The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-16
EASTER AT GRACE CHURCH
NEW PASTOR GREETED BY LARGE
CONGREGATIONS.
Rev. Arthur j. Smith Well Known to
New Haven NIethodists Formerly
Hnven-His Serm ON Last Evening.

! Havem-His Serm ON Last Evening.
The Easter services at Grace M. E
: church yesterday, both morning an(
| evening, We're attended by large con
gregations. 1t was the initial day o
| the pastorate of the new minister, Rev
| Arthur J. Smith, who delivered yer!
| forcble and appealing sermons on boil
| occasions. His reception by his congre
| cation was particularly cordial anC
warm hearted and his ministry, wink
| with the church, Is undoubtedly des
tined to be unusually successful. AS he
was pastor of ST. Andrews M. e
| church, East Haven up to six years
ago, the Rev. Mr.. Smith is no stranger
| to New Haven Methodists. Since Their
| he has been in charge of the Shelton M
| e. church in Shelton, Conn.,, from
whence he was called to assume his
| present charge.
| In honor of the day Grace church
was decorated with Easter lilies and
palms, presenting very pretty ap-
pearance. Special music was rendered
by the choir under the direction of Mr..
Mears.
The text of the evening sermon was
taken from the First Corinthians, thir-
teenth chapter, twentieth verse: Nov
we see through a glass darkly but then
face to face; now we know in part, but
then shall we known even as we are
known"
In part he said: 1.-THE human intel
lect cannot wholly in this life under
stand things which are invisible or
mysterious, therefore it cannot ever
fully understand God. BY means of the
telescope the stars from their far away
setting in the armament are brought
near to u.s. so that we are able to study
the conditions which exist in them; but
who, even while viewing them near at
hand, can comprehend that Gods pres
ence is as manifest there as it is in this
temple tonight?
Again who can understand God per-
fectly as He is represented to us in the
Trinity? To me it is a tremendous
fact, a sublime mystery, but l cannot
comprehend it even though He has re-
vealed Himself to me in His work. I
have poured over this part of the Bible
in study for hours and hours at time
and have come back each time with the
same perception. But each time it has
been source of the utmost satisfaction
to me to feel that He is one who is I'M
movable. If God could be known or
comprehended perfectly by the finite
mind He would not be God.
And so to-day when the Christian
rises and attempts to tell of his Chris
tan experience and how the spirit of
God had made itself felt in his soul he
is forced to say that he cannot tell. Men
of fact would make this mystery their
argument against the truth itself. If
their argument is to be believed, all
that is mysterious in this world is
false. Take one of these beautiful lilies
here before our eyes, the emblem of the
day itself. Who can understand the
law of organic growth? If this lily was
the only manifesto of it's kind the only
flower in the world, it would be consid-
cred the-gfeatest miracle of the times;
and great would be the number which
would come here tonight toview it. And
yet we cannot understand the law
which governs it's growth.
And who can understand the human
body? One of the greatest mysteries is
life itself. And so it is in relation to the
truth which is revealed to us in the life
of God. Mystery is a great truth
which will be revealed to us by God
Himself if we follow Him into the val
ley of sunshine. Now our knowledge is
but in part although we do know But
there is time coming when our
knowledge will no longer come to us as
through a polished mirror, as reflected
knowledge; we shall see face to face
how wonderful this knowledge is
A short story related by the preacher
was very interesting. 1t was of a noble
man who had a son who was blind hav-
ing been so-supposedy incurable--
from babyhood. One day a famous OPP
tician was the guest of the nobleman
at his castle and hearing of the little
fellows aff1iction expressed the wish to
examine his eyes. He was allowed to
10 so, and after the examination asked
he father if he might operate upon the
eyes The father gave his permission
and for long time the boy was under
he constant care of the physician.
Then" said the speaker, ''came the
lime when, after having been in dark
DOM for many days the bandages were
% be removed. Slowly, carefully, al
most fearfully, the physician undid
hem one by one. 1t was an awful pc
'iod, one of expectation, which might
De unfulflled The last bandage was
by the physicians hands. He
scarcely trusted himself to look, but did |
10, and with tremor of joy saw that |
he operation had succeeded
1.-THE first 'sight to meet the boys |
yes was the TRANSPORTED face of his
Gt tldr Ii H.