Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, March 9, 1874, Page 3

TIIE CHICAGO DATLY TRIBUNE: MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1874, 3 THE PULPIT. Prof. Swing on Christianity as a Civilization, Dr. Swazey on. Orthodoxy end Hy= perorthodoxy. Wo Expresses liis Sympathy for Swing Rather than Patton, Dr, Powers' Digoourso on * Evolution the Law of Lifo.” Sermon by Dr. Thomas on the Immor- tality of the Soul. The Rev. B. T\ Kittredge Against the Woman’s Crusade. Dr. Ryder in Favor of It and Against Beor and Wine, Dr. Forrestor on Church Quarrels. CHRISTIANITY AS A OIVILIZA- : TION., % What Prof, Swing llad to Sny Yosters duy Morning, Tho Fourth Prosbyterian Church, cornor of Rush and Ontario streots, wnacomfortably filled 18 usnnl yostordny morning, Prof, Swing doliv- ering o charactoristic sormon. 1is subjoct was “Christinnity a8 o Civilizalion,” and bis toxt: And Ho slinll 1t 3 a Tofiner and purifier of silyor,— Balachy i, 3, In disenesing tho proposition supgested by this toxt, tat Christianity fs o civilization, it will bo nocessnry to think of civilization in two lights ; tho ono as o condition of individual, tho other ns o power to influonco others atanding apart from its condition, What mankind neods, 3 ot simply o pleturo of an olovated human life, but also an agoney that will rapidly cnst man into tho likenoss of this ideal-pioture. In- dividunls bave always beon visible, here and there, who have in their minds and hearts ro- 1lacted the foaturos of nlmost tho idoal manhood, Lt their virtues havo beon uuablo to multipl; themeclves infiuftely in tho outer world, oud, living, have ‘mover porcoived virtue to hovo gono out from their garments at o worlds touch, and, dying, thoy huvo taken their moral beauty into their tombs, o5 Beatrico took away hor bénuty with her, an as the dying sohgstross recontly took with her forever "hor warm melody. History is dottod over with names of such oxcollonco as marked Aurelias, and Cato, aud Xonophon; but as, bo- tweon the stars of Leaven, there are awful soli- indes, ncross which light itself flies invisiblo, and which no sound of oven thundor or softes music has blossed, Bo botweon {hous lofty, fso- lated cliarnetors of tho past, there have lived and died countless millions of the human famil without oxeollence, without hopo—uwful soli- tudes of the soul. In secking, thoreforo, for a dosirable civiliza- tion, it is necessnry to tind o culture that will ovorllow, Wa soek a Nilo that will overilown June, and make the wholo adjoining empire vass from o wildorness to s garden. That this i8 what wo should seok, may bo learnod In an iustant by o glanco at tho world—for that glanco rovounls the fact that the moral harvest of any ono age is only a reduplication of the soed sown in the ngo Leforo ; tuat, for cxamplo, tho Chris- tian Chureh is only o reduplication of tho Seven- 1y, tho Sovonty o harvest from the Twelve, the Twelve an ovortlow from Christ ; with Christ himwolf au outreaching from oternity, Thus it Lecomos porfectly ovidont that, whon wo seok o vivilization, wo must_flud one, if _posaible, that promivcs tho aggrassive powor and_gonius ' Lhat will open out, fun-like, and pass from one to many, incapabla of rest as to Iabor, and as to its aspirations and conquests. Christianity scems to me to_surpass all other reforms in theso two mnecded partioulara. It prosonts us with o bigh typo of manhood, and a 1ypo of manlood that flows outward from one to Tiany. Lot us, then, dircct our attontion first to tho Christinn charactor as a civilization. Dmpossible or difiloult as it may bo to finda dolinition of civilization, it will answer tho de- mands of the hour in which we meot together as a_public, common assemblnge, and not s oxact philosophors, If we stato that man is civilized in ull of his facultics. The mind and beart are ne- tive within two spheres, not falling short of Na- ture's llm'l-)’ nor going beyond them. Under # facultics " must be included conscience, all the tonder sentimonts of friondsip, love, sympa- thy; for without thoso tho claraoter may pos- sekg greatucss in many respeets, but not that a0rfect blonding which seoms to givo us the por- fect manhood. "The word whose definition wo seck, primarily means fitio.l for orgamzed sacioty, fitted for tho State. A wild man, whoso club is bis law, may become po transformed in thousands of years, that Lo is fitted at Inst for o home in a com- munity whero many ages, and conditious, snd qualitics of soul oot with oqual rights, and wheru egotism must glve placo to the presenco of others, Out of the peculinr demands of so- cicty, demands _for reciprocity, for kindnass, for liborality of thought, for réspect to law and mornls, und ont of mohtal and esthotlo enlturo, which the wiso state brings, to b fitted for Statd life, ewvilization soon camo to be synonymous with tho ides of a porfect manhood, Bdmund Burkesnys: * The epirit of civilization is com- posed of Lwo parts—tho Bpirit of & gontloman 80a the spivit of rehgion.” 1 i unl‘y snother way of iuforming us that oivilization is n lfo lived s in the presonce of man and God. And cuil tho deflnition from what fields you may, and oxpross it in what words you may, yot tho Now Tostament, through Christ in 1iis discourses, or through Paul in his lottars, will surpass all other analyscs, from sources modorn or ancient. When to a personal purity of deed, and even of thought, Christ ndds tho command to love one’s neighbor as one's self, and to bo kind evon to onomies, 1o hias reache the ideal; for when the wave of virtuo flows within the heart, and the wave of good idens lows ontsido all around, wo havo found o man- liood full-armed for life in its varied respousi- Dilitics, It would seom that Paul, in his chapter upon Cliarity, was oxprossly doscribing tho porfect gentleman: Charlty suffereth long, nnd Is kind, Obarity envieth not, Cliarity boastelh ot itsol; is' not puited up; ducth not lchave ftslf unscomly : seckotl not lier 5 not canily provoked 3 thinketh no ovil; re- Joieeth not In {nfquity, but rofofveth in truth ¢ beareth Wl thinge, beliovoth il things, lolpoth all tiings, ene Aurotl all things, Evidontly, in living up to such & picture, wo shoul,l all mnke o grand appronch toward eivil- ized life. 1t was truly romerkod by tho froo- thinking Mr., Jameson that ¢ Christinnity is & benutiful eivilization.” Trom causes which we cannot onumorate, our ublicists have beon unwilling to ook at tho ro- Tision of tho Biblo 1 any other fight than. tha of & specinl moda of oseapo from future ill—ilts beyond the gravo—nand, wishing to study the plilosophy of Stato, tho conditions of good citi- zeuship, have turned over all heathon pagos, and over nll othor pngos not sob apart by nnd for tho pricsthoood, It has long boeu a custom of philunoplie minda to puss in silonco_any les- Bonw of aivilization npon the puges of Seripture, but, patiently, to seok and doeply to love overy- Uring in sn Avistotle and Plato—i blossoming of projudico only paralleled by the Christinns, who despise overything from Pluto to Aristotlo, Teumit meo now to aswumo that tho truly Chris- tinu chinvactor is n highly civilizing cbaractor; for this is not an important branch of our in- quiry, ‘L'o discovor n good aualysis of tho idonl mau, isnot so diffieult as it Is to iind some power that may induce the largest number Lo come up Sownrd €his [deal, Ifonce, too, oursecond prop- asition, that Chrlstianity possossos tha powor to influonco those standing sfar off, it tho Tnmlnn of most interost, and of most difiieull ‘v for, sven could we dray from (ho olasslo or ITlndoo world a complote dofinition of manhoad, wo should seom to neod Christ to eneble the human {pun to realizo its droum pletured In tho dolinl- ion, In onlor to rm«lnnn & univorgal mankood we must find o trath thut ovortiows, o philosaphy tho opposite of egalsm, s philofoply deeply al- truistic, Qurworllof love wmust includo our voiglibor, for hunan wolfure doos mnot spring onfy from what hay beon given, but from what this favored ono can or will glvo nway, A roilgs jon 1w whioh ono good muh beconio ton good won, is