The New York Herald Newspaper, November 28, 1870, Page 4

4 ee ce RELIGIOUS. How tho Gospel is Spreading in the Metropolis and Elsewhere. loquent Sermons and Inte- resting Services. Jews, Grutiles and Latter Day Saiuts in Their Houses of Prayer. The Temporal Power of the Pope Variously Vicwed. ‘That Christianity and civilization are rapidly spreading; that the influence of the Gospel is being more genevally felt; that the teachiags of the divines of various denominations are producing good fruit, must be apparent to the readers of the Heraty after cach recurring Sabbath, ‘Tho gelection of disconrses delivered yesterday in churches of various denominations, as given be- low, eve undoubtedly more than ordizarily ite- resting, and will certainly receive that amount of careful perusal which they eminently deserve, Yes verday belng the first Sunday of Advent, the Catholic Churehes celebrated the occa- sion according to tle ritual, while the Catholics of Brooklyn, in addition, commenced the building of new churches or dedicated other new ones to ihe service of Goa, as fitting work for We min season of Advent. NEW ENGLAND COLGREUATE Rev. Merrill Richardson Preaches on the Duillal Son as Opposed to the Prodigal Sou—The Poewy nud Prose and Duties of Most Uloquenthy Portrayed=The ce and the Datifal Duliard. New Mugland Congregational church, corner of Madtsoa avenue and Forty-seventh street, wus more thea usually crowded at the services yesterday Any one going to hear its new pastor vetll Richardson) once is sure to go again, Be bas most | Med the Beecher of Now York. In rugged clearness of siyle, in tersely epi- grammatic seatences, in Keen subticty of logic, 1n . CHURCH. pure sledge-hat er-like argament, carrjing the tratt eto the convictions and hearty of lis fvesh and thorough abandon of his delvery—now coid aud Classic, now stern and severe, now sarcastic and oceastonally humovons, and now, in tho torgetfulness of hims: and his manuscript and his palpit, In the glowing ‘warmtli in his subject, giving utterance to the most wildly impassioned strains of exteiaporanceus ora- tory. Lake Beecher, lic is a thorough New Englander, He hutes show, pretence, humbug. He preacies plainly what Le thinss, and his forces and eloquence are apuiural part of his preaching. It is this piain spokenness, with an atver absence of anything like rhetorical ornament im pursult of eifect or elaborate fastidiousness of art, that has already established him auch a favorite with hts pew congregation and 1s rapidly making him one of the most popular preachers in the city. Welhave already stated that the church was crowded, and certaiuly a more re- fincd wnd intellestacl congregation is not to be seen at any churck in New York. Beautiful inside, tt looks more beautiful with the elesant and tasteful floral decorations tn front of the pulpit—thelr sweet per- ‘ue vigorous incense of retined religious ». Auotier good feature ia the fine singing, which is here conducied by & most accomplished quarte;—cousisting of Miss Macomber, contralto; Musa Peck, sopiano; Mr. Alden, tenor; Mr. Jones, bass—ond the excellent playing on the organ by Mr. Meflae, After the neual preliminary exercises the reveren pastor entered on the delivery of THE SERMON. The subject was oue of unusual In'orest—" the dutiful and not the prodigal son’—and, while striking aud original, it 1s certain that the manner of treating it was characterized by a like striking originality. The text upopwuich tt was based was Luke xy., 3i—“Son, thou art ever with me, and all that J have Js thine.” He began by saying that a great deal of romance had been thrvwn character of the prodigal son, while the of the obedient son had been deemed y prosaic. The former was pictured as iiberal, d, a noble fellow, With al! hia viees, while portrayed a3 close, mean, stingy, sel!- thought the prodigal le, Whataver might be tue opinions of mea it was evident that God prefer- red tie one Who did net waste his substance. ‘Lhe text was addressed te tus, Wes a plain proclama- tion of this preference. When tins duiiiai son, who liad stayed home ull bis iife, who had been assiduous im his jabors in the eld, who had stayed by is father and always showed bimself a fitlal son, heard the music of the sete given tn honor of the return of bis predigal brother he complained that no suck honor had ever been conferred on bim, What said the father? “Thou art ever with me and all that {have is thine.” What a wealth of aitec- tion in these words, Heloved not the dutiful son . heart, sorrowing birough years ov: patton and misdee eat his revura. Alter er's feelings at leagth hearers; in the free, 2 wes Ish and hypocritical. 8 and most Jove tie absent wanderer, rej tly portraying the {0 edcd to show that than the prodigal destroy parabie. Jesus Curist did not niewn to be uaderstool @ saying that RACK SON 1s better than one who shows hitwself filial and dut!- ful. The design of the parable was to show that a father, is ready o Jew or Gentile who comes bi the titustration of t In connectio ( ue t ad sressed old ther io the sheep which it s There we ists among the Pharis these He used no locuttor their face that th were hypoc + and asked, “How can ye escape the damuation of hell?’ fo used no arufices when He told them “they were wiuted sepulcires.’’ Among the Jews multitudes were trained in the way they should go, and proved loving and ebedicnt sous—proved the richest bless jogs of the household, Others were grossiy wicked, a curse totheir families and society, The same is seen in every comiuunity. early fathers took pains to train thelr ciildren under the promise and covenant of God, to Keep them free from every vice, to haye them moral, and, {f possible, religions. vas | ¢ sionally there would be a prodigaison, but he was never pretcrred to the duuiul. [If such a prodigal re turned the father was glad and the farally rejoiced, Bui the dutitul son was aconsiant cause of joy, every day gladdening the househoid—a feast richer NEW YORK HKALD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER. 28, 1870.—TRIPLE SHEET. gover strayed, On no ¢ does God's yoloo sound ‘so loud a8 agalnat wis FUL PRODIGALITY, ¥ . Te prefers, with the whole ferco of Mis law and he st] A Of His adection, that wo should ever he: ; and then all that He hath fs ours, He rew mmparison between the moral and the ln- morel man oa en pea Be queen, SVS on verted outh, the moral or the Holond Phe was, ho nsinicd, an insult to ask t! uestion, He counselled the young never to tal O first step in He Praga th, but to court above all at Gi “ on, ‘thou art ver with moi suena graptls picture of the HAUNTS OF DISSLYATION have rareiy béon drawn tn or out of the pulpit, He followed the prodigat in his downward course, showed him among bis boon companions, poi trayed his genial, gencrous qualities, set forth his gaming, Caaking end all vicious exercises, and on the inevitable result—the first rags and shame, the dest draught of the lees of tho wins ef lite— misery, despair, Aud then he showed tho course of reformation, the return to reason. the assertion of self-will aud mastery, tio breaking sink be ae