The New York Herald Newspaper, September 19, 1870, Page 4

| RELIGIOUS. Reports of Sunday Services and Sermons. What Our Divines Have to Say on Faith, Hope and Chatity. The Jewish Faith the Foundation of Ethics and Modern Civilization. A Poor Man’s Christian Phi- losophy. Catholic and Episcopal Superstition Ex- pounded and Explained. Hell Not a Circumstance to : Sixth Ward Society. A Battery of Clerical Mitrailleuses Levelled Against the Battle- ments of Satan. A cool, refreshing day, ushered In by pleasant jwinds and merry sunshine, tavored the congrega- ‘tions, fashionable and otherwise, yesterday. Home from the springs, the mountains and the seashore, to spend the glowing autumn and crispy winter in the floved metropolis, the wanderers of the summer ‘wended their way towards their familiar places of eworship, to pray or praise, as their republican humor inclined them. The churches were, there- wore, weil attended. Without directing attention to jeny particularlar service or sermon it may pe sald |that the proceedings in the churches were of more ithan average merit. According to our usual custom iwe have given below fall and fair reports of the ‘ore important sermons, which will be read with quterest. - TBINITY PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 4 Large Congregation and Excellent Music— A Good Practical Sermon from Dr. Vinton. Yesterday morning the magnificent Cathedral bf Trinity was nearly filled with attentive worshlp- pers. The music selected was Venite, first tone; de Deum Laudamus, Clark Whitfield, in E; the an- them Psalin xcvi., 7, 8,9, 10, was most admirably rendered irom Travers’ arrangement. The Kyrie and Sanctus were from Calkin. The Litany and communion service were also sung and intoned. The offerings were taken up for the benefit of the jome for Aged Women, iu Hudson street, which was ged as an excellent charity. ‘The Rey, Dr. Vinton preached a thoroughly ear- mest and practical sermon upon the character of Esau, as described by St. Paul in Hebrews xti., 16, phere he is called ‘‘a fornicator or profane person, who, for one morsel of meat, sold his birthright.’? ‘he topic of discussion on the previous Sabbath was he character of Jacob, and yesterday that of Esau ‘a8 strongly contrasted with it. In the history of the transaction referred to, as detailed tu Genesis, ig described as A CUNNING HUNTER, man of the field, while Jacob wasa plain man, dwelling in tenis, The;physical and mental quali- Mes necessary to such @ character as Esau’s were Tully discussed aad shown to Warrant the assertion of the text that he was a fornicator and profane per- won, He must have had a fine physical constitution to be able to endure the hardships of a hunter's life, But this chasing in the deld, while it would make him companionable and, .in the eyes of the be eg g00d fellow,’ would also disqualify him for sober thought and for tne practice of a religious {tfe. The concentration of his aims and efforts ppon one thing, and that @ present good, would vevertheiess ap“ such @ man selfish and profane. he traits of manliness which the world flelights to honor and to pay homage tw. And the verdict of mankind would be In his favor. Better be she cul ig hunter, the man of the fleid, than the weller in tents; better be the manly Esau han the effeminate Jacob, But a food holy God seeth not as man seeth, and ence the pen of inspiration has set Esan down as a fornicawor and profane person, who for one morsel of meat sold bis biriuright, The privileges of the Jewish or patriarchal birturight were enumerated to show how much Esau hed despised and how @reat was the loss he had susiaimed. And then the Doctor, in applying the lessons of Wsau’s life, called upon the canning HUNTERS AFTER PLACE AND POWER @nd riches and fame among his auditors to beware Jest the fate of Esau be theirs also, who, when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejegted; and he found no place for repentance, thouga ie sought it carefully with tears. There are {n the church to-day, he said, the two classes of men rep- resented and typified by theze two brothers, and the cunning hunters aud men of the world are fargely in the majority. They are continually de- spising their birtaright, a which, in baptism, they were made “members Christ, children of God, Bud heirs of the Kingdom of heaven.” Such should Know that their bargains are registered tu heaven. nd When they come to look for and to claim these essings which they now despise others will have osBessed them. MARINERS’ CHURCH The New York Port Society~Anniversary Sermon by the Rev. E. D. Murphy. The Mariner’s church, corner of Catharine and ‘Madison streets, Was on Sunday last very numer- ously attended to listen tothe sixth anniversary sermon ot its pastor, the Rev. E. D. Murphy. The congregation was made up of many highly respect- able seafaring men and their families, who evinced ‘the liveliest interest in the extended reference t the ‘workings of the New York Port Society, one of the Oldest of its character in this city. The minister selected fis text from Ac XXXYiiL, 15:—“He thanaed God and took courage.” Mr. Murphy said that the position of the Apostle Pauli when these ‘words were utterea was a living, fearful reality, filling all with alarm. Yet after the shipwreck and the stirring events which transpired on the bar- barous islaud upon which Paul and his companions were cast had passed, and Paul was received by his brethren with great affection, hia soul was fresh- ened and he thanked God that truth wouid be vin- dicated and God be honored. He took courage tor the future; and Paul's feelings, were, perhaps, Synonomons with those of the congregation present; certainly It Was an appropriate occasion to be grateful for the past and hopeful for the iuture of the New York Port society. “Six yan ago," sald Mr. Murphy, “I preached my rst sermon in this pulpit. 7 was then an entire stranger and Wholly unacquainted with the charac- ter of the work which, since that time, has so cheered my heart.” After reference to the known Zact that anniversary sermons were not usually de- jivered by Kim, the present had bee deemed an plo ae moment to call the attention of the public ow ORIGES AND EARLY HISTORY ‘of the Society. In April, 1818, a small company of Christian gentiemen met at the residence of Jonathan \Little, im this city, to provide tor a crying Want—the jamelioration of the condition of thousands of poor seamen, whose suilering had peen overlooked by Jhristians in the scheduies of thelr charitable works. hat meeting was the dawn of the bridaiday, In less than two months thereulter the society had (been formed and a charter obtained trom the State islature, with @ board of directors appointed, fpomperaty fener Of worsbip were obtained uutil ‘the Roosevelt church was erected, two years and one month sul juent tO the organization, and that shouse of worship was the first ever bailt on land for seamen. The Key. Ward Stafiord took charge of the first meetings in December, 1818, and did earnest work for two years, when he resigned. At that time a inissionary Was engaged to preach and pray for two jhours a day to the sailors Who visited the rooms on Cherry street, when, in March, 1821, the Rev. Henry Chase took charge of the piace and performed the same kind of labor for three years, Fol- lowing that missionary, came @ Mr. cena, ‘and ‘the again Mr. Chase was reappointe: