The Portland daily press., 1898-12-05
PORTLAND PIIhPITS.
Discuss the Lessons Drawn From
Wreck Of Portland.
NATURALLY THEIR yIEWs DIFFER
IN REGARD TO THE MATTER.

Tbsx Preached to Large Congregations
Yesterday-The Churches Where kegu-
lar Attendants Were Lost Much AT
feoted-Many of the Clergymen Did
Not Touch on the Subject.
At quite a numher OF Portlan d
churches, especially those that suffered
the loss of members or attendants by the
wreck of the Portland, the pastors either
preached On topics relating to the terrible
calamity, or else alluded to the matter in
their regular sermons. Below will be
found sketches of those that referred to
the sad affair:
STATE STREET CHURCH.
AT the State Street church Rev. DR..
Jenkins took for his text Psalms IS:
S. ssFire and hail, snow and vapor, WIND
and storm, fulfilling His word. p"
A Hebrew observer saw in the world
of his day fire and hail, snow and vapor,
wind and storm. His world had destruo'
tive agents in it. Our world has them.
The unknown Hebrew writer of the l4Sth
Psalm believed the destructive forces OF
his world controlled, fulfilling the word,
order. command of God. Have we the
same faith?. OF the Hebrews opinion
it can be said, it is comfort giving
inspires feeling of security. What the
wisdom and love of God tolerats, ordaln,
must be for mans welfare. Conviction
of this is for man beyond all price.
Anarchy is intolerable. Life among
naniacs, hell; life in a universe, 1t forces
unclaimed, raging without control, Is TOR
ment. More to be desired than gola,
than much fine gold. is the faith oil the
Hebrew that fire and hail, snow and
yapor, wind and storm, fulfill the WORD
wish of God. The faith of the Hebrew is
not only dsirable, it is reasonable. The
thought that the best meets the many and
difficult requirements as to the meaning
of mans life on the earth is that a race
is being educated to God. 1t seems IN
disputable that man rs we know him
cannot be educated without exposure to
dangers, sand dangers require destructive
agents.
Self preservation is learned through
dangers.
Danger calls for and creates the nobIest
human virtues. Without danger there
were neither courage nor self sacrifice.
Danger gives an occasion for the exer-
else of the finest human powers The
bsst in man has had employment and
development in fighting dangers, dangers
from the sea, dangers threatening human
health, dangers from tyranny and ignor-
anoe. a world with fire and hail, snow
and vapor, storm and wind, is not bad
world, if they advance the education of
man. Dangers come not only from fire
and hail, snow and yapor, wind and
storm, but from the incompetency of the
being opposing them. He does not know
his foes, how to meet them, hence more
dangers.
Take the world as it is, with fire and
hail, snow and yapor, wind and storm,
and man ignorant and weak; such a
world is the world for creating faith,
for danger demands and insures it. He
would not infer from the loss of large
ship that the world is an ungoverned
world. He would not conclude that one
calamity disproves the wisdom. and
goodness of God. Comfort does not come
from disowning God. I choose to Ebe-
lieve in Him, able to rule storms and
make them fulfill his will.
Deaths by accidents calamities, are
vicarious. The dead die for the living.
1t belongs to the living to see to it that
the hundred or more who persisted in the
wreck of the Portland, it belongs to the
living to see to it that they do not die
In vain, that by their death many lives
are saved and benefited. Their death is
vain if our hearts are untouched, I'M
moved by the measureIess grief of those
losing friends. Their death is vain if it
gives us no warning. inspires no purpose
in Us to live a, life that fits for the
beyond.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.
At the New Jerusalem church the Rev.
Samuel Worcester, pastor, said in part:
Hardly family in this city but had
friend, a relative, or an acquaintance on
board the Inflated steamer Portland; and
today our hearts go out in sympathy with
those whose hearths have been made desa-
late. But after time this sad event will
become only memory except to those
most nearly concerned, and then viii
come the hard battle of life to those who
have been so suddenly bereft, aud it is
enough 20 try our faith as We think of
the many who have been left TO the mercy
and kindly feelings Of the world. Our
minds are now largely engrossed with
the earth side of tn is great calamity. and
the newspapers are filled with the dread
"details. But as the FIRST shockof grief
pa ses problems Of vital insterest u. ust
FREE as a,rE - A..