evil Cromjereed ae poses rislag, he asse @noble manho conuec- tion ne alluded to the VEW PRODIGALS REFORMED, Not twe out of five, ho assorted, are ever reformed, ‘They could not clutch the wieel of destiny and roll it back. Ho took his hearers inio Wail street and showed that business imen would not ciploy prodt- guts, Inconcivsion he wrged soung. men to strive and be dutiful sous, to grow up in the beauty of un- suilled manhood. ‘The poctry of life was in its duty, His closiug romarks were able, impressive and brillant, ‘the service, though unnsually leugthy, lasting nearly an nour, was lstencd to with the most undivided atiention, a mi prayer and benediction terminated the excrelses, ST, PATRONS CATAUDRAL, Archbishop McCloskey on the Temporal Power of tho Pope—'fhe Church’s eur of Troublo. Archbishop McCloskey preached yesterday morne infat St. Patrick's Cathedral, taking as the subject of his sermen the religious duties imposed upon the consciences of all good children of the Church by the holy season of advent, which had just opened, After dwelling upon the necessity of devoting as much of our time as we were able to prayer and me- | lation be alluded as follows to the recent coarse of AVFATRS IN 7:00 aud the removat of the Pepe from his temporal throne When the head suilers all the meinbers of the body suiter with it. Whon the father Ls aMicted all his children are in sorrow and in tears. And the head of Christ’s Church on earth, His viear here, tie succeasor of Peter, 18 Bow, a4 we may Say, for a time delivered up tuto the hands of bis enemies, The chalice of aithction, of which he has had already te drink 60 often, is now again pressed to hia lips, and he is told that He must now drink It cven to tts very drems; and we hear Him say, as did his Divine Master betore him, “Not my wiil, bui thine, O Lord, be done,’ He is now in sorrow and in aulliction not onty for himeelf, but for tie Church of which He 13 (be su- preme pastor; for Bis wrongs are her wrongs, and Tlis su ngs are her surferinys. We, ov our part, owe Him our symyath our heartfelt and ow best sympathies. But at the same tuue we cannot and we do not withhold our SENUIMENTS OF JUST INDIGNATION againet the wicked and perverse men who, without any oftence of hts, without any provocation, without any just cause of any Kind, have dared to tnvade his capity, to usurp his power, take away from him the Little territory that still remains to Lim, and to drag him from his throne as a temporal ralcr—a position he has held by atitie more ancient, venera- ble, ust and more worthy of obedience and respect than any sovereignty on the fuce of the earia. We, I say, do not restrain our sentiments of HOLY ANGER and indignation against these outrages aud insults and tajustices that have been offered to the Father of the Ciristian Churet, as well as the temporal ruler of whut are called the States of the Cuurch, ‘Those possessions were given to the Pope not by the people or the ruler of what Is now calied the King. dom of Italy. He did not gain them by conquest, or fraud or violence. They were bestowed upon him in the Chiistiaud aud Catholic ages by those who had the right todo s9, without his asking them for them, in order to uphold him in that dignity and that independence which were Justiy his as the head of the univer al Church of Cirist. ‘they were given. to him to secure for tum that liberly which was necessary for the fuli, BUCCRE AND IMPARTIAL DISCTARGE of the duties of bis apostolie oidece. ‘They were given to hiv, then, not for himself, not for the peo- ple of & partl locality or country, bat in trust or the Catholic world and for the best interests of the Catholic Ghure! to protect and preserve — the Jadependeinsg and liberty of the Ohurch which wore identifed — with his own. Lt was necessary that he should be tho subject of no civil raler; that he, in his capacity of divinely appointed, supreme pastor ot t his spiritual jurisdiction extending over ri fulers and eraperdrs, ad Well 43 over subjects aad people—tiat he should speak will freedom to att; that he should recognize no man on earth as nis temporal masier; that he should rebuke wickedness 1m high places. It, was necesga’ this, that he should not be the subjec: smporal prines, and the Catholte world saw and felt that, aud all Catholic ieee and emperors worthy of the Dame acqulesced ia it, And in the ORDER OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE that Mttle State has existed thus for a thousand years, but now bold men nave come in t that power and Interfere with that indep We have aright to enter our protest against thi an injury to our holy father aud an tufury to us. uce, 3 aS For when they vo rovbed him they have robbed the Gnureh; when by 4 have outraged him they have outraxed two hund millions Jatuolics Uwoughous tie whole worl; when ave i bonds, as it Were, around lila, Dave Lostricted bis independence wad bis liberty they have Orrr: 1D THE CONSCIENCES of all good Catuolies aud done them a grave injus- ties, You know that the archbishops and bisnops Of tie province o! York have already protested against these Iniquities, It is right the clergy and the people sloud do the Same, aad tue Opportunity to do so will be giveu: for the voice of the people should reach “the Holy Father to ie | and sirengiten him in’ bis heur and while pray for him. we should also pray for his enemies ; but we must pray, above all, that God, who ne rts Ms Chureh, may console the ieart of his view, tay deliver hin from the finds of us enemies, and nay ints own geod time—which we come —re-esta lish alta in iis jast | ants, and (hus sivengiken the bonds of faith over tie whole ear, it muite the Church once nore Ui Clarity and p: RO STAULT METHowL CuTRCH, The Sar of Divine Grace a Creventrtive of Evilmsermon by tho Rev. J. EH. Cooke man, ‘There was, as usual, a very large and fashionable congregation at tis church yesterday. At the | close of the preliminary services the Rey, John B. Cookman preached w sermon, taking bis text from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, v., 13:—“Ye are the sall of the earth, But if the salt lose tts sa- REor SCOP AL vour wherewlth shall it be salted? It is goed for nothing any more but to be cast out and to be trodden en by men” The reverend gentleman procceuea to explain the figure of sait as applled to Christians aad in what sense they were the sail of the earth, He spoke of sult as far than any special eccasion of cing aiter ears of sorrow. So Chiist presents God as a father, | fuil o: pity and love, not wililug that ono shou! perish. ‘The pain he hus caused the father's heart, the shame he bus brought upon the family, the gifts wasied, time lest, power of evil over others—tho father overlooks all this inthe joy of seetug the wanderer return, ‘This is ike “iad tidings” of the Gospel. But how much vecier liad tie gon never ve- come @ prodigal! It would lave saved years of pa- rental sorrow, days and nights of bitter tears, A duusul son 1a A BLESSING UNSPEAKABLE. A prodigal son is an unspeakable shame, The Stato itseif rested on God’s appointed system of twatning, But are not all men