the only ona thut will ofter society lLiopa, Now, tho grand atiributo of Olrist and mathod, is this living for others, Clirist ITim- welf wan n lmmng naide of honvon's peace and 1uy for onrth's sorrow—n springing away from Lt own lifo, and s descont into liuman life, His honrt burst tho limitations of salf, aud so loved tha world that Ifo soattorod, a8 it were, tho gar- ment of 1ig own glory over the unclothed hu- man race, that thoy might oach possces a wod- ding garmont ; and Ho opened ovor oarth an ora of rightcousnoss that siunors, poor in Euch richos, might gatlior up this manna rained down in the night, aud bo }nst ab lunst boforo God, ‘Thus, if there bo ono sentencs which mors than othors mny expross tho gonius of thiy Christ, it iathis: ‘“Ho was & goodness that rolled unt- ward fi 0 lovo whoso tays, like thaso of tho sun, darted away from itsclt.” Tlow far tho light of our sun may fly boforo it bocomes Invisiblo— let us sitpposo that an enrth ton times 08 far away as our own, would still catch somo daily smilos from that orb; vou can imagine whint o vast circlo o thousand millions of milos wido would all bo filiod perpotually by tho light of that éontral firo. In tho world of morals Christlanity is & love whioh thus, from one heart, moves outward.and contomplates nothing losa than shining upon onch faco that is soon, or sbinll bo seon walking the paths in this vale. Olriatinnity is not by accident, nor by common natural law only, but by its whole gontus and yearnings a contagion of truth and virtuo, As God placed 1n tho grain of whoat a hidden gorm by which that ono germ will ‘bocomo a hundred, and will not by any menus romain inits ogoism unloss it dlo, 80 in tho religlon of Jesus, thoro is an Imrlnmnd longing—snch, that no Chriat- liko soul will consont to-walk along through lifo ur to heavon, without wishing to drag all society with him to {he sublimo destiny. It would bo vain 8o far ns oll socloly is thought of, for Christ’s roligion to hold only good doctrines for individual hoarts, for only hiore and thoro one would find thom, just ns Marcus Aurclius found ploty and Zenobia virtue. It ia not onough that faith in the Diving Boing is o saving iniluenco, that repontauco is also o enving graco, that a now hoart is possiblo, and that pardon s possiblo al- 80 in tho Christlan systom; but, given theso good patha to Hoaven, it is cssontinl that those who fiud them roccive along with thom a desire to hurl their suulight deep upon those utlndhlfi in tho valloy sud shadow of death, Above al othor systoms Christianity is sn aggressivo civ- ilization. Its honrtsaro in Groouland to-dny, among the snows, in Coylon among the flowers, in Africa among tho nogroes, in Orogon among the Indians, boaring all hinrdships becauso their roligion s tho religion of solf, and tho enthrono- mout of mankind,—on imitation of Obriat, whoto_tho blessings of the muititude are pur- chasod by the sorrows of ono. Huving scon now that Christianity possesses tho two olomonts of o civilization,—tho ideal, and_tho power to sprond tho ideal,—let us do- fend it against_somo facts of its listory, Our ngo alono is tho only one that has come any- where near reading the religion of Christ. I will confess that oll intormodiate ages have attompt- od to sproad thoir roligion, but almost tho only eloment thoy drow from thoir divine Bavior was tho desire to mako their faith universal. But what the faith was, or how to make their noigh- bor recelva it, they scom never to have droamed, It does not arguo sgainst tho sentimonts that havo errcd us to what path they should follow, Tho Hindoo motbior loves her ohild, and ofton, for that roason, tosses it to tho Ganges’ God; and thero was an old nation onco in which illa} love made it custonmary to Eul tha old father and mother to death when their powers were woll along in decline; and yot tho sentimonts of ma- ternal and filial lovo are sacred sentimonts, and ask only that thoy may flow in tho channls of uro reason. Thus the zeal for spreading ro- igion is Christ-like, and I8 the hope of the world ; but 1t must mako no mistake and slaugh- ter a group of Jows or burn au infidel; for, in doing o, it sustaive the samo_relation to o ro- ligious sentimont that the mother who offers hor chitd to God sustaius to tho maternal instinet, or that the children who put to death their grand old loving parcnta sustain to lial lovo, ‘Whon wo road in the reign of Froderick that whon a Chrietian child disappoared it was cus- tomary to rush forth and accuso aud kill o fow Jews,.and that 300 Jews wero }mt to doath on account of the disappearance of threo boys, who wora ofterwards found in a stroam, whors they bind boen all alono, playing upon tho ico, and liad boou drowned without any Jowish assistance, wocnnuo moro repronch Christianity than wo may charge religion in gonoral with tho deaths under Juggornant, or with tho burning of widows. In all that era thore was little trace of Christ as unfoldod in the Testamont, and a larga part of tho ora, when Church and State woro identified, littlo romainoed of Christianity oxcopt the dispo- gition to uPrond itwelf. It lost all clso, It de- flum\‘uunl to be power, and spread itsolf by tho sword. ‘While, howevoer, wilh tho calmest minda, the actual history of this sublime roligion docs not overthirow ita_theory, yot, it boing a fact that tho great publicianot rémarkablo for calm justico, contidenco in Christianity as a roform sooms to- doy groatly shakon, aud it will need all the wis- dowm nud piety and tondorness of its friends for a coutury to make it stand forth before tho hu- man race a8 tho most comrlulo savior ot mon. 1 fully beliove that this religion of Jesus could bo so pronched, and so livad, and so applied to sociaty that, in two gonerations, puro rational- ism, or cold matorintism, would nowhers bo tought, and that logislafors ond statesmen would ' begin their careers. by tho study of Clrist as a teachor and an impulse, Suppose that, in all the next half coutury, tho Church should rosumo the ides of an_oyerfowing roli- gion as Christ hiold it aud acted it; that widen- Ing out from fashionnble avenuos and costl churchos and the luxury of a saint's rest, should roach out its” hands to the poor, ond build & scors of mnoat churches in the city, furnished with organs and books, and with b teachior in ench who understood ang loved tho populace ; imagine the whole Churoh to chango its whole policy for theso fifty years, and, instond of running from tho multitudos, sctually turn sud go toward them, ag the women ara now going towards tho crowds, carrylng not an abstract dofivition of Trinity or Atonement, but prayors and hymns, aud & suflicent uniting, porauadivg, wodinting Chrlst § if Christianity did not, in'tho oud, wring from the world the confossion that it alone is a civilizing power wm-l.hg of carth and Heaven, then 1t wmfid soem that thoro s littlo relation botweon cause and offoct. Opon thiy religion and you sece the wheels of the gjrent machinery. As the ponder- ous engiuno burls the steamship from America to Lngland, makes it run liko s vast shuttle from shoro to shore, thus the Gospel of Cirist lics ready to movo nll soclety and mako it floo from vico to virtue, thongh wide is tho dark sea bo- tween. DBut not yot hes tho Church put this muchinory into motion, When our Govornment yoars ago gave the Japaneso o Jocomolive and car, and put down for thow a circlo of track, that forcign land wag dolighted. But strange dolight! It lod the ofticlals to go upon featal days and rido around the magio cirelo, giving thom a sehiool-boy hap- piness; but not leading thom to throw o lino quickly soross the Empire, Are you propared to douy that thus wo have used tho Ohristinn roligion ? Iavo wo not kopt it for homo uso, and rofused to fling it scross tho Empiro] Int stoad of prouching the Gospel to o million of pooplo, hins mot onch clorgyman employed preachied it & willion times to the same people ? Yo life of Christ, und thoe lifo of His disaiplos, the history of all rovivals, from Paul's days t6 Waosloy's and Whiteileld's to our own Moody's, announco tho gonius of