in April, 1826, and 60 zeaious was he that the board of directors saw fit to continue his appointment year after year, until deatu, that stern ‘arbiter, called him to his acoount in 1853. His mem- ory isstill revered at home and abroad by the older living sailors whose good fortune it was to sit under bis ministrations. In 182% Captain Candler, Mr. Perritt and Mr. Hurd rere @ committee to consider the propriety of estab- Ushing a savings bank in this city, On the 18th of February, 1829, Anson G. Pheips, Rufus Davenport and Lockwood Deforrest proceeaed to Albany, with ‘the object of obtaining a charter for sach an institu- tion, and they were entirely successful. Such was fhe rst step Wward the now eminentix well know ud ith of Ree “Seamen's were in to the interests of the A and the a to gond broadcast words of comfort and guidance, ten to the éleva- tion and moral and spiritual welfare of seamen. In the years 1554-5-6 IMPORTANT CHANGES were made, Foremost among them was the effect- ing of a chureh arganization. At this time the Kev. Charles J. Jones was called to the charge of the church, and during eight and @ half years he was unceasing in his neg ior, the SADCORATASRE: OF Bie. sailor, In May, 1 congregation removed to the present site, and on the 23d December that year the church was dedic ta the service of God. Jaraes W. Alexander, D. D., and 8. H. Tyng, D. D., preacher morning ‘ana rnoon respectively. arch 23, 1856, @ plan of union for the church waa eifected. It was upon an independent busis, and really the pioneer churen in gli the Christian mis- sions. ise prophets predicted their early dissolu- tion, but, from sixty members at the first, in seven ears they numbered seven hundred and sixty. it has proven that an independent church can Live when sectarian Spogregndone stumble by the way. in September, 1864, the society's First Mission church was established corner of Water and Dover streets. ‘To those who had not the COURAGE TO BEARD THB DEVIL in his stronghold it was put down as 4 certain failure. Perhaps no other place in town was 80 de- Praved; but it was central, it was where the sailor went and where he lived. There was the place to work, and great was the good accomplished. Fora year the songs of praise and prayer from the church would be heard with the songs of the depraved and the riot of the dance; but neither brickbats nor bullet could drive away Father Bisbee, who was then In charge, and God blessed the work. In May, 185, another mission church was estab- lished at No, 27 Greenwich street, From the sth of May, 1865, to the 8th of May, 1870,. there attended worship at that place 44,867 seamen. It was then Temoved to No, 275 West street, and since the 8th of May last it has been visited by 7,832 sallors. dir. Murphy then eloquently referred to the host of converted sailors that are now tn distant lands, who, by example and proceat. are @ practical de- mdustration of the at aad good work ot the so ciety. He sald the six years of Nis charge over them had been years of uselul labor, and ive thanked God to have been e! in it. To conunue it he prayed for health and the renewal of some of the scenes of the past, whon scores were flocking to the sanctuary, asking what they must do to be saved, and praying for light to direct their feet in the “path of peace." Evidently tiis important society, with the great work they have to do, want another and larger church, something more ATTRACTIVE AND CONVENIENT ¢han the present. The Board of Directors should take the matter in hand, and at once cause the cun- struction of such an edifice, with a light audience room, a maguificent and suitable library, a large reading room and @ writing hall, where Poor Jack can scad o letter now and then. A fine organ, a tower ind bell are demanded. All these should be thought of In the new building, and that should at once be taken m hand, for the work and the day demand it, NORTH DUTCH CHURCH. ‘The Ascension of Christ—Sermon by the Rev. a L, McNair. At the corner of Fulton and William streets stands the ancient and venerable edifice known as the old North Dutch church, Built tn 1769 18 still rears its proud but weather-beaten form, and affords the game conveniences and comforts to its worshippers now as it did to our foreiathers a century ago, This edifice, like afew others, is one that has withstood and trlumpnhed over the encroachments of business and commerce, and, when the histerical associations connected with the history of the church are taken into consideration, there are few who would not ro- gret its removal or extinction, The church yesterday morning was filled with a respectable and devout auditory, and though it might be taken for granted that the worshippers of yesterday slightly difered (rom ‘those a century ago in . GENERAL APPBARANCE AND DRESS, yet the same devout prayers and earnest worshi| ascended ou high as ini769. ‘The Rev. J. McNair reached the sermon and selected ag his text the ords, “After the Lord had spoken to them He was received up into Heayen and sat on the right hand of God.” The preacher alluded to the action of the last general Synod of the Reformed Ohurch which reaffirmed the custom of the Church and ordered the DOCTRINAL TRUTHS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST to be preached évery four years. It was their privi- lege to treat of the ascension of Christ. Ohrist at that time prayed not for His disciples, but confirmed them in the faith, and having completed His work onearth had now departed to complete His work in Heaven end stand a4 tie advocate on high of His people on earth, They were told that Ohrist ‘Went a8 far as Bethany with His disciples on ascen- gion day, and a8 He biessed them He was parted from them, Though uo doubt existed that ae cension took place forty days afier His resurrection, et there wasa doubt that Obrist went as far as ethany. ‘They were told that it took pce at Mount Olivet and were repeatedly wid that ft was @ Sab- bath day’s journey from the starting point, and we are to believe that His ascension took place in the vicinity of Bethany and not in the crowded village. OUR LORD WOULD DESIRE SOLITUDR where He could effectuaily give His parting advice to His disciples. No doubt existed that He had as- cenaed. The angels testified of Him as He ascended and Stephen affirmed that he saw the glory of the Lord and His Redeemer on the right hand of God. St. Paui and St. John also bear witness of the troth. Christ ascended into heaven with His body, thus declaring to us that our bodies and souls siiail be reuutted if we obtain re- demption by faith in the human and divine person in heaven, The words of Cieopas—“We trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Istael”"— found an echo in many a doubter’s heart when the crucifixion of Christ took place, but these doubts were dispelled when Christ again appeared to the people ana alterwards ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. Christ bas accomplisned His work and has departed to prepare a home for our immortal souls, The souls of those in heaven are expanding in truth, knowl- edge, power and glory, while the bodies are lvmg coid’in the earth. But a time will come when the Lord will descend, when body and soul shall be re- united, and we shall then worship for ever the King of Kings and the Deiiverer of Israel. ST. PAUL'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The