prodigals’ No, not io the gense of the parable, All are sinners, and must be saved by grace. All sons are Not prodigals; nor does prodigality tend to make them religious. When it is said “thera is more hope of prodigals than of the moral,” it 1s false Lo nature and the Bivle. What A PREPOSTEROUS NOTION ! It contradicts every principle of God's government. “The wicked Wax Worse and worse.” As well ex- pect the lecpard to change his spots. Occasionaliy @ Vicious youth returns. Not one in four, however, does so, When a vile man repents much ts sald About tt, But how much more should be thought of @ clild whose whole life was lovely. Novels miake &erves of prodigals, the Bible never. The conver 10N of A cluld under a mother's nurture isas much a ‘Monutnent of grace’ as any other. Would that all were Couverted so early, that none would have to come home STARVING AND IN RAGS. \ With our multipiiea temptations, if a prodizat does return, it might be wise not to make @ feast Gull we knew he purposed to stay at home. After dwelling with great eloquence on this portion ot lus theme he urged that they should labor to reclaim prodigals, and, more, to keep youth from becoming When oue does come back, however adhe jod be praees 4 be forgiven, Who can fathora the depths of p: allovey What dis- tance oan sever, What period of time can anual tho bond that binds the parent to the child? What lial tude aud #in can quench these fres of Jove? Tho anguish of separation, the patn of beliion, goods wasted, talents avused, itd ray phame, misery, God overi@oks them atl when le poee tho Igst Found, But inflaliely vetter bad he being THE BMBODIMEST OF WISDOM. Ltvy, the great Roman historian, vermed Greece the salt of the natlous because of those imteliectual advantages which other nations derived from it, Bo Christians were the salt of the earth because they had the power of divine knowledge and were the lustruments of imparung it to others, To be the salt of the earth they must have salt in themselves. Jesus Christ gaia, im quoting the words of Moses, “Every sacrifice sha!l be salt upon salt,” so that every one who offered @ sacrilice should be seasoned with the grace of the Holy Ghost. Referring to THE PROYBRITES OF SALT. ‘He sald it wasto prevent or remedy corruption, So Christians mustshave sait in themselves in order wo preserve them from those corrupt principles wateh blind the mind and destroy the body. ‘he reverend gentieman then foretbiy dilated upon mi- delity, heresy, rationalisin, showing clearly that nothing kept a man from straying frem the fold of Christ so much as the salt of divine grace. Ita man had the nature of God In him he was not lik to deny there was @ God. If a man could say, Know my Redeemer liveth’ there was no rooin tn his heart for worldimess and ein. Another quality of the salt was the savor waleb It imparted to any- thing which before was INSIPID AND TASTETESS. So the salt of grace 1n a. man’s soul made ths spirit and character and life of the man savory. Notuing digniied aman so Much as the salt of grace tu his soul. Ifthere be a want of love in a man’s soul it arose froma want of that salt mentioned im the Gospel. ‘True Christians having the positive power of salvation in their hearts they mast season others with whom they come in contaut. a ‘y man ine be a living argument tat infidelity, rationalism a vitualista are COLD AND UNSATISFACTORY THINGS; ont the religion of Jesus Christ was ons of powor. t ‘The danger Was thas the satt might lose its saltiness, | so Ohristians, by Imtercourse with the world, o ight lose thelr ‘virtue aud become insipid. ‘Lhis was to become infatuated or grow fovlist. Men did become intatuated and grew foolish whea they ai- lowed themselves to lose the salt of grace ta their hearts, and so iose Weir eteraai salyanon. ‘The Church (tself wanted (he baptism of apiritaal power, Tt had WHAIAM AND POSITION enongh, hut ft stood im necd of spirtinal power. Every Work demanded @ special adaptatloa, ‘The bait Was the power, butir it had lost the savour then it was good for nothing. Tue world felt the Poweref truth and righivousness, but when the tess Halt came in its way it despised it and trod under foot with proud scorn. io reverend gen- ay commented severely upen the false profes- bors: of religion aud concluded & very eloquent and amentative discourse by exhorlung the concre- gation to retain tu tuelr hearts ‘the salt of diving AMERIOLN FREE ¢! Rov. Charles B. Smyth the Revelation Pergawos, Its Literati aud Sctenco—'tho “1idden Manun,’? Tuere was a fair attendance at the American Free Church, Masonio Hall, yesterday. An interesting lecture was delivered by Rev. 0. B. Smyth, who pre- elded as usual, end the proliminary prayers and paaims having been rendered the speaker selected his text from Revelations ii, 12-17—-“ana unto tho angel of the Church in Pergamos write these things, galth he which hath the sharp sword. with two edges,” ‘The reverend gentleman commenced his lecture by saying that Porgamus was the name of a city which is now called Bergamo, tn Asiatic Turkey. It was situated in Mysia, in Asia Minor, and was ro- sided in by the Attalian kings, It was remarkable forafamous library which had been collected by those monarchs, and made up of two hundred thou- sand volumes, This was subsequently transported to Egypt by Cieopaira to augment the LIBEARY AT ALBXANDRIA, From the name Perzamos, the Latin word perga- mentum, by which the Romans @esignated a certain matorial made from skius and said to be written on, whence the American. word parchment, de- noling the same, as our word paper 13 derived frou papyrus, the name of & plant, the leaves of which were employed in a siml- ler way by the Egyptians, It ws not always, he sald, the greatest number of privileges or of facilities for acquiring Knowledge and refinement that make per- 6008 Obedtont to tue will of God; and thus ts oftca to be found true the adage, “ignorance the mother of devotion,” for Pergumos, with all Les iiterature, and conseqnent literal’, and science and philosophy, Was corrupt in ifs society, and its corruptions of the nd were found even within the coumu- church that wae situated tere bed as having SHARP SWORD.” Christ, who Is frequentiy called in Holy the Word of God, and of whom Paw says to the Hebrews, “The Word of Gol Is werlul, sharper Wan any. two-edged ny to the dividiag asunder of soul and af the joints and marrow, and is a dis the thoghts and mtenw of the heart,?? (ue instrument Which was used tn slay- repatiag the sacridce, the latter beg ud epen aud examined, even to tie est, U9 Kee thatit had not ‘or ibis reason It is added, “i know . Pergamos is catied Sg ATAN'S SBA, i nea grossest k nion ef the Christin in. Hig tuat is ae. sword, splr covert Its privileges did this epithet. Tt was ozsessed Of ha distinguished tor it, nee in sculpture, paint and by people of up to’ as a leader sie 18 the most wicked Tne presiding minister in 08, he said, Was well entivied 7 Ue circumstances for “iola- iny fast to Carist’s name and not denying bis faith.” He must have found it very dificuli, too, to exer discipline, and the fow things which iu-t