Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 19, 1880, Page 2

Music." . bhop of tho upprantice, but they do not | + bymos created in aland RELIGIOUS. Prof. Swing’s Sermon on Music and Its Christianizing Influences. Dr. Rydor.Constiora the Atheistic Ques» tions Is Thore a Godt What Must I Do to Bo Saved ?---Sermon by the Rev. G. W. Sweonsy. Dedication of the Wicker Park Evangel- ~ ical Lutheran Church. Dr. Boekham, ef Vermont, Preaches on the Crave Ing for Knowledge. CNUNCIL MUSIC, BENYON NY PHOP. KWING. Prof, Swing preavhed to a largo audience yea- torday forenoon at tho Central Church, in tho now Muste-Hull, on tho subject of “Church Following !s the sermon: And tha yolee of hurpers, and musicians, and trumpcters, and pipers aball be heard no more In thoo.~—Hev., Ty {In depicting tho ealamitics that would at last ovortako thit Habyton, which, in St. John's Viston, stood us a typo. of wickcdnoss, he snl that the votco of her musicians would cease, Perhaps no ons specification could wirpuss that one in bringing bofore us tho decline and ruin Of that typical city. One passing along Jn tho oyening ninid Sta palucea and gardens would find thaGhurper, and vocalist, and trumpeter, and Pipér hud become sitont. In that last chapter of tho Ecclesiastes, In which tho writor describes ‘the vlosing svencs of this world, among other images we seo the daughters of music are brought low, thoy sit by thelr inatruments in- ailenco. When the weeping prophot wishes to sot forth in full power the future sorrows of Judah, he snys, “The young men haye eeused from thelr music." Al whic! inoldents in tho carly history of our roligion may well imnke us reflect upon tho power of that strange buman art and happiness called music. It merits an hour of our thoughtful and loving study. . ‘There exists this morning a speetal reason why clureh musiy may be the thome of the hour, We all desire that thix, tho best nudisnec-roum in our land, should complote its maturlal perfoc- tion by having put up in itan organ as good aa this room, ng large 18 our congregational hyinn, as tendor and sympathotic as our religion, 1 shall not ask you for much money, becuse al- ready moro than hale of tho um (810,000) hus been secured; but the offerings asked for to-day aire large onongh to make this Sunday sacred ty music and to justify my text and discaurse. Never heforo have J come upon such s thome for a dlsconreo,and it Isnt probable that an Ineidont will over nric to Inyite ua to make again i sere ion Upon this one of tho arta, When onr geographers stetke a river thoy aro not satisfied with a inensurement of Its breadth: and depth at the place where they happen to touch fis brink, but at once the wonder comes, whence tho stream nny, issue and into whit Jaleo or sen it may flow. In all the departments of nature man Is one person, rnd, comity upon tho great river of musio, he asks, Whence camo this form of tho beautiful, and whither does tt tond? Tho ovolutionists would nxsuro ts that tho love of harmonlous sounds 16 a passion that bas been created byw friction of atoms and en- ergies, and by a natural selection, and by u sure vival of tho fittest sounds that Inve buon takin Bie, for millions of yours, but, true as oyelution js in cortaln Mtaits, it seems to me that the best descont thit reason can fd for this strange art gn descent from un Aliwize God, ‘The Creator bound up the sentiment of music in tho soul of mun, Evolution and selection muy do much and expliin much, but when upon summer rene we hear a robin aing ‘upon tho highest bruneh of 1 blossoming apple- treo, and whon a few hour after we hear the morning hymn coming ont of the windows of 1 church nniong tho treos, we must ask nll the Tnws of progres tirstep Inek for the moment ta mnke room for God. Mualo ts one of God's ifts to His children for their culture and thoir pappincss, As God gave man renson and imag- inadon, memory and love, #0 He gave iman the power to enjoy certain forms of sound—un Ins expllcable, ultimate sontiment in thoson), Man js cloth idently, with curtain divine t+ tributes which the brite world does fat possess, ‘Tho brute will trample under foot unscen i ower which a human child wilt run wildly to possess, and the delicate perfume which woult net ho detected by an animal ig gathered up with gludnesy by minn, ‘The beast of prey Bcont Kfar tha blood of Its mutual food, ¢ follow the ott triok of its yletim, but canno! Teele the beat perfume of ‘Arabia, nor Ho troma of neen-wind, Man alone revels power todidcern the beautiful. Tho untverso around him js not only Immense In its sizes and distanees, but lt tx grand In (ta beauty. ‘The star distances amaze the human heart, It grows sl. Tent and thoughtful when tt learns that some Buns oro 80 fur uwny that their Ikeht consumes 0,000 yearsin com{nyg to our planet. The sumo hoart grows silontand meditative when it looks out upon the Atlantic or Paoltic Ben. “When the Mowers all burst forth in the spring, and when thoy afro. fading in autunnn, this same strange soul marks within iteol€ tho xplritual tow and ebbof delight and regret, and when tho thun- der rolls or the pine treea moan, or the binds sing, ortho tones of yoieo or histmunent send forth tholr vibrations, this Human and mysterious pose, asserts Itielf and stands ns wonpy and essed in the world of sounds a8 Jb wis B moment. ago in the world of | color and pertains Of this sentiment of. io ul, Wwo cunonly say that it iaan vithnare quality of imen, ono of the Images of God In while ho was fashioned when the Creator auld, © Lotus make min in our own fimo.” Oneo sent forth on ita career it untera the sehool-honse Mko a child and begins with He simpto lessons, Gur carth repeats in ull tte departmenta the hiw ‘of Infaney and youth and middle life mid mattire ayo, with this difference that arts and Institue ona do not grow old and dle. Allour arts pais through anulfabet, phd fhe acho! batten An tho Cron Lallinto a grave. Architecture at first wos only an infant; it could bufld only a hut. 8a drawing ‘and painting were ones bh apprentices, and musty Was in tho outset of its history only a Monotone with the voice, and its aecond lesson Was to rise to the necommpantinent of a deum or two strings tluhtly drawn. But tho aliniiitudo between an art and an iudividual ends hore, for when gach ong of us shall fall into our rave the arts we Joved will puss on only improved by tho lapwe of years, It should ve on bl eee for finmortallty the thought that n kind Creator will not separate tho soul forever from those high pursulta anil plonsa- ures, but wi) in scoond world waken man to et now appreelution of tha forms and sounds thist feve buch pure huppiness here. Nat only may he soul Dive ite hops upon that kludives of God which will permit separated families and Trigndsto meet hereafter, but also upon the Donovolunce witeh will cull np the hourt from its gravo to reaitiny agniln te exporionces OF the manifold bounty hero sven aul in putting, Many and grout tre tho reasons for the bollyt that mun dying bere will waken to a higher Hite, Of bite ate old Egypt his come more toward tho front in this procession ef mations, and ro- Ueions, and arty, and learning. Graves, coming to ui through Rome, became, in an ftimportant Konse, one Of Our uneuttors, and drow from, Wooster: Europe tho aifection of children for a ‘purent. and for conturlos our seholars ayw only whut they called the classic world. Kgypt Iny hidden behind the voting of Groece. Byen the pyrutnlls lay conevnlud behind tho sight oft pies or under tho helmet of Ajax; Dut 9 lond and State go vost, could not ulways bu thus cavorod up by u Grok eoluinn or plume, In the lust halt-ceutury, that old ‘Jand has heen ullowod hor nme “os tho “Mother of Nations, and due oconfdaslon hua boon mado of hor partin the dramnof munkind. It Ia now conceded that the music of Eyypt was widor and richor than that of Grecos. Tho aotiquartes have found curved in au old tomb at Thobes a barp baying twenty-one strings, and “the burp waa bout the hight of aman, showing ‘Us that the tnuaio whioh the eqr heard in Thobes F t 4,000 yoara nyo ran from tho deep notes of our (ooxeat piano-string. upwind tlirea octaves, With such a reule of ‘aweet sounds from ow stringed instrumont, it fs quite cortuln that tho Mothor of ations, wes & mothar of no very bumble music. Other feured romuin upon monuments, whieh tell us thatthe Exyptian girls played upon tho gullar and porhaps sang words t tho notes, a thousand youns before: Greeeo and Romo no Vislbld jn history, What system of written jatixto jhe, may have bad isnot hnown, nor is such selentife hiquiry burtinent to an addroey whloh must deal more {ih + meneral ideas this in tochnical dutuila. ~ Out of this ok] and wiso and, us it keems, muall . ype came Moses and tho children of Iv roel. And as they hud been for generations tn that Nile Valley, and sinco the gifted louder hud 1 Fen nthe King’s palaces, and had be- ‘vome skilled jn all the wisdom of the Egyptiuns, “it fw oviden’ that whon tho children of | Isrne! ota tomvt ups State of thelr own they * parriod wi th thom & ynusla of no Ruiull worth. ‘o have long known that they currlud from the Nile muny principled af ethics and religion, some ood and some bid, but tw thls polltieal science, gad common |itorature we inst how wid quite y riod treustirva of byian and iusiv, Wo may rbupposa that the bynes which Mies and (ho -BrIny sang, dod which Miriam sung with tho ace companimept of ber timbrel sad dunce, worw rig tory a un bao when tae Wwalty-ona sirlugs. yy the natural “ tiwor progress this musle bad become aul bet- Yer by ¢ Y when Solomon dedicatod bls tem ple, and when mention ns to be mide of Many iustruments, In tho {ust psaim quite an orchestm springs up before ys. Boyted in that grand old house of worship, you aro emuzed to 400 and hear trumpet, end psultery, ‘ poe Bae aa aa ite ete ria a suit the ents, = BADLY THE oyml ) du “gues of Duntet, five hundred yeare later, other Instruments appear, and bands for the strect had sprang up, for it was decreed that Daniel muat worship the fulse gods at the moment when ho should henr in the street cornet, tute, and harp, etekbul, psaltery, and dulelmer, and all other kinds of music. Tecoma that tho writer had not the patience ta omunerate all the inainie ments in tho street bands of the Ming. We need not purse furtifer the inquiry, Whence lasned the atrean of sweod sound] Dean in that benevotence of wisdom of G which bestowed impor man the power to perec find produes and Jove tho benutitaly andy tay- Jog Thus beyun, the power has grown #8 tho world hne grown, and nt Inet music ranks high- eat of the beautiful arte, wniess we cull Mteratuys an cart An art Is to bo tinated by ita power, not only in ay one person, but amid tho multitude. and follows ing euch a mothod of Judgment, paliting, and senipture, and urchitociure fall far hobind this one farm of sentigent.the — sentiment of founds. A few may confess tholr parthelity to potntlog or statuary: indeed. some ure musles denf ns others aré coloreblind; but looking at the human family, the dellieht and pathos of dnusle fe nhnost unlveraa), Tt is. the art whiels holds alt in Haspell, Tho fables about Orpheus, how, when he played upon his tnatrument, the very trees listened and the wild bensts came to hear and lala ado all thelr ferns pre only old efforts of Mternture to tellus how powerful this form of beautiful has abways been, Long before the modern penctration bad sith, © Let me make the songs of a nation, and Ushall not. enre who may make itd Inwa," Plato hadaeld, “TE you world know whether o State Is wollen orned, you must look Inte the condition af tte minale Ye have come to thoughts pons power whieh reaches the most human souls, and reaches only to elevate, None are too poor ta hear musies none are too bumble in education toapprecinieand enjoy tho most perfevt nehlove- monts in this ling af gonlusy none wre above It or below it in rank; ft comes for vil; Kke the sunshine which fe grateful tow beet orn King. Not only ts this tho fine art which reaches Jargest mumber, but the art which touches the heort most qilekly and deeply, Painting and sculpture and architecture ure quict forms of tho beautiful compared with musi Is snl tho only one of the arte that can driw tears. When tho ancionta wishrd to sell how pow erful wore Inte and yolco, thoy Ind to resort to faney that the colors of tho pletures ight be gorgeous enough to bo truthtul, When Or- pheus played upon his lyre, the heart of Pluto relented snd Eursiice escaped, tha wheel of Ixion stopped, the vultures ceasod to tor- ment Tytyos, and thirst of Tantalug was forgotten, and tho goddess of death forgot. to zo fo earth to call away tho Jnfant or tho ned from sweet life, Whit Ulysses and his com pantons found it most ditientt to contend agalist swas not the billows of, the wea nor the breakers: of Charyhdls, but tho song of the sirens. Hieslod aaya that when those two alstars sim, the winds paused to catch the strain and that the xen makes mntale beause those sisters when hoart-broken exst thomaelves Into its wives, OF no other art does tho imayinution speats with such extrayumines, Our epoeh caste out from. Ha speech those foring of fable, but in iis more qitiet cloghenes the eulogy goes on without any abatement. What Shakespeare sald you ean ree eal, Lather a 1omusig to be the most magnificent present God hed given to mankind, Mirnabean aald, “Let mo Me anid sounds of aweot music.” Richtor sald, * Childhood comes bnek when we hear music,” and thon again in Is sorrow hoe says, repronehfully, Away! nwasloh, muste, for thou speakest tome of things which [shall never find in this world. The mighty brain of upateun, whitt~ ever mny Do said about his heart, gave us this decision, * OF al the liberal arts, musle bas tho grentest Inthtenee over the emotions, and 1s that art to which tha lawmaker should give greut attention.” Addison said, * It fs ahnost: il we have of Heaven on earth.” ‘This, te this eulogy there is no Intermission. Be the spent. er Egyptinn, or Greek, or German, or Bnglish> man, be he philosopher, or lover, or statesman, or theologian, all follow one strain with amazing unaninity. ‘Tho love of light and flowers is not more untversal. Such is tho art which Jong nao mi made tho favorit friend and child of Christianity, Tans in ontof that nation which brought from old Bespen mitny-stringed hurp, from that antion whose dntighters Gould not’ sing thelt Joyful songs in estrange land, but who tung their ine atruments upon the willows and wept, issuing from that notion whose mmission was religte and whose temple vehood for centurles wit vast chorus, chanting paula, Christianity dis- missed tho Mosute rites and lnvw, tit dotained the song. A Christ. cold supersede an artificial ceremony, but He could not displace hymn—tho one wav) Mosite, the other was tho ternal humin, Tho Diselples, meeting at tho first. communion, «ang a hymn before they purted, In tho Roman Catholle axes, this dlvine muslo went forward, Tn all else, opinton could change and dogmas were ret up and torn down, but tho Ppae and the Instrument went forward when all ele wont backward or stood still, The harp turned lito a piano, the little in- atruments, blown by humnn breath, ttirned into the organ, and tho ‘bass yoice of Luther coset to be opposed, and was welcomed ns now vie- ment In harmony. In no ono century of the Christian ern was tho hlyh ort of mute, in its yoeal ind Instrumental forms, brought to a gitd+ don perfection, but from. the very: frat morning when the shephonds heard musig in the Hethte- hot alr has this beautiful tingnuge of religion been enlarging ita bortcra. One might foel that tho Ttalinn and Gernuin gents of modern thes hod created this world of tune, did wo not rend IVS8t. Jerome's writings in the ftth century tha bo bad sven an organ whose musle cold bo heard athongand steps. Many almitar allnalons: must load to the conclusion that Ttaly and Ger- muny have only given immense linpulse to a senthnent Bisundy deen ‘and powerful, Diut fet uy pass now from history pines ey. Lotus tur nway from that without to that 2 Fawithin, Would you estimate correctly the value oC music In thé career of religion, remember this; thatthe human rou) tan very delicate xomethiiig, and is molded all through carly years by what night seu a8 ble agencies rithor than by those of consplanous nolse and force, ‘Tho trees, and hills, aud streams of our elitid- howl never scold or correct us, thoy make us Ho. presents, they donot praise or blame ws, thoy proaeb Us 10 RerINONs, thoy’ pour no words of rlondehtp ar love into our hearts, and yet sepa~ rated fromm thom for the flrat time and carried Away to ad atranye scone, we weep with Joy when wo go buck und soo spring come na it camo in tho olden time, Ids probable that not ull the wis- dom of Solomon or tha spoken words of oratory affect so much the churacter of suciety 1s some otbor volves: whieh are wholly Inurtloutate, or whioh do not rise nboye a whispor, Heneo Car- lyte usks, * Who is there that ios logleal worda can Oxpresa tho effect music has on us? A kind of articulate untuthomutile speceb, which leads us to the edge of the Inilult and lets us for Moments gaze Into that.’ Tho great Greek Church, whieh furnishes a form of worahip to ull of Ituegia and toa linge population {i the Enst, otuit tho serinon and. carrles on Its worship by only yong, and remling, and prayer. Tho choir Kingors dirpase {1 potoney tho array of priosts, And inthe Homan Chtrch the sorigon his for miuiny centuries buon almost absent, the people bolng borne wong by the mass and by the gront. ohante and milsereres and glorlis, The Greek and Noman Churohes, both fecllng tho resulta of apeoch and ita cadontial study and thought, have dupresaed the surmon, und yot have lived upon muele alone, thus telling ws by tholr intirmity what ndeop power lus tn tha eweot mystery of furmonions sound. In asking yoursell whut does or may most atfect the heart of ainner or salnt, do not eek such Inrge things athe Constitution of tho Nation or tho valumes of theology, but to thovg plistio handa add certain other totiches of fanda and wings ultiost invisible. The most povartul ayent—God—Is the thoat utterly in- vinihle, .ot us pass now from this sensitivenves of man, from this Innur view of tho soul, to.an Ine ner view of thiaurt. Wherein los the spiritunl power of this concord of sweet dountls? Marke ‘tla, that the ohief defuet in the soul ts ita nate tral inability to poullze the acono In whieh it ves out {ta dayg.an ourth, Tho Indian camot moensure life or death, love or friendship, or honor or charity, All those noble things Hoe far above him, Thus were weullonce by hitire, Mai waa blind, aud doaf, and dumb in thy midat of a diving world, But by degreca ho bas ylsen up ward in allie faculties, and at lust ho his come to somo sense, thagh stl) inidequate, of the tremendous wurroundiy O Inya> tories of life and death ha grown upon hitn, Childhood and old age have bevome thrill: ing apoatacles. Once only dend fucts, they have oxpunded until they lip out