Advancement of Christianity—Real Cause ot the Franco-Prussian War—Sermon by the Rev. Albert D. Vail. Services in St. Panl’s Methodist Episcopal Church, on Fourth avenne and Twenty-second street, were conducted yesterday by the Rev. Albert D. Vail. The chureh was well filled, and with a very fashionable congregation, it being very favorably situated near- ly in the centre of May Fair. In the prayer before the sermon the power of God was invoked to aid the side on which was right tn the transatlantic quarrel, to crash superstition on the one side and to grant victory tothe upholders of liberty and justice. After the prayer the congregation Joined in singing the hyian of which the following is the first verse:— ‘The head that once was crowned with thorns Tn crowned with glory now ; A royal dladem adorna ‘The mighty Victor's brow. The singing of the hymn having been concluded, Mr, Vail proceeded to deliver his discourse, which he wok from the second epistle of St. Paul to tne Corinthians, ¥., 18-19—“And all things are of God, who hath reconctied us to Himself by Jesus Uhrist,and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” The last sentence he would call the attention of his hearers to in particular, It was one of those all-compreheusive passages to be met with in Scrip- ture which conveyed in its few words an ides of Christ’s mission on earth. It gave an explanation of the history of Christ’s coming on earth, and plainly showed the object of his mission, This coming of Christ scems wonderful to us. ‘Thus, as the Guif Stream comes from the tropics, forming a separate river a3 it were, in the ocean, it changes the natural order of things, as, for instance, in Eng- land it gives 10 @ temperature entirely different trom that of other countries in the same latitude. So sweeps the tde of JBWISH HISTORY OVER THE FARTIC, and brings the word of God to change the hearts of men from the things of this world to the thougats of Heaven, Every nation with which the Jewish race comes in contact works out the will of God in pre- serving 14 distinct nationality. Cyrus, the greatest of the Persians, was used by God to help rebuild the temple of Jerusalcm, and of all his great deeds none tend to make him so renowned a# his efforts in re- gard tothe temple. Thus it is that God uses ail means for the advancement of Christianity. ‘The de- scent of the barbartans on Rome was considered a direfal calamity, but it resulted in their conversion, and the boundaries of the Christian werld were en- larged. ‘The war at present raging on the other side of the Atlantic has been brought on by the hand of God for whe PROPAGATION OF PROTESTANTISM, and to level to the ground institutions founded on superstition. It was plain to the mind of the reacher and should be, to all thinking minds, that his was the real cause of the war—the advanceinent of Christianity. Inthe hour of peril one sees all his paat life as it ‘were in a panorama passing before him, and also 1s seen, like @ thread connecting each link and passage, the hand of Christ trying to save us., The Bible says the cross shall have an attraction for the soul. The influence of the human heart and of the world ts always tending downward, but the cross of Cl Ieho dow ‘comee, 60. odor His death opened for him. sake of sinful man, and that paradise which Jesus as a Toacher—Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Deooms. Notwithstanding the unpropitious condition of the Weather yesterday morning there was as usual & very large congregation at the Churcn of the Stran- gers. Dr. Deoms, the popular and gifted pastor, @iscoursed in his usual eloquent and lucid manner upon the subject of Jesus as @ teacher, lus text being the following words, selected from the seventh chapter of Matthew—‘He taught them as one bav- ing authority.” He said that the gestures of Jesus must have added a charm to His teaching; that some passages, Which are now & little puzzling, might become clear instantaneuosly if we could see the play of features, the change of posture, the motion of the hands. We repeatedly hear this phrase, ‘‘He opened fis mouth,” There must have been a sensi- tiveness and expressiveness in that feature which attracted the disciples. What ® mouth that must have been, out of wich poured such streams of love aud wisdom! He next dwelt upon the qualiticatious of Jesus as a teacher, which He BXHIBITED IN FOUR PHASES, ‘The first was His knowledge, ' He did not seem to know in t. The subjects of which He spoke lay clear and plain before His mind. He seems to nave known them absolutely “iu thelr generation,’ a8 the Doctor called it; that 1s, in the causes of their being and in their essence, in that which makes things to be just what those things are. ‘Tiiis is the deepest and highest knowledge. A man does well to study suyjects 80, But that may make @ man im- ractical. He must algo know things in their rela- ions, This was emivent in Jesus, He did not know supernature apart from nature, nor God from man’ "He showed also that He know’ Hin aiscipies, what their capabilities, acquirements and wants. ‘This 1s most important for a preacher. This pout the Doctor largely illustrated froin the history of the schools. His second point was that Christ had a most profound conviction of the truth and of the importance of what He taught, He was go full of trutp, so purely free from error, that He called him- self “The Truth.” He saw truth in {ts connections witn eternity, and not as simply touching the pass- ing age. He saw the ceaseless uselulpess of every truth and the perpetual dami of every error. ‘This put all His lofty nature into His ee rhe thira qualification lay in Hio sympathy with those He taught. He was their brother man, He had been reared with them. He knew the petty trials of easant life, He did not despise the ignorance of iis people, nor did He hate theirobstinacy. He had come into the world to save them. Every mistake they made, every wrong they did produced not re- sentment, but rather a tender sorrow, AS WHEN ONR’S LOVER FAINTS, He put Himself into the work through accord with them. He never lost His tenderness for & moment, even When correciing. isut the most conspicuous characteristic of His teaching was its autiority. He never made a con- jecture, He never expressed an opinion, He never Teasoned, His words had the tone of Binal. He spoke'as we suppose God would speak if He shiplarea articulate language. Socrates climbea up the heights of truth; Plato went up on wing, as an eagie, with broad, laborious effort; but Jesua seems to have been always there. He did not go under humanity and strive to heave it up, as did the Scribes, the Pharisees and other reformers. He stooped to lift it. The Doctor dwelt on the lofty intellectual endowments, the exquisite purity of intuition, the exalted sanctity of the moral nature and the intense “humaneness,” as he called it, of Jesus. These gave Hun a right to speak authorita- tively aa THB HEAD OF HUMANITY. No man ‘‘ever spake like this man.” His utter- ances were as of undenied authority, paramount and eternal. There must be some siandard, some last authority, some supreme court for moral questions. Jesus Christ 18 that authority. This was enforced by such considerations ‘as the following:—Jesus has met man as man and laid down the moral law, not as a fanati- cal reformer of dreaming Utopian, but as one who knew what man