Lim appear to have grown out for art, fo fashion wed ay act, Discipline 1s as mach a part of the con- stitution of the Church as doctriue, and wherever id neglected Liere is culpabuity, To retain in ! lke the Psalmist, to “Praize (he Lord for all His loving kindaess and tender mercies,” he went on to remark that MAN JA NOT XRT RIVES he ts only half ripe, tike an apple in summer, Beme important Chapges were Saale geing on in pur man soctety, but everyihing camo fust at the tme—just When it should come, Every atsooverer and iuventor has ved at the exact time when it was intendod he should. The tuvention of electri- city was inspired by the same power and. followed the same law, a8 the accumulation of acridity and juice with the formation ee trait 5 vey thing at the right time, and in. accordance irrévocable Jawa of progress to which God had given existence, tae eee tear ot eee revent t ng pl 4 the vation cot , Wht ior ton tire is nee, alo preguated wi came just im time to ‘unite, so to speak, China, Germany, Africa and all the nations of theearth, by which meats em! were enabled to reaca our Shores, nd fin age, ion locomotive, the seam tour end ‘steam machinery of all kinds; Franklin's invention of the electric duld, conferring the greatest blessings upon: mankind; the electri ht and talegraphy, which had reformed the werld, Jolned continent to centl- nent—i the ate aad telow the great abyss of waters—creating national brotherhoods; a power that could call a friend or relative from the utmost paris of the earth, almosi tn the twinkling efan eye, either to @ deathbed or a marrizge, and riuimets their assent 34 Quickly—all these things sprang into existence just When wanted, It had been sud that GOTTENBARG WAS ASSISTED BY THE DEVIL when le produced @ printed Bible in the fifteenth contury. “That was the pest thing he had ever he: atiributcd to his satante majesty, and of course arose trom the prevail ng ignorance of the peoplo of tuat oge. Man is ever progreasive—ever upward and onward, No sooner nad the father of sir Robert et yeiony his spinning machine than ‘Cartwright Lb pewer loom and Whitney produced a cotton gin; so that instead of paying a doitur and a pera yard for cotton you may now get it for ten cent DRESS LITE KINGS AND QUFENS, with material that at oue time was considered more yaluable than silks and purpie linens, Not long Bibles were vory scarce and the copies employed in churches Were Chained to tho pulpit, but he thought people read, In some instances, from that volume more than they do now, though Bibles are now tike leaves of the trees for multitude. The first quarrel ever heard of wa. inthe Garden of Eden between two brothers, ending in death to the Young and he knew of noting more conducive to the eleva- tion of soctoty thau the reforms in our laws by which men, instead of breaking each other's heals, can settle their disputes coolly soporte to ae, as Vaiaam or that of tne Nichot: tuduged fn COVETOUSNESS AND LIGENTIOUSNESS— wastncousistent wiih bis duty, ‘he remedy pre- scribed 1s the same as in ail eases of sin—viz., ‘ite- pent.” Space for repentance was given, but should it not be used He who was the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world would appear as the Lion of ihe tribe of Juda and destroy them in tits 4. The mmporiance of hearkening to the teach- 4 contained ia this apd the other Npisties to the » churches ls repeatedly urged in these words, “Ho that hath an ear ict him hear what the Spirit saLLA Unto Lie churches.” Tae *TUDDEN M. which ts + romised ‘tio bum that overcometh” 1s the Anietype ofthe Mauna which wes miraculously sent from heaven vo fed t lites in tae wilaeTness, and @ portion of which was tveasared up within the ark in the Sanctum Sanctorum; and the term “a White stone” ailades to the custom of giving a white stone to a person acqattted on his trial to dewote his Innocence and Trom punishment tor the oitence charged—the cus ich, he said, origl- nated, propabiy t ui the FREEMASONS and Onin, of the white hall aud the black ball, aa they appear to govern themselves accordingly. In conclusion he urged his hearers io receive aud Teed by faith and repentance upon Cbrist-—-“ike hidden manna, the bread of Ife, wich came down from Heaven,” and tocuitivate tue indwelling of the ifoly Spirit, by whicd they shall be abie to say, ‘Abba, Fatier,” with coniidency, and, iike Paul, feel pssuved ‘It his earthly house of my tabernacle were dissolved Thavea building of God, a horse not made with haads, evernal in tue heavens.” zE4 in from W: se AM0' CHURCH OF Sermon oy Rev. Warren of Bostoa—ipe FrulimJlav’s tory of the World at T, aud Human Govern Bow A wud = Uaiversal Kee An ce Eloquent Jud swor thts ments Will ite. Wealif, magnificence, reflue.aent! Such are the thoughts that mi at occur to the thoughtful ob- serveron approaching and entering this splendid edilce, The building, half Doric and half decorated Gothic, 18 entered by a broad Aigit of carved gra tte steps lending iiato the portico, which again leads into the asic, Over the entrance portico is a small pedestal crowned and oraewented with an elabo- rately cut Witte below this again, in stucca, is the rep ition Of & sinall square tower dis- playing Coriniiitan pilasters at the angles, rising from each side of an apparently Toule por- tico, crowned wih @ wiangoiar pediment, with double ranges of fluted columus and ga The intertor is richly decorated. From tae fluely arched celilug covered with rich frescoes and gola mouldings, the elaborately carved oaken pews, comfortably arranged and fitted with conyenlence for the worshipper, to the orna- mented pulpit and elegantiy padded velvet cushioned sofa for the use of those who occupy the platform, all sp of wealth and careful consideration of deta. ‘Tne organ is certainly a fine, high-toned lustrument, and appears to be exactly adapted to the size of the building. But perhaps the most remarkable feature in connection with the services of this church 34 the cho. Althopgh not numert- caily large 1é is powerful and well tained, as capable of undertaking one of Oileubaci’s most didicult productions as of singing the COMPOSITIONS OF MENDELSSONN AND MOZART, and no one who bas heard the singing in this church cau couscientionsly deny tnat it has not a great tendency to eievate the character of the services, as weil as operaie pleasingly upon the mind of the lustener, It goes & long way toward refining the soul, and at the game tune tends te dissipate those narrow aud Purllanical ideas frequently put for- ward in order to exclude music from tie coremo- mies of the Church, and tims srut out what 1s ac once a refined, liberal and progressive movement and a solly, soul-luspiring Bo. of enjoyment. The Cuurca of the Messiah was well filled yester- day morning by its rich and tnduentiat cone cite- tiva, including somo of the milLonaires of Thirty. dourch street. Alter the preliminary exercises had been conviuded the Rev. Warren Cudworut, @f Bo3s- ton, preached an eloquent and instructive sermon from the two words ‘*Ripe fruit,” irom Micah vil, 1. Our tables throughout this lovely autuma nave been decorated, he