The New York Herald Newspaper, January 6, 1873, Page 8

a PRAISE AND PREACHIN a ee Small Congregations Yester- day in the Churches. \ SLUSHY AND SLIPPERY SABBATH. Yew Year's Novelties in the Way of Religion Presented by the ‘THE OUTLOOK.” fhe Rev. Mr. Graham on the , Memories of the Past and the Perspective of the Future. ‘WHICH OP THE TWO PATHS ?” he Rev. Dr. Holme Sermonising on “Starting Afresh” in the Journey of Life—The Stokes-Fisk Tragedy, tELIGIOUS RETROSPECTS. ther Sermons on the Old Year and the New— The Teachings of Time—The Death Roll of the Past—Criticisms of Great Men Dead—The Increase of Crime. Tebration of the Festival of the Epiphany in the Catholic Churches. ‘HE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. tiscourses of Beecher and Or- : gaiston in Brooklyn, Owing to the stormof sleet and rain, and the ice 1d snow and mud wfver foot, none of the iurohes of the city had yesterday a very large at- mdance. People preferred to Yemaiir Andoors ither than risk the dangers of the silppery nq ashy streets. But, nevertheless, the members of @ metropolitan ministry were—almost all of lem—at their posts, and preached with, no doubt, \great effect as ever they did, although perhaps ot so impressively as when they looked upon ore crowded congregations and gained inspira- pn therefrom. The following budget of sketches the most forcible and eloquent of their dis- ‘arses yesterday will be found interesting. 8T. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH. What the Years Teach”’—Sermon by the Rev. W. R. Carroll. St. Paul’s Episcopal church, of Yorkville, a pretty tle structure on Eighty-fliith street, between sxington and Third avenues, had a fair congre- ition yesterday morning, considering the storm ‘at broke upon the city ubout the hour its wor- \ppors are wont to come together. The Christ- as decorations avout the gallery, columns and alls added much to the cheerful interior appear- ice, the whole being- so arranged as to im- wrt @ very pleasing effect. The Rev. W. R. yrroll, the rector, was announced to make the Dject of his text, “What the Years Teach,” theme peculiarly fitting at this season, id ome deserving of careful thought and nest consideration. After the preliminary orning exercises, which were of an interesting \ture, Mr. Carroll selected as the foundation of 3 discourse, Deuteronomy xxxil., 7—‘‘Rememoer ¢ days of old, consider the years of many gener- ions; ask thy father and he will show thee; thy Jers, and they will tell thee.” What a wonderful id complex creature, he began, is man, and how arvellous are the circumstances in which he 1s aced! Consider his action and being, his brain, ngs, heart and all else, and is he not wonderful ? msider his intellectual capabilities, how with emory things of the past can be recalled, and en Fatect how he can experieace pain and pleas- e, an ¥ THE FEELING OF ASTONISHMENT comes doubly great. Life, its memory of good d evil, andthe character of hope which per- des all beings, led the rector to ask the im- Ttant and solemn auestion, ‘To what destiny ewe hurrying!’ The opening of another year geested the thoughts as given, and such a prac- wal theme as ‘What the years teach.’ In sub- tting the subject of the discourse, Mr. Carroll sired the congregation to follow him in looking ck over their past lives, in looking within one- Ifana to look furward. In doing so he requested shearers to read tue entire chapter in which the xt is found, and ponder upon Moses’ song, in ich he setteth forth God’s mercy aud vengeance. id It would appear that Moses gave this last lemon charge to the Jewish people before he ant up from the plains of Moab unto the moun- \n of Nebo, aud, therejore, the earnestness of his ynner in charging them to “Remember the days ‘old; consider the years of many generations.” the Jews this remiuded them of ‘the marvellous sons they had received in the past and THE TENDEKNESS OF GOD | at had oversnadowed them, Tlis power ! muracies, from the timé they were | 1 out of the house of bondage until en, must have impressed them with the great ‘ing that God had ever extended His watchful | fe over them by night and day. These were | me of the lessons taught the Jews, and they me to us with equal force. We of this perio’ ould have the same thoughts. The goodness of d has been over and about us on every hand, and, otinuing Mr. Carroll, we of this church can look ck an hardly count His mercies; can member how He has blessed us, pre- rved our lives and made us prosperous | ' business—indeed, a pillar of hope by | rht and day. None among the congregation | ald peer into the past and not count some pe- ids Of sunshine and hope. The uncertainty and aracter of human life were next touched upon; at the 600,000 men that died in forty years among 2 Jews is @ lesson of tue shortness of existence, ‘that entire original number but two or three ed. The death of Moses then came in review, d Mr, Carroll was extremely eloquent and ab- ‘bing in directing the lesson which it conveyed. this moment the rain and