needed. If is the law and gospel for men, not els, that Jesus taught. Then, in the next place, it was shown that He did tnis and yet met all the requirements of the highest moral truth. He was no trimmer. He did nothing for popularity, but EVERYTHING FOR HUMANITY. ‘That makes the lofticst moral teacher. He did this go perfectly that now all moral propositions are tesied by His teaching, and all moral excellence is Measured by His character. Lastly, all success in moral culture depends on the strictness and steadi- ness with which we rely upon and follow the teach- ings of Jesus. The Doctor closed by inviting a com- parison of five young men who should begin at tie age of twenty-one and for ten years should strictly aud conscientiously foliow in their hearts and lives the teachings of Epictetus, Bacon, Chesterseld, Frank- Iin and Jesus, severally. If we found at the end a cold moraitst, a merely wide-minded man of aflairs and busine: ed but a heartless man of fashion and shrew4, selfish, narrow peddler, and an earnest, warm, pure, bigh-principled lover of God and man, we should have some idea of the value of the teachings of Jesus. UNIVERSITY PLACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. “Coming to Christ??}—Sermon by Rev. Dr. Booth. ‘The Presbyterian church in University place is un- doubtedly a fashionable resort for those who fee! inclined to devote some time on each recurring Sab- bath to the worship of the Lord. The air is laden with the perfumes that float from the ambrosial locks of the dandies who lounge in the various pews, with gloves of the most fashionable tints on their @ristocratic hands, while fair ladies rustle in silks and velvets, cut according to the latest Parisian style. An unmistakable air of languor pervades the entire congregation, witn the exception of some vinegar-faced old maids, who have nothing to live for but religion, They do not seem inclined to take very much trouble about work- ing out their salvation, and would eyidentiy prefer that the minister would take this responsi- bility on his shoulders in addition to the duty of preaching the word of God. Even in the sermons there are indications of a laxer spirit creeping into the communions which would have wraug with an- guish THE DARK, STERN SOULS ofCalvin and Knox. The rigid dogmas of predesti- nation, which used to strike terror into oar youthful hearts, are not thundered forth from this seat of modern Presbvyterianisim, but in their place a consol- ing, sensible doctrine 1s preached, well calculated to bring converts to the church. The sermon yesterday was really an admirable one, eloquent, forcible and redolent of the Scriptures. The preacher spoke from the word, “Forget the things that are behind, and seek those things which are before.” These words, said he, contain an epitome of conversion to Clirist. Conversion implies a turning to something, and as ‘used among Christians it means @ turning to God. a choice of Christ above all other things, aud conse- quently a turning away from the things of the world, Thesoul that does not experience religion ig 1a @ Most pitiable condition. In most cases men who do not belong to any chureh are slaves of their passions and lead a life of sin. For them the dread- ful yet merciful words of Holy Writ, ‘There is no rest for the wicked,” have a feartul significauce. Their consciences are perpetually racked by reiorse, and until their nearts are completely hardened, until they have wholly given themselves up to the evil one, they are filled with terror at the dread future. This remorse is instilled into thelr hearts by God in His infinite mercy, and He never ceases knockin; atthe door of their souls to gain admission ‘and bring the erving ones back to the knowledge and love of Himself, But many who do not practise re- ligion are not actually bad men. Mayhap they do not violate any of the moral. obligations, they may be good fathers, good husbands, and good neigh- bors, they may relieve the wants of the suffering poor; but as far as religion 1s concerned they are indifferent, This word indifference is a euphemism which conceals countless evils, aud in nine cases out of ten night more properly be termed IDOLATRY. By this its not meant to be conveyed that, like the pagans of old, they bow down to dois of wood and stone; but they place before them as the great object of their existence, the inspiring motive of their every action, some purely material good, and so, In time, forget the author of their being and ne- giect to give Him that honor and worship which is His due, Some men make a god of money. All the powers of their mind and body are devoted to the ‘accumulation of wealth, and, in too many cases, even questionable means are employed to accom- plish their end. Waking every thought is bent on this purpose, and in their dreams they revel in un- told riches only to rise next day with increasea de- termination to pursue thelr course. These men say that they have not time to attend to thelr religious exercises; that religion is all very weil for women and idle persons, but that men of busi- ness have something else to attend to, Fools! they forget their eternal destiny; they look not beyond the fleeting things of this worid, and spend their days in the worship of money, only to tind at the end t all was vanity and affliction of spirit, Others again make ambiiton their God. A longing for power, for exalted position. for authority, takes possession of their souls, aud everything 18 sacri- ficed to this eager thirst for fame. ‘The lives of men are reckoned as worthless, provided they tend to elevate them one step; all crimes are considered jus- tiflable in the pursuit of glory; ana, in a word, the miser’s love of gold, a8 compared to this vaulting, ALL-ABSORBING PASSION OF AMBITION, ia but as the light of a flickering taper as compared with the light of the sun. Witness some of the exam- ples of this passion in the pages of history, See Al- exander the Great longing for worlds to conquer; see Napoleon the Great sacrificing millions in Attracts upward, and raises the thoughts of sinful man to is. Creator. There may be certain parts of the Bible which all do not subscribe to, but every in- dividual, if he looks into his own heart, will see that God is stretching forth his saving hand, and will feel that heavenly power which raises his aspira- tions on hi and which makes him long for tho happy (ime when his guirlt, ove foryn Yo mock buat his mad attempt to subjugate the whole of Earope, and in our own times see Napoleon the ‘Third beginning his reiga 2, deluging Paris with the blood of the French, and ending ingtoriously while Europe is convulsed with terrible warfare. These are the more exaggerated forms of idolatry which prevail among s0-called Ohristians at the progent day, but therg arc many other causes arising mamas Sete Provakt tba ttou devosing Z God touches the voting wo Ly service, When, ti ear wi OG con het men wish to be- come converted to the Lord, all those worldiy matters most be forgotten and they must devote themselves wholly to the service of God. Here, then, at the out. set is the great struggle. Old habits, old ons, cling to the soul, and the contest bitter the But the: ofte in extreme. it re must be no hesitation, no dalliance with the temptation. Ohrist has said a man cannot serve God anid Mammon. Neither can a man have his The same. time. “woraiip. the Lore