Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-28
HIS FINAL SERMON.

| churches near Columbus which ne can
| reach In day.
HIS FINAL SERMON.
DIR. sweeney's sermon Sunday night was
| in answer 10 the question, is the'e a
God?" The basis of his discourse was
Hebrews l., 1-2-"God. who at sunuty
times and in divers manners ,apro anS
| times past unto the fathers by propileta,
hath in these last days SPOKEN uh.O 10
| by His Son. &c. ..
The purpose of the speaker was 10 meet
the demands % atheism. that denies Sne
existence of God. and OF inhdelity, that
denies the divinity OF Jesus Christ, IL
commenced by stating that the OASIS o.
all true religion consists IN tnese III. NJ
fundamental propositions; fhs., ol tin.
God is: second. that God has spoken,
and third. that God has spoken 10 us
by His Son Jesus the Christ. the elapo-
ration of those three things in the ofaer
stated constituted the substance oil one
of the ablest sermons ever hedlu ii"in
Richmond pulpit - ca
In attestation Of the existence Oh pOu
| he did not appeal 10 the blDle, III
| standing aside from the Biole, al susdd
| the question on the ground OF reason anu anu
| common sense. His starting point on lnis
| branch of his subject was TINS, va.
| something is. Nc ing onward from ina ina
automatic truth, he further stated tpa.
| matter is that mind Is. that man II. nc
| then elaborated the immeasureaple SUI
| riorty of mind over matter, ana am ,i me-
| that the existence OF thought imphed q
| thinker-the existence Of matter linpncu
a creator; that as the creator OF tnnlS
must be greater than the thing createu
matter could not be sef-created. ~
showed that the world, the universe. so
far as man could see ii, was tull OF pians..
designs. systems Of means working ouI
ends-all of which implied designer out
side Of them. superior TO them, ana OF
whom they are dependent. He adduced
the idea OF a God. infinite In power ana
wisdom and goodness, as an eNistlng -.
in the mind Of man, in human thouBul,
demanded 70 know whence II came, anu
proceeded TO show that no one or the
skeptical theories Of its origin was Ten
able. and affirmed that the only slnlple,
rational and satisfactory solution was
to be found i'm the two momentous mono
syllables. God spake-God spake ana re-
vealed Himself and the origin OF the
heavens and the earth and man.
On the second branch or MS SUBJECT
DR.. Sweeney argued that IL was reason
BILE to suppose that God. being good and
having made man, became mans father
by creation-made man with all his wants
and aspirations. would speak TO MIN IN
answer to the demands of his intellectual
and spiritual nature. just as all forms OF
animal parental love eagerly mi ter
to the wants Of its needy offspring. He
then showed that what God had spoken
to man is answerabe to every want OF
his being as an intelligent. rational, re-
sponsibe and immortal creature.
In proof that God had spoken 10 us by
His Son. DR.. Sweeney adduced as wit
nesses the three monumental institutions
OF Christianity-namely, the Lords day
the Lords supper, and Christian bap-
tism. all Of which I'm themselves ana IN
their history implied and attested the
presence Of Jesus Of Nazareth at the
time. at the place. and among the people
reported i'm the New Testament. and all
of them perpetuating the memory OF
Christ's death. burial, and resurrection.
These things being so, said the speaker,
Jesus is what He claimed to be. the
Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of
men.
DIR. DiII's Last Service.
Sundays were the closing services of
Rev. DR.. J. S. Dills pastorate at Vena-
ble-Street Baptist church, in this city.
DR.. Dill preached i'm the morning 10 the
church members, and the exercises were
deeply impressive and solemn. At night
he spoke to the uncOnverted very tenderly
and pleadingly. as he had done so often
before during the six years Of his work
in this city. Abiding 10 his going away,
at the morning service DR.. Dill spoke
thus tenderly:
what matters il then, dearly beloved
in the Lord. II in the providence of our
Great HusbanCman we be called 10 sever
the dearest ties of life. What though, In
the external relations Of life, mountains
and broad rivers divide us. we are all
still one In aim. one i'm the glorious cause
for which we strive, and as we lay down
our sheaves in the storehouse above We
Will rejoice together. Permit me. beloved
congregation. 20 bring home to your hearts
this morning such lessons as the subject
and occasion suggest In Gods prov
dcnce, in the capacity Of pastor, 1 speak
TO you now for the last time. ] dare not
trust myself TO speak of the severance
of those ties which mutual joys and sor-
rows have strengthened in our hearts.
l can only thank you for the sympathy
and kindness extended me while among
YOU and pray that our labors together
may not have been in vain in the Lord.
Let me once more urge upon each
Christian here that in the diversity OF a
Christian labor God has assigned TO each
of you part TO do and that you, with
all the energy Of your soul, do it well,
and do il nobly. And God grant that
when all the labOrs of life are ended,
ladened with rich sheaves we shall meet
10 cast them at our Saviours feet There.
free from the shackles that bind us here,
we shall live forever. an undivided con-
gregation in the temple Of our God, the
house not made with hands, eternal in
the Heavens"
DR.. Dill leaves this week for Fredericks-
burg, Wnere. on next SUNDAY ne beeinS
his work with the Fredericksburg church.
some time ago resigned by Rev. Thomas
=. Dunaway. d. D.
Fine Sermons by bishop Jnggar.
Large crowds greeted Bishop Jaggar at
the morning and evening services AT 81.
Paurs Sunday. In the morning he
preached with the miracle Of the heal
ing of the lepers as his subject, and
pointed out the necessity Of accepting
Christ al His word, coming 20 Him IN
penitence for sins past and trusting IN
His promises and grace for the future.
His sermon was d powerful appeal 10
confess Christ before men and 20 go for
ward In the Christian life. sustained by
the promises OF God. that His grac,
would be sufficient for us in every hour
Of trial and temptation.
The scene at night presented one rarely
witnessed in Richmond-namely, great
congregation composed almost entirely OF
men. They came from every walk and
calling OF life-preachers, doctors. clerks
mechanics bankers, merchants fllled the
great audience-room and galleries OF tn
historic church building. TIE service
which had been printed and distributed
was Of the SIMPLEST character, ana was