hail making up the vible storm of yesterday morning came dowp on the yi ROOF OF THE CHvRCT th so much witensity thatit was dimcult for some he congregation in the back pews to hear all the y said, and they leaned forward upoi the mediately in front, endeavoring to catch ory ‘d he uttered, and then he deduced as oh lesson& were taught the ancient generatio’ they are taughtto us. The preacher, in 100! over some Oh the statistics relating to the city New York duritz the year 1872, adverted to the t that in the twelve months there had occurred 469 deaths, 21,898 births and 8,045 marriages. In < weeks, from the 1pfit of June to the 27th of July, gre died 3,666 children under five years of age. ere were 68 deaths by.sunstroke in one day, 7A deaths by Vidience in the year and 140 suicides e period. This knot the time, said y me to speak of the { (GREAT INCREASE OF CRIME jour midst through the lack of quick, energotie | inijshment, and what should be done rome” i but the time must soon come wh nie ‘ef must stand up and tell the law.»" iinet 4 how toact. What ought We ta “yoy What a9 course in this the opening year» Thee is no @yation out of Christ. We mur, repent, delieve,- a publicly declare our faith ’.n Christ Jesus. Owr éurch has pros; ied Ye past year, andthe bod words an KS “that are to our cr sould be an exertion “or greater acts of bene “Md ace and Christiar, ministrations, a Iaking our history very and this should be iritten upon our memories :—‘Remember the days < old; consider the years of many generations,” ) THE TRINITY BAPTIST OBURCE. i — Wew Year—Starting Afresh—“The Paths” —The Stokes-Fisk Tragedy— , Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Holme. ~ Jn continuation of a series of sermons on the yok of Proverbs, the Rev. Dr. Holme, of the ‘riv- | church. NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1873—WITH SUPPLEMENT. ity Baptist church, preached last evening ‘from Proverbs, iv., 7—‘The first thing is wisdom.” The subject being, as announced, “The New Year— Starting Afresh—The Two Paths,” he commenced by saying:—There is an old adage ‘tha’ anything well begun is well nigh half done,” and we all know that to begin is often the most dificult part of @ task, especially to begin to do right. To come right up to the moment when the first blow 1s to be struck and to strike it is to achieve a victory that is worth a record in any man’s life. It 1s always the first blow which costs in @ course of right or wrong. When a man gets fairly going in @ course of conduct there is a sort of moral Momentum that is acquired which hurries him along faster and faster, so that It requires a pretty sharp, strong application of the brakes to stop him, and it is on this account that men must first CEASE TO DO EVI that it is so dimcult for them to begin to do well. The train of their evil life has attained such @ mo- mentum that it is almost inpoaaliis to stop it. ‘The reverend gentleman then proceeded to itus- trate this by reference to habits acquired in youth, and even in later life, which grow upon their sub- ject imperceptibly, and which are so diMcult to reak away, He then continued :—But, a8 in every great rail- road, there are some points at which the most rap- idly moving train stops to take fuel and water. So on the RA{LROAD OF LIFB there are some great atations where all trains sto} stations from which there are great divergin, roads. He regarded the New Year as one of these fy and announced as the first question, Where do yeu want togo? Under this head he considered the various objects, the pursuit of which take up the life of man; the pursait ot wealth, station and other things. He intradaced practical ilustrations to show the inevitable re- sults tollowing upon a life of good and ev.1, refer- ring among other things to the FISK-STOKES TRAGEDY, so sad in itselfand of such influence upon @ com- munity. He then exhorted his hearers regardin: the proper life in the future, We live in deeds. not years. See to lt that you profit by the mistakes of he past, and take heed for the future. In the new year strive to walk on a higher plane and with urer aspirations, and in the discharge of nobler juties, Don’t be too solicitous about the tssues of the coming year. Only be solicitens that so far as you,are concerned you commit your way unto the P; is SEVENTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN OHUROH. Discourse by Rev. 8S. H. Graham—Sub- ject, “The Outlook of the New Year’=— Contrasting the Good with the Wicked=The Memories of the Past; What Are They? The Rev. 8. H, Graham, pastor of the Seventh avenue United Presbyterian church, preached a very impressive discourse to his congregation yes- terday afternoon, at half-past three o’clock. The subject selected was the “Outlook of the New Year,’ and the text chosen by the reverend gen- tleman was from Eccieslastes viil., 12, 14:— “Though a sinner do evil a hundred times and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before im; that it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he