Christianity to bo that of outgoing love—n lovo whioh grows by going and dies in any confiuoment, 1w any roposo, ‘I'his trait of Olrlstisnity, that it is an action rathor than u philosophy, hias been often the ac~ cidontal causo of it shawo as well ae tho por- potual esuso of its honor. A prominont reason why the reforms of Mill and Gumto and tho Westminster Neview have remained so boautiful 15 to bo found in tho fact thut tloy hayve never descended into tho dust of actual work, It iy not Comto nor Tyndall who must pload with the bogrimmed miners of England ; it is Moody aud Bankoy, Ilenco upon theso last uamos must gathor all the assocliations of tho bad olothos, ad mauners, uugomtmnn, and fanaticlsm o the crowd. From Plato to Huxloy nothing hag stirred up tho unteught multitude but hus on- Joyod the bettor assoclation of porches of phil- osophy and shielves of walnut in the library. ‘When wo saw in tho Exposition the muuy ele- goutly-paintod _roaping-machiues, wo stole a glanco into tha future, und pictured thom as thoy would appear after thoy had beou dragged ovor the prairies from Junoe to Boptember. ‘Tho ru- tioual mothods bave recoived greetings in the tomplos of lum’ulu&{ and art, and we bohold tho witucss of their vesturo, thoir calmucss of faco; on the other side, wo behold the Christinn idos, with bor forahond marked with care aud brownod in the sun; bus we rorf:ut this marred beouty, for wo know In what wheat-fields of time nu otornity sho has toilod sinco Batblobom, and upon us burats thoe viston of One ** whoso v‘uagn way 80 murred more than nuy man, aud Iis form mioro than the sous of man." So fur ay rationnl- intio reforms liavo oscaped tho historic associa- tion of funaticlsm an blucdé' porscoutions, so far a8 they Lavo burned no Servetus and ban- -jghod no_Quakers, tho desirable rosult must bo attributed, in fact, to the faot that thoy aro a thoory moro then & life—tho opposite of Chris- tianity, for the nioment it loarns of its Mustor and its hoavous, it rushos forth and pormits the Doggrar to ansoclato his rags with his Jesus, aud tho Methodist to plerco tho sky with shouts, the tempornnce women to kneol in tho streots, nud tho African sluves to sing rude hymus oll night long, fu o strauge ocstasy, around tho erous, Clivint bas stuvd so near tho eoplo that thoy Lavo wroatbed iy cross with thelr infinuition, 1n tho hour in which they crowded avound it to find their salvation. And it is Lhin nearncss to tho human henrt which has made Ohrlstinnity often drench with blood flelds over which fufi- dolity would havo whiapored ** Ponce;” for ro- Tigioi hnw alwnys beon an oxelting,' powerful sontimont ; and honco, its errora have hoon ns activo ad its truths, As joalousy atlonds love, and is impossiblo in cold, indifferont henrls, so ofton cruolty hns gnthorad about roliglon i its dark cloud, ~ But thoso awful fuots rovenl a pas- slon which has becomo o world’a hopo far bo- yond any promise which a cold, intollootual re- forin cant avor offor to mankind. As love In the wrong path, or itself wronged, tnay bocomo an gony and & cruoliy; but, in 16 full light and wisdom opons out into n paradiso ; so Christi- anity, escaping from errors of doctrine and of practice, oponing forth in allits fullnosy of truth, and in all its divinonoss of mothod, by whicli ouo honrt travsfers its truth and hove to "ila nelgh- bor's hoart, flowing_boyond old chaunels sud brenking over into fialds of the poor, poor in gold and in virtuo—thus rushing outward wix Chirist overywhoro for its leador and iz=zation ~—Obristianity, I ropoat, will bocomo the world' clvitization, or olse wo must all bow fu sorrow, and declaro the generations to como of sin nud wrong to be utterly without hove. It miny not bo onsy to feol that Chriat's Gospel ahnll roform tho world, for tho work is so vast thnt our fooble minds may Lo forgiven if they aro appalled at the task, But it scoms ensy to fool that this Gospel s tlio only Liopa, for to truths tho moat divine aud tho mout compfulu, omitting nothing that portaing to tho welfaro of miud, body, and soul, that pertainy to the now or horo- aftor, it goos boyond this raro oxcellonca, and adds that without which all truth is valn—s spiritunl nwakoning and inupiration. Tho truthe of Christ's roform posscas that im- pulso which comes from their lying umufimnd. not only in the light of the eatth, but in ti ctornity. Nob only tho happincss of socloty horo fa'in thom, but hell and leaven flll thom up with thoir awful or awoot mystery, thoir fonr aud hopo. But tholr cup of virtwos is not full, for Ohrist fs in thom, not a8 o tancher who in simply romembered, but ns an over-presont soul, chooring tho heart to-day just ns llo blosko men 1,800 years ago. And, if the heart nooda suything moro, it may find it n tho conscious- nesy that the Fathor of all, tho Almighty, lics under all thesa truths, Lifting thom up into life a8 Ho moves tho ocenn into etornt or sinile. oro, thon, i8 » roforin adequato in jits truths and motives, What dotning 1t from ats groat misslon ? It waits simply for man. It waits for shie Church Lo cscopo from the lotter, which kflloth, o tho kpirit,which giveth lifo ; whits for the Christian throng to entor, not their own sanctuary, only voeal with muste nud cloquence, but the world, vocal with boggings and oloquont with tonrs ; waits for ita ministry to pass from doctrines which confuso the intellect and trans- form the Iiouso of God into a schiool of dabatoe, to the doctrings which lio upon human life like o child upon ita mothor's honrt, doar and insopar- ablo ; waits for o brondth of mind and soul to como which shinll not contract thoology into the limits of o stagnant pool, but will expand it into an ocean, such that, along with faith and fopaatance, ol tho charitios, and all liberty, and all culture, aud tho great tomperance ploadings shall seom also cardinal doctriuos of God, wenv- ing the wreath of His glory, and iseuing from His throno In garmonts moro radiant for corth than thoso which, far nway from human sonse, flow around tho profound inysterics of religion. e geas ORTHODOXY AND HYPERORTHO- DOXY. The Reve Dre Swazoy on the Pattons Swing controversy. The Rov. Arthur 8wnzoy, pastor of the Ash- land Avenue Presbyterian Church, preached yestorday morning in tho Bwedonborgian Tem- Plo on Waahington stroot, taking for his toxt : Dut ns many an recolved IHm, to them gavo ho ower to boeomo tho sous of God,' Iven to them that Hovo of 1is nanio ; which wero barn not of blood, nor of the will of the tosh, nor of the will of wau, but of God,—John ., 12, 1, Tho tollowlug is & tall ahstract of the sormon, in some instances, however, only tho line of thought being given: The word *‘ power "—In the phrase *power to becomo sons of God "—menns privilege, but algo included tho idea of power aswe commonly undorstand this torm. This is tho thing wanted among mon : not so much knowledge (knowing 08 mich dn wo do), but “power.” It is sufli- clontly woll undoratood that as moral beings we are in great need. Thero is not so general a cousont a8 to what wo need. Tho consont, Liow- ever, goes 80 far as this : that ono of tho things of which wo have beon despoiled 1a power,— power to hold lifo up to its ideal; povor to do through the day what wo proposo 1n the morning ; powor to maintain the tempor, disposition, tho love, the faith, which we ap- prove; pawer to bo pationt, singlo-minded ; power to lay hold on God und koop hold. 'This ‘powor, Isuggest, 18 thepeoutiarity of Clrlatinnity. Tho war of thought now, ns in other timos, rangos botween two oxtromns, On tho ane ox- tremo & pure, oral system, and on the other cortuin forms of helief, are thought to ho the keepera of mon’s lives, the adequato supply to souls. Noither ono thought nor tho othor is right. Blorality and right belief belong to some- thing highor than either, It is neither o syatom of othics, nor o oreed, which makaes mon sons of God,—bit recorving Josus Christ, I shnil con- trast those two errors with theue words of John. It is quito common to aflirm that the morality of the Gospol is tho great conspicuous feature of its suporiority, and haturally enough; but tho afiirmation i not always mado in discriminating torms. Tho procepts, maxims, and mornl prin- ciples of tho Naw ‘Lostament aro almost all of thiem found in tho Old Testament. 