Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1919-06-21
DEAR old St. ANNE'S
Celebrated 1t. 2l4th Anniversary
on Sunday, June 18th
REV. MCBEE's FINE SERMON


The rolling years bring once more
the lovely occasion of the religious fete
champetre at dear old St. Anne's of
reverent memory. Nature again re-
news her annual miracle Of beauty; the
pleasing green on turf and shrub and
tree; the bosky backgrounds near; the
drowsy hum of insect and the tuneful
note of birds; the noble trees, with
that majestic centeharian Oak as their
honored chief, yet keeping loving watch
and ward, while the clasping ivy green
mantles anew the venerable edifice-all
this charming rural scene, again allured
from far and near the descendants of
those who long ago worshiped here,
as we'll as the many friends whose wont
it is to pay each June-time visit to
the sacred shrine.
So. too. the kind fates bestowed an
other of those perfect June days, and
the attendance upon this 214th Anniver-
sary Service of Old st. Anne's was
consequently very large,
Both the sermon in the morning by
Rev. Crosswell McBee, Rector OF st.
John the Evangelist, lansdowne, "a,
and the address in the afternoon by Mr..
John Dennis Mahoney, Head OF the De-
partment of English in the West Pmia-
delphia High School for Boys, were ex-
ceptionaliy fine, while the musical pro-
gram given by the following gentlemen
from Philadelphia, Messrs. U. Harold
Martin and James Nicely, tenors; Mr..
Samuel Bennett, baritone; and Mr..
Daniel Houseman, basso, was II possible
even superior to that of former years.
The Rev. McBee took for his text
Genesis 26-18.-''And Isaac digged
again the wells of water, which they
had digged in the days of Abraham his
father: for the Philistines had stopped
them after the death of Abraham: and
he called their names after the names
bv which his father had called them:
It was a scholarly utterance filled
with pregnant and timely suggestions
upon several Of the foremost social and
relip lous problems Of the hour. Thru
the courtesy of the speaker we are
able to give our readers the entire SER
mon.
The afternoon exercises were opened
with the singing of Coward Christian
Soldiers" then came music by the
ouartette, the rendering of the Magnl--
feat, Nunc Dimittis, and the singing OF
"Our Fathers God to thee." then
Prof. John Dennis Mahoney. A. B..
delivered quite extempore fine address
upon "Roads."
His whole discourse abounded in
noble thoughts and lofty urgings that
men should lay the emphasis in life
unon the great truths that endure.
rather than upon the meaner things OF
time and sense which soon pass away.
It was an eloquent plea for genuine
character building up)n solid founda-
tions which last like the famous old
Appian Way which after the Romans
themselves had used it for 800 years,
was used for centuries by the bar
barians. then for hundreds of years by
later civilizations. and finally by the
armies in the late great war in Europe.
The great need in America to-day is
the profound realization of moral prin-
ciples." The speaker said our tondness
for humor and jest sometimes made US
overlook the moral lack behind the jest,
telling how his audiences would laugh
at the story of the Irishman who kick
ed his wife's front teeth down hel
throat after a railroad wreck so that
thew would have grounds for damage
suit: and the story of the plumber wht
ass marriage fee to the parson Offered
to teach him how to fix the meter ane
s'beat'' the gas company
The ladies as usual had handsomel!
adorned the chancel with profuslol
Of white lilies. The attendance At bot!
services was large, but one OF the OLD
est and most loyal of the friends 0
Old st. Anne's was not, as ever of yore
present to pay his respects to her-Mr
Merit N, Willis. The Transcrip
wishes to add its tribute to his memory
The collection was $3l2.
1.-The wells of Abraham are still
existence. For thousands of year
thew have borne witness to the energ
and beneyolence of the Semitic Shelkh
who was the friend of God and tn
Father of the Faithful. Cut into to
solid limestone Of the lowlands. border
ing on the Negeb or South country to
distance Of thirty-fve or fifty fee
their lrbs lined with heavy block!
deeply grooved by the ropes. which
centuries past have worn their way II
to the solid stone, Beersheba and i
Wells of the oath still proffer to tt
tired traveller and his thirsty catt
their liquid treasure.
The evil that men do lives after then
the good is oft inferred with the
bones. Never could this classic quot
ton be cited as descriptive OF the Il
of Abraham. The work of his han
remains to this day benefaction
the twentieth century, as it was to
contemporaries. 1t stands today as
has stood for decades numberless,
work constructive IN the largest sens
emblemalic of that other WORK ..
spiritual character for which the mar
and memory of Abraham are blessed.
For Abraham did more than dig we
of water. In him, that is IN his 1al
and in his Son the man OF faith, ev
Jesus, should all the nations OF
earth be blessed. Abraham dug we
of faith. In the immoral sociai se
IN tn. hard granite OF the ldola.
about him, he sank wells OF true Ia
in one only God, productive OF pI
morality and virtue. Jehovah, the =
of holiness, of righteousness. OF etnF
law revealed Himself to- and throu
Abraham, as a we'll of life; grea
gift to humanity present and 70 co
than were even the cool, deeply car
fountains of l;eersheba.
The wells at Beersheba are preser'
to this day; and why? because whene
the malicious Philistines chokeo Ih
up to the brim with rocks and deb
whenever time, that inexorable
listine, filled them with the desert 50
Isaac the son, true to the memory
spirit of his Father would tedig tn
The faith of Abraham remains to
day to give life to him who seek
Why? because whenever the spieel
surrounding PhiIistines had vented
\ self in the pollution Of his waters