The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1903-04-10

WORDS AT THE CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH ON SUNDAY EVENING TO 1
AUDIENCE-THESE MEETINGS WILL
CONTINUE ON SUNDAY EVENINGS
THROUGH THE MONTH.
Miss May B. Lord, field worker
for the Connecticut Sunday School AS
ISOLATION, has been doing some gooo
work in our midst. Prayer-meetings
in the Taunton schoolhouse on Mon
day and Tuesday evenings Of last week
were well attended; at them attention
was riveted on every word that came
from the speakers lips, and hearts
we're touched, let us hope, with warm
desire for better things. The climax
of these Taunton meetings was on
Sunday afternoon when large gather
ing, especially of men, came together,
and the Spirits power was evident in
leading some to think deeply on the
question Of what they are doing with
life.
Sunday evening was most bright
moonlight one, and many assembled at
the Congregational church to hear a
plain, eart-to-heart talk from Miss
| Lord. She is an adept in leading a
meeting of this sort. She puts swing
and dash into the manner Of carrying
it on, and yet it is not zeal that Tags
itself out in wasteful sensationalism.
Her presentation of Gospel message
is sharp as sword that pierces. You
listen because you cannot help it: you
follow because she without compulsion
leads you on. Miss Lord cannot help
doing a splendid work here. She has
already thoroughly won her way into
the hearts of the people. and that is
more than half the battle. The next
step after loving her is for those that
hear to love the message that she
brings.
After giving some running COM
ments on the Lost and Found" chap
ter from Luke, Miss Lord on Sunday
evening spoke on the words "And
Peter" We can only briefly bring out
the successive pictures that she
sketched rapidly before us.
Jesus was in the upper room
with His disciples. Lovingly He spoke
to them Of His going away; and then
came the thought that they, His near
est friends, would desert Him in the
hour of His need. leave your" cried
Peter; "why if every one else went
away from you, Lord, I'd stand by
you. 1 will follow you anywhere. I'll
go to prison, I'll 20 even TO death for
you" Do you, dear friends, ever get in
to that boastful state and plume your
self on your own strength? A little
boy was going along with his father.
The walking was very slippery, but
the little boy wanted to 60 alone. The
father offered his hand, but young Mr.
Self Reliant refused all assistance and
strutted on alone. In very slippery
place he fell down; when he cot up he
put just his little finger in his fathers
hand. Soon he was down again.
Now, in getting up, he placed his
whole hand in his fathers hand.
Again he slipped, but his father kept
him from falling. The boy had
learned his lesson. Have we? How
much we all need to be shown that we
rely upon the Fathers strong right
hand to help us over life's slippery
places
Now Jesus and His diciples went
from the upper chamber out into the
night into dark Gethsemane' S shadows.
Jesus takes with Him Peter, James,
and John, and goes space apart from
the others to pray. He bids these
three to watch. Giving Himself to a
great agony Of prayer, He comes back
and finds them sleeping. "Ah! Peter,
could you not watch with income hour?"
Scarce more than an hour has gone by
since Peter vehemently asserted that
he was willing to 60 to prison and to
death; he could not even keep awake
for his Lord.
fusion, with an angry impulse Peter
seizes sword and cuts off the ear Of
servant Of the high priest, and only
makes matters much worse. He was
willing to follow his Master to death;
but for His Sake he could not even
check the hot impulses Of his soul.
Jesus is passing into the Judgement
hall. Peter follows afar off. Being so
ready, he thought, to 20 with Jesus to
death, he has not the courage to 20
with him into the palace. Peter stands
outside the door. "Come in and warm
YOURSELF, he is told, 'for it is cold".
AS party are gathered here about the
warm Goals, some one says to Peter,
"You knew this man.. II did not,
never knew him.. Another shortly
asserts, "YOu certainly knew this man:
did l not see you with him in the gar
den?' Il tell you do not know him.
Then third declares, "You are one Of
this mans disciples. L know. With
oaths and fearful curses Peter denies,
and the cock crows. Oh! the awful
bitterly recalls the masters words in
the upper room.
The scene passes on. 1t is early in
the morning of the first Easter day.
The women, fastening to the tomb,
have been accosted by the angel with
the "He is not here; He is risen.
Come, see the place where the Lord
lay". Going back to the city, they
meet the risen Christ. To them
comes the glad GRAND to 60 tell His
disciples and Peter that He is risen,
and will meet them on mountain in
Galilee. The women bring the disci-
plies word. Peter is~seated apart from
the others. His face is buried in his
hands; there can be no glad news for
him. "And Peter; he is especially
singled ont: the Lord sent a narticular