'Tho differ- onco {8, in part, that in the Gospel they aro brought out more clearly, becomo vigibly tho tho groat underlying laws of life; aud, in part, that” thoy aro sot tn tho snrroundings of o new and Bpiritual ordor, and thut attention is directod rather to the spirit than to tho latter, Tt is also true, that the highest of moral rules of living are not peculiat-to_the Bible, Thoy are found in some -of tha Oriental roligions: thoy ara aléo found in tho Intor teachings of the Graok philosophors, Indis, Ching, and Athens, had hoard something very much like the golden ralo bofore tho gront Light of the World aroso. Iam not 1darned in the Orlontal rotigions, any more than my brothron who sometimes malie somothing of thoir socond-hand erudition, DBuddhism was, in its first concoption, a remark- ably puro systom of morulity, Indeod, it was an attempt at voform, aud was a reform in thought, It wus ‘‘opposed to mythology, scholnsticism, coremonios, aud priosteraft,” ns pure Doism is to-day. Its groat domand was lmrit of lifo, It wns benevolent and humuno n o degros which might put to shamo the theo- rien of some Intor poriods, The Buddhist Mos- siah said somo things found in the Now Testa- mont. ** My law is ono of graco for all mon,” —meaning rich and poor, learucd and unlearnei, natives and foreignors. Christ and Paul suid tho samo, *“Itis difleult to bo rich and learn the way" {anota bnd version of Christ's dac- trine, **1ow hardly shull thoy that have richos outer tho Kingdom of ITeaven.” Oune of the Buddbistio sects anticipatod the sfriot iden of onr Now England sucestors. Thoy have nob only tho socond tablo of tho Mosine doculoguo, but suporadded rules agalnst fensting, singing, and dancing. 'Thero wna & down boforo the day, not anly in Mesopotamin and India, but boyon the Himmalays Mountaing, on tho banks of tho Nile, and in tho schools of tho Grocinu mastors, I'his is often brought forward by those who wish to doprecinto Christinnity to tho lovel of othor roligions, and admit that, if all. or the mos, ono onn say of our roligion relates to its wondorfully pure system of morality ; if all the preacher oan Ay ta that thore 18 no style of goodnoss liko that which Chulst tonchos, it “is fairly broughte for- ward, although it had not paramount weight, It i ono of thoso partinl truths on which scepticism woizos ; o6 though Christianity wero u grand plagiarism, the ** wisdom of God " after all turning out to be only the wisdom of wman ; as though theso flodglings in lenrning had boon sraziigz ab tho sun whilo no othors had hoard of the light. ‘Thoy forgot what I shinll in & moment afllrm of the importance of heathen wisdom, Thoy forgot that tho immoralities of Pagauism and of tha philosophors were more consplenous than the wordd of wikdom, Lven in the 01d Tostumont immortalitios wore * wink- od at,” Cod says o by tho mouth of Paul, for ho s talking of Jows a8 woll ns Gentilos. Tho moral precopts, at bost, lay seattered among laws whichithe Apostlo ealls * boggarly ole- monts,” *“the rudimonts of the world,” as though 1t wore necossary that the gold should be mixed with alloy in order to work the procions matal into useful forms, In the New Testamont, all ia diffcront. Thoro I8 no “winking” ut days of lgnorance. T'ho game I waskiod awuy, Tha pure gold comen forth with adumjxturo nelthor of ivon, nor sopper, nor silver, 2 ut this Is my point: It is not tlmflfiht stato- ment of duty, tho purest procepts in the world, that causo men to load pure and good lives, Tho wiso sayings of Bakyamuni, of Confucius, of Mosos, fall like Autumn loaves on frozon round. On the othor hund, tho wito suylugs of ‘ouns foll on tho plowod tialds, Tho ra(iunurullun of sacloty bogius in_Clrlst, Tho praphot of Buddhism, the martyr Bocratos, tho groat Plato, find fow Who caro to pructis thoir precepte, Tho Bpivit of Josus moves on at of, noaloty, an tho Bpirit in old times moved on the formless void, Tho Gospol narrativos, tho Acts of tho Apostlos, tho thus far of Ohristian hise tory, is tho Gonesis. of the moral world, ns tho flrst boole of Mowos in tho Gonouis of the nntural world, Tliero lu somothing in Christ which was not in the Oriental sngos, or in Moses, or Joro- miah, lie ugunka with nuthority, aud not as any of the reribes, Jowishor hoathon, With hiy prneofllb comos p power—a divine {nforming of thomind, a onso of guilt in not hoeding them, vision of joy in obedionco, & sonso of gratiflen- tion, as whon ono boaten, and drlyen, and woary soes o ight or gots o foolhold. With Hiu words como il those myslorioua operations which wo oull regonerntion, ropentance, faith, sud fol- lowship with God. 1lis words porsuade mon. 108 words ohango mon, sot thom sooking & now ardor of things, ond Heavenly Kingdom, i words overturn the world, ho worl is not all (!!onto, but {tis being done. This Iy the great aot. Dlnto says, "I-‘or{lvu your enemies,” but_tho followers of Plato fo mot lny it to henvt. Christ enys tho samo thing, Ifis truo digclplos nover givo thomselves ease of mind, nover rocognize othors a8 in & right conditlon, till thoy keop, or try to koop, this command- ment, Platonlsm ia o philosophy. Christianity i n lifo. Mow comes tho difforonce? It is tho difforanco hotweon Buddbn and Christ, hotwoon Oonfucina and Chrlgt, botween Plato and Chrlst, —tio difforenco botwoon tho #pirit of & man and tho Spirit of God. One man has power over anothor naccording to to whot hots, Omsar's legions aro what they nro, not becauso of his tactics, but bocausn of Crosar, Plato malkes war on falso forma of thought. Ilis logions are like him, only loss, Chirist mokes war,—in Hiy own porson {8 war upon e and holl, 1Mis loglous aro what Ilo s, only vory much loss, The moro precopt is but ono pole of the bat- tory ; tho hod of btream which mny bo dry or full of wator; tho guide-board to o man who la indlfforent ng to wiuch road; the stairway for o ‘man who is too enfecbled to go up. ~ Christinn- ity without any Christ is o lnmo, ono-sided affair, poworless, and always n fallure. Ohristianity (8 not the word of windon, not a right rule, but *‘the powor of an ondless life.” Clristianit; with _a mero man—Olrist is no bettor. t iy Christ IHmsolf, in all tho [fullness of Ilis divine porsonality,—suiting himsolf to the unvwilling mind, to ‘the hard hoart, " tho Dlind eyo, tho bad affoctions, the torn conscience, the wearlnoss and wonknoss of man, to Llis groab wnderlying spirituat naturo, which s the Gospol. 1Lis moral pracopts form only ono of many points .of contact with mon. 5 Ican only indicate how Christ, received, be- comes tho saving nower in thoe lifo, Coming into the world Iie begots confidenco in Himsolf, as oqual to tho world’s want, Palpably Ho nees through men, nature, overything. Pgl- pably Ho knowa God. Every quiver of thodoyil Is slinttored_on Lis porson. iloro nman may trust, for wisdom, for holp, for enlvation if there be salvation. Andin Iim salvation be- comaos first possible ta tho thought, thou a great hoyo, then tho joylul nssuranco of the hoart. My Lord, andmy God!" cries the hungry, wonry soul. Now precopt 18 worth somothing.” “ Thou art ablo to save!” erles the world.” *What must Ido io bo saved ? " becomesa quos- tion with moaning. Thore is car to hear tho answer, * Qod is with us" in every verso of the goa- pols, in_every word and act of Jeaus, God is with us” is the iuspiration of all apostolic teach- ing ond warning, What does the *God with s eny? Tho eor being open, and the hoart drawn ont to Him, 'tho words that flo spoaks flud @n _ccho in tho mind and the heatt, Says Paul: " We spenlt. It is dono to thom that aro perfoct.” That is, to tho singlo-minded. T'bia i tho truo rationalism, Cliristianity 18 writton in thoe Leart ns soon as it ia n hoart. ~ Christ catls tho lLidden and blurred lottors out into distinctucrs. My neighbor on thio North Bido nceds no_indorsemont of mino. T indorso, howevor, what ho ssys about * the warm svil and the harsh heart,” Evidenco is within, A muno finds it - himself, or nowhore. Chrlst lives and works in the heart. And the works of this great Master aro & power. 