The times., 1899-08-28
FROM HIS old PULPIT
Rev. Hugh Johnston Sounds the
Presidents Praises.
The Former Pastor of the Church
Speaks of Territorial Expansion
and he Triumph of Peace - A
Wider Horizon to the Onward
March of the Nation.

The Rev. Hugh Johnston. D. D., occupied
his old pulpit at the Metropolitan NJ. E.
Church yesterday morning, and was greet
ed by a large congregation. The present
pastor, the Rev. Frank NJ. Bristol, has not
yet returned from Europe. DR.. Johnston
was pastor of the Metropolitan Church for
five years. being transferred to the First
NJ E. Church at Baltimore in March, 1898,
where he is still the pastor. After the SER
vices yesterday almost the entire congre-
CATION waited to shake hands with their
old pastor. He returned to Baltimore on
an afternoon train in time to hold services
at his own church in the evening. DR..
Johnston spoke on THE Quest After God"
taking his text from Psalms, x ill: LAS th ,
hart panteth after the water brooks, so
panteth my soul after thee, o God"
1.-The psalter is a Bible within Bible -
said the speaker; lit is the hymnal of
ages He then outlined the authorship
of the psalms, stating that seventy three
of them were credited to David, one to
Moses, ten to Solomon, thirteen to Asaph,
and eleven TO the Sons of Ko.ah, and some
OF them were written before the eXiling OF
the children of Israel. DR.. Johnston COM
pared the thirsting of the heart after the
water of the brooks to the thirsting of the
soul after God, and said the Psalmist was
not a materialist, for the materiaiist was
one of the most pronounced opponents OF
religion; nor was he pantheist, for ma
terialist denies the existence of Go1, whAe
a pantheist, though he sees God in every
thing denies the personality of the Crea-
tor, and where there is no personality
there can be no worship. He said: God
is not a leeting phenomenon, but stable
personality and the soul of man, nature,
and God are blended together" He spoke
of the Creator as a living, personal, pres
ent, and indwelling God.
DR.. Johnston spoke of the scientist taxi
ing a drop of water and telling of its
component parts, but after all the water
was the result of a force or power which
the scientist could not understand. God
was the foundation of all life, and
the whole earth was his power. The per-
sonality of God was compared with the
personal power of a leader. DR.. Johnston
spoke Of Napoleon's return from Elba, how
regiment after regiment of soldiers were
sent TO capture him. but when they came
face TO face with Napoleon the personality
of the former great leader caused them to
wheel into line behind him and join his
forces.
Referring to Mr.. Mckinley, Dr. Johnston
said: .'Our President in the crisis of war
has seen the North and South reunited and
the Union cemented in a war for humanity,
and with devotion, and under hardships
almost inconeeivable, the flag OF this coun-
try has been planted and now waves over
the gem of the Antilles and the isles of
the Oriental seas. After the triumph of a
peace charged with the grayest response
bilities; in spite of the agitations against
territorial expansion, as if it were policy
and not providential necessity; in spite
Of the fluctuations of popular feeling and
the perplexities of political and commercial
problems, he has not swerved nor paused
in duty, but with highest patriotism. hope
and courage he has met every immediate
issue, and given wider horizon and truer
perspective to the onward march of the
nation whose destiny is fnseparably linked
with the peace and prosperity OF the world,
the spread Of civilization, and the uplifting
Of humanity The essence of Christian
ity is the personality of God and the great
est of objection to Christian Science is the
denial of the personality of God; but the
belief that there is no personal suffering
and no disease is merely a fad which will
soon become nuisance and die away.
Nothing but God can FIJI the longing OF
the soul, and while We may do without pal
atial mansions--which most of US must dc
without-and without luxuries of many
kinds, We cannot do without God"
DR.. Johnston paid tribute to the late
Bishop Newman which brought tears TO ths
eyes of his audience, many of whom had
known and loved the Bishop, who was the
pastor Of the church for many years. II
speaking of the personality of God, DR.
Johnston told Of how Bishop Newman re.
ferred to the personal sympathy of hi:
friends in times of trouble and how consoi
ing such sympathy had been in the darl
hours of his trials. In conclusion, DR.
Johnston said 81 preach to you of pres
ent God, present salvation. Grasp th'
divine, instead of the human. and you shai
- l;F+ad nm IN CodfC rreSanra -