re-
ioice with Joy unspeakable and full Of
glory, receiving the end OF Your faith, even
the salvation of your souls" Christ has
conquered death and his promise to the
children of faith is: because ! live ye
shall live also."
The choir rendered special music OF
high order.
A profusion OF beautiful house plants,
including rich Easter lilies, and large
formed the leading features OF the deco
rations at the Christian church. Rev. q.
W. Morrow took for his text Peter !. 3,
"Blessed be the God and Father OF our
Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again
INTO lively hope by the resurrection OF
Jesus Christ from the dead.n The sneak
or explained the method by which Easter
Sunday is fixed, it being what is termed
movable feast; also referred to the sig
nifieanee az Easter eggs. In his sermon
he drew valuable lessons for US from the
experiences and teachings of Peter. He
showed how Peter, from a humble, even
profane fisherman, ore OF the most human
az men, became the preacher of pentecost
and later amartyr to the religion OF Christ.
The resurrection OF our Lord is the most
positive proof of our own resurrection.
Two well rendered songs, "Hozanua in
the Highest and "Lift up Your Heads, O
Ye Gates, 4" an anthem, with solo, duet and
chorus, "Thou, Lord, Wilt Arise" by the
choir and trio. "God Shell Charge His
Angel Legions," by Mrs. Tewksbury and
Messrs. p. d. Chatfield and w. f. Lamson,
comprised portion OF the music. Easter
eggs were distributed among the children |
at the Sunday school.
The Congregational church had its full /
share OF floral decorations. The service
was entitled, "Wonderfu Love- 1t con-
quartets and solo, responsive reading from
reading, "The Easter Guest"
prayer and short sermon by Rev. " NJ. /
Hardy, appropriate to the date, and sing
ing of hymns and anthems.
At the Methodist church, it being the /
last Sunday of the conference year, the /
pastor Rev. +. X. Graves, gave special
sermon on the subject "The Risen Lord I
in Church Life and Work" from the text,
''Abide with us, for il is toward evening
ana the day is far SPENT" Luke XIV; 29.
Special music was rendered by the choir,
prominent features of which were the So
10 and chorus recently written by Ira ID.
Sankev, entitled "The Beautiful Hills"
sung by DIR. A. G. Bailey and choir, and a
solo by Miss Nellie Wyman.
Easter was observed more especially in the
evening, when the Sunday school gave
pleasing Easter concert, entitled "rhe
Day OF Triumph" The music of the SER
vice was particularly enjoyable and the
parts by the little people very well taken.
fhe platform and altar were brettily dec
grated with plants and flowers.
st. Johns church was tastefully deco
rated with flowers and plants by the young
ladies OF the parish for the morning SER
vice OF Easter day, and good congrega-
ton listened to sermon on the text: "For
since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the death. ~ Cor.
XIV: 81. The sermon was an argument to
show that physical death to mankind en-
tered the world by the sin of Adam and
hat the resurrection, acting as a release
from the penalty, preserves us from an
initiation.
(Other locals on next pagel