8till furthor, il it bo anything difforent, Bpint, the Holy Spirit is ns inscparable from Christ ag light and heat from tho sun, That subtle some- thing which works through all nature, giving life to thio sods of tha valley, gloty to the forests, poopling mountain, streatn, and sky with living croatures, wo cannot seo, nor understund, but wo benold tho mervols of tho invisiblo powor. In tho sanio way tho invisiblo and cver-warlking womething, procooding from tho great Some- one, Jesus Christ, works all through tho bo- Tioving soul. Life (itisno figuro of speoch) flows out from Him into all spiritual life, With the boliovor, it is spring, with its vast powor of quickening, of resurrcction, coming with the sowing of the scod, To make my son- tenca plainer: Every moral precept, every- whero (whotlior como from Jerominh or Zorons- tor), is good sood, but nothiug withont springtimo. T'ho Gospol brings seed and upring topothor. All systems of moraly, all sormons, aro failures if thoy bring forward only the wisos precopts, and dony or ignoro Josus_Christ, just 08 all beod-sowing would fail if with nover so much good seed thero were 10 sun nor rain. ‘The otlhier contraat invites a word. While somio err in resolying all tho worth of the Gosl:ul iuto & puro morality, others err {um_ as palpably in regarding forms of beltef as the groat soul- saving, Bociety-saving, church-saving pow- or. It uaturalization does not givo mon power to become sons of God; if Uni- tarianism 8 o failure, tho esme is truo of hyperorthodoxy. Dead truth is mo botter than auything elso which is dond. * A living dog is bottor than o dend lion.” And hyporor- thodoxy i olmost aiwayn doad. Alivo fu thio bo 0 ginning, and doing, xllnslor}‘y nerformances, the admiration of the world, and for the sal tion of tho world, it wronght well becauao it wos born of tho times. Tofusing to assimilale oftontimes to lwolf, it _ pnsees beyond tho possibilitios of hfe. Judsism was the freshest outgrowth of history 3,600 yours ago. It wan n fragrant ue mowmown hiny. What was stifetly Judaio lost its Juices and bo- camo moro woady iibre after awhile. What is once a grand, living powor ofton bacomos after- wards more lumbor, which the times must throw off or enrry to disadvantages, It is not truth, but the formsof truth, the car- penter wm-k} tlio npholstory of truth, that need renowing. ‘Aruth is always o growih. - You muy know it by this sign : First tho biade, and then tho onr ; first tho supling, aud thenthotres. You insist that the tonth contury shall bo o luw for the sixteenth, or tho sixteenth for tho ninotoonth, {4 to rofuso room for the ohm, tho oak, and the great Californin coneboaror, to roach up, snd spread beyond its yosterdsy. Orthodoxy snd hyperorthodoxy axe not to Lo confounded, The tiram. truths "of Christiznity aro not idontical with tho articlos of any particu- lar ngo, Orthadoxy is sniling by tho compass, rocognizing trade-winds, . ocenn-currents, an tho groat hondlands, Ilyperorthodoxy i sailing round the world on the track of Capt. Cook, Orthodoxy is & swivel-gun, which turns toward tho devil, wherever ho 1s, IHyperorthodoxy is n gun poiuting to whore the devil wos o long timo ago. Orthodoxy is tho versatilily of na- turo, suiting iteolf Lo tho brain, the artery, tho mountain stream, thomolluse ; the olasticity of tho air, fllling the vaouun which the solsticé, or tho sotting sun may croato, IHypororthodoxy inngront jorof oxygen; it s tho wind bol- bellowing ~ in & oave. Dauiel, away in Dabylon, prayed toward Jerusslem with his eyos opan (I Hllppauu&; Wo pray with closed eyes, o looking towar Henvon. Wo aro orthodox. We should ho liyperorthodox if we prayed looking toward Jorusalem, Orthodoxy i distingulshed from nunloney, mon's iuventions, yh\lnuu})hy, and vain decolt, in that what it puts on {8 from within, from the Inws of its own added greatness, or from the chango of conditions, Noology roots “E and plants gomothing new in tho place of the old, and is_thereforo slways wrong. Orthodoxy keops tho roats, tho wholo vital organism, and tukes on, or puts off, according to tho naturo of tha truth, as in plants and animals, 1Iyporotho- doxy docs 1ot allow & eanary to monlt, or an ogg Inid; but uot Immedintely hatehod, to bo hatohed aftorward. If tho creod-mukers loft o room va- cant it must bo kopt vacant to tho ond of tiwe, 1f another room was over-crowded with olums! furnituro, it must remain so, worm-oaton though the furnituro may be, Orthodoxy doos not seol 8 now houso, but i a good bousekeepor, an ndept with the broom ; caroful of oaves-gutiors and tho sowage. 1 yporothodoxy i 4 poor housckeeper, 1f a streot should bo raised it would go down stalva rathor than raise the house or tho door to tho stroet lovel. John baptizes in tho refreshing ourronts of Jordan. Hyporortho- doxy baptizes frail womon through the ico. Paunl rono frown tho idea of Christ on earth Lo Ohrist in Hoeaven, and snid, *Hencoforth kuow ye Ifim after tho flesh no more," Locause ho wis ortho- dox, Iyperorthodoxy, would huve charged him with horosy ; and did charge him. Orthodoky 14 n converting power. Mon scaff at it, but it chargos clear homo upon their con- seloncos, sod they yiold and bucome sons of Qod, Hyporortliodoxy i tho groat ally of in- fidolity. Bondage malkes infldols, Its first work 18 to bind, Londago in 1ts nomonclatuvo is bet- ter thun liborty, Consure fs bottor thun argue mont. Wien a Roman Consul went out twelve mon wont with him with axos bonnd in bundlos of rods, Thut Ja hypororthodoxy, the Romnn fascos rather thun {he shopherd's orook. Ilyperorthodoxy Is more feulons for formulas than for clarity, It {s slmost always Intolorant; and in whatovor soveritios, hasn way, lie Saul of Tarsus, of thinking it ik doing Qod's worvico, Our grant Calvin_was_ orthodox in all pointa but one, 'Thio vast blundor whioh lanves tho stain on his namo was procured by the nypororthodoxy of Jows and Catholies, hnrm- Loy doi"m“ loft in the house whon ho’ brushod down the cobwebs, roplaced the rotlon timbers, and maudo tho door lovol witl the streat. Tho reaction {n infldelity. In so far as you impalr liberty, you sin agalnat auothor man's conscienco. Lot an sgoflun a chureh, dany lib- orty, and mien, knowing that bondage is always an orror, will swarm in all mannor of oppoal- tions; among thom, unbelief, Who in tho last contury woa the gront “nursing King" of tha renotion against roliglon ? Who rocked tho ern- dlo of Frodoriol the Great? What roliglous al- mosphoro did the boy, the young man, broatho ? Trederick Wiiliam I, tho hypororthodox, nnd Fredorick- 1L, tho lufldo{ aud dostroyor, nro fathor and von, Such i roliglous ronciton. Crammod with enthochisms ; tho witnoss of his fathor's stupid hostility to liboral oculturo, aa though it woro an unnm{, of roligion; witnoss to tho conrso and almoat brutel troatmont of his siator; fooling tho linrsh rosontmont of hin hyporortliodox father in his own person; tho Joung onglo siginatizad a4 ifar aud » poot ¢ it any wondor that Lo fafled to distinguish bo- twoon hyperorthodoxy and OChrmtianity? Is it ony wondor that the oeagle, whon ho got his wings, phould attempt to soar away boyond the condition in which bo was trained 7 Is it any wonder, that, failing to flud foothold for faith, bo joined with Voltniro in tho attompt to wipo out a roligion so henrtless, and #0 nanttractive fo an unnwakoned mind ? It fs not enough considored, that tho bindin, of roligion Into fixed forms, ot of divine, but of human crontion, too ofton loaves tho Inquirer, the dissentor, no ochoice, soom- ingly, bobwoon that form, ond bold infl- dolity, I follow Nagenbaoh, substantinlly, iu suggesting that In Froderick’s day his cou- trymon had only throe forma to _choose from,— pletism, rauning into a thousand extravagancos and immoralitics ; lnypurothouox{; and Catholi- clem, I8 noone at foult, if believing in somo approved form of doctrine] is substituted for belioving in Jesus