projorg itis days, which are as a shadow, because he feareth not God.” The reverend preacher, after réviewliig and in- terpreting the meaning of the text, said that the past year was one FRAUGHT WITT EVENTS 6 Marvellous as any there present could ber, and yét ne confesaed it brought ma’ for which he expréssed jis than 4 SUN the works of the rightédus a great extent, mixed up with those of the ‘The year that was gone taught to all a le! many important truths worthy of study and re- membrance. “There have been wicked men,” {i the words of the text, ‘to whom it happenetn ac- cording to the work o! the righteons,” aad “there have been just men to whom it happeneth accord: ing to the work of the wicked.” sMany have gone Lee that bourn whence no traveller returns” a CROWN OF IMPERISHABLE GLORY Leite their brows, who left a name and a fame be- hind them which shall be as immortal as our memories themselves, and who now inherit the happiness for which they formed all their actions and ail their lives, Others have passed away who ee to the sickly pride and pleasures and beauty of the world, but who leit no impress on their’ times—no name im the annals of their country. LOOKING OVER THE FADED PAST and judging from the aspect of its history and rec- ords, there 1s a great deal to be done in the future, It would seem as if the spirit of Christianity were annihilated, ite vigor gone, lis beauty ignored, its inissionaries left unaided and A REIGN OF SELFISHNESS AND INDIFFERENCE and negiect coming upon us. Crime has been on the increase, and God has aMlicted many by the awtul calamity of fire. There is a lurking desire for all that is worldly and a streng temptation to oppose tae Church of God and its ministers. Ifa theatre be burned down it can be built upin a day; if @ wandering Livingstone is to be found men are despatched and money expended; but if the Church is to be supported or missionaries s0- licited there is the greatest dificulty m securing anything toward the true development of Chris- tian virtue and morality. Yes, there seems to be and there is a continual fight or struggle between THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH. The werld says, “Relax your principles even a little and you will be successful; but the Church of God is firm and cannot be intimidated, It seeks not the ferent or sickly smile of fash- 10n; neither will it submit to the appeals or inno- vations of the wicked, but will ge on moving in that direct path on which it has moved for thous- ands of years without yielding to the greatest king no more than to the lowliest peasant. ‘The reverend preacher then pointed out the great evil of the times to which all crimes must be attributed, namely, a lack of faith and morality based on the true principles of Christian doctrine, without which religion ts only a myth, and MORALITY AN IMAGINARY THING. He then named some of tne distinguis’ed person- ages who died during the past year who exercised @ notable and worthy influence upon the country at large in social, literary, journalistic and political life. They had met that fate bravely which was the } common lotorall, He then exhorted his congre- | gation to form resolutions for the better, obey the commandments of God and cling in true spirit not to the wisdom of the world, but to the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. 8T. STEPHEN'S CHUROH, Sermon by the Rev. Dr. McGlynn—The Meaning of the Epiphany=—Sunday School Festival, The rain and slush were responsible yesterday morning for a.great falling of im attendance at The prospect of a broken bone or a hack- ing cough is not much of a provocative to religious worship, and absentees might reasonably excuse themselves for staying at home by pleading the unpropitious state of the weather. Even St. Stephen's church, usually so cheerful and bright, had a sombre, dull air yesterday, and the gloom of the weather seemed to settle upon even the sanc- tuary itself, with all its gorgeous surroundings. The music of the mass was Haydn's in ©. In the absence of Miss Howson Miss Sullivan took the part of the soprano. Mercadante’s vespers were sung in the afternoon, Mrs. Mott being the soprano. THE HIGH MASS was celebrated by the Rev. Father Lynch. After the first gospel the Rey. Dr. McGlynn preached from the gospel of the Feast of the Epiphany. ‘The epiphany means the apparition or manifesta- tion of our Lord, He being first made known to the wise men of the East by a star, To-morrow will, then, bé fhe day of eur first being called to the knowledge ara ive of Christ, The coming 9 Christ was made KhOWN to Jsty Ang Gentile—to th former by an angel sent to the shepherds, to the latter by a star, which guided the wise men to thiehem. ‘The wise men, when they saw the star in the heavens, immediately set out to seek Jesus in Judea, whither, ac. cording to tire jfupirecy of pained ty bag been believed the star would lead the: vaturaily, they first sought Him in Jerusalem, Judea, ae where they could find the Jews."’ It was from the wisg ny that King Herod first heard of the birth ©” yogus, and he was Baturally anxious and trem old about “it, ‘a8 were all Jerusalem. BUSA". prophecy said’ that, the Saviour would” yorn at Betlevem; and, follow. ing the gW~ ace of the star, the wise men found Him th", “And, having found Him, they fell down on@ worshipped Him, They then made Him the offerings tiey had brought with them—gold, as a tribute due to Him as their King; Srankince nse, as to their God; myrrh, as to a mortal man (frankin- cense being then Stor ode worship and in the burial of the dead. i} m ce extraordinary manifestation of God's good- | nese to us ought to excite in our breasts the most | grateral thoughts, We were thus called to the | faith, and to-day the same sure invitation is given | to the milhons-to come and worsbip their God. | But, just asim. the Bast, all the nations saw the | star and but few availed themselves of its gutd- ance to the Saviour, go the light which God to-day ives to attract men to adore and serve Him is de- ised or unheeded by too many. We may well be lo&t in admiration of the great faith of the wise much as they approached their God at Bethlehem. HEY ASKED FOR THE KING OF THE JEWS, and foynd Him in an bumble home, surrounded by none ofthe pomps and vanities of the world, for “His Kingdom was not of this world.’ But they opened their eyes to the heavenly truth and shut them to the world’s vanities, and believed in the might well tremble for bis throne when he heard that the Son of God had come on earth, He feared the loss of his temporal kingdem; and Mee? how many such are there who would try to stifle the a of Tino, like the priests and scribes in Jerusalem, who knew where the Saviour was, ae coming to Trai themselves vefore His altar! What an exam me do wo find in this faith of the wise men at Bethlehem! They adored the Saviour God with humilit; made Him offerin, whose m; ve Him thi souls, their prayers and ” SELF-DENIAL AND IFICATION $ for as the soul is stamped with the image of God 80 ia gold with the of the King; as frank- incense ‘is an emblem of prayer so are offered the vapors of our devotions, and as myrrh is bitter, though wholesome, 80 should our lives not be void of mortifications, The preacher continued then to urge his hearers to follow the light which was over, beckoning them toward virtue; to come and adore Jesus in the sacrament of iis love, thus to let their lives be a respense to the life of the Saviour offered up SUNDAY SCHOOL FESTIVAL. In the afternoon a Snnday school festival was held in the basement of the church. About tw. thousand children were present. The festiv: opened with the singing of the ‘deste Fidelis,” after which the pastor—tbe Rev. Dr. McGlynn— made a pleasant and appropriate address, This concluded, the Rev. Father McCready and the Rev. Father Fiynn, assistant pastors of St. Stephen's, distributed the presents. The festival closed with the singing of “Jerusalem, My Hapny Home!’ 8T, PATRIOK’S OATHEDRAL The Very Rev. Vicar General Starrs on the Festival of the Epiphany—The Ex- ample of Faith Presented by the Three ‘Wise Men—The Duties of the New Year, The services at St. Patrick’s Oathedral yesterday Were attended by a small congregation compared with those that usually flock to its sacred and Memorable precincts, The mass was, however, Not less impressive and grand nor the music less excellent and edifying. The very Rev. Vicar Gen- eral Starrs preached the sermon, and the Rev. Father McNamee acted as celebrant. The Very Reverend Archbishop was also present in his Pon- tifical robes. After ascending the pulpit Dr. Starrs read the Gospel of THE PEAST OF THE EPIPHANY, which is kept to-day, commencing with the begin- ning of the second chapter of St. Matthew and end. ing at the twelfth verse. He took his text from the second yerse—‘‘Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him,’’ He then said:—Of all the benefits conferred on us by our Creator the highest in importance is the manifestation of His Divinity—of the knowledge of Himself. Creation itself cannot be compared with it. For what benefit would it have been to have enjoyed existence and net the means of preparing our souls for heaven? Until the time of the incar- nation ofour Lord and Saviour this gift was im- parted only t one hation—the Jews, All others were atk in darkness and in the shadow of death. At length the time of mercy came—thi moment arrived when this ge was conferre: upon all the nations of the earth, THE PRINCE OF PEACB * 5. desired of all nations came down from heaven and was born in Bethlehem of Judah, A bright ‘This signal, SAA not understood by the multi- luminary appeared in heaven, announcing the lad tidings to the peoples in the East of the com- Ing of a Saviour and te invite them to ring the first irnits of the Gentiles to THE CRIB OF BETH! tude, and only ‘the three who were called wise men set outin search of the mew King. It was -during the festival of the Ephipany that they journeyed to Bethlehem to pay homage and to make offerings to the Messiah. The