ta spisitand in e Kame ip the an truth.” There must be complete soveranoe from all worldly ties and the soul must seek those things which are betore. By bearing in mind the object for which he was created, by dwelling upon the thought of eternity, the nristian will, advance 8 y in the path of virtue; he will not look back after baving pit his hand to the plough, but will Inareh on among the hosts of the Lord and at his end will hear those consoling words, ‘Well done, thou and faithful servant; because thou hast been tatthful over few things I will place thee over many. Enter into the joy of Lord." CONGREGATION SHAARAS TEFILA. Sermon by Rev. Henry 8. Jacobs, of New Or- leans—The Jewish Faith the Foundation of Ethies and Modern Civillzatioa—The Pro- pitintory Week. A rather slim congregation assembled on Saturday morning at the synagogue Shaarai Tefila, on Forty- fourth street, near Sixth avenue, to attend divine worship according to the orthodox ritnal of the He- brew faith. In this synagogue the very ancient cus- tom of dividing the sexes is still rigidly adhered to, the ladies being seated in the gallery and the male Portion of the congregation, with their heads cov- ered and each decorated with the Talleth, or praying robe, occupying the seats onthe main floor. Tne choir consists of male volces only, the altos and sopranos being supplied by boys of good voice, There was one, @ master Harris, who sang the soprano solos, the force, vol- ume, purity ana sweetness of whose voice, particu- larly in the higher tones, were indeed remarkable. There is no Organ, nor any other instrumental ac- companiment of the choir, and occasionally at- tempts at congregational singing were pe:ceptible. S.turday morning, after the usual devotional ser- vices, the Rev. Henry S. Jacobs, of Now Orieans, de- livered the sermon of the day. He said that astound- ing signs attended Israel in Egypt, and scarcely ceased when the Divine will announced its purposes fulfilied. The eternal Betasigee of truth were an- nounced from Mount Sinai in the Decalogue, th whole six hundred and thirteen precepts being em- braced in the Ten Commandments. Herein 1s to be found the great constitution of the theocracy to be erected for the benefit of the whole world, But the exalted purpose remained incom- Piete till provision was made tor the worship of Him ‘who was Ruler, Legislator and Judge. TI! provi. sion was contained in Exodus xxv,, 8:—‘And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” The sanctuary, theretore, is the dwellin; place of the Holy One, dedicated to His worsiip an adoration, and sanctified by prayer and prawe. Tho high priest of oid, in his sacerdotal robes, was the Dational representative ot relic. distinguished by light and truth, the Uim and Tuim. Hence all wor- ship should be distinguished by light and truth. Wherever religion unfolds its banner light is its first necessity; the light which 13 heaven born shall stand forever, To distribute and nourish this light was and ig the mission of Israel, and through the people of Israel all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; for the teachings of their faith are the foundation of ethics and of modern civilization. Whoever obeys rt ag has attained the utmost of human per- But religion 4s also founded on truth, the corner stone of faith. Truth is an attribute of the Deity, for Goa’s Word is truth. Hence religion is not in oppo- sition to reason, but when reason runs riot and de- grades to rationalism and says, with the fool, ‘there 1s no God,” then religion becomes its adversary. Reason is the intelligence of the soul and the direct cause of man’s superiority over the lower animal creatiqn, and, propery used, leads us to reach the Most exulted fight of wisdom by comprehending God’s glorious work, to bow before its grandeur. Truth opposes bling belief, which rests on ignorance or something worse, Truth fears, noth- ing but concealment, and hence Judaism can stand the full lies of inquiry. There- fore the sanctuary, where God Himself may dweil,,must be the abode of light and truth. ‘The people of Israel should be governed by the instruc- tions of the Word of God, and make their life a test of their opposition to both falsenoed and ignorance. In the beauty of their public worship, by the light and truth of the Word of God, they should teach all nations the common brotherhood of humanit} It was announced from the reading desk that Sat- Mae 4 commenced the propitiatory week, ending on Sunday next, and that during this time services will be held dialy at six o’clock in the morning in the syn- agogue. This ‘‘Propitiatory week”’ 1s observed by all the more or less orthodox synagogues, being in the nature of a self-imposed penitence at the close of the Jewish religious year, which ends on the 26th of September. MADISON SQUARE CHURCH. The State of Religion in Austria and Hungary . With Special Reference to Protestantism and - the Receut Retorm Mevements in the Em- pire. On yesterday afternoon the Rev, Dr. R. Kocnig adaressed large congregation in Dr. Agams? church, Madison square, on the religious condition of Austria and Hungary. Notwithstanding his foreign accent he spoke in @ clear, intelligible man- ner, and was understood by every soul in the church, who by their rapt attention showed them- selves interested in the subject which the speaker so ably handled. im commencing Dr. Koenig spoke of the magni- tude of the task which he nad undertaken, and said it could only be a very partial survey that could be given in such necessarily nar- Tow limits as he should confine himself to. The fleld of which he treated extended ‘from the frontiers of Saxony, Prussia and Poland, to the busy harbor of Trieste, or still further south, to the lati - vude of Rome.” Inthe great religious awakening of the sixteenth century the light of LUTHER AND CALVIN’S TEACHING broke in on the medixval night and the power of Papacy might as soon have stopped the course of the planets or the descent of the mountain torrent as have excluded the light of the Reformation from the south of Europe. Previous tothe Reformation the Waldenses and Albigenses had prepared the way and after them came the Hussites, of whom & large number settled in the north of Hungary. By ther exertions considerable districts were made acquainted with the pure doctrine of the Gospel, go that when Luther's teaching and works spread over Germany they poured likewise into these be- nighted regions, thundering against the barricaded doors of the Papish citadel and calling on their in- mates, as with the voice of God, “AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST”’ and arise from the dead. All througn the sixteenth century the work continued to pro; hopefully. Particularly im Hungary the writings of Luther spread far and wide, and the Word of God was ac- companied by awakening and renewing power. Onejstriking feature of the Reformation in these coun tries was that the upper class took the lead and car- Tied the townspeople and the peasantry along with them. At the beginning of the seventeenth century nearly all the nobles of Hungary and Bohemia pe- longed to the Church of the Reformation, Inall Lower Austria there were but five noble families that remained in the Komish Church, and in Styria there was but one. ne Protestantism became a power in the land. But the scene changes and a darker page is turned. In the seventeenth