Christ? Isno one at fanlt if, in tho attempt to reduco sound praaching to one mode of spocch, Christ, in the full- noss of Hiu divinity and power, in his wondorful adapiation to all" or- dera of mind, is thrust asido for somothing which is not Christ, and las no powor, o8 Christ e, to mako mon Sona of God "? I8 no one at fault, if tho Church shall forbid ita minigters to adapt the unchangeable truths of tha Gospol to tho changing couditions of human lifo? As it 13 not tho attempt to carry out & systom of morals which will save us, but recciving Christ, lanning on Clrist, partaking of tho lifs of Christ ; ko it is not the hardihood with which wo accopt whatover is proposed us 88 n mottor of bolief, or the peraistonco with which wo try to keop alivo gomo given form of words, which will make us “Hons of God.” It is Christ the sonl noeds, Christ, the sin-boarer aud regenorator. Thig same Christ is tho nproacher's power; tho proachor's warrant, Whoever proaches morality without Christ, or, in pronching the ercr:uph! of the gospol, doos mot hold forth Christ as the wource of lifo to tho porishing, though ho were my Lest beloved brother, I would stigmatise a8 tho preacher of auother gospel. On the other hand, whoover preaches Ohrist hns by that iufallible sign the proof of His cssentinl orthodoxy, and His innlienable right to minis- tor at tho altar. Ho far as this point is con- corned; whothor Ho explain tho Trinity as I do or not; whother Ilis delinition of faith clings to an old form, or blossoms out in all the froshness of apostolical utteranco; whother Hiw holl-fire is conceived in the samo figures in which I con- ceive of tho perdition of tho lost is ot smull momont. No power - on earth can, without usurpation, stop i mouth, or, without blamo, blunt the ewor he wields in tho namo of tho Lord. Lot us enrry with us tho idea that,in our Tongiugs and cndonvors, tho real point to reach is, to bocomo sons, and worthy sons, of God. It i8 not to do better in ono tiung, or another; but in all things to follow Christ. o attain, wo must iave the new life, not transmitted from o plous ancestry, not secured by the throos of tho natural mon’in us, not becauso vy rovival- ist, priest, or Uishop twrites our namo among converts, but bocamse wo como into fellowehip with Christ, and recoiva from 1Lim tho inspiration, grace, nnd followship wo need, This1s what Paul meuns by calling tho soupol ** tho power of Gad unto satvation.” This i what fo monns in unother place, whero lio says God works in us by tho enna **mighty power whorowith ho raiscd Ohrist from the dond." o aro dead; and Christ is tho rosur- roction aud the lifol SRy EVOLUTION THE LAW OF LIFE. Sermon by the IZevs Dr. Il Powers, of New Yorlc Tho Rov. Dr. I1. Powors, of New York, proach- od in the Fourth Unitarian Olurch, corner of Prairio .avenue and Thirtieth stroot, yosterdsy morning on the subject of * Evolution tho Law of Lifo,” taking his toxt from L John, 34 chapter and 2d v.—** It doth nat yob appear that wo shall bo." Tho prenchier commenced his dis- courge by a generalization on nntural and spivit- ual lifo, showing that in tho human boing tho prograssive dovolopmont of tho formor was ox- cellod. by tho progross of that which related to tho divine essonce of immortality. Ho went {nto tho dopths of natural philosophy, illuatrat- ing his idoas by tho growth of plants andof flow- ors—tho sdvanco of tho slmplo gorms of vogatablo lifo from tho simplo to the complox state—as from the ncorn springs tho oak, and much more 1 the samo strain. The world of lifo was_ono vast procossion to tho toiub, and that gonl reachod, what then? ¢ 1t doth not yot appear whot wo shall be,” snid the boloved dis- ciplo, but ench_marchor in that vast procossion feols within bim thut mysterious stufl which dronms woro nado of—tho luugli;‘g aftor tho im- mortal—tho disconteut with the limited mortal Btate. Tho leoturor briefly, but brilliantly, roviewed the divers theorics accounting, or striving to account for, tho origin of man, How truly had it boon said by n great Tuglish poet—Tonnyson—that wero it givon to him to know the mystery of the creation, and the being of the humblest flower of the field, tho whnFu business of the Univorso would bo mado plain beforo his oyes. 8o it wis. Thoe crontion of the humblest plant of tho vegetablo kingdom was ns much a mystory to the human mind ny was the existonco of the human soul. 1o did not shrink away in horror from that iden of animal progrossion and ovolution broachod by Prof. Darwin and othors, which placed mon wimply 08 tho highost animal, Thoro was uo do- nying that the original mau must have bml:fe at bost, & rudo wnyago, for tho Bible dealt only with Lis epiritual conse, Holy writ hod whown whoro _ Nimrod bus & mighty huntor bofore the Lord, and how these huuters had boon attived in tho skins of wild beusts to protect thomsolves from the rigors of tho wontlior. Also Liow from boiug more savago pursuors of game, mon came to be pustoral-agri- culturists and shopherds, still showing tho thoory of ovolution, which governed ovory prin- ciplo of oxistonco from tho highest to tholowest of thiugs created, Stillit did not follow that God was Nature or the latter God. Only, at gomo period of tho progression of the rsan raco, the immortal soul must have beou plaved in thio mortal body, 5 The pronchor at this point wont into somo of umphfluunpmem thoories rogardiug tho ostablish- mouf of tho solar system sud all that we ean soe of the croated univorso. Tirab it was flame, gloom, and chaos, Thon & perlod of ngrfln- nion, a4 the divers planots aud stara and worlds wore formed, sud thon tho uuivorso ns it appeared to the vision of scionce, T'ho walled town succeedod tha romoto period of agrioulturo aud of hunting, and thus tho first impetus wus given to trado betwoen town and country,~the fountain hend whenco spruug tho nmenso commercial advancoment of tho eur- ront century, ivolution wns not God, but it was the uinnifestation of His presence in lire. It rulod tho uivorsw of Ilin wukivg, nd oyity- thing in the scopo of creution Lad to Low to il inoxorablo law. Antiquity taught us that lesson. Wo need but consult tho anctonts sud oheorvo there, in all grandonr, the prlnoll-lo of ovolution, Looking to Egypt we saw that the grontost display of physical power which tho carth had kuowh in hm construotion of tho pyrumids,—massos of musonry sot in placo by & utupendons_ enginory unknown in the present ago,—lost to the race of man to-ny. Thero wus India—the sonreo of all philosophical thought—the nurse of motn- physical philosophy. China is tho birthplaco of " logic—the rveawonlng faculty., Porsin showed the rolution botweon “good and ovil, and tought mankind how Lo cloatly distinguish what was pure from that which wus defiled. Chaldea was tho ecradlo of sstronotay. Phanicln wue the mother of trado sud commorcs, Grooco wus the olassio templo of the arts and sciences—intollootual powor ruling mattor, Ilome was tho legislator of tho world, for the laws of Justinian, even un- to thiy honr, furnished the groundwork for tho divers codos of the eivilizod world. Tho childron of Inyaol gavo maukind the boneiit of the moral -1a, in the yovolations of the Diblo and in thelr —_— anbile influonce over tho earller nges Zof tho world. Thus the oxisting goneration way tho holr of all this combined power and knowledgo, They snw all things tending to a gmnder and moro complox unity. The timo was to como whon postority would look backward and eall this o rude ngo contrasted with that of ton or twonty ngos yot to come, whon thero sliould bo no bruta force—no immoraliby—no wars, Tho world was progressing. Whatever might bo said to the contrary, it was impossiblo for tho un- projudiced mind to dony that this ago was purer than_any of fts prodecessors, Of course n seaudal might horo and thero bresk out, and, for & moment, throw its lurld glare over wociety ; but, whon tho oxcitement had subsided, the faot remninod that this wan the purest guunmtlnu that had yet dawnod upon the croa- fon of God. This, too, Indicated tho fitnosn of applying tho thoory of ovolution to all that was