The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1898-10-19
| Grand Occasion at the Presbyieriar
Church.


Sunday last was memorable day Al
the First Presbyterian Church, on thu
occasion oil the first public performanc,
upon the handsome pipe organ, III.
tiTst ever seen in this city. Ii is a$l 80,
instrument of 250 pipes, with ali I'll,
scope and sweetness of tone gained
| from more expensive Instruments
The money was invested in the music
and not i'll the costly trappings of high
er-priced but no more useful organs
This church is the pioneer in this ad-
vanc9d step in church music here il
having been ten wears since the ''Or-
gan Fund' was set on foot by Mrs
Jason Walker, and though many have
been the discouragements which befeii
the laudable endeavor, the hopes AN,
efforts of the devoted friends of the
scheme came to fruition only on Sun
day.
The spacious auditorium was
crowded, overfiowing into the gallery,
while chairs were strung down the aisle
and standing room in the rear was at 1.
premium. 1t was truly a magnificent
congregation. In the alcove behinu
tue pulpit stood the handsome organ
whose bright pipes lifted their summirs
twenty feet above the floor in front
sat the choir, Mrs. Harry b. Hanger,
Mr.. and Mrs. j. V. Logan, and air.
WIN. Thomas, behind low railing
curtained with maroon sateen. On
the rOstrumfartheri in front and slightly
lower stood the pulpit, whence the pas
tor, Rev. Jasper X. Smith, can see and
be heard more plainly than ever be-
fore. The arrangement is perfect.
At eleven O'Clock the eXpectant crowd
was charmed by a long, low velvet note
that was the first uIterance from the
big instrument that is nov the pride OF
all who heard it. 1t was under The
| touch of one of the most skilful or
ganists in the country, Harry Pitcher
Que OF its manufacturers. The pre-
Jude was a beautiful selection and rem
dered faultlessly, all the shadings of
tone being brought out, from the softest
to the deepest. Mrs. Walker also
played the accompaniment for the
hymns, sung by choir and congregation
at the pastors earnest appeal. NOW to
the Lord noble song" was the OPEN
ing hymn. The oilertory, during the
collection, was a grand piece grandly
performed Other hymns, then the
| sermon, and while the congregation
was dispensing the great instrument
burst out in greater beauty than before,
and the immense throrg seem loath to
leave until the long, last, low note faded
into silence.
Grand as the occasion was, and all
say it was such, the pastor rose to the
great occasion with a sermon that We'd
in grandeur with the circumstances.
So that the enchanted throng mentally
confessed that the chief feature of the
occasion was not more the music than
! the sermon.
'COme and TASTE and See" was the
text, and in our short experience of
some dozen years of remembered SER
nous, We have never heard its equal as
dn answer to inhdelity, Though applica
BILE to the unconverted, land convincing
to doubters met with in daily life.
Argument. Testimony, Experiment,
the three channels through which
truth may be established, were called
into requisition to prove the existence
of God But" said he, with all the
! fervOr of his earnest heart, "if Won say
my argument is fallacious and my eX-
| perience unreliable, just Come and
Taste and See, and know for yourself,
as / know, by experiment, that there
is God" God does not ask us TO &C
cept his offers through blind faith. And
if we disbelieve the records of the ex-
| periences of countless saints who met
death uncomplainingly at the stake or
| from the flame, there is vet means of
/ grace left open to those who seek the
truth: let them simply "Come and
Taste and Sec As Love can not be
weighed in the apOthecary' S scales, nor
/ l1nh n n al fStC Lob
tory, yet we can see the one and feel
/ the other by simple experiment. Chris
tan experience gives us what nothing
else can give us nor take away. So,
Come and Taste and See
THE EVENING SERVICES.
Promptly at seven o'clock the service
began before equally as large an au-
! dience as had gathered in the morning
| There was no sermon, the pastor, Mr..
Smith, introducing the hymns, as it
were, by brief narratives of their origin.
Lead, Kindly Light" was written on
stormy ocean voyage in 1881 by a min
lister OF the English Episcopal Church,
and its lines breathe the story of that
| trying journey and that trustful life
| Next, Nearer My God to Thee" was
written by Sarah Johnson and sung by
her on her death bed, bursting like
perfect lily between her pallid lips. her
dying utlerance being echoed in that
undying song.
The choir was composed of Mr.. and
Mrs. J. V. Logan, Miss Mary Logan and
Mr.. VIM. Thomas. Mrs. Harry B.
Hanger and Mr.. J. V. Logan also rem
dered beautiful solos to accom- pani-
ment by Mrs. Walker. Mr.. Smiths
prayer was dedication Of the organ to
the service of God and Him only, to
mellow and uplift the voices and hearts
of the people, to peal forth the wedding
march, and to chant the requiem of the
dead.
After the services were concluded,
toe many-throated instrument re-
sounded again in sweetest tones, as if to
join in the common rejoicing over its
trinp1ph