century, under Ferdinand IL, the PERSECUTION OF THE PROTESTANTS began with terrible fury. The highest aim of the Emperor was to restore his country to its ancient eminence in the Church¥ of Rome, and he accord- ingly pronounced all Protestants rebels, and the dvangelical doctrine a crime which disqualified all who held it from any high office in the State or from the possession of landed progeny: In Vienna Projestant worship was prohibited; in Prague ail Protestant ministers were expelled from the town at three days’ notice, apd were obliged to leave the country in eight da: ‘Throughout all that dismal eriod we see nothing but blood stained hamiets, Barning churches, faithtul men perishing on the gallows, large nuinbers of Protestants obliged to fly the country, others banished to unhealthy fever swamps,tand noble preachers of the Gospel sent like felons to penal Jabor. THREE HUNDRED PROTESTANT NOBLEMEN and clergymen were summoned before the tribunal at Presburg. Of these several were executed and the rest either banished or sent to hard labor in the fortresses or galleys. Ina word, in the year 1620 the Protestant Church in the German States of Aus- tria had to all appearance ceased to exist. But it ‘was still kept alive in the hearts of the faithful and secretly practised, 80 that for almost a century it lived amid persecution. This state of affairs con- tinued til 1781, when Joseph Il,, by his “Kdict of Liberation,” granted liberty of worship and legal status to the Protestant Church. As soon as the first rays of toleration broke over the German and Bohemian States the little Church which the Lord’s eye had watched over and which the Lord’s hand bad preserved through evil days be- to show herself on all sides, like flowers in the returning spring. At the present day the popula- tion of the German and Bohemiau States is 19,000,000, among whom only there are THREE BUNDRED AND FORTY THOUSAND PROTEST- ANTS. ‘These are scattered over a wide territory, divided into 321 congregations, with 213 pastors, 372 schools and 481 teachers. The Protestants are, for the most part, poor workingmen; there(ore the income of the qpinisvera.ta err inadequate, amounting i 8 [ew In Hungary, on one occasion, { NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1870.—-TRIPLE SHEKT. Cases to a8 much as $400 in per annum. but in most cases free Maid 0 $150, while the salary of the rete til wer. The leaves epeekee detail of the advance- ment of isu Aasiria, ally #inoo the advent of Count Beust as Impet Ohancellor, Still, he said, ft required outside aid. During the Jast twenty-five years the Gustavus sone Soctety has cont iniilion florins ributed to tts support above & ($400,000 in gold), In to Hungary he said the political condition of the country fgvored the progress of the reformation. I portion of the country was conquered by the Turks who did not interfere with religious questions, and subse- quent to their rule treaties were éstablished which secured religious liberty. The Jesuits, however, did not fail to exert themselves to the utmost, and 80 raucceeded that they possessed themsel vos of fit- teen thousand of the Protestant churciies and bought Many of the HUNGARIAN NOBILITY BACK TO POPERY, In 1869, ; when the imperial decree was jpublished which sought to make Protestantism a tool in the hands o1 the State, the proclamation was received with such flerce hostility that the attempt to carry’ 1 into operation was doned, Unlike the West- ern portions of the Austrian empire, Hungary con- tains @ compact body of not less than three millions of Protestants, and in the great struggle for nationat Rare Protestants and Catholics fought side 4n conclusion Dr. Le rine op that In Germany the Gustavus Adolphus Society granted uberal aid lungary towards the building of churches and schools; the Free Chureh of Scotland maintains her mission to the Jews—a work of eminent tiaportance when we consider the great influcace of HALF A MILLION ISRAKLITES, The British and Fore!gn and the Scottish Bible So- cleties labor for the diffusion of the Word of God, eng tae London Tract Society is printing and circu- lating religions literature in four languages. But notwithstanding these efforts very much is still wanting before we can see such eilicieut Christian agencies at work ag in our own countries We would consider Indispensable. ‘The field is large, the pone are wil ling. the encouragentent which the faborer meets with on all hands is tho clearest call to work now that the Lord uas opened the door aud removed the obstacles. SEVENTEENTH STREET M. E. CHURCH, Snffering an Adjunct of Christian Life—Sor- mon by Rev. J. S. Willin. The Seventeenth street Methodist Episcopal church, situate between First and Second avenues, 1s thus between Mackerelviile and the East side Deau-monde, The worshippers within its walls, therefore, comprise the rich and ragged, the poor and the proud, Yesterday morning during service a collection was taken up for the purpose of creating @ fund for the putiding of an asylum where destitute old women who have no frends would be cared for. Wheneuch person had been visited and had contributed his mite brother Willis, the pastor, ad- dressed the meeting, taking for his text, “But the Lord said unto him, go thy way, for he ts @ chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and tne children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my mamo’s sake—Acis 1x., 16, 17. Me commenced by speaking of the conversion of St. Paul, and drew Many sound conclusions from the lifo of that great disciple of Christ, Sufferiog was, ho said, an ad- Junct of a Ohristidn’s life, and in many cases was ‘the means of saving souls by purifying them, and giving a better idea of the hollowness of temporal @flairs, ‘This suffering is in THK NAMK OF CHRIST, and consequently becomes 4 trial which if met ina Christian spirit will rédound to the benefit of the soul and bring it nearer to God. There is much suffering in the world which 13 not trial, becagM 1¢ is not ap- propriated by faith—that is, it 15 nW placed to the advantage of the soul by being taken in a Christian spirit. Thus the} sunlight will kindie a fire, but nos unless its rays are concentrated bya lens. Sutfer- ing increases the moral cohesivenoss of the soul, as atten clay, which when soft 18 useless, when nar- Dened’ by dre becomes valuable. So our broken systems are weak until trial intensifies our cobesive- ness, Suffering increases our moral beauty, by re- moving all those imperfections which encircle tne soul of man, as the diamond by being cut sparkies more brilliantly. ‘Trial is intended as a revelation of OURSELVES TO OURSELVES. God knows us weil enough already, but woe must know ourselves also, and how eise than by trial shall we know? How should we know the cast of our own features had not some one invented tho looking-glass? True, we might have gathered a partial idea trom the shadowy back ground of some window pane or the silent pool under the beechen shade, when we strained our eyes looking at the tiny fishes we could catch in the depts beiow, But this Impression were confused and indefinite; so our moral features are often little better than 4 con- fusion of vague impression serving the purpose of sell-righteousness till God brings us face toface with the looking-glass of trial. At) truly converted souls must comprehend this condition of the soul, and