untural and spiritual and lovely in lifs, Tho averngo man of to-day was botter than tho aver- ago man of an hundred or a thousand yosrs gone by. And so would life continte to progross, nud mon to improve, until tho destiny of oarth #liould bo fulfilled, and all mankind gathored to the Iand whoroe, to thom, it should appoar what thoy wore to bo, P IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. Sormon by tho Rov. fl. W, 'Thomas, of the First Methodist Church. Yestorday Dr, Thomas proached the following sormon on tho * Immortality of tho Soul,” toking as his toxt tho worda: *‘God is not the God of tho dead, but of the living:" To our outward sonses deatls soems vory muoh like tho end or destruction of tho whole being of man. As a living presonce we know him in o bodily formn ; we &co his faco, hear his voico, grasp his hand, ho goos in and out Loforo us. But sickness comes, and the body wastes awny ; tho volco grows woak, the eyo fails to seo, tho hiand les etill, and the heart consos to beat. Death closes the scono. What wo called the lifo Lins disappearod, and all that ia Joft is dust. Wo liston for the voice, but hear it no more. Wo look for the once-loved form, but see it no more. All {s gono. Wo wait for its roturn, but it comos mot, All that is loft ia what momory may racall, It i not stranga that those who stand by aud seo thelr friends thus, as it wero, dissolve and pagy away from them forover, havo deop ques- tionings “whother there be any life beyond. Bepecially do I think it is not strange that men of sclonco, and thoso who ara wholly or largely occapiod with materinl and perishing things, should have such doubts, Nature, it is truo, tonohes tho losson of continued fifo upon this earth, but then it is not the same lifo that is continued ; the flowor or the treo dies, lifo is continued, but the flower and tho tree aro dead, and it is_otlier flowers and other troes that live. And I doubt, indced, if from the simplo study of nature, through the sonaes, auy ong will ovor reach the conciusion that man liven boyoud death, It is true from Nature he will loarn the lesson of tho continued oxintonce of “tho cloments which composo our bodios, and oven tho life-force contained in theso bodios, for nothing may bo destroyod— that i, onnibilted. You may burn up ihe troo, and tha rosnlt is so much water, ashos, gas, and mmoko, bemg the thinga nto which tho treo bas chonged. _'Thowo aro loft, but the troo in gone forever. Follow up thése substancos agiin, and you cau soparato thom into their primitive clomonts, aud sot thom looso in the universo—thoy dofy aunihilation, but the body, the life, in which they wore united, i gono. Ho of force ; it may bo changed into hLeat, motion, light, otc. ; you cannot annibilato it, but still tho individual lifo after which yon are looking comes not back, 'That of which it was seoming- ly composed slill oxists, but whoro is the form and 1ife wo loved ? But, boeause to sight, and_hearing, and fool- iug, tho lifo seomns gono. shall we therefore con~ cludo its non-oxistence ? Bocauso we fiud it not in tho ovidenco of tho senses, and in the porish- ing forms of mutorinl thingy about us, shall we gny itis nomore? Corlainly not. \Vhy sook yo the living nmong the doad?” Tho life, the woul, ns gono away from the cartbly or bodily conditions nud cannot be found thero, nor alono 'b{ the carthly senses. It must Lo sought for olsowhere, and only by cur other and hinher powers aro we to conclnde its continued conscious oxistence. What, then, are some of the reasous for bolieving that tho sonl of man iy immortal ? I haye snid that to our senses death sooms very much like the destruction of our lminq' and 80t does; but_let us look at this poiut n hittle moro closoly, and ea if oven hiere thero muy not bo at least gomo littlo light. I think that our common conscionsnoss assures us that thore 18 somo- ihing moro of or about oursclves than mere bodily oxistenco, Iu our thoughts we may easi- ly distiuguish botweon bodv and mind, though we cannot in faot divido, or wholly separate, ono from tho other, for this would bo what wo call dontl. And, in thig distinction which wo make botwoon our minds and onur bodlos, wo regard tho body as tho instiument of tho mind. Wo speak of tho oyo as tho instru- ment, or glasg, through which tho mind looks out upon tho world about us. I'ho ego,, the porsonnl, conacious solr, is back of tho oye. Aud 60 of hearing and fecling. Aud G, Zhosk o GG thows ol goRors o, my band, my eyo, my body. Whiat do wo menu by such languago, if our roal boing or solf is not womothing othor and above and different from them? 1 am awaro of tho difliculty of making those subjective dis- tinctious scem real to those who will not try to #00 them, who are ot willing to fall back of the sensos upon tho inner life. Nor do I think it unreagonnblo to ingist that thoso who would laok inlo theso things—would try to find the life of the goul in tho darknoss “of death—should mako this offort, It is truo, hero as in other things, that tho spiritual cannot be discornod by the carnal, Aud wo aro not un- rensonnblo in asking that you fall in love with the spiritual, ond with_immortality,—and not only ba willing that it bo truo, but desire it truth, and 1 tho ingpiration of such dosire seck for its confirmation. This is not to put your- self in o atute Lo be deceived, but to coms under the best conditions to discover tho truth. No man objeots to being in love with mnthematica or music or natural science, when he would know their whole meaning and benuty and powor over tho sout. And if any ono will not try to como into this stato of mind, and to fali ‘Dack upon his conscious thinkiug solf, sud fron that standpoint study immortality, he need not complain of othors if thoy canuot make it piain to Lim in his bodily souses—that is, make a thing plain whoro i is Rt to bo found af all. But, with this distinction botweon body and epirit plainly in our own minds, let us olisorve clogoly tho work of denth and seo if tho spirit seems to dio with the body. There is cartainly not o little ground of hope even hore. All the powers of mind and heart—renson, momory, of- foction—naro ofton oven more clear and strong sy the body wastos away, and remains so till the vory lost Dbreath. Does all that wealth of miud and heart, strong 4ll tho Jast moment, conto to Do, simply because tho broathing of the poor worn-out body ceases ? It doos not look reason- able, A thing ouca in life and bowg will prob: Dly continue #o, unlees thoro boe sonio cause su! ficiont to put it'out of being. Doath doos not, HO l']xu.‘ 88 Wo can #eo, sffect tho oxistonco of the soul. Another argument for _belloving in tho im- mortality of the soul is the fuct thnt it has boen bolioved by all mankind in all ages. ‘That is, I monn to gny that the belief scems common to man—itis naturally in hinmind, And what makes this romarkablo is tho fact that this belief oxists in #pite of tho appearances to the contrary, or the eommon sooming that Jeath onds vho whole being, It iy diflicult to acoount for such o wui- vorsal belief unloss it bo found in fact, and it is wholly unreasonablo to suppose that God has put an unfounded faith in' tho bronst of euch man through all the nges, 'Chore must be some- thing in fact uuawerlug to this failb, Cicero haw well enid ; * In overything tho oonsont of all nations 1s to bo acconuted the law of nature, and to rosst it Is to resist tho voice of God.," Auother argumont, and closoly relaled to the last, is the fuct that all mankind desire immor- {ality. Existenco in this world is sweet, and wo soclk by avory way o prolong it to the latont day possiblo, Now we find it to bo n law of our bo- ing_ thot tho presouco of o rational desiro, is evidonco that onr Crentor has providoed for its ratifleation, Thus tue dowire for food is mot fiy tho abnndant supply in nature, The dosive for friondship is answored by similar dosiros In all other beorts. Is it rousonablo that all other dosires are provided for and may Lo renlized, Dut that this one, tha strongest of ull, the ono that mukos all tho othors possiblo, the desira for continued