hefore ud ike tha ocean. Thesu are only two spoulmons selected fronvin urriy of linpressive ideas seattered aver human life. “This want of realtzation boing the trat great wouknoss of man, all the tlne arts havo come us higher angels to pull hin out of ‘Ube pity and muse pppears as tho egaltation of atrath until tho dull eyo whall seo it and the stcu iy apirit feels tts reality, Hach art te a nliden xtuleway by which man climbs upto see bis world, Long wa man began to suspect chit weountry wae valiable possession, but after Patriotivn began te lng: dongs in the drest be doubted no nivre, | Tho blood tn hia volus began ‘to be borote. Uy degreos the iden of home cume along, but after hynins and sunk took up that truth, tho (revide's beauty Hashed forth; and so enue anid olfect may tellus there byw God; but in the midatot the divine hymus of the temple the conylution of the Intellect fda Its completes news and pesco, Mun Ia ais much a child of tha beautiful sho {aot wisdom or genius, Nature noyor drives na i sho can avold itt ehe prefers to allure ts. She Hikes ull things charming. Sho paints the telds the woods that wo may go to thom led by af fection, Bho makes the face of youth benutltul, throws a colar on the chook, and ingkes tho Ines Of silos and luughter come and go, wad whe wonds tha soul Into the oes that OME xaate muty build up everlatt rlendship. Yiukding to His divine Master's He danoe, mun follows the Doeautltul, and to the ides of home, or tompla, or garden, Folly he comes with both hands full of ornament, Te clalns for hie house and hie dress whit pied ples tot or tho rosa, In Avent Bind Pewehs or the uf, juop philos music como tion oe wth the decoration joustit, Mun gubmity hiv trathe to several stops of this onnobling work. He found thom dn prose, und ho asks Milton, of Date, or Tennyson, or Longfellow, to fraine them into poctry, but, not satisfod yot, he takes the houxgdt tothe musivian, and asks Bogart, or Wuber, or Schubert to pour still more color op tho Diessad thought, it waa not enough for the Creeks thut some of tholr truth took the peotle formof tho drama, tt must also bo sung on tho sluxe, so that butwoun the.uplifted hunidaaf hoth poolry and dusie, all might sco how worrowful wus (Exlipus or how aweck Ppulzone, Thos, all through ite history, music has been the Anal deconition of a sontimont. Povtry. hus done sunt 9 whet i bas gatharod Up same ot the pene fons of taun, whan he draws near long homo, and bas Ae tho rbythnilcal ar- THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 13s. im. Even rend to us, ita flow of rangoment 0. harmonions tent Js mpressive, but when Mozart gots {rthortund wreaths those words with his composition, and calls it requiem, thon ts the cup of oltf realization full, and all tho pomp and splendor of oarth siti like tho summer sun. | ‘This Js tho art that comes to Christianity with nl its arsenate is powor. Ifwe could hot ane aw thalsm with argument, we could smother: irwith music. {tis tho ally of the int pits it is one of the forms of God's spirits It is tha com- pinion of the New Testaments one of tho une ‘Adin Horn weouths for the Cross. Tuseparable friend of civilized maint nearer to hia soul than iis Wbraries, or his solences, or his commerce, — for in Infancy his mothor lulls him to steep with kong, and, abort to die. while body and henrt are falling, be requests that the nearest friends will sing wome woll-known hymn. nnd often the Heart, bidding earth farewell selects tho miste whieh shall brat forth over ite own cotfinelid. Thus are we luted to sleep by mude at tho be- gloning and tho ending of this world, When the religious fnagiation i the holy books or hit thio: common meditations of mankind has attempted to think af Heaven, and has thine drawn tear ttt holy walls, it has always heard the swelling of falling accents of sone, 18 THERE A GOD? SERMON BY TUK NEV. We He RYDEN, DD, Dr. Ryder preached yesterday morning to a large congregation at St. Paul's Universalist Church on the * Deulals of Rattonalism.” This themne he proposes to consider in four piirts, the first being, “Is thore n God?" Following !s the sermon: Int the beginning God created tho heaven and tho carth.—@en., t+ 2, Tho denials of rationalism aro many; but in this present course of sermons wo shall speeially consider the four forms of religions douht whieh are associated with tho londing toples: (1) Is Thoro n God? (3) Have We a Revolution from Gody @) Tho Mirncles, orSupernatuni Elument in Religion. (1) IsChrist Any More tnspiced or Divine than the Founders of Othor Religions? ‘Tho religious denials of our time are in many: respeets peeullar, nid, for tbat reason, are Hablo to be miasjudged. In the first piace, thay come, muny of them at lenst, naturally ont of tho general changes which have been wrought in tho ourrent form of thought. Tho influence of the substitution of Inquiry for Authority bas hardly any Hmitation in the world of intnd. In tho wonderful transformations which this now Intellectual formula has made, many opinions heretofore tonnctously held and roverently: be- Meverd have been discarded, and thourands of porgons'loft nlnost Iterally “ without falth and without God inthe warkd.* Into tho tmldst of this ‘intellectunl dixorder there came many yolces, necking to alii lu tho reconstruction of thought. Of thase yolcea the most potential ta whit fs called Modern Selones. Anil this, mod- ern sclenco fs In this work of the reconstruction of belief; both a help and @ hindrances w help by: the truth which {t has evolved, and the apirit of investigation which {t has encouraged; and i hindranes by offering as reliubo conclusions what Js mere exporlnent or conjecture, and by seeking to substitute for the essontial truths of religion and human Ife theartes whieh baye no adequate support, elthor in fact or renson. But beenuso much of tha peseiilent religious doubt comes of tho general disturbance af opinions, and ‘is lirgely tho natural outgrowth of such disturtunee, very considerable prppartion or those who partislly nceept the dunials of ration- alisin da Ro, not froin choice, or from sutlefie- tion In the conclusions of such dentals, but he- cause these hive arr thelr attention, and Hoey Seine of nothing better. If these discourses shall reach any who are pationtly secking to And tho pure foundations of religions bellet, and shall ald them Jn such ef> forts, the seta purpose for which thoy are prepared will baye been recanplished, Is thore n Gol? In secking for 0 correct an- swer to this question, wo ure strongly aided by: the yonilot of history. Tha Judgment af wine kind is eloariy on tho side of n belief fn Delt: Worship fs nutural to man, and fs therefore, In some form, astacintedt with the history of ail Peoplos. And It 13 worthy of expecta notive that tho farther buck wo go in the exporlence of hinnantty, the more distinct ure the traces of tho’ bellef in one onty living and trae God, All tho great religions of tho world are in tholy sources monotholatio, and the neurer we got 10 their sources tho more dstinet ure tho traces of tho doctrine of the one Gol, Modern atuly trrees all Langitages ton conumon sonree,—at the inost to two sourves,—and Uiese: orlginul sources of hunt speech are monotha- Istic, nat only in’ the terms which they apply to Delty, but inthe fulth which thoy embody.” Tn Nko manner the historit traditions of the world yory clearly Indicate that the bollef in the one Goi was tho original bellot of mankind. Going Unek through tho various phases of rellglius thought and all the varieties of speentation and superstition, whether we journoy backward through Judea, Pheentein, Chalden, Porsin, Egypt, or Indl, the result Is tho same, for itiolony Jews ud through the huws of Ianguage 10 the common beller inoue God, and tho histor. fe traditions which are presorved inthe old records of religions bellot mide us to a Mk ree sult. Both dources of Inquiry toad up to, { prin in God. ‘Thit primitive bellet his nover died out. Traces of It. everywhero abound. Inolatry itgelf is probably & corruption of the true bellof,—tret, the substitution of a symbol #0 04 more forcibly to, oxpresa tho bellof, and then the worsiip of the symtiol. Mack of most fdulatrons worship [an conception of tt supreme God. Kven tho {Indian tribes of this country. with thelr low rellilous forma, talk of the *Gront Spirit." And tho atance of this remark [a teny of ull tribes and, i pled, Vrnces of tho primitive fuith of mankind in the ono God ore constantly comtng inte view, If, thores fore, We are nut authorized uneonditionally to. dcolure that the root belle’ of mankind with vos rd to Deity Was tnonotbulstic, or the one God, ‘g are atleast Justified in saying that tho evi- dences of modern stidy nearly vl point to that conolusion; that this evidence, both In force unt volumes constantly necumulating, qud that the probabilities are very largely in fuvor of Bich a paition, Pout if any dony thot this dea of God in ilke tho xourees of human language, & part of the Original ondawmont of min is ho cane fron the crentive hand, thon it must bo conceded that the bellof in God is native to mun, for the Taot of ita antiquity und wnlversulity ty not open to dobute. Tf this bellof in God be nolthor revealed to man nor a spealal intuition In the strict sone, thon tho belief nat have its root In the common sense of mankind and ty tho neods ef tho moral nature, ‘Cho reason of man, the flew of moral obligation, nod of the fuilolg, by adortaf moral Impulse lead min to these tink conclusions converning respons|bility