Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-27

cipal meal OF the ages, to set 1Ortn tpe
knowledge Of God which is the appro2ri-
ate nourishment OF the soul. Tho world
by wisdom knew not God. The wlsest
and greatest teachers could not answer
the questions Of God and immortality,
the origin and end of man. A certain
man made a great dinner. Entertainment
IS provided by the hospitality Of God him
self. 1t requires the Hottest powers OF
the human understanding to study SIM
ply the character of Jesus Christ The
God. who flashes wonder and wisdom from
the stars on the eye OF the astronomer
calls him also TO faith in Christ as the
life of the soul, TO prayer for mercy at the
foot OF the Cross The God who gives
physical light and heat TO the study or
a Tvndall shows him also the Light or
the World In Jesus Christ. Everlasting
life Is the principal dish. at the head or
the table OF the Gospel dinner. Peace
and rest and hope and daily fortitude are
side dishes Fadeless flowers from the
bowers Of Eden decorate the board An
gel chorsters and harpers furnish celes-
tIal music while the guests partake. Inc
soul feasts on its pardon, its peace with
God. It's new life and hope. Have you
had such a Christmas dinner to-day? 1t
il our turn now TO sit down at the board
before the world ends. God, the author,
simply gives life TO dying man. 1t Is
feast provided. Come, for all things are
now ready" The invitation Is general.
Come and eat and live forever. by obey
| ing Christ unto repentance. Come ana
eat, or declining. rejecting Christ go
starved for eternity"
Christ Before PLATE.
At the First Presbyterian church on
| Sunday morning DR.. Kerr preached on
MARY, the Mother Of Jesus" from 81.
| Luke f., As: Gan generations shall call Me
blessed" The sermon consisted OF
review OF the life Of Mary, as connected
| with that OF her divine Son, beginning
with the annuncIation at Nazareth and
ending with the meeting for prayer at
which Mary was present. in the upper
| room I'm Jerusalem, after the Ascension
| of Christ The lessons DIR. Kerr drew
were illustrative of the honor given to
motherhood and the parental relation, ana
! the reciprocal duties of parents and chill
| dren. Several beautiful pieces Pt CHRIST
mas music were rendered by the choir.
At the evening service in the First
! PRESBYTERIAN church the preacher was
| the Rev Henry Alexander White, ID. D.,
! Of Washington and Lee University. the
! subject was "Pilate's Mistake. Text, st.
| John xviii. IS: "Pilate said unto Him,
What is TRUTH" The able and scholarly
! discourse consisted of a brief review or
the trial of Jesus, first before the High
! Priest and then before PLATE, showing
| that PLATE was actuated principally by
n desire to hold his Office as PrOcurator
Of Judea. He feared to offend the Jews,
lest there should be a riot and also
! dreaded to do anything Tor winch ne
might be mpeached before the Emperor
! He admitted that Jesus was innocent or
the charge Of rebellion against the gov
] r.I I'M n
cross. When he asked Christ What Is
TRUTH" he waited not for an answer but
turned away A man may be sincere. and
/ vet not regard the eternal verites, as
/ he NAV hold a great amount Of truth
and vet not allow his life to be shaped
and governed by IT. Christ is the model
He lived the truth, and this should be
| the case with all.
The sermon made a powerful impress
sion upon the audience. DR.. White is the
son-in-law Of the Hon. b. r. Wexford
! Jr.. at whose house he. with Mrs. White,
| is spending the Christmas holidays.
Christmas mt Grnce-Street Presby-
terrain Church.
The services at this church Sunday were
I'm strict harmony with the day and sea-
son. The choir that has been so well
trained by Professor Thompson, selected
appropriate music, which was well rem
dered. both morning and at night. There
were two anthems at each service-in the
morning There Were Shepherds" and
/ Nazareth" with chorus, and at night
'"The Prince of Peace" and He Shall
Reign Forever"
Both of Or. Witherspoon's discourses
were truly Christmas sermons, the night
| sermon, in fact, a continuation OF his
morning discourse.
The Doctor commenced his morning
sermon, after announcing his text. by
stating the difference between the gos-
pels and the epistles. The gospels, he said
were historical stating only facts. Paul
in his many epistles referred to the facts
as stated. and explained them. For in
stance Luke i'm his gospel. in speaking Of
the angel that appeared before the Snep-
herds. saws: For unto you is born this
day in the City Of David a Saviour which
| IS Christ the Lord" Paul takes this an
nounced fact and explains the purpose OF
/ the coming Of Christ. and tells them in
the text selected by the DoctorT But
when the fulness OF the time was come,
God sent forth His Son. made OF a woman,
made under the law" DR.. WitheIspoons
exposition Of the "fulness Of time" show
ing the period Of the birth Of Christ. ful-
/ filling all prophecy, the condition or ma
/ lions at His coming. The purpose OF His
coming was thorough and interesting. The
objections many persons expires; TO the SUI
pernatural were brought forth and salts
factorily dealt with.
AT night Or. Witherspoons subject. ITO
Redeem Them That Were Under law"
was handled I'm a most mlsterly way,
bringing forth the receptive oiiCe Of Christ
and how God manifested Himself 70 His
[ lost creatures and we became the sons OF
God. In a plain and convincing way did
the Doctor show how we become mem
bers OF Gods family through Christ in
His redemptive work for all who accept
Him as their Saviour.
III these thoughts" said the Doctor,
team be fully impressed upon the minds
of my hearers. then they have not COM
memorated this Christmas in vain"
Dr. WItherspoon nfver spoke with more
animation than he I'D in delivering these
two sermons.
Rev. Mr.. BeaucDamp on Expansion.
That Rev. w. Il Beauchamp. pastor Of
! CT lanes Methodist church. Is an eXnan-
sionist. was ver' clearly demonstrated
sunday night diring the delivery OF an
able discourse IN 1.-The Great Treaty Of
! Peace" "Glory TO God in the highest.
and on earth peace goodwill toward
men" was TIE text, and the coming Of
christ as the greatest of all peacemakers
the subject. After referring in eloquent
language toprophecy and song proclaim
ing the advtnt of Jesus, the speaker said
the significance Of the prophecy lay In
the fact that the world had fallen away
from God and no one knew IL so well as
the ange4c host So, when the angels
realized hat Christ's coming brought the
possibilly Of Gods reconciliation to man.