boing, should bo do- fented? Surely mot, It 4 wot thinkable that tho nfinite Qad could thus cruelly doal with His oreatures, kindling in thelr Leating hearts from ugo to ugo this sweet lovo of Lifo, only to De overmore disappointed. Tloason says it can- not bo ko, And it will not be uo. Another roason for believing in the oxistonce of mun after denth 1, that the roasons which first lod to his oreation will demand hiy continu- anco in being. Just what the ronsons were thut lod to his creutlon, or indood to any croation, wo way not fully know; thoy are probably to be found in the love aud futherly fooling in God, tho desiro of aompnnmuul}!fi, of follow- ship, ahd to il tho univorso with' happinoss, But, whatover theso roasous woro, thoy must be abiding, and will always eull for’ exitoncos of somo kind. And wo caunot supporo that God is oxporimenting, bullding ong mudel nftor anather and brying {L for awhilo, and thon Inying it anido to try omiothing olko, ns mortuls Ao, bt rathor {)lmt Ilo will carry forward tho lives nlrondy ogun. And sthll anothor ronson for bolieving thoe soul in Immortal, iy the eontiro "nrom(u]mEMllflfifl of bolloving anything olse. Loolknt komo of the fncts which wo know: Tlora I8 spaco, whioh, in its nature, must Le uubounded. Hore i du- ration, which must be unending, Ioro I tho vast roalm of noture, using world above world, and spreadiug ont tto sun systoms, and gronp systoms, and clustor systoms, and nubnlnoeyulumu,—nn, onto tho vast univorso #yatom, Theso sll endure forever, Now look at man, Hiu dwelling is low down on tho vory surfaco of our world, at the bottom of & vast (Reo Hoventh Page,) AMUSEMENTS. HOOLEY'S THEATRE, Monarn. JARRET & PALMER hava tho honor of an. nanoing that, havin notoil_areangomonts with tha managotnioat of Hooloy's Theatru; thov will produco, on Mouday avoning, March 9, the Nuperb Falry Susctania of TN IINT Eq; OR, THE SPIRIT OF TIIH WATERS. in whigh tho colebratod Uompany from Nibla's Gardos New Yo iy, compiiag OVEIL ONE HUN: DRED ART "Hio Uroat, Kiralfy, Teoupe of {lun. garian Danoe d Jarrott & Palior's famous Vion. noito and_Parisian Iallot,” comprising. Promines, So. contlros, Corypliocw, and. iguranios, Milus.. Hahioln, Timiilia,” and Katthl Kiralty:” Mons, fmro and_Holoss Kirally: Milos. Adalo Donf, ‘and Giasal, tho nelobrato Promlare Dansousen: tho Twin Ststors Viadis (tha infant Gyimnaste), whono thirilline performances haya oeoatod 10 utmoet anthuslasm aud dolights tho Ul Sistore, tha {ar-tamod Btyrl Nighitogalos; Ilorr Karl lLind, tha Wondorof tha Ninotadntn Gontiey: ‘and s host of dthor Attructions, Inclidantal to tho ploan will also b prosonted & GIAND MARCI D'AMAZONS, by & battallon of Mxl‘ Young Ladics, who will appoar in the goryoous and dnzziing Armors importad from Paris for the racont vary suogom- {3 produalion of o Dack Grook at Niblo's Gatdan, Now ek, THE LONDON MADRIGAL, BOYS, Sixtoon innums bor, nightly rocalved during their rocunt porformanco al Niblo's Gardon with vuciferous applaus ‘The following deamatio artists have boen broy, from Nibiola & sustain thoie aricinal rolos; M1SS i ZUE KELSRY, an Undinn: Mt & K, GOLLIER, ne Bir Ruport: and MISS HESSTE SUDLOW, as 1do, at I\|;3‘ofl hy ligr aver nl K lita. usical Conductor—AMR, MICHARL CONNOLLY, Djrestor of Niblo's Gnrdon Orchostra, Now Yark. T SOBNIERY ((rom tha poncil of Vogotlin)—¢* Ro. mantic Viow ol tho hino, Grotio of Undine, " “he Himninnted Torraco, ! And 1o finaly of tia pioco will prosont MATT MOR. AN'S Thrilling Danorsma, PARIS IN TEARS, Ttuntrating tho day of tiie Communa, terminating wil tha Drand and Stelking Tableans, TH 15 ATFAUI ON AND BURNING OF TILE HOTEL DE VILLE; tie wholo forming a coinbination ravoly sqnalod and Hever oxcelled in any 'Ihoatro In Kurops or Amarica. 1n consequonca nf tho cnormons oxpense attonding this rlormanca, the pricas of admission will bo s folluwe: ) fiig box-sHioot conntaitiy ot Whoro soata ey bt acourod #lx days In ndvanco, THE GREAT ADELPHL TS MONDAY, MARCH 9, TFirst parformanca of the famous Hxtravagauzs, SEVEN SISTERS. New and charming socnos. Lovoly transformation. Maguificont costutuos. Lirut apunsranon of LOLLO, tho Flying Tafey. Tho DI GLORIANS, Atliclato Calobritos. Tho RIMMELSBERG BISTIRS, Promiors of the anco. DA IDALIR, Star of Torpsicharo., LESTER AND ALLEN, Song nnd Danco Colebrlttos, ADAMS AND GURMAN, Uormnan Specinlty Artiata, AVitly tho estublisliod relznlng tavorltes: Lulu Dolinay, Miss Frankio, Jounln Morgan, Mivs Maud fiilton, Mis Lumloy, Miss ‘Biradloy, the Reynolds Brothors. the Lo anil continuation of the husutiful. optical fiuston, MAUD GRAY, the Dissolsing Statuo. TIE GREAT BILL OF AMERIOA, PRIOES-Parquetionnd Girelo, £0 ets,; Uresa Clrolo, ots. ; Gallorys 16 cte. ; Soourod Orohostra Boate, 25 eid: oxtra, ADELPHI POPULAR MATINEES WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY, at 8 p. m. Admls. slan Lo nll pacts of tho Thaatro, 350ts, Matina crawdod with the Elite of tha ol IE FIETH LADLGS® NIGHT, Thursday, March 13, Unge antvncal and Kmipliatio Suceoss of ** Ludios® Night.” Ynrly re-nppearance of BILLY RICE, CARD—ADRLPII-"Tho gront nthotlo fontof Lo-La and tho Do Glorins, ‘frst. presentod ab tio Adolphi tox nljihl. has no oqual In gymnastic annals. Lo. 1l F¥airy, leaves tho oxtremlty of tho front through thoontire lrlcoaffllu auditorlum, dashos through two susponiod balloons, and graspa the hands of Do Glorlan, who' nwings from tho trapoze on (ho stage,—nt ance (110 most gracolul, dating, and skillfulof aiblotic the cirels, ‘flies azploils. M'CORMICK MUSIC HALL, THOS. NAST Tho famons Oarleatarist, will, by goncral roquost, roe yoat hls Lecturo on CARICATURING, Tuesday Evening, March 10, at 8 o’clock. Tickote, 7he and 81, for salo at Cabib's Libeary, 3 Mond saost. : W, [5. Koon, Cooko & Co.'s, 118 and 115 Statos 8.3 aud at tho hall, MYERS' OPERA-HOUSE, Motroeat., hot. orn and Stato, Ariington, Cofton & Kemble's Minstrels, Unparalleted Attractions. Dacidod Suscess of TEHE GREAT BOX TRICHK. Socond woek of BARNUAM'S ELEPHANT! TWEN. TY-ONIE TO-DAY | _OUT ALL NIGHT! Nowcomb, Courtwright, Gilbort, Waiters and Morton, Lind indon, Are lington, Cotton, aud Kombly in now ucts, ovory evening at8, nnd Saturday Matingo at 2:, McVICKER'S THEATRE, Loat weok but oue of the eminent actor. EDWIN BOOTIE, Who will aypour Monday, Tuesday, and Wodncsday ouly, in his groat sharactor of LA TV I e Supnortod by an oxcollong cust. M Ilulls Betoman ax Opholin, Mr. .. IE, McVickor as/lho Gra 'Mhursiay—EDWIN BOOTH ax SHYLO Frlday and Saturday—M AGHITLL, Baturday Matingo—DON OESAR'DE BAZAN. KINGSBURY MUSIC HALL, PROCTOR TO-NEGEIT WONDERS OF Tilii STAR DEPTHS. Singh O o O aalo thid moring. _Price, B, GO BARI: Y. ACADEMY OF MUSIO. THE PERFECTION OF GRACE AND BEAUTY, Miss KATE FISHER And hor boautiful ARABIAN HORSE, in Lord Byron's ‘hootdo draw, KAHN'S ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, 148 South Clurk-st, TEEH WONDERFUL LIVING SKELETON, 3R, GRANVILLE, will bo on exhibition for & short time at e, Ralin's Anatomical Museum, 148 South Ularkest, alghit, 40 Ths.: hofght, 5 foots g, 48 yoars, in whiclh timehe'did not exgoronco ong day ot sicknoss, Admilssion to the Mussun, 3 coiits. BUSINESS CARDS. 2L ROBINSON, CHASE & (0. BANKERS, No. 18 Broad-st, N. Y., Transact a general banking business in all its datalle filoiig interost upon dopiasita 1o DBANES, SAVINGS INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE DANKERS, AND INDIVIDUALS. Partieular attoptlon pald o tho Invusiment of ESTATE AND TRUST FUNDS And Information regarding tho samo furnishod upus. 11 upor Shwaioh Gold, Usited Statas fin?.'u'fl'-." el augaritios Gult i at tho Now Yark Stuod }irat-aiasy Muulolpal and Railrond Honds nogotintod, EuaeNg N, ROBINGON, Tnosas B ATKINS, Gronog 1L, Uise, Wiskiax S, Mowmd, W. E. Stetson & Co., Dealers in Patonts and Patentod Articles. Over Quinoy Markst, B: THELONG STEP A NEW ULROMO, GREAT ATLANTIO & PACIFIO TEA 00, 136 Waut Wushington-at,, 188 ‘L wonty-suoonid-uf . LA of Vi 3 ! R L b e ; sty to ity Tone nfll:(!oml Boft L, ‘Ta bo delverud at tho Daput ut Pittaburgl, JAMES M, ATKINBON, Bupesinteuduul of Water Works.