said, profusely decoraied, with delicious ripe fruit, How diferent it was from the sour, tasteless, actid fruit of earler days in suin- Mer. itshowed that It had undergone marvellous ‘changes since thon, Then, agalu, whata ditlercace there was in the production of grapes and pears in this country—dillerences aimost as great as between Auuamer and Winier from what they were. It showed that God had been Working every where— abroad in greem Geils, upon the thousand hills, where @ocks and herds were produced in pleaty; in the market garden aud in the cotlager’s aumble plot vegetables in abundance were brought forth for the tse aid comfort of niankiad, Busy man was ever ab work In plauting and grafung, in sow- ing, reaping or improvements, but how much busier had God been to the production et light and air, gases and vapors, clectricity aud life—wonders in earth below and it tue blue skies aboye—as well a8 affording the means of providing us wiih this deli- cious Tipe fruit, fie could not take up amy ripe fruit without feelings of gratitude to tua who had pros vided THE LOV: nor hotd tt in his previously been Ls joned aud giver tb dis b debeacy of mercy of ( .¥ NOCRISMING ARTICLE, ving that tt had who had wacllo Wuei ratlepgih upou the nd during the past “ey an abundange of changes that are visible year, In bestowing mi ihs gs Upon ua, OF though sometimes the losimg party iy di tis! ‘with the latter arrangement. Capital and labor, commerce and exchanges, are ever on the Increase for good. The law of capital punishment had been remodetied, Scores of crimes lormerly were punished by death, and that penne was carried out publicly, but now if the hest penaity in law must be paid by a criminal tt is done within the precincts of a prison, and very few men are willing to send for tickets to witncss #0 heurtrending and sad an operation. Despite te WAK BETWEEN FRANCE AND PRUSSIA, and other indications of strife, the wat spirit 1s on the decrease; but tae times are not ripe enough for @ total cessalion of war. Women want thelr rights, and sooner or later woman’s devotion and self- sacrifice will prevail, her rights be recognized aud hor rights secured. The world will sooner or later be catirely repubilcaa, Spata has almost asked for a republic; France glided into it without a straggle, aud Mngland and Germany will one day stand side Ly side with the people of America, As Luthe:, the burl of Rochester, Bunyan aud ethers were the stur- @iest reformers only alter passing through a grade or ordeal 80 a4# to render them equal to the task beiore them, so meu, like fruits. and productions ef art and scieace, can only be perfected in God’s time, Maa must seek to attain a higher and loitier Ife in Christ, at all times believing himsel( capable of ihe lofuest position ever recorded in the history of the past—on any day or avy year--pressing on to the highest, until Re las gulned for huaseif everiast- lug biessednesa. CaineH OF OUR SAViCTR. Dincourse by Rev. J. M. Pullman—All to be Baved. At the Church of Our Saviour (Sixth Universalist) yesterday morning, the congregation were read.a ‘short lecture as to thelr tardiness in coming} to church, by tie pastor, Rey. J. M. Pullman. fle said icshowed a sloveniiness In religion which was highly culpable, and distarbed those who desired to listen to the word of God. He asked that in future they would be in before the services commenced. Tav- img thus mildly told them of their shortcomings he proceeded to preach the sermon of the day, and spoke trom the text—“Afier this I beheld, and lo, & great multitnde, which no man could number, of ail nations and kindreds, and people and tongues, stood before the tnroue and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in thoir hans, and cried with a ioud voice, gaying, Salvation to our God, whieh sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamp.’ Revelations vil,, 9, 10, ‘There ts great necessity, said he, in this turbulent Ife that we should look beyond to-morrow, beyoud that time when We cease to extst 28 human beings, inorder that we may prepare for the final trial, In every critical time MAN MUST LOOK TO THE END. The soldicr Oghts better if his commander tells hin that victory is certain; the fortune seeker works with more zest if he believes what he desires 13 sure of attainment; the lover of fame is more are dent if he kuows what uc seeks is within reach; tie sick man takes his medicine easter if his physician tells him It will heal him quickly. And as this ts true in temporal aifairs, so 1s it in the battle of life, W is the stragglie of hfe? What prevents our ing @ calm, peaceful ite? What is it gives us tue right to call life a struggle? lt is the confict within us. It is the FIGHT BETWEEN 000D AND EVIL. Then tt 1s victory or defeat. The highest alm of man’s Jife is pot happiness, which is narrow, but is hodness, which iicludes happiness. Thls is the aim the Bible proposes, About six hnnared years ago a festival of Lie Church Was instivuted calied the Festival of All Saiats, All who lad worked in the interesis of Christ aud who had elevated the human race were members of this society of sam Which was condiied to no race or peopie or luted as to tine, All who had labored for the extinction of evil m all ages belonged to tle ORDER OF ALL SAINTS. The work of this society is to overthrow evil, and ili this work ever cease? will the tie come when will be no neo for their lavorsy It has been red, Yes, when the redeemed are gathered du; when tho t ave compiete us to numbers; when ail to be saved are saved, nad when those to be damned are damned. Mr, Pullman took excoption to this definition, and contended that God would be defeated tu his design of man’s creation if a ost. Otter detinitions, le stated, we SUCiL AS that those who cond not be saved would be annihiiated; but this was against ail reason—ihe soul could not be @estroyed. His theory was that ali would be saved Hinally; and, said he, if God could not save aud would, he 15 not God Almighty; and if le would not and could, be cannot be God our Father, merciful and good. lea CHURCH OF THE MOLY Ligay, Adveut, Penitenco and Preparation—“Scrmon by Kev. W. A. MeVicker. ‘The Church of the Holy Light, in Seventh avenue— a sSinall, uppretending edifice, with bare, white- washed walls, aud 10 attempt at adornment—derives iia name from a large Latin cross, formed of gas Jets, over what bears a striking resemblanco to the altars on Catholic churches, both from its struc- ture and the lettora “L. 1. 