for conduct and the authority of the moral hw, If, then, Wo nxk tho question, Is there a God? and ono answer in the negatlye, he ts confronted by this array of evidence ns to tho prinltive of of the racy, or by thosy facts as to the naturalness of sucha belief. Tho vordlct of Tinnkind in iguinat him,—the Judgment of the race will reverse his decision, And uny opinion which oppods the natural yervelty of biman vature, and tp order to be true has to assume the Talaity of munt's nor constitution, fa presumes bly tint. Man's nitire te not false, but ve- nicloua; and the Instlnetsof manure more retla- big than the logle of the sehools, Leaving now what oy be termed the historic argument, we take ip the urgent from des igh. ‘The Husteation made Cimon by Palos is thitet n watch, Hy puts the caso ingomething Uke thin forms Uf da walking nerogs i letd | strike tay Coot wgninyt a atone, Tinight infer, if 1 thought aust about It, that the ston Had been there aways; but if fn urosing a told L should dnd a wateh, the peouthirity af ite eon atruation would ut once suggest to ty ining that thig compileated piece of mechani nat hive been nude by hummuin ski, and ovde for pare Honlae purpose, ‘Lhore ts design in tla con struction, and intention ts displayed ft adaptation of one portion of th ania tO every other part, Now, aa in part of inverse one meets with like evidences of de- Higa, snd dees In tho relation uf forces aid forms tho clourcat ovidence of futuntion, the Inference of an intelligent oreatlye inkl talinost spon tuicous, ‘Cho eyo was not only made to bee, but It was intended to soo; the ear was not only mado to bear, Wut ft wus intended to dateot tho resenco of soind,—ainl thud on thrvugh all the nwa bud relutions of Nutire, ‘This argument, ny ita very simplicity, carries with Harout weljght but no more, Tam ‘diaposed to think, than ft justly dexorves, Aum not aware that it bis vor beon anocesstully The objection commonly turged agralnatitisthiss Aduitting that Nature shows deatgn, and must thapofore have hada dealgner, doe not God Hlingalt show design, and nist He: nothaye hada desiyner?—and tits on through aeons inmimurnblo, But. thin ds no reply to are wumont from desigit in Nature. [els simply con- wali tho ronson with 1 wetuphyalcal puzdle, It da a fact, clear and indisputable to the senses, which everybody secs und feels, thut tho inte verse in nnd Part Indfeutes design and a doe algner, And this fot of dealgn ta not set ugide vy leading the mind boyond the limits of dutinit montal perceptions, but remalud hi all tte force, und challonKos wxplanation on any other basta than that of tholam. And Just hore lot wy constder that certain ques tions, from tholr vi ry ’ittury, cannot be fted Out OF ull perplnalty by the reson for thoy reavh beyond the 1 a of poxitive knuwledge, Tho being of God cannot be demonstrated us can ordinary fact in buinun life. Our thought muy: be Wustrutad ju this way, With tho nuturil sight of ou ‘evoniiy, there are visible in hoavens something Nke 9 a In addition to this, number the hest telossopos revoul Konia 20,00),~ ood. Now, tho proauinption t that, if a tele, suope gould bo tude us much muro paworful tian the best now fn uso ns Ula bos now in tes ds than tho human vislon, tht there would be rovealed to thy wight thus assisted a yreatly ine evensed number of huwyenly bodies, ‘This we wo at know, but this we have good poakon to Have. With tho oxcoption of a fow uttendunts of our solur pystom, all thosp @turs ure fupposud to bo yuna, pr contres of systema, and all chose nililions of apron mova wbout one common coutre, Thid centr orbit muy be, for luck of a bettor pbrise, the throne of Jehovah. Now, whut wo say fy, hat nothing Is gained toward tho salu. tion of tho problem Gf. the exiitonco of the uatyerse by puzzling the miut with the specu- datlon that [f al) those eystems of wortda move uround a comnion orbit tay not wll those Sik: toms bo a4 8 sluglo aystom, and hs multipiiod a billion tics move around some jn tho tira. . ther orbit,- and this on, constantly onlarging tho boundary: untli thought fades away Inte indetlultiness and confusion? Furthormoro, becatito we eannut demonstrate that millions of systems Ie outailo the rango of our preaont nasisted vision, tho fuct of tho existence of thosa whieh ore within tho reach oo our vision iso neithor eet onside nor explained. Tho untyerao oxists,—how eamo It to be here? Who created {t, who governs {t, and why waa anything mado thatis made? (tle nc answer to these finploring voices of tho soul to reply: *‘Thore nuty by another wilyerao besides thi Perhaps thoro fa, but Just new we reck for knowledge concorning tho ono wo know does ox. iat. ‘That. knowledge, we elation, i4 tho most relis able which comos ta tg the most naturally, atid that Is tho most natural whieh has the Indorse+ mentof tho faith of tho ages and fs tho most autisfactary to tho moral as well 1s to tho Intel- Jeetintt nature of man, That you may sco that the diMeulty which wo reengnfzo In Investigations with the selain of Nature tanot pecultar to our explanation, butts far inore omnplintio when applied to nny form of Delle which roleots the belng of God, we will now bring into viow the four thoorias of tho ore Jain of tho creation whieh are most promincnt: inourday. Thoay four thoorles arvs First. tho ctornity of matter, If wo place mind tick of mattor, It 1s easy to seo that mind may he nasoeiated with matertil substances and work through thom, But iC we nasime tho eter. nity of mattor and deny tho existence of any controlling mind, how are we to account for the extstones of nind at ali? Wo gain pothing by: Increasing tho quantity of material sibstanees, for that does not oxplaln the oxistonce of Intel- Hyena NW mitch substances. euond, the nohwlous or star-diat hypothosts, Thin nasitmes that all Rpuce wan wt the first por- vivlod by mattor fn tho form of bighly-raretted ign or ‘ynporaand that this vapor, uradually eoulug, was formod into nuctel, and thus into works and all the Hving eroatures that aro upon. thom. Tho mort that ean be saidof this thoory Is, that it isan duumenice speciation, aid that is at that can be adienied In its favor, Tt starts with: an weniiption for which there fs nota partlete of evidence. On the contrary, so far na wo know, sollds are not produced from heated va- fot, UE vapors neu proditecd Crim. soll, Nut where did this wonderful vapor come from ? What is guined by ple penn tho vapar heated ? Whit heated it? And what ty coullug where there ty ny mind to direct and no lw to shapo ? And haw nme this vapor ais it condensed or hardened to take on such wondortitl wavs, and bo ao eurfously related to a thonsand othor forms, uniess mind In some way directed iil this? Tho absurdity of the ey atten Bitgyests: itsansiver, Hutte hot. when did they get tito the soils that ware formed out of the fire-mist, and. whenco dld thoy come? ‘Tho fatal woukuess of (his fre-mist nssump- tion, and nso of the hypothesis of tho etornity of inatter, is that of assuming, as wn orlgttl endowment of matter, all thot tts defenders do- alre nfterward to evalve from ft. ‘Thus, whllo thoy talk about matter, thoy mean something more than insensate material atoms, ‘The samo is trae of tho word force, of which so much Issaids they mnko (t self-leseribing from tha Thus: Deginning,—rationsl, and not tise do they assume the very position profess to deny, [tis easy to accu crention of a tniverse out of mat nilst, or tnythitug else, if yon ondow the orginal substince with al tho uttribites of Delty, Third, spontaneous generition. A fow years igo this thoory waa yory prominonily urged na an-explanation of tho origin of ite, [twas chutined that, by actual experiinent, it had been demonstrited that life did somotimes ortgluato, epontancously, and honeo tt was inforred) that all life may 80 huyo orlgloited, But.this theory: of Hneelkel fs nowrejectet by all, for his ox- periments ‘wero found to be dofective, and rd hla conclusions false, Tt ts now alinost riitly miafnta(ned that all life originates in grorms; that nothing it solf-eronted, nad that the origin of those germs Is wholly n= Known excoptns they aroa part of the’ great imystery of existences. Fourthly, tho hypoth of ovolution. ‘This fanny old theory, but It has been stated In thew modern tines With such freshness and fares and with such wn array of Intercsting facts Winstration of [t, us falely to xive to the thoory tho namo ef its guished onamplon. Dare wintam when divested of ail techifentitios is slinply this: In the beginuing thore wasn alnglo form, or at the most « few forms, These were: protably crotted—at any mite, thoro {sno other wny of accounting for ‘thele oxistonoe. Krom those first forms of being, which wore of tho very slinplest type, by the Inwa- of evolution, ait vludses, orders, and species of tho cntire unimate creation hive desconded by whut he culls Natural Selection or tho Survival of the Fittest. ‘This ts the language of Me. Darwli 1 his “Orlin of Speates,’” v or S$ Thore is a grandotr in this view of lite, with tts severnt feiteiese having beer originally breuthod by tho Crontor into a fow forins or inta one.” Mr. Dur win iniicog no attompt ty neoount for the orighy Of life, but assutnos the exigtence of that life a ready present in tho primortinl germ. He {twas breathod into that germ by the Creator, but having thus extomporized. a Croator to ne count for the life of the primordial germ, he virtually buniahes Hh from the universe, sinec: he hag no further use for Him, tasmuch a thonceforwinl the