must believe sn the efficacy of suflering, and must take any trials which the justice of God sends to them as of their reparation for past offences, ‘This world 1s made up of trials and itis only the true Christian that can make them beneficial to his soul. They must be borne with and taken in the same spirit that Christ took the cross placed upon his shoulders or the BLOODY GROWN OF THORNS thrust upon his brow. If a Christian were only to say to himself “1 will follow in my Master's foot- steps,” he would fiud it easy to bear with the little privations and crosses which he meets with every day. ‘Think, then, of what our Lord suffered; and when the time of trial comes you will feel strong and your faith will grow im intensity by contact with suffering. e ‘The preacher continued at some length in this strain, exhorting his hearers to purify themselves in the fire of suffering, and to purge themselves of their sins. Sin had to be atoned for, and suffering and trial was the means God used to allow his eyed to repair their fault tn baving oitended Mh. UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. “Importanity in Prayer.”—Sermon by the Rev. Jomes Harper, D.D., of Newiurg. A goofty and godly congregation assembled in the quaint old church in Jane street yesterday to hear a sermon preached by Rev. James Harper, D. D., of Newburg, an eloquent and eminent divine, ‘The preacher took his text from Matthew xv, 21 to 28, which relates the healing of the daughter of the wo- man of Caaann. ‘‘Then Jesus went thence, and ae- parted into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And be- hold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thon son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And His disciples.came and be- sought Him, saying, Send her away for she crieth after us, But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the Jost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped Him, saying Lord, help me, But He answered ‘and said, It is not meet to take the chiidren’s bread and to cast it todogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table, Thon Jesus an- swered and sald unto her, 0! woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt, And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.'’ This passage of the Scripture, said the preacher, is one of the most touching and at the same time one of the most instructive to be found in the whole of the New Testament, The poor woman comes with her afflicted daughter to the Great Healer who is pene through the land and working wonders. she approaches him with perfect confidence, and with admirable simplicity merely states what is the matter with her daughter. Christ, knowing the great faith of the woman, and wishing to give His disciples a lesson, apparently taker no notice of her. Then she thfows herself at His feet and begs Him to help her. Our Lord, though full of charity and mercy, answers her with apparent roughuess; but she 13 not to be deterred. HER GREAT HUMILITY, which shines forth even m than her unshaken faith in the power of Christ, supports her and she ask for the dog's portion. Then Christ is no longer able to withstand her importunities. He praises her faith and grants her request without any reser- vation, Christians can learn a great lesson from the example of this poor woman of Canaan. They can see the great blessings which flow from humbie prayer and the irresistible power of importunity in prayer. Hence, if they do not immediately recelve what they ask for in their prayers they should not allow themselves to be cast down or discouraged, Christ only wishes to test thelr faith and their con. stancy. ‘Hence, though they may have prayed fruitiessly several mes, they must persevere, and in the end they will obtain what they seek. They must imitate the woman in the gospel narrative, and, d DESPITE APPARENT REBUFYS, importune the Lord for His mercies, They must turn their defeats into victories, and, as the Helvetil, mentioned by Cesar, hurled back the spears of the Roman soldiers against the serried ranks of their enemies, 80 should Christians pray with redoubled energy when they fail to obtain what they desire, Every delay should only have. the eifect of urging them on, They should remember that Christ is longing to benefit them. The history conveyed in the text should teach this; but it anything were wanted they have His own words, ‘‘Ask and you shail receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” No one can say, after this invitation and explicit promise of Christ, that there 1s no use in praying. But prayer, to be efi. cacious, must be humble, founded in faith, and mast be continued even until 1t becomes tmpor- tunity, With these qualities prayer cannot be fruit- less. God cannot resist constant, humble prayer. Hence Vhristians should learn to make more use of bttia Wondrous walicle for all araces, which wil them way to heaven through all Beto cf, er willin the end eee on eternal Happineds. : ST. PATRICWS CATHEDRAL, — The Congregatiou—The Music and the Gor monu—Dr. McSweeney ou ‘“Death*—A Poor Man’s Christian Philosophy. ‘The congregation at St. Patrick's Cathedral yes~ terday morning was not so numerous as usual. A’ considerable number of the pews were withoas, Occupants and others were not more than halt filled. The congregation, however, made up in devotion what tt lacked in numbers, While the majority evideutly consisted of persons well to do in the world, there was little of the fashionable element to be seen. It was yery evident that those present went to pray; that, in fact, they wore there to render homage to the Creator, rather than to make @ vulgar display of the temporal sur- Toundings that impress the eye of the antninking portion of the community. The millionaire was not seated side by side with the beggar, becanse there were no millionnaires there. There were, however, many who, If not beggars, were poor in the goods of this world, and who, though shabbily attirea, seemod rich in faith and fervor, Unable to afford the luxury ofa seat, they crouched in humble adora- tion by the doors and stairways. THR MUSIC was excellent. The composition was Panseron’s Mass in F major, for four voices, and was admirabl, rendered. The Kyrie and Gloria were choruses, an the mauner in which they were sung showed the judicious care which Mr. Gustavus Schmitz has be- stowed upon the training of all the members of the choir, ie Laudamus, & spirited composition, waa admirably given by Madame Chomé, Mr. Schinits, the tenor; Mr. A, Sobst, the baritone, and Mra, Wer- nor, alto, sang well, Bariouanty in the #t Incarna- tus est. The Ave Marta was nm in Madame Chomé's best style, and riveted the attention of the whote congregation. Mass was celebrated by Father MeGean ana THE SERMON preached by Dr. McSweeney. After impressing om the Sonatoensicn, the neceaaity of a religious educa tion and the care parents ought to take to send their children to the lay school of the Cathedral, he preached from the gorge of the day, St. Luke vit., beginning with the eleventh verse:— “Aud itcame to pass the day after, wat He wont into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with him, and much people. Now, when le came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was @ dead man carried out, the only son gf his and she was @ widow. * * And had compassion said unto her, Weep no. * * © And he