4." (Jesue Hominum Sal- vator) placed couspicuously ia front, There was rather a thin attendance at morning service. The oiliciating clergyman was Rev. William A. McVicker, who takes the place of the rector, now temporarliy abscat. Alter the reading of the gospel for the first Sun- day in Advent (St. Matthew, twenty-first chapter) and the singing of the Forty-first hyma— Hark | the glad sound, the Saviour comos, ‘The Saviour promised ong; Let every heart prepare a throne, ‘And every voice a song. The Rev. Mr. MeVicker preached from tho text, Revelations ilt., 22—‘‘He that hath ears let him hear ‘What the Spirit saith unto the churches.” He said it was only those whose ears had been traimed to catch the utterances of the Spirit that could rightly ‘understand the words addressed to the churches of Asia Minor. The voice heurd in that Advont service might seem, as it did to young Samuel, the call of the, aged Helt to someytrivial office in the Church; but it was not so. It might be asked, where were ihe promises of Onrist's coming? The signs that are to Precede it, such as WARS, FAMINES AND EARTIQUAKES are of constant recurrence. But there are subtle reparations going on for that time known only to me, when tne physical and moral forces of humanity, like the nands of. a clock ran down, shail point te one moment of time and then stop. Among the foreshadowings of that timo he pointed out the ositivisin (iat kuews nothing of man but to make fim @ catalogud of the present to prevent mistakes 1n his childrea, and to our civilization having run its cycle and presenting features of . INDECANCY AND RECKLESSNESS OF LIFR |. that might shock even the heathen. All these, no Jess than the various works of charity in wwe churches, indtcate the coming of the new Christian era. Having described in graplilc language the as- sewbling of the Olristlans on Sabbath morning hear the leiter of the aged — apostie John read by their bishop, the preacher read With great impressiveness the entire second cha, ter of Revelativus, and remarked that the whole visto Was most natural, just what we would have pictured in meditation, And as Christians of to- day mingled in thought with thac congregation at Ephesus, they could realize the saying that tae voice aduressing them in the Advent scrvice was TUE VOICR WHICH YOUNG SAMUEL HEARD. ‘Thoy shoukt remember that no prophecy is of J private intevoretation, Te sites Ol Lhe ouce gure faning seven churches of Ast, "nor are now hardty - pelea and coreat ace we not ne ex- used by poverty, or divisio', or causes, froin paying ns peal of negiect, He wished to creato an impression that we live in dangerous timos, and the surroundings are Ehcoatening: A are eminently sultabie for the penitcential preparations: Of Advout, for God cannot shut Hs eyes for ever. ST. STEPREWS RBONWIN CATAOLIC CHURGIL The Sucrament of the Hlessed Kucharist—Ser- mon by Kev. Dr. MeGiynn. The ceremonies at 8t. Stephcn’s Catholic church ey, Were more than ordinarily impressive, fhe devolion of what is called the “forly hours” was hogun at this church, so everything was done to Make the servicesas imposing aa possible. At the close of tho high mass a procession was formed, when the blessed sacrament was borne through the church by the pastor, under a magnificent dats, which was carried by echt gontlemen belonging!to the Sunday school. The liiwuy of the salnts was then chanted. Owing to these services and the extreme length of the sermon, which lasted an hour and twenty minutes, the congregation did not leave the chureh until twe o'clock—that 1s, that very small Portion of it whe did not make it a point to steal away before the procession ceremonies were begun. The sermon was delivered by the Rev, Dr. MeGiyan, He took for his text the Gospel according te St. dohn, vi, 40-68:—‘*Y our fathers did eat manna in the wiiderness and are dead. ‘Tula is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that @ man may eat thereof.and not die.” . That portion of the 1 which he had read, the reverend clergyman said, ‘was the words of the Lord uttered when He insti- tuted the blessed sacrament. Jt Mad been foretold Ha the royal prophet David. The prophecy showed that the sacrifice of Melchisedec was but the type of the future gacrifice and suiterings of Ohrist, “The Lord bath sworn, and will not re- it; thou art a priest according to the order of felchisedec.” ‘These words foretold an order different from that which the Jows possessed, with Which they were the most familiar—the order of Leviticus, What had been foretold by David was Spoken of also ia the propiiecy of Machias, ‘The Al- mighty, by the new order, required no longer a bloody offering, but a clean oblation; net one that Could be offered in but a special, favored part of the earth and by the children of 4 FAVORED FAMILY orrace, but by countless cinldren of every clime, from the remetest Kast to the remotest West, ‘nis new, unbloods, clean oblation was the sacrifice which Christ had offered the night before He died, and which was described in the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. Jesus Christ first per- formed a great miracle, having fed @ multitude with @ few fishes, and the vulgar crowd had crossed the lake to see Hum perform a new one. He had come to de another work than to {ced men’s perishable bodies with the perishable food of earth.” The mi- racies He had already performed were but the MERE ACCIDENTS, the mere incidents of His career. fe had come to doa more serious work then these. He had come to build up the spiritual ediiice of the soul; to give men a spiritual food, uron which their souls could po m strength and obtain an tmmorial life; to raw the love of men from the perishable things of Earth to the love of things eternal, The mulutude wanted @ material head, and taunted Him by crying out that tueir forefathers bad been fed by God with manna when they were in the wilderness; but when they were told that that manna had not had the power to save their forefathers frou either material or spiritual death they rejected His words and soofted by saying, “Bow can this man give us His flesh 10 eatr” Even nowadays, as then, the scoffers were not to be found only among the unbelievers. They were to be found even in the bosom of God’s own Church. How many men sesking after the goods of this world, the satisfaction of the vanities that it gives, scoffed aud sneered as thescoffers of the multitude did when pee pert spoke to them? Was it surprising, then, at SOME OF THE INFORMAL DISCIPLES QUARRELLED with the Saviour when He told tnem that they should eat of His flesh and drink of His blood to.ob- tain life everlasting? ‘There were those among them, the Gospel told us, who, when he announced, “He that eats Me shall also live by ote,” fell back and waiked no more with him. Our Saviour would not, could not take back what He had said. He had pledged His word. ‘The Eternal Father had swern, yet the evangelist tells us that having sworn He wouid also keep his word. It would seem, then, thatm making the promise He had, God had but too many reasons to believe that He wonld be, as it were, tempted not to fulfil His EES, He promised @ great blessing by which je was determined, in spito of the perversity of men, to conquer the haman heart, by excesses of Divine love to gain thelr love. It was well for the apoaties that they dia belleve when He announced the mystery of the blessed sacrament to them, for bad they not He might have raised up, even irom tue stones by the wayside, BETTER AND MORE WORTHY ForLLownrs to spread His doctrines over the world. When Peter in their name cried eut, “Lord, to whom shali we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life,” He re- spon‘ted for all of us who believe ia Him, Was