hws of Evohutton are the only God noodful for thos governmont of the uni- vorso, Darwinism dops not believe ina God, or Ina Crentor, 4a we usgthe wont; Wait, stratige to any, slice It rejects thyassumption of spantines ous generation, ang fepgt fn wome way explain tho orheln of life, It lakesvon to the necessity of nssuming tho oxlstonco of the very thing it socks toaxpliln, Farthormore, if thoro was a erm, hy tho beginning, or if there wore soveral forma, howover low, Into whieh life could be breathed by tho Creator, why not a million forms -just as well? For if you oun thus noomint for the existence of & fow torms, why not for all forma? Whence camo those “ fow forma’? And where did the Croator ob- ahr that wonderful ite, whieh, breathed into these aimple forms, endowod thom with sich Indinit wiidom that ont of themselves they wore: whle to evolve n universe ? And, beside nll those perplexitlea which relate to tho origin of life anid the presence of an ordering mind, how aro wo to neeatnt far the oxistenay of sion wn enor mous variety and butcof physleal substances 2 Conaldorably matorial hus been required te Intld up thisuniverss, Where did it all come fran? Ont of the premordial gorm?) But this Ie en dowing tho lowest ooncotvable form of tHfo wlth alltho attributes of tho Infinit dohayah. And this, by tho way, {8 preolscly what evulntion docs, dud thia is one of the fatal defocts of the system, of Evolution does not account for tho origin of fife, and does not attompt to . or the 4 fow first ante, % Tt endowa tho" flrat form forms," with alltho attributesof God. For, if evorything hus proceeded from some thing, and that” one thing hag ehaped and gontraled all thing, in whut eenso {s that one thing less than cx ? % It arsumes what nover has boon proved —viz,; the ercation of now speulos by natural aglection or the “survival of the fittest.” ‘Tho facta are ull tho otbor way. Varieties of form a4 tho reat uf difforenves of condition aro con- gtuntly mot with, but the croatlon of i new Hise inunknown tosclunee, On tho contrary, the production of any attempt by human lndis- position ta cross speoles fs, qeleniiuahhs, aponk= ny, a monstrosity, marked by atgriiity, and which will die oub if loft ta itself, The grant typed of Nature cannot bo divided, and they never pass Into cach other, Evoh ita Ja dee veloped nenorsting, to a fixed pnd defintt plan, which plants the law of {ts own sproles, and, If (hore is any such (aw in Nuturo aa thoaurvival of tho Mtost, It is not yet revealod, Eoonking pon this subject, the Inte Prat, Agnasiz, one of tho Hest naturalists of the age, saya: There ta no evidence of derivation of hlgbor from lower epoules, Tbetlove that these corresponidencles between the diferent aspeots of aoimel Ufo are the niuentfestationy of unhid uctiig consotously with intention toward an object front brtantie to end, ‘hla view is In accordance with the workings of ourown niin, 16 ts an intuitive recognition of montal paren, with which wo sre ourselves pkin, munifeating Itself in Nature. For this reason, nore than any otber, do TL hold that this World of ons ta tot the result of the sotlon of unconselons orgmule forves, hut the work, of om consoloud, sntelll- went power, Nothing over comes out of any germ but what wag inherlted from the paront, and consequently wiven to the nit gorm or firat parent atereution, The universe fs tho Taal aoonsolous mind and oxhiblta an ntelligent unity, and nota mitterhil connection, Tho detalls full'so pleces 1¢ wo attempt to test thein by apy such conneetion." Tho thaory of Darwin which bes of late attricted somuoh attention wales the genaral ume of Evolution, is found on examinadan ta ho hath strony nnd’ weak, (tts strong in {ts vane army of facts, and in tho npponl which these faote make to tho atelier ‘of manktads but We ds weak In tho loullug inforonoo whiluh tt winkes froin those facts. ‘Tho fivts de not Just. ty tha conclusions, but leave tho whole question of tho origin of Iie, and tho soparution of unt inate extitence iito chases, genera, gnd speclys, mnexplalned 18 betare, Darwlnlam owes wnt a little of [ta success a8 a fone. thoory to the inistonllag: ‘torma in which te londing doctrine of natural selection js ox. peal For this “aclvstion” earrios with it tha Mevof vu geloctiug ugent. Somothlog golocts, What te that sotyething? As the ut Problem of Problema” if that phrase selection’ wore Gust to aio sida, and the phrisa Diind, Irrational matter and force substleuted, Darw)ilam would vanish Uke mist. By substl= tuling & phrasu Fonlyliug Intolllyence,” betweon, ‘us ind niittor and furce, our rowon ta cujolod and chouted of a sense of tho absuniity of tho speculation.” Hut tho absurdity uppiars tho momentony substitutes blind, irrational farce for™ natural section” and "nature. Wo thus #o0 that tho thought nf uv directing niind under Mos tho fundamental doctrine of ovolutfon, and Uhat if this thought of Acipooslng mitt be with- drawn, the doctrine. Ipoges Ita hold upon tha pu io Tulle and heconies at once un {ntoliect- absuniity, Furthorinoro, it may bo useful to romember that if the evolution: Ty be vorrect, the tine that hus olapsod luce the “Creator origin: breathad life into a few forms or into ono” Mteraily: Inconovlvable, Man has been up thhy curth at lenst 9,000 youn. In that period there ee eo shangos tn his reanlantion, nor any Indications p 9 deyolnp- Tent ef Hruoe sUi bighor hy tho acato of bolng fmbeddud, a milnoral, ome of thom of not one of those is & connecting In species, but to pach sclonco reydily assigna a pluoe fu the oxlsting orders. Now, t almost uncountable agog thus ,cayorod b: history of pur globe, no such fact as tho trana- mutation of species comes into view, being too Drlof n timo to {ustrato the thoory, will any one nttempt to any how longa timo hy tie hance of “natural selection and tho still, ntor chances of the “ aurvival of tho ittest" fanced. ful to bring tho primordial germ up to tho dignity of a tadpole, and tho tudpole up to tho dignity of many And not only xo, but, in tho ineantine, to produce otf the varieties of ante mat, vegetable, and mineral forms—of bird, fiah, and inaect—nand to give to wach a dofinit and fixed mode of lite, from while tf it depart {ts existence le imperiled? Why, it ta hindily too mitch fowy, oven antinttting the truth of tho thoory, that (f tho surfies of the whole earth were waite It would bo far too siiif to contin: tho fyttres necessary to exprosa tho rosult hy tho proces of evolution, Wo havo thus outlined the four leading thoo- rles tn referones to tho origth of the creation, You seo what. thoy ure, and tho dificuttlus tne volved ti eaeh. At tho beat thoy nro but thos rica or speculations to necount ‘for tho origin of Ife, while donytng the Lene ot God. And 1 Thhnk (will appear to you int to deny the bes fag of God is notte remove tho dilculty con neoted with the origi of life, tut is, on tho con trnry, to inevrense ind magnify it. Selenve, so calléd, haa no expinuntion to givo that dovs not fuvolve the existences of an ordering mind, Something must ho conceded wa i lest cause, That first ennse we call Goda Hying, moving, thinking, absolutely gulf-extstont, the primi tnitiise of ATL Efe; and) thie we say is Tneomparn- bly better and mare sntisfactory, even us it nppeal to the tutellect, than any theory whieh seloney hag tu present. ‘To whut lias already been satd In Wefense of tho affirmutive answer to our subject, wo ard here thre msiderations: 1. Bach xelontific hypothosis. relating to tho phonomonn of oxls while it denies ho beri, of God, recognizes a Gail from which all things have procoeded, and gue towarcl yvilet Uitngs eo tending, chat Power bnek ter shapes its power for ot mutter entrenta It. Byorybs toward something. ‘There ts te Myhor and lower —tife nnd des deeny. Burt wll those terms ene authority of apinng they eopt ng thoy are y¥ bs reaelung: mt thinga at ath, progrcss nid ‘y with thom tho Ane UnmMeNning ox 8 ted with the iden of something formed, aud something towaml which all forms are toning. It is claimed that life originated In the towest forms, and hes Crom that humble heginnttg been evolved up ta mun, ut why develop toward main, exeept inan be the idea) toward which all things ave evalying? What isthe moaning of “up” and “down,” “highor" and Cawery” without any plan, pues pose, or atin? What ie “evolution " when xep- wrated Crom tho iden of an intelligent purpose? Does It not tivolve tho sumo nlaurdity ns tho. Agure of an overttowing strenm with nothing to auppty it, with no banks te bold ft, and no cee to vecolye it? 2. Mut however mitch tho reason may be per- ploxed tho heart belicves. And fron its yery Mature itmust and It will, Should death take from tho enrthly presence of tho wisest of all our miturilists some one very deur to hlin— compauten or child-<18 ho looks Into tho casket fipon that cold forin arrayed for the grive. whit, tohin, than. of comfort: mad antlstieton i any: thoury of tho universe whieh virtually bunishes Gd from it?) Nay, in this hour "the divinity that stirs within him will mako Itaelf henrd, Tho heart fnstinetively recognizes Ue apron vey of God, and and tears of: a broken spirit awash all the doubts away, Finally, this question of the Being of God, re- rirded in abnost any Hyht, is one of supromo importance. fs my moral naturo nt reality? Is my religions nuture n verity or no delusion? It thore bea God, Penn seo,why this faith (niin thus clings ta the sont, why inan his a guns of responsibility, a senso of Bin, 8 destre to wor- ahip, a hope of