Church, then, always anxfous that her chil- aren should express gratitude te God for all biess- ing8 sych as this, seems to go ina spirit with the wise men to the crib of Bethiehem to pay homage and make offerings. This feast of the Epiphany is @ second Christm: it is, properly speaking, ‘THE CHRISTMAS DAY OF THE GENTILES. The Ctrurch alwi lebrates it with great solem- a, and keeps i one of the principal holidays of the year. A few refeéctjons on the nature of this féstival and on thé example of the wise nien would afford tnstruction at this season. On that Christmas night, when the wise shepherds were watching their flocks on the plains, the light appeared sbining afar off to the astonished, who rose from their slce] and crowded the streets saying:—‘‘How brillian' it 18! what is its meaning?” The wise men were inhabitants of a country east of Initia, probably of Arabia. They were men of intejligence and sci- ence, and secmed to have learned from the tradi- tions of their forefathers that A KING WAS TO BE BORN, and his birth made known to the Gentiles by the Jo saipeireaed ofan por earinesy star. Accordingly they set out wishing to know the truth in obedien tethe voice of God. They were obedient to ti first call, and even in the cold winter season under. took a long journey. Their obedience was perfect, and their courage and perseverance extraordinary. At length they arrived at Jerusalem, and the star disappeared. ee then went to Herod the King to inguire where the Saviour was to be born, and HE CALLED THE HIGH PRIESTS and they said that he was to be born in Bethichem, of Judah. They resumed their journey, and soon approached ean aaa led by the shining of the star, and it stood still {n the skies over the place where the Saviour was. They loexed at the house— a humble dwellingz—and looked at each other. Was it possible that this was the birth place of the great King? They looked then at the rT, and saw that it remained motionicss, ‘They immediately entered wate the child was, and adored him, and offered ma GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH. It is astonishing with what devotion they adored the Saviour, although before this time they had no knowledge of the true God. Perhaps tiey had heretotore only adored the sun, moon and stars or some inferior creatures. ‘Their faith was perfect. By their gtits of gold is denoted charity and love for God and our neighber; by myrrh the spirit of mortification; by frankincense prayer. Such were | the things they offered; and it was the duty of | every Christian at this seasom to make to the di- vine Saviour ihe same offerings. You should ex- amine yourselves and see if you have followed TUE EXAMPLE OF OUR SAVIOUR @uring the past year and during the one that is opening you continue obedient and devoted to Hii, ow He is 2 God of mercy. After atime He may be a God of justice, and those two alternatives are | clearly displayed in the history of the Epiphany— Mercy and justice—mercy to the Gentiles and jus- tice to the Jews, ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER PLACE. We are all on the way to another place—all in search of Jesus, and may our Bethlehem be neaven and our guide the Cataolic Church, We have had trials. We may have more. Let us be faithiul to the teachings of our guide. Cling to her, and to show our love for God let us be faithfal to her in every respect, and then we will have the happiness of seeing another Bethlehem abeve and will find the Child with Mery His mother, THE TWENTY-FIFTH STREET PRESBYTERIAN | CHURCH, Sermon by the Rev. J. 8S. Stewart on the Old Year and the New. Yesterday morring, notwithstanding wretched state of tie weather and the slippery sidewalks, there was a large congregation present in the Twenty-flith street Unitea Presbyterian | church. The Rey. J. 8. Stewart chose for his text the last clause of the twenty-sixth verse of the faith chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, which reads, “We have seen strane things to-day.” The young | preacher commenced by saying, “ft was a strange age that prodaced Jesus Christ, With His power to heal the sick, to ratse the dead and to forgive our sing, There was something fascinating about power of “ THE GOOD MAN, and when Peter by the power of Jesus Christ was enabled to draw in a multitade of fishes, and when by @ Word man Wa» healed, id tt p wonder that man can say, “We have seen strange things to- day Who can look back unon the woaders of the old year vuat had gone out and not say, “We have scot strange things to-day! We live In & wohdertul age, tie most wonderful of the world, There are Croakcrs who are always decrying the present and wishing for times long ago. There are tne | ANACHRONICAL FOSSILS wh? are ever crying ‘or the good old days that are gehe, when there was love and veneration and time for contempiation, which we have alinost lost in the hurrying and gi ing of the present, and yet tais is even the brigatest and the best stage of the world. I believe in A MILLENNIUM, in @ good time coming, in