it possible that we, after a lapse of, eighteen centuries, With, of martyred ancesters hovering about us. itriesses of the traut of \the Great Sucrifice, would, at this late day, hesitate to choose between Christ and the rabble? The reverend speaker then, length, went on to show who received communion really partook of the bod, and = blucd of Josus Christ, under the form and appearance of bread and winc. God, he said, did not desire us to deny our own senses. The body and bicod of Christ, which we partook of in the communion, was not only under ‘he form and appearance.of bread and wine, but it tasted like bread and wine. Yt was under this form and appearance the Lord litd himself in order that we should understand that he was really the bread of life, which he gayo us for our soul's sustenance, at very great how — those ST. FRAVCIS NAVIERS CHURTH, Denanciation ef Victor Emmaroel—A Pulpit Mitrailleuse—Crusaders Wuuted to Liberate the Holy City=seruion by Reve Father Merrick, 8. J. A most eloquent and impassioned sermon was preached at Ligh mass yesterday at this church by Rev. Father Merrick, 8. J., during whica he de- nounced Victor Emmanuel and the Italian invaders of Rome in no measured terms, He took for his text the words, ‘Thou art reter, and upon this rock Twit buiid My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against 1%." He ably demonstrated tho folly of the attacks made {rom tne to time against the tree Church, and Lew she, ihe spouse of Christ, emerged from each conflict MORB GLORIOUS THAN EVER. This last oulrage perpotrated by Victor Emmanact end his = myrmidons in seizing, without the least show of justice, upon the property and the States of the Chureh, which belonged to her by anuman right alone, in which not a Maw cau be detected, and which neither the Holy Father nor any human power can lawfully surrender or take away. This traitor, this EXCOMMUNICATED USURPER, tho King of ltaly, need not think that the Obristian world will stand tamely by and permit such an oul- rage. When the First Napoleon held Pius Vil a prisoner at fontainebieau and was dictator of Eu- Tope, Prot nt England restored the exiled Poniir to his throne and gave him back iis lawful posses- sions. Lt may be that Protestant Prussia will do the sane now, aud THIS HIGHWAYMAN AND SPOLIATOR will be compelied io give up ins plunder, There Was an age when ail Lurope rashed to arms for an idea, and the Mosiem infidels beheld ® countiess army of Crusaders advancing to tne rescue of sho Holy Sepulchre, ‘The same spirit of Christian en- thusiasin still exists and will ere long BURST LIKE A THUNDER CLOUD over the heads of these lawless plunderers, Fven Russia and Prussia will not see this foul wreng donc. ‘The reverend preacier spoke at length upon this snbject with a degree of enthasiasin and spirit Mile produced a marked effect on the congrega- UD. THE MUSICAL, PORTION OF THE SERVICES. Mercadante's SeconugMass fer four voices was Bung by the Choir under the direction of the accom plished organist, Dr. William Bel Misses Teresa and Mary Werneko and Messrs, Tamaro and Bacellt were the soloists, und a well rained chorus assisted. The music at tls church is always of @ superioz character, thanks to tie exeruous of 1s accom- plished organist. TASERNACLE CHURCH. Kev. Dr. Thompson on Duties of Cbristinus, ‘Lithes and Spiritual Deadheads. The Rev. Dr. Thompsou, pastor of the Tabernacle Congregational church, in his sermon of yesterday morning, spoke in pln terms to his congregation &nd directed his remarks principally to tho rice Members of the churci. iis Lext was well chosen, bemg from Mavacnt iil, 10:—"Bring ye ail the tithes Into the storehouse, that there may be meat in ming house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord Of hosts, if I will not oven you the windows of heaven, aud pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it’ Jn exemplification.of Uuls lie said the tithes were not the purchase of God's grace, but the proof of consecration, and the sume principles hold to-day. If we want spiritual blessings we must full our du- les. What are the Uthes that this church is to bring tiny First, as aduiy to the world around us we owe to Christ a constant service in bringing men under the direct porsvual induence of the Gospel. It is easy enough to make excuses for not doing this. To let it alone ts to be ungrateful for our own conversion. It is to undervasue the grace of Christ, It is to leave men around us to inier that thelr cou- version is not worth anytilng, and so CHEAPEN THEIR ESTIMATR OF RELIGION, We must go to work to save the lost. fue seovud tthe Ly biotuerly ov-operation in the nia root ms one church—tho fulniment of church duttes, There are too ‘many deathoata in eho euron WMO Wish LO Got } pay eS sod ee and do Rowing, | come wax 4 ere ey go to, insiwoa | body vhey velong to, and ire pound to help aad Servos Home talk of anoneging a church as tin tuciy etore—on Disinean principles, but PROMIBY OF THR HOLY: SPIRIT to a or rANCO. CO} or railroad, how- ever well managed, and if you we out Lo manage @church a3 & paying institut! pisces You hava toa promie ate Sloan tor tue conducted on thy giving ON THE PRAYING PRING! on the working eine le, It shows’ nainencas u Lint 9 hy by for . Joving Ghrist’s poopie ‘ana eet for Oneiate cause, Hence a church must set itse!| Jessness and purify itwelf from Wortdltosa notte wo are willing to pire ourselves boay and’ goul to God, with all that if costs us, He te mort than ready to bless us beyond what we are able to reesive, FOURTH AVENUE FRESBYTERIAY ¢uUR¢H, Christian Charity=The Duties of the Rich Towards the Peor—Sermon by Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby. A large and intelligent congregation assembled yesterday at the Fourth avenue Presbyterian charch, on the corner of Fourth avenue aud ‘Twenty-sccona Atreet. ‘The pleasant, bracing air and tho clear, bright sunlight contributed to inspire the worship- Pers with a devotional feeling and te give invalids and fashionable Christians an opportunity to wor+ ship God in his own house, Every scat io the church was filled ana the members of the congrega- tion seemed happy—at peace with themsetves and the rest of the world, Dr. Howard Crosby, after maktng the usual an- nouncements as to meetings, Sunday school lessons, collections and sundry other matters, preachod an earnest and eloquent sermon ou practical charity, taking his text from Proverbs, xix., 17:—“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will He pay him again.” ‘The reverend genticman referred to the fact thas the inequalities of life are THE MEANS OF SPIRISUAL ADVANCEMENT, as they tend to exerelse the heart in chartty and im hope. He said:—The poor, tue sick and the atilicted are ever with us to chable us to énforce the princt- plo that each of us 1s our brother's keeper. Were tall sons in the world equally rich and equally well cirownstanced sure desolation would ensue. No opportunity would be afforied for the exercise of the Christian virtues, and hence forthe all-wise reasons which dwell in the Ete-nal Mind one is the tnheritor of pain and want and