The Warwickshire Herald. — 1894-02-15 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

FAREWELL SERMONS BY REV. C.  LEMOECE.  On Sunday the Rev. C. Lemoine izreached his farewell sermons at Soho Hill Chapel. For the past four years the rev. gentleman has ministered at this place of worship. He now leaves it to puooeed the late Dr. Condor, at the East Parade, Leeds. The congregation at the morning eervioe was a moderately large one and Mr. Lemoine based his discourse on the woe& of Paul in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 13th chapter, and 13th verse: "Now ahidetit faith, hope; love; these three, and the greatest of these is love." 'They had sill, doubtlees seen pictures or representations at stone of the "three divine sisters " as the graces of faith, hope, and charity had been called. But he had never met with a painting or a. marble group setting kith this trinity of graces which had fully satisfied him. If he could, with brush or chisel, show to the world these three sisters, he would not make three, figures marvellously alike, beautiful in coutenance, and twining their arms around each other. That might be very artistic and imaginative, but he would represent them apart from each other, faith bending DOW an open volume, her face glowing with emotion as she reads the great promises of God. Hope ,hould be on a mountain height, gazing with a far away took upon the distant sun, while the purple clouds touchea with fiery splendour as they massed, were stretching right away into the day of everlasting Lar,l2. He would represent Love hurrying along WM garments her own. hands had made to clothe the widow and fatherless, and smiling as she F&PO OD her mission of mercy for the smiling Jesus. He asked---What was Faith? They told hirdit was trust, either in ps7scm or in testimony. Everything in society rested on faith. Without it there could not be family, eocial, commercial, or any other form of life. Take Away faith and there would be a speedy dissolution of aft thrifclvilization had produced. Fan was something more than a doctrine of theology, and something more than that which secured their justification with God. Faith was a principle which exercised a blessed influence co a mores entire life. Paul was instanced as the greatest example of The transforming power of faith. He had said: "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God." Be. fore this conversion it was self-rale; afterwards it was God's rule. There were moments in each life when faith only could avail. At those trying times it could be heard whispering: "All things work together for good." Life was dignified with faith. By its 'exercise was the Christian man known and his character registered as he went about his daily work. _ _  Hope was anticipation of good to be. When a man last hope he bec-arne a, suicide: life was a blank, and despair reigned supreme. Hope WHI the great energising force of all life's forces. Life without hope would be a living grave. He asked them to look well to the formation of their hope. Could they say as the apostle said that it was Chr:st in them the hope of glory? Look at the practical power of hope. it worked patience. This patience, horn of hope, brought joy. Hope also helped to steadfastness. ...According to their closeness to Christ, would be their hope. . .  Finally, he dealt with love the greate4t of an. Love was of God. fWberever love existed it wa.s a flower of God's setting. It was mercy when it met the prisoner; empathy when it met the mourner; eompassicat when it met. the suffering. Love is no respecter of the religious questions which agitate the hearts of men. No matter what theological position a man may hold, if he lives right and loves right he is as much a child of God as any of the Saints. Truly was it said that. faith, hope, and love abedeth ; and the greatest truth of all that love was ohiefest of the three.