pardon; but if thore is not, thon why have we ny of those longings, osires, agpl- rations, since thore ly no Diving government anit ho reat accountability? ‘ Adult tho Boing of God, and we have at onco tho best exptanntion of tho phenomenn of ox- Asten and not only so, but the wholo question or sinks responsibility, aspiration, Is intelliyent- ly oxphatned The Christian doctrinn of the Bolng of God cannot bo sieeossfully agsalled. Chat doctrine {a this: ‘That i tho beginning God erented tho heaven and the earth, How {fo could create it wniverse with nothing to create ft out of, or whoneo Ho himself derived His being, we donot envy, und (9 guces” fx folly. We aiceapt tho dlooteino,ve Moses luyppily puts tin tho. bee Stn ieng whenvyer that was, and in ways of which Ho only bas knowledge, “God ereuted fhe heaven and the carth.” And of aff the myr- dads of creatures phioed by Him upon this curth Te gave to cuh, as He formed St, the Kind of oration sulted to tho place Me destyned It to Til, and to tho wari (t was egal todo. In tho relution of ove form of life to iuothor 18 shown the presence of n directing mind, aud the frttininey aud wisduin of tho Divine pha. Bere form of Ife fs subordinate to the will of God, Man, ondowed with amoral nature, is amenable to dod asthe Mort! Rider and Judgu.and he finda fn the perfection of God bis highest Idents for splritual ares Thuve no wish, either now or at any time, to underrate the value of scientiic research, What tho facts of Naturo really teach we nll need ta know, Hut it is one thing to vollute facts, and quite snothor thing to deduce con- clusions from thom. ‘The fuuts of tha dorcntled selentist may be tmportunt, us they often ro, hut his inferences fram those frets inny bo projudiced and falas, ‘There are errtain theo res in our time that depend for thelr seoming vuluc yery largely tipon the © learned mist” in whieh they are onveloped, aud, whon that fo {4 blown way, ure found to be- unsubstantial and worthlens, The doctrine af or toxt fs the highest wisdom wo have. | It f4 tha most complete and satisface tory. Te fulttils moat fully ail tha conditions re- quired, Ttinsotilos nothing, but aids tha best Ree of the Foul in Its efforts to reach yor hig uttaimimonts. Hut Athoism, Evolution—fution allan of ovary Kiid—unsettles all tho reat moritl questions of our spiritual nature, virtue ally breaks down all moral dlatinetions by deny- Ing. @ Providontial government and is inofal rule, and tha lamiches man aan ship tpon tho xen af life without any purpose: disoudo tov ny pluee fa gull to. Colsider, therefore, what You da whonu you thus set neide the ventral doctrine of the Bolng of God, and conatidleratoly ask yours self what 1s loft you when thit Is gene. Ho we sured that nothing bottor than tho Christlin doctrine of one Goi, to whom we ara accountas ‘le, fs known of man by which to Hye, aud noth- ing better Is taught us by which to dio, —— SALVATION, “WHAT BHATG I DO TO 1 BAVED?"—SERION BY THY RRV, G. W. SWEHNEY, Tho Rey. George W. Sweeney, pastor of the First Christiun Chitreh, preached last ovoning to alurge congregation, taking for his text the query, What shall {do to bu raved?" Aftor referring to the publishod answers to this question of tho Reva, Dr. Thomunr, Patton, Peddie, Noble, Wydor, and Willing, the reverent speaker snld that atl wore agreed that tho ques tlon was one of yaxt Importance and thrilling Intorost. Tt took hold af oternal vorities und famonasition,—Ilfe here and horenttor, Tt was the mission of Christ to bring salvation ton lost world. Ho sume, howevar, nat to sive men {1 nny direct sense from many of tho Ils ot this Ifo. Christlans, however good and puro, suffor the ravages of famino, plugs, storm, and tompest. In a direct sense He came ta save mon fromain. His mine was called Josus be- cause Ho would seve Is paople from alu, 1 hold tha Lamb of God that taketh way the als of the world.” © Gad hath wot forth Christ to he i mropltincinn through fulth In Hs bload to deohive His right. cousness for the retntssion of tho sling that are past, through the Carbunrance of God.” ‘Tho nocusalty fur such a salvation j3 avident to every thinker—overyiman at all acquainted: with’ the humm iniid and jta — en- vironment, Bialyation, fresdam from guilt, from past sit, de oa necessity in tho rout ecowumy of tho morn The Divine aide of salvation must fargely bow euperautural work, He will not work Inman to will and to do tt all, A man, of himself, can never wot away from self-revord and Gad. Ite noyor can free himgulf of the guilt of pinet sins, Ho can nover go blot out his record] of ovil as to. be happy und free from remorse, - He never oun live, pleae Gad and be tn harmony with the Perteot One withoupald, While a man in him solf ts tnpure, while ble record of darkness and binekness stands behind him Uke a threatontoy: atorm-cloud, and while he renting in antagon- isin to Qod, ho evnnot be happy, He can get away from enemies, tuxos, and wary but of his own olforta ho mover can got away from hilmsulf,—his wheked self-resord and: tho dempads of the marnt law, ‘Tho whool of tho haw will crn hin unless the grace of Gad tne terpose fo sve hlne Hell fs the logionl aequenua of sinful tuman nature. Tho capacity of the sont for mientitl nuhes, aud pang, and romorse ty sulictent ta effeut more wulfcring for man than “ Hee and Urimstong.” God hws been gruolous and merciful in tolling mun haw to avoll tho pitfalls and catiunets that violated law involves, And He intands todo much forhim, that bo cannot do himself, God. Wns tho friend of ian, and not the grout tor mentor, whon He prochitmud sulvation in ams Christ. Gruce und mercy Christ cumw to roululinyy jiu could notsave hlinsolt on n baal vuroly of law, for Jaw requires perfection. Ib his ps “ymico” init, [textonds no morsy. "Da the works of tha law und you shall live,” le the voice of tho law, [t docs not vansidup inorit or. slus niorit, Iunieones or guilt. Biro will bug w child, Innowgnt of any Intention to violite, ua svercly: nv the gullty man who walka doliborately (nto. kt, ‘The ignorant mun woo oyercuts Htust, suffer dyspepsia nike with uilty phystolan wequatntod Now, Whit the Inw could not do, an account of the weakness of tho flesh, Paul, the Apustte, Hath taught us God wont. ils gon to do for us, By tho doutring, lite, und loge of dosuy Christ God oifers sglvution; by the doctring and death of Christ we uro fraud from past sins by Hla doo. trine and lifo, from the power of sin tn this Ute; and by His doctrine, lito, and tloath wo shall on- doy tho eyorlaating salvation in Heaven, And, While Ho pztendy grace and inuroy to nun, io Goes not ait ireespootive of conditions. Aan bas) great part to per form, Ha must do aomo- thing. Ifo must oolaply with the conditions of pantin, Ludood, thora 1s 4 law of pardon. Gad extending pardon by w rul oan Uo duos In tho devolupmnepe of all Colas. nd all who hear this rulo o! t panion proavhed will be Judged by it. Bt cou jo those ‘who have novor hoard if, gud tho hanostly mistaken who have hoard, wij be saved, if gaved at oll (and injny opine ion thoy will bo), not uccontiug to faw, ut tho Divino cquity. But on whit conditions * the hoathens: and -the honcatly- misguided ay ta * tha Goapol law will bo raved, Lam not, prenarad tosny, Lama thonlogioal inwyer In the court of the faw of pardon, and can only proofatin fis cunditions. God only practicos in he court of tho Divine equity, Whatoyor rice 1s Srtondnt to erring man askto froin the Gospel taw t know hot. Bat wo who Hvo under tho sound of tho Gospel nud know {ts conditions should fin cares ful. to obus' tt, for through It God willextend to ts His tmerey. And now, wierd shall we go to fint the inw of pardon?) Eyidentiy not to the old law and to Moses, na some of aur wlaa thou- loginns do, but to tha Goapel disp “Grace and tenth come hy Jesus Christe” When ape of the Inw of pardon, £ meytt tho fiw for fisinner, one who bos never bert adopted into the fuuilly of God—tho Jaw that brings hint inte Christ, tuto the blessing« and. privileges of the now coven, whleh Pant sald was founda on Dotter promises than the old. = Christ, on leaving tho world, promulgated tho great law of mecoy tn the ‘tial commission, Which ffe give [fis apastios, conimusaton, thon, tu find the stipulated, tha couditions with whloh wo must. comply tobe saved, Matthow says our Lord said," Go tench all nations, baptizing thon. Mark says Cheiat aald, Go proach tho Gospol te ‘yorcaturo. Ie that belleves anid Is bap- tized aall tio savor,” ‘ = fikesnys io anid, @ That ft bahonved Christ to suitor nid to rise from the dead the third day tlint repentance and remission of sins night be preached among aff nations!” Ta the teathinony of those th have all the conditions and items of the cor imilasion, ‘The witness John gives nothing ude tlenal, antl we will not thorofore take his depos sition. ‘Tho ftema this taken from the, rest: mony ofall the witnesas are as follows: Teno) Ing. Faith, Repentanyo, Baptism, and Pardon, or Itemission af Sins. b we ll yyeroe thnt those conditions of pare dlon, lind those itams in the matter of sur atlvae Honsare fouutin the great commission of our Lord, whleb was given for the Christintzution witnesses wo of the whole world. Tiuf.we are not ugreod 1s to the application of those Items in the salvation of sinners, Dra. ‘Thomas, Patton, Willing, and other Predo- baptists, give its tho folluwing order, or ire rangement of the Gospel Tema: (1) Hapttany, @) ‘Tenchi, (4) (epentoncs, (1) Falth, (5) (emission of Sins, Drs, Veddle, Lorktuer, and our