Woe, While another.18 bora to spend his days im idleness and indulgence, with every ineaus at hand to procure all the comforts that @arth can aitord. ‘The Creator has displayed the same magnificonce of dosign in casting Into existence the militons of dit- Terent beings who inhabit the giobe that is visible in tho construction of our terrestrial sphere, What Would be the result were the mountains levelled and the valleys raised, and the seas and rivers ied? ‘Tue earth would become A DRUARY WasTe, all withered and blisteved by tie heat or drowned by a universal deluge, Such would be the result in the material world and equally disaa- trous would be the efiect of an equal cit tivation of earin’s goods throughout the human family. ‘The rich, the poor, the robust and the sick contribute cach thelr share to the dovelopment of the social affections. “Lhe poor wa have always with us,” and te ihe dvtics owing to this class of persons tho main portion of my dis- course is directed. Kvery man Owes a duty to hia fellow, and the duty of the rich to the pour we Gull charity, Charity consists in THE EXERCISE OF ACTIVE BENBVOLENGA toward our neighbor and cannot be delegated. I¢ is well to contribute our share towaras benevolent Institutions; it {s, in fact, a duty to do so; but the hand that dispenses the charity which tuspires Taust do so in person and not by proxy. Give beey of your means; give With a 00d grace aud gi@eu- sant smile and a kind tone and manuer; r turn the poor, forsaken w.nderer from your door, oe bene will repay your gift with an evernal re- ward, Sermon of Fathor ©’Farrell—Obsorvauce of Advent. Poetic souls, fond of haunting dank and dreary Woods, to “commune with the ministers of nature," or visiting Gothic cathedrals, irom the darkest re- ceases of which they are won! to imagine the most horrible of faces peering, lave an atior-habit of prating about gne “dim, religious light” that caimly steals through the foliage of the grove, or strug. gles througn the stained glass windows and flecks the cathedral’s interior, Now the light, or rather no light, which is diffused through St. Peter's church may be of the poetic, “dim, religious” order, but that it it- ang that it “inspires such feelings as a “religlous’T light should, 18 much to be doubted, The musio, which {3 very fine at thts church, rather dispels the feeling of uncomfortableness produced by the no- light. Yesterday the choir, of which Mr, Wiliam FP, Pecher is the organist and ieader, perf L Bclec- Mons from Mercadante’s and Zimmer's masses, Rev. Father O'Farrell reas the gospel of the day— from the twenty-first chapter of i. Luke, comimeuc- ing at the tiventy-tifth verse—and then preached on the subject of the observanco of the holy season of Advent. He said:—In relation to our duty to God, are not all seasons equal? Ged exacts at ull tines the saure obligations, If THE CHURCH MAKES A DISSINCTION of time, tt is only by reason of its desire for th tion of an facreased feeling of obilgation. ra- Kent is the season of Advent. What tender senti- ments does this season inspire in a soul truly Chris lan’ Jt caused a retrogression of thoughts to the time when we were condemned and merited not a Redeemer, Alas! my brethren, it God had consulted His sanctity and our iniquities, would Ho not have punisheg as without having attempted our conver- sion? The hurling of the revéilious anzels from bea- yen teaches us this, A great soul recognizes wiat is owed to Christ, Ib knows that without Him wa would have no redemption; would still be wader the van of Adam; comprehends that the gates of hea- ven Would still be snut. Enter inte tuese thoughts, my brethren, divest yourselves of earthiy thougats and enshrine yourselves tn Jesus Chiiat The Church during tis season enjoins tire ADORATION OF JESUS CHRIST in the womb of the Virgin—to honor the wonderful humiliation of the Word made flesh, Penance t+ also one of the Church observances duriug this season, She wishes us to seppress some of our pleasures, to abandon some of the Inxurics which make life sweet, but tends to make us tudo- lent as regards God, Without penance our passions will remain strong and our sins never be overconie, Without it God will never save us from our sins. ‘This is showa by the condemnation of 80 many im Israel at the ume of the redempuon of men. The Church judges it usefui to excite sinners to conver- sien, to penance, by awakening a just and vivid conception of the miseries after a sinful death. Now, my brethren, by contrition, contession and by prayer you will merit entrance Into the delignts of that country God has created (or the after Hie of the Just. crea. BEREAN BaPiiST CBURCH. an The Whale that Swallowed Jouah No Myth— Sermon by tho Rov. P. LL. Davis. A very respectable though not numerous con- gregation assembled at the above church yesterday morning, Rev. P. L. Davis, the pastor, preached an ingenious and forcible discourse upon the three firss verses of the flist chapter of the Book of Jonah, Att men of notoriety or renowa, he said, ind been dia- tingulshea by some PECULIARITY OF CHARACTRN, ‘Which was most prominently developed in choie lives, Thus, for instance, in Scripture wo find that Noah was distinguished for his mghteousness, Abraham for his meckness, Jacob for his patience, David for nis piety, and Solomon for his wisdom. The priaciple would apply to all men who had attained in any way great distinction in life, No person had ever been distingaished for every virtue or celebrated for every human oxcelicnce, Christ Jesus aloue excepted, who was the embodiment of all perico- tion, We do not find it recorded of Jonah tat he Was Sietinaemed for any excellence of character. Thongh a iebrow by natiouality, by occupation a prophet, dud by profession, at ieast, a worshipper of Ged, yet his character appeared to have beew exceedinsly defective, the most prominent feature of bis Laie belay luis HOCENTRIC OBSTINACY. Mis hie” Was the most maryellons on record. It was sawer than fictior mndeed, It was wo strange 4 & be true, Some had veen startled Aud 6k »..ffawed at the records of bis life, aud eu. deavored tm various wags 0 explain and get rid of the dudioulwes which this book 1s supposed to iu- Volve. Seme supposed that it was au allegorical plowure; others that the whale was not a fis, but a slip Wilh the nage of ° A WHALE ON THE STERN. Others thougat it was a dream which Jonah had In the ship, wile still others regarded it as moreiy & aravle, designed to point oul the chastisonent of Goa ‘nd the Vengeance of divine wrath upon the disobedient. Tu spite of all these rationaiisite at- tempts to explain the book, was inciined to w cept Jonah us areal historical charac events, sirange and startling as they aa real facts. itey were so regarded by tic and that should be suflicient auchovity for tiew. ‘Phere were three things worthy of attention Ln con- sidering Jonah’s itfe. ‘The first was tae commission he had received; secondiy, his ATIEME? TO THWART THE DIVINE PURPOSR by getiing rid of that comuisston, ana, thirdly, tne consequences Which ensued trom its strange ant posued conduct, Tae muasion was to procaim God's