said, Young man, I say unto thee Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and nh to speak.” There is nothing, said Dr. 1o- Sweeney, which we dread so muchas death. Mem are always Wisling for the morrow; are always de- sirous of leaving as much time as possible behind them, and while fearing death are yet daily rushi nearer to the grave. We are looking forward erat uulil death surprises us. ‘Tbe Scripture tetla us DEATH 13 RESURRECTION. It is but a sleep, a rest from a life of pain and mor- ttication, for of such must the life of a Christian be made up. Death has, therefore, for the just man ae terrors, Death simply says:—You have labored and your labor 1s rewarded; you have suffered and you shall sufer no more.” The saints always desired and sought death—sought separation from this body, this tomb in which their souls were con- flaed during the period of trial. It we have a dread ot death it is because our hearts are not sufficiently estrauged from the things of this worid. If we were we should doath as the saint regarded it. The reacher here gave an illustration of what he termed rue Christian philosophy and of a happy deatn. The circumstance came within the experience of the reverend gentleman himself about two years since. The following are the particulars as related by Dr.« McSweeney, the readers being left to himself to decide whether the poor man, DYING IN FILTH AND NRGLEOT, Made the most Curistian-like disposal of that tas $100, Dr. McSweeney was called to attend a mar whom he found m a cellar, and who was danger- ously tl. The poor fellow had no friends, and misery and filth surrounded him on every side. On being deates cs by Father McSweeney the sick man admitted that he had saved $100, The priest avked permission to spend filty dollars of the money in procuring meiical attendance and nourishment for the man, but met with arefusal, the sufferer, With what Dr. McSweeney called true Christian patcecnhy, saying, “What is the use of prolonging he life or this miserable carcass for a few weeks or months? I have saved this money by hard work, aud wish, in dying, to distribute MY LAST $100 in this way:—Twenty-five dollars to the Oatholie Seminary at Troy, twenty-five doliars to the Ameri- can College at Rome, twenty-five dollars to the new Cathedral and twenty-five dollars for the Holy Father.” This was the poor man’s Cliristian philo- sophy. 0 $7. PETER’S ROWAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. Denth and Its Lessous—Sermon by the Rew + James Quin. ‘The sermon at the half-past ten o'clock mass yes- terday at St. Peter's church was preached by the Rev. Father Quin, from the gospel of the day, which relates how Christ raised from the dead the widow's son, Inthe season of autumn, the preacher said, when the leaves were falling, tie flowers fading and all the glories of the year departing, tne Church, always in sympathy with nature, bids us turn our attention from the pomp and vanities of earth to the dread consideration of death, and ac- compilshed that purpose by setting before us the story of the death of the widow's only son. The case of the widow and her son wiil soom and inevitably be ours; the day will arrive when the crape shall hang at the door proclaiming that a human soul has passed away. In the discharge of their duties towards the departed the survivors found the true and only sources of consolation, and ‘the first of those was RESIGNATION TO THE WILL OF Gop. “The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away," Was the just sentiments in the heart and on the iips of a true Vhristian, We are not forbidden to weep—indeed, the Gospel tells us how the Saviour at the tomb of his friend Lazarus was filled with sor. row and shed abundant tears. But grief shouid not be allowed immoderate indulgence. We should sor- row for our loved ones not like those of whota St. Paul speaks, Who mourn without hope, but as Christians, having faith in immortality. Sbrieks, tearing of the hair and other violent demonstrations of grief of a like character were almost invariably KMANATIONS OF A SELFISH SPIRIT, Tt was a circumstance worthy of remark that the early Christians used to inscribe upon the tombs of their departed friends not that they had died, but that they slept, or were deposited in peace. Another, and the principal duty devolving upon the survivors, was hel hs for thoir departed brethren. Catholica believed that the souls of even many of the elect underwent purification by fire to fit them for heaven. St. Angustine, in his “Confessions” tells us how when his mother was about to die he was troubled ‘at the thought of her being buried in a strange land, but that she sald to him:—‘“My son, be not troublea about this body, but promise never to cease to pray for my soul.”” And the saint faithfully obeyed the wishes of hisdying mother. In these degenerate days, however, more was thought of the body than the soul, and relatives were more concerned about having A RESPECTABLE FUNERAL, with a long string of carriages, than about prayers for the departed. In conclusion the reverend gen- tleman eloquently exhorted his hearers never to cease to offer supplications to Heaven for the salva- tion of their departed friends, which was an act of truest mercy and would enure to their own spiritual advan by gaining for them powerful interves- Bors before the throne of God. GRACE CHURCH, The Parable of the Talents—The Danger of Neglecting to Improve Our Faculiies—Ser- mon by the Rev. Mr. Potter. At this fashionable charch yesterday there was an unusually large audience. Towards the hour for service the aisles rustled with the flow of costly silks, while well-dressed men—in smaller quanti- tiez—fliled up the corners of the pews. The musio was, as usual, perfect, and tho entire service was characterized hy a subdued and demure air, which i$ the leading feature in well bred and aristo- cratic devotion. ‘The Rev. Mr. Potter preached the sermon, taking for the subject of his discourse the parable of the talents, ending with the well known passage— “ Whoso exalteth himself shall be abased,” &c. tle began by saying that he had frequently thought of the rebuke contained in the text to those men who ascribed all prosperity in this world to the blind operations of cnance, The truth was that in mate- riaiand spiritual things alike, if we exercised the gilt committed to our charge, God would give us something nobler aud betver; whereas if we neg- lected it He would take it away altogether. This tendency of our faculties to increase or dimin- ish applied to the ordinary world as well as to intellectual and moral spheres of ac- tion, For imstance, look at our capacity to increase our muscular strength, though it must be noticed that to whatever height we carried our powers in that direction we should fatl to equal the brate creation, The camel would stilt excel us Ineudurance and the horse in speed and dog in scent. But in intellectual and moral pursuits this power of increasing our capacity was immense! ter than in the lower world. Intellectual aptl- tude might be cultivated until the exercise of the particular faculties involved became the grand pur- suit and pleasure of life, and ceases altogether to be alabor, But tt was tn SPIRITUAL PURSUITS, which ought to be the chief object of our Nichia that this Gapacity of increase was greater, while ft wax pimclaucholy tact thal Un (yd Walk @lk0 Waa