Baptist breth- ron give us the following arrangement of can ditions: (0 Leaching, gs Repentanee,: (i) Falth, (9 ftumnfasfon of Stns, (5) Baptlan, Mr opto tthe * Chiristhan Chuureh ) appiy the conditions of pardon as follows: (1) Tesohing, 2) Falth, 6) Repentinens, O) Taptismn, 6) Remis- ston of Sing, Asa rile, tho Methartists put bap. fam tho first thing fa tho matter of salvation, They yet into the water before the Baptists or my own people. Cho Bapttats, accord- ing to thelr” ardor, put pardon | liefore baptism, Baptism, therefore, according to thom, ts" not vxontlit to salvation, A min, ne- vordiog Co thom, {3 aitved from sin first, and then thoy baptize hin. Ip tho covenstnt before. aiptiam, and when thoy baptize him thoy baptize nmember of the church. Lwould tke to know tholr authority for baptizing a member of tho church, According to the order of the Chris< thon Church baptism comes before remission of, fins, Now this disigreemont us to tha itums of the commission, as te the order in precching and ppl ing them fo tho slimner, nukes eonaidera: Vie difference tn the answer wo give to sinners ag to what thoy should da to bo saved, Whom, then, still wo altew to settle tha ar- Tangoment of Gospel conditions? We cannot furreo on Beccher, Westoy, Joe Sinith, Alexander Campbell, or any othor hamnn stand teds_ of ap- pout, Kopi y tho queation has been settled by Divine authority, Read the second vhapter of tho Acts of tho Apostles, and you wht Mid that tho Apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost freenuhed us he was guided by tha Holy splett of God. Ha preached tho ilrst Gospel serinon undor the Gos- pensntion, He taught tho pooply first. ie provched. ‘Tho people botiov repented, and obeyed the command to be baptized with the promise of remission ot sins. He put bap- tigi before pardon. He was Inspired, and Liam contident, thoretore, he know whit te was abot, Baptism, seenrding to the Apostio, thon, fs ond of the conditions of pardon, OF course it must: he preceded by the blood of Christ, teaching, fulth, and repentance, Baptism tsnothisg wita- aut theso ne nnteeedents, Those Methodist and Baptlst preachers wha reeontly have been Interviowed ave not preneh- ine the conditions af parton ns did tho Apostio Veter, Ho sul," Repont and bo baptized" for tho remisston of sing. Dr. ‘Thotns soya tt ts “ narrowenindodk" to {aan bitptlsin 8 one of the conditions goin; fore the remission of sins. Was the Apoarie | Mn ? All thogo pronchers who were Intoryiowed (except: tho Rev. Caton Knowlost tdinttod fateh wd ree pentanco wore conditions’ of pardon, but dented that buptisin fs estentlal. Uhey nll sald * No"? Peter said on the day of Pentecost (and he was: guided by tha Holy Spirit) " Yes"! Baptism fs until. Ho avid aldo on anathor occasion, Baptism doth ulso now save tts." ie preached: {tas one of tho conditions of panton, ‘ho preachors who t bave mined (and T love thei al) have, us Co understand [t, not onty,do- purtod from tho Gospel onlor of the commission of Christ, but thoy hive departed from the grout nen in thofr own Churchos,—tho fathors und standards of thovogy in thoir respective Churches.) Did John Wostey nay “Nol Hap tism ia not essentini'? dear him: “ Baptism, thorofore, Is a snered rite. without which no man cu be tuitiited Into the yvisibto Church of Christ, Seo Komuns, vij 11, ote, where buptiain: In clearly connected withthe promise of God re- speeting our #ilvation; and also, Mark xvi, 10, where the proutisxe of salvation fs seonred to tha baptized bolfoyer, namely: * Ho that bolleveth: aud fs baptized shall bo snved.? Richaed Watson, a Methodist standard on the- ology, say's fn bts comurks on f Potor, tl, 2b na folliwa; “itis thus we sec how St, Peter pro- serves the correspondence botweon the set of Noah in preparing the Ark aa nn wot of falth, by whtoh bu was Justified, and the aot of stibe mitting to Chriatlin baptisin, which 1s slag abe viously an not of fulth, a order to the reinlssfon of giisortha obtuining of a good consulence before Gai”? Dr, Gute, a grout Baptist, who has no auporior in svholarahip, and who i6n standted thotoglan, suyas Bapthan, Ugrunt, 18 Of rent necordlty, 2 =e Tho Gospel ride is, nevvrding to Cis Annttic, to repont and be baptized for the re- mission of sing." Dr. Gale, furthoripore, saya: “We should be very ountlous, therefore, in making any change in these things, lest we doprive ourselves through our presumption of that title to pardon: without which there is no salvation,” Tearnest}y say tho same to modern preachors who gay’ buptiam fa * nonessenthil” We must preach the whole of tha Apostollo commisslon., Thoy prenched faith, repentance, aint buptisin “for romiasion of slug. And we shoultilldo tt. Wesley, Watson, Dr, Galo, and TNE of tho most oninent scholurs, vom mentatons, and ceities tho world hus over known, preached buptlam for romtsdion of alus, They Ablao boeauay tha insplrud Apostlos did |t. Tho Apostics told shiners to“ belfove on tho Lord doa Christ" for valyation, But thoy dit Vit this, Thoy preached repentance ns aairy tosalvation from sin, Aud they ato sald, *Arive and bo baptized, and wash awiy four ane Paul was in ffs sine etl after bo wus iptized. The Bible plainiy seys it. Christ said, also, * Excopt atin be born of water ho cane not enter into the King-tom of God." Lot mo exhort you to ohey the Gospel, and elim tho promise of salyation, DEDIOATION. THR WICKER PANK RVANQELICAL LUTRERAN, Churoh, locuted on the corner of Hoyne avenue and Lo Moyne street, Was formally conacorated yesturduy. ft fs a neat frame building, and, whon furnished throughout us {¢ propored, will have cost $7,000, It was orected—or the frama of it—about ten yeura ago, und the basoment was partly finished and ocoupled by tho Congregationnlisia for same timo, Next ft came into tho bands of tho Iteformod Episvupallans, and service wus ree ly hell-but for soma rensunt ar gnothor it hud toe bewbandoned, ft camo into ita pros} ent hands next, which was about slx months ayo, and the petite Ray. Rdmund Belfour, haa siegoaled tn bulding up the nuclous of what Promises to ben prosperous youlety. Tho start Was up-hill work, but, dnding willing tnnds to holy him, ho has not only kept up surviees ever: Sabbath, but has complotod the structure, while! ia 0 neat tasty edillee, and a decidud urodit to that yillaye-like auction of the city, Tt is sure Mmountod by acnpola, tho windows tre of stained lugs, und ft fs provided with tho other convont- bneos of a religions home, + 'Thy consceration oxercises were under tho direction of the pidtor, and aftor te onter of that donomination, at the conehyslon of whieh the Hoy, Dr. W. A. Pusmivant, of Pittabuns, prenchod. The ehurech wus crowded, and deo- brated for the ovvasion. The toxt wud taken from tha following wards: Forustho rata cometh down, and the gnow from the Heayon, and roturneth not thithar, but wateroth the carth and mukoth it bring forth and bud, Chit it muy give aved to the sower, and bread to the enters so shall My word be that gooth forth out of my mouths itehull not poturn ‘unto me vold, but ft shall dogomplish that which { please, and It yall prosper hi tho thing whore- tol sont it. For yo shull go out with jov and be led forth with peace; the mountains and tho hills shall break forth befors pou into singe Ing, und all the trees of the fold shall olap thoir hands.—Isalah, WW. £0, 2. ‘Tho revarund gentlomun caminenced his dl boursu by aaylig thab the text taught us to look Into the vory huart or God. Tt was full of Hs Durposcs and plana, and portrayed God's great. hess und man's | litden and, brought us to appreutate our ontel ual weeds in it almple, intolilgible way. From this he dwelt upon tho analoyy nf raln and snow to tho Diving Word itt somo length: First, they woro nliko bur euuse Of thor Divine orlging seoond, thoy wore alike in tho chnragter of thaly “lying banatl- conve; taint, thoy wore similar th thoir qi descent; foyrth, thoy were allke in thelr peno- outing powers fitth, they: wero allke ino th fructifying intluoncea; and, finally, thoy wero allke Inthole ripening and perfecting -resulis, Ho nile thease guinparisons; ha sufd, to gstal lish tho bonoticency of Gils gitts to inun, Without rain and snow thoro would-bo faming ubrout in the lund, for without thom thore would boo fuilure of crops, any one could catoulato hp rom, Tat ny ight swoop over the West alona, and It woitld bo felt in every nook and corner of the gees: Wo vould not itye without those bloss- ng4,—thay wore neoussity to business, hoalth, and progpority, and no one would think of doing Withe spencet Shan Ohscoodod to epaak of th euker thon proct y of the pocessl sy of the Divino Word, and t)cxtend the | ir Utro ‘| could nproot the thyrn-troos: | comparison between iband rain and anos would not wint.to live in a COMMIT. thoro wero no churyhea or reservoirs of lv wators where the Word af Ged dld not dem and fruotity the humun heart. py 4 shaft In tha earth wo reached the wa with which it had been Ratuented, ‘ante socking God and the aeeeptanco of Hid wont & penetrated Hs love, and enme near tinta Hy Wo could ne nora do without tho ripen, Ing Inttuances nf tha Divine Wor wo contd without snow and rain. Tho ong eos fethuaie toy rian mhyateal neces, ng ay other ta onr spiritual needs, As rain nny) eritentel the earth and brought forth trae Thobiving Word pernented the hence ths eArh 9 world nnd leds to Haltnese: of ene wnt 8 without which ag one cout bo saved, AN Le? ture rejoiced tn tha pertodien! rentawing of i face of tho earth, brought about. t 4 