The Portland daily press., 1899-04-18
SOUTH PORTLAND.
Rev. Mr.. Holiness Farewell Ser.
mon Sunday.
Preached Before Large Congregation
ut Peoples M. Il. Church-Personsi
Items, etc.

Rev. Mr.. Holmes preached the closing
sermon of hts Passionate in South Port
land to a large audience Sunday after
noon. taking for his text the 10th and 2lst
verses Of the Epistle of Jude. He said in
part:
God Is building kingdom whose lead
ing characteristic is love. God 50 loved
the world that be made provision for
human sin and need, that men might
love Him and one another.
The divine love Is always consistent
with justice, with the discipline and
corrections of this life, and with the
future punishment of the inoorrigible
sinner and persistent rejecter OF Christ.
In this work OF Kingdom building man
is called to have q part. The process is
exhibited In the oh urch, the visible rep
resentation OF the Kigdom Of God. A step
farther takes us to the very beginning OF
this work 10 the building OF Individual
Christian character.
Men are not saved in masses; God
loves the world, but never loses sight Of
the individual. So the individual Is not
merely for the visible church, nor the
visible church merely for the kingdom.
but church and kingdom both exist for
tie Individual.
jude Is not speaking here to a promis-
cuous assembly made up without regard
W tihthCtcIy bub w thocc eosSttV1 o1o va
the world on account of their faith, and
transformed by the divine spirit, and
brought into q new fellowship; q fellow
ship with God and with those that love
Him. 1.-The common salvation" Of whish
the apostle epeaks is not 50 common as to
include men without saving them. 1t
simply offers and Ia able. to save all who
accept it. They are the "beioved' of this
| chapter.
the main clause Of our taxi 10 an ex-
hortation.to believers to abide in this
fellowship of love.
Among the conditions necessary to
keeping ourselves in the love Of God"
perhaps the first We should notice Is obedi-
ence. Faith and love unite In Obedience.
"If W love me keep my commandments"
said Christ. And again: "If ye kesp my
commandments ye shall abide in my
love-"
Then again, growth Is necessary in or.
der to retain Gods approving love. be-
LEVERS must grow in gracs and In the
knowledge of onr Lord and saviour
Jesus Christ" God can tolerate spiritual
infancy only for season.. Then he
looks for "the measure of the [stature of
the fullness of Christ" This growth de-
ponds on knowledge, faith, and service.
The 'most holy faith" includes not only
the doctr ines OF the Christian system, but
also the believers personal, purifying,
saving fnith.
There can be no growth apart from l. the
Holy Spirit. He Is the potential factor In
al Christlike character building. He Is
the couservator of the truth and de keeps
the soul In touch with God. "Grieve not
the Holy Spirit of God. !"
Among the results of keeping in the
love Of God. are. first the personal---very.
of the believer; second. the harmony and
efficiency of the church, and thir the
salvation Of the unsaved, and the promo
tion of righteousness in the world.
Finally our present and eternal saliva
ton 10 through the mercy OF God. The
believer must ever be ''looking for tie
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
Eternal life. D." The church Is not perfect;
individual Christians have many tnfrm-
tiles. A 8 the Christian life has its begin
ming in the mercy Of God, so it must con
tinue and end. In that other and better
life We shall come to the day Of perfect
things
At the evening service Rev. MIR. Holi-
ness stated that the church had raised
for benevoIences, including the expenses
incurred at the revival services of year
ago, nearly $500 during the past two
years. This is independent Of the current
expenses such as preachers salary, presid-
ing elders ana bishops allowances, etc.
He also stated that duriug his pastorate
30 persons have teen received on proba-
ton, IL baptized and 81 received from
probation ani by letter to full member
ship.
CONCERT THURSDAY EVENING.
A fino concert will be given In the NJ.
+. church Thursday evening, undtr the
auspices of the East and West High street
Branches of the Ladies' Circle. There
will be no meeting of the West High
street branch Thursday afternoon, on &C.
count of the concert which is to be given
in the evening