The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-19

Rev. DIR. Fairs sermon mt the Inde-
pendent Church.

The Congregation at the Independent
Presbyterian Church yesterday morning
was unusually large. many strangers be-
ing present. The reception of two new
members and the ordinance of infant bap-
tism preceded the sermon, and at its close
Mr.. E. w. Cubbedge was ordained and in
stalled as deacon by prayer and the lay
ing on of the hands of the session. The
music was exceptionally fine the choir
rendering Faure's "Sanctus Spiritus" as
the offertory.
The collection was for the City Mission.
This is society of the Independent
Church, whose object is to help the poor
of the city. An important branch of its
work is the mothers meeting, which gath
erS every Monday afternoon in the leC1
ture room, and while the class is instruct
ed in sewing, some one reads from an in
teresting book
DR.. Fairs sermon was along the line
of their work, his text being Isaiah, 66:6:
"a voice of noise from the city" II
awakens a singular train of thought he
said, to stand by the seashore and listen
TO the muffled thunder of the surf, but
1t is more impressive to listen TO the muir
muir of the great tides of human life ebb-
ing and flowing through the tides of
city, beating on the shores of time. In
the text this sound is personiied and a
voice is attributed to it. The object of
voice is TO communicate thoughts. So
the noise of "A great city gathers itself
into speaking voice. What thoughts
does il express? 1t expresses first the
thought of toll. The noise that rises from
the city Is not music not roll of drums
and peals of trumpets, not anthems of
praise, but the blows of labor. 1t teaches
this is a world of work, a busy world,
burdened world. a hurrying world. But
the voice from the city echoes another
equally true and important thought. 1t
is plea for justice. As it is Gods will
for the world to work. SO it is His will
the world should receive compensa ton for
its work. Let justice with impartial hand
poise the scales in their swing and perfect
balance.
Let not strength Cypress weakness"
said DR.. Fair. Let not cunning over
reach ignorance. let not cupidity take ad-
vantage of want let not wealth rob
poverty, let not the hand of power wiring
from the starving a service that is forced
by helplessness. The deep undertone of
that voice is a prayer, breaking on the
ear of wealth, if unheard there. rising
and breaking on the ear of God, that right
may regulate all relations, injustice be
unknown. AS you listen to the voice from
city, how often you hear amid it's com
minging sounds the cries of the poor and
oppressed, clerks, working girls, whose
slender wages are cut down, but whose
tasks are increased, whose wages are not
regulated by what their service is WORTH
but by what they are compelled in their
want to take, toiling far into the night
till health is shattered and the heart is
filled with a bitter, burning sense of
wrong.
But the voice of noise from the city
cries not only for justice" said DR.. Fair
'but also for sympathy. How much wear
iV,or In fhofc
the strokes of tired hands! How many
toll on in sickness, watch the slow-creep-
ing fingers of the clock. How many
look at their work through eyes full of
tears. But the sick at home would have
no food, no fire, no medicine. Have you
a comfortable home? AS you repose
amid it's comforts, think of the dull, mo-
notonous lives of the toilers, think of the
| suffering and destitute among the poor;
| think of the sorrow of mothers who see
their children hungry; learn to read the
| voice that sounds from the city; reach
| out kindly, helping hands; go on errands
| of mercy; be less exacting with the over
| worked poor; try to alleviate their lot"
In conclusion, DR.. Fair said there is one
| city in this universe where the sound of
| toll Is not heard. no smoke drifts across
| its skies-that is heaven. There toll ceases
| and rest begins. The voice that rises
| from its innumerable company is glad
| ness ana praise. soon you Will lay down
| your tools for harp and exchange your
| little home here for palace that over
looks the tideless wave of the crystal sea
| and the waving trees of paradise
| Rev. w. H. McMeen of Pennington will
| supply the pulpit of the Independent
! Church next Sunday. DR.. Fair expects to
| be absent at DeFuniak, where he will de
| liver lecture before the Florida Chau-
| tauqua next Friday evening and preach
| in the Auditorium next Sunday.