dleseent of niin a but thin , ng conymited to tho renewing af hearts grace OF Gund through This Divine Work Wha Waa hell on orth ie was in thine. ¢qeee whore Go's Word wis not received, —where i slidsone, reviving, Ife-wiving beneticence A Hot fell. “Out of atiel n fimnlly thorns gran, nd the tnnocent vbild developed into a druntcen Huai rants 1th J Heanclhision he urged the necesalt: necepanen of the Diving “Word, for ig es HW comm Hd Cumtition, ant plant Instead the firetres et eker Park Church had boon erected to ap; this Word, and he udjured his hearers to te ty {Uthat It derved ita purposes thit the wor w preached fi atl onrnestneass, In nll $s fullnes And that Chriat was not kept in tho hickgroung! Tt was beautifully surrounded, and he bollog, that It would ageompliats ereat wood In forivange Ting Sip canny. of the great and benafeont giv After tho sermon tho ay, Mr. Belfour spnko, Jiotls, rotuentng thinks to tho members Bas Society for thelr Neurty co-operation, and eal. Ing ationtion to the fact that tho chtureh awed, debt. He dil not propose, howaver, to sk the congregation to do nny inore thin thoy could aford to, tor wotll ho attempt tt forced enllee, ton, us was too often tho case upon such occg, sions, Tho buskets wore then feed Around, andthe contributions were quite Itherith atter wh services cattio tan ont with tha benediction, ‘Tho officers of the new church are ns follows: Church Counctl—Tho Tey. BE. Delfour, Prot dents nid F. Schack, Dr. N. tT. Quales, B, Olan, PW. thundow, Gourge Gilbertson, and J, W! tateos—Johy Duohlon A. C. 7 : ‘Trustecs—John wehler, A. C. Tunsten, Warneoko, Dr, N. Nelaon, 0, Murbach, Dr, 4% Quules. L. Martin, and A. Groiner. CRAVING FOR KNOWLEDGs:, ARMMON TY DI, BUCKIAN, ‘Tho Rov. Dr. Huckhum, President of Vermont University, occupied the pulpit of tha seoont Presbyterian Chureh, corner Miehigun avenuy and Twentieth street, yesterday morning, pronching to tho usuully ‘larga congregation, which attonds the Second Church from the fof, Towing texts Fort know whom I havo belloved.—I1, Tin, fy 12, These warts, suid Dr. Buckham, camo ot with the clear ring of conviction, It was alway refreshing to honr thd voice of a man whoknew somothing and was sure of ft. All history and all legend showed that 2 desira for knowleip Was mnn’s grentost atimulius and hls greatest temptation, Tho gong of tho slrons was nota, frivitution fo a banquet of plensuro, but tos feast of knowledge, What man's nature cmve} was knowledge, and not moro probability oe opinion. Thoro was no resonance, no rallying foree, in the ufterunco of any opinfon whler cain short of Knowledge, Whon doubt ws honest It spoko {na feable quavor; and (rns dix irited. When It countorfolted assurance {t beeamo dogmatiam. Tho men who would w & thought, oracular, but who guve out no ral knowledtygo,—the mon who, with alf thelr fine phrasing, antd, “Wo know, wo could, ond wo fo would,"—-must expect to lave but followers. But tho world «paid homngo to tho that knew a thing.—mid homage to him aa ton King, or mthor to him as afriend. Especially was this true of religious knowledge, Mon were cager to get it. Th favorit tegchors, tho tivorit books, were (how that spoke out with this cloar ring of canviotion, Thore was no path whero opinion had go litty force na in religion, Tho thoaries of Darwin and Agassiz, hud mado multitudes of followers, bur no mere opinion af Calvin, or Luthor, or Chal. mers, of Itself mndo converts, The language ot mun was, “[f you know things ns they are will Usten to you, If you spouk of thom morcly Ag you eoncelve of thom, I will not.” Beyond nll érimos committed by man wero: those tw; tho orime of polsoning his soul by error and the oritno of starving hiv soul by doubt. i Tho roverend gentleman noxt Inquire If tt wore possible to baye knowledge as distinguShed from ‘opinion, The bidder for popularity’ nected 4 cnndor which did not pres| sume to decide where so Little was known. Into, tho fallow onic thus prepared came thd enemy with hia tares and his plausible Lals hoods, and tha rogults were errors, which madd" it only the moro upparent that for the sont to bd ks without Knowledge was not good. | ‘The trie ines qurer would not have tho Hght of tho lantern, By but the brond, alt-{(tumiuing sunlight, which, 1% willing or unwilling -. oyed, ... roveale| the “bonuty of os.” Tho” Beriptu assumed to give mon knowledge and not opine fon, They declared truth, while ol) hurag Writings attempted to persuade men to boliere, Thore was nothing in all Iteratiure that ap prouched the calm assurance of statement thst wa to be found everywhere in Beripture, ‘Thoro wore rensona for and rocsons against se copting any grout rellzioustruth, If the Script. uros, like the charge of a Judge toa «jury, bel Just stated the reasoua for and tho reawns ugulnst novopting a thing, thoy would have dono yory grent service. fsut thoy had dono {x finitly greator sorvice. Thoy bad just decide! tho question and satd nothing about the er dence, Did God forgive sin? On that questios mon wanted knowledge, There wore reasons for thinking He did not, and othorg for thinking that He could and did. Ho init forgive sin it aplte of all the roasons nguinet It, and Ho mixtt not, Inaplte of any of the reasons for it, The Rpoaker could not recall a singlo passage of Scripture fn which one of theso reasons was alluded to, But on one ocenston tha Lord Jesus Chriat auld to aman, with almplo conclusivenesy “Phy sins are forgiven theo,” und thon wrougit aimiracto to show that Ho had tho power and ® right to say that, On that point the speaker thought wo might aay thero was knowledge 8 Tho thing had been dono and was sottled. fhe question of tha future [fo was one of tho hingo Sleatlons, na it might bo eniied, of religions, 160 mun ded, should ho live agaiat ‘Tho general voice of mankind, apart from reve lution, seomed to say thore was somothing it favorof tho dootrine of immortality, bus Wel thora wore still many grave doubts. Christ, wit oumo to bring fmmortallty to lght, insteadd tenching tho dovtrine of resurreotion, which nowhere did explleltly, dled and rose again {roa the dead, Mun. cotta’ bo rityed from tho desk because Christ, in tho form of man, had nulsed from the dead, . There wore various optutons, also, on tho sud Jeet of tho elticacy of prayer, Mud Hew alone know tho truth nover whisporud these awer to mililons who had gono before? Te world had ft,on the assurance of ono of tt Apostica, who was inost remurkatio for ple Rood wengo, that “Tho prayor of falth shall eat 0 sick." somo one might sny, “Those ara tha means d Kenowlodge, not the source.” In anawer to Dr, Buckham replied that theSoriptures claim’ ty bo oracles, and if thoy wero not. that wore not anythings If a will proved spurious 4 wos utterly null, If Christ was solf-deceived, « deccfvei othors, if the evaugolists wore mists en iureporting what Ho said, thon It wart Ho cousequcenco what wi aid, truth and error wore xo mixed togothor tat nothing short of Omnisefsnce eontd sopantié thom. Rut the supposition, in view of thous, contradicted wyidoncog on, that point, foll toil rouud, Tho notion that thera should te 8 rere lation from God respectfully submitted too ‘wus probably 18 fadlerous ‘an inatince of hums cuncelt ya our planet bad ever afforded to Aigner intelligonces. ho Creutor had not, loft Mts children withedt Knowledge, The queation than was, * Whats wo know of rellgious knowledger" Tho ans was, * Wo py know God." Ho wos as teu known by feeble minds us by the most Power ane human boing: alent know Him 1f ho w and if any man lost” the knowledge of Gi it was because ho did nat like to rotaln God f his Knowledge, Tho extent of every Mal knowledgo waa a mutter of will, No sai erg know 80 much or so little that ho migh! enally know moro {f ho would, Tho knowles of God wns tbonost conclusive and eelt-or vinoiny of wll kKnowledgo,, Was tha knowledge of God all tha rolls! knowledge wo could buvo? Whutover a know in relation to God wag rollgious ieooet edge. His power was revealod in the realmsim ¢ rocosses of Nature, aud he who in hls ne ou 7 rocoeded {4 ‘az: igutions failed to rovognizo the band of atonpod short of tho Kaine ine that migt! obtulnod, Tho knowlodge of Got sonal knowlodge. Mon know patay, and dovotion. Thoy i) oO Him, ond = thera: hi = come, them groat supernatural atrongtn, Thoy ¥ ie whom thoy had beloved. In condescension man's materlil Intorosts God hadjniady io known to nen by Deoorning teak and delish among them. The lung-hourd ory, shoe the Futher,” “had boon answered fn the wun, Him who sald, Ho that bith avon Me batt ie tho Fathor,” ‘Jesus Christ was the transis! cd of God unto human language, ‘To those Who day complatned of the uncortainty of rellgié wus 0 ee stim, BY bin knowlodge, Ho might address those famllet words, 4K faye 1 oon 80 long thie Jad Mo? ja. bl ae porsimugo stood out In na clear and dofinit {0 Tnite. die Uaatls chiructor, ua go dite moral spiritual atteibutos, all mon ‘substantially Ko know [Un waa to know God, and to Gol was to buve ull casentini knowledze. ‘Tho rewnlty of th)y knowledge tn tho soul in churacter were, frat, tho aasurance ‘ot hope, and pouce, “Whon the Apostle wrotor, words of tho toxt he waa In un emorgoney, “yy gloomy prospocta of tho Church guy dvopeat unxloty. |" Lut not ashamed,” b however, "for know whom £ have ‘bollert, Bo, ju any pmergoney, the Christian found seitariyon tuckon ula kanwiodge of Gol, to the wan who-tn an omergency 4 fhe grat Wats doug un bier aud} ave oom: pon bit, that God tO hil was only an honest douvbs