the day when the know)- edge of the Lord ‘shail cover the earth as the ‘waters cover the sea.” If | believed as some theo- until Christ comes, then 1 would stop preaching the Gospel, because the sooner it would get at its worst the sooner Christ would come, But the oid belief seems tu be the best belief after all, aud that is that there is to be a good time for the world, cail it a millennium or cali it what you will, The world, with allits badness, is moving gradually upward to higher ground, and the day shall yet come when the living race shall sit upon the MOUNTAIN TOP of truth and talk with God. Mr, Stewart then showed that althongh every- thing of to-day was not better than everything of times gone by, that on tne whole God’s truth 1s revalling and the world is progressing, and sali Hine glamor of much of the ol orthodox of the ast Was penetrated we would find that tn all their Hrmness there was much obstinacy and bigotry, in all their consclient!ousness there was something light that Gog bad given to guide them, Herod Of spirit of persecution and jn all their religion logians, that the work! was to get worse and worse | there was intolerance. The Church may be drift- ing too much to LIBERALISM to-day, bas 1 Unerelions even as an extreme is no worse ther extreme—bdigotry—from which we have just emerged, and who Sit dare to say that the few thousands which we called Obris- Hans a century oF two age were worth. more than me, oat jong of even the too liberal Ohristians of to-da} "After taking a brief view of the p: of Christiamity—alluding to the work in China, the emancipation of the serfs in Russia, the freedom of the slaves in the United States—Mr. Stewart added:—We all can remember that but a few years ago the idea that the . hts which jen are bound to espect would had rights which men are boun: respect be laugued at by even Christians; it took the present age and such men as Henry Bergh to carry out ‘The righteous man 1s merciful to his beast.” And even in the remembrance of you and me the idea of an educated womanhoed was sneered at, and while we have mo sympathy for those extremists who would destroy all the exist- ing relations of the sexes, yet it is progress to see ‘THE POWER OF WOMAN used for God in the right, to see her having oppor- tunities of development and culture, to have her immense influence utilized for the truth. Speaking of the death roll of the past year Mr. Stewart said:—We have only time to mentien the inspired paneer Kensett, the prince of scoundrel- ism, Fisk, the newspaper prince Bennett, the Scotch writer Norman McLeed, the backwoods Methodist preacher Peter Cartwright, and the Poet, T. Buchanan Read. We would cast no shame on the grave of Edwin Forrest, but, notwithstand- a! all rreatness, Edwin Forrest died almost unlamented, With invincible energy, with almost superhuman power, with strange passion, he lived @ life of selfishness and died un pt. It is a ques- tion worthy the atvention of itians whether men have @ right to live for self alone. Are the: not bound to Jive for God and humanity? Altho' EDWIN FORREST ° left a fortune to build a home for destitute actors when he died, it is a question, after all, whether men on their death beds, finding they cannot take their Money with them, leave it where it will give them @ great name for charity. True humanity would teach us to scatter a few sunbeams along the path- way of our lives and not have the only ce come from our graves, Mr. Stewart then made some kind remarks about Horace Greeley and D’ Aubigné, the histerian of the Reformation, and concluded by calling upon those who had made $08 resolutions for the present year to seek the assistance of Christ rather than trust alone to their ewn strength of mind, OHUROH OF THE DISCIPLES, New Stock of Religion for the New Year—Aim of Life—Crowing Over Their New Departure and Its Ends—Sermon by Rev. George H. Hepworth. Notwithstanding the unusually inclement Weather there was @ very large attendance at the services yesterday morning at Steinway Hall, This ‘was probably owing to the fact that it was the first Sabbath of the new year and the expectation that Mr. Hepworth would signalize the event by a specially brilliant sermon adapted to the occasion. In this respect the congregation was not disap- Pointed. He preached A NEW YEAR'S SERMON. His text was Psalms, lxxxix., 47—‘Remember how short my time is.” The old Druids of Britain observed at this season of the year a custom which ‘was peculiarly significant. The headof the family altars, and from thence toek a brand to light a new fire for a new year. The spirlt of that custem lives atill with us. There is a degree of pathos and hope mingled with this boainaing 6! nother y: ‘We comé together in the house of God, nevine cast aside all worlduness and care, and get ou to light our neW fire for the new year. An has just gone. It is beyond our gr: of ours can recall it. Its recor closed as a business man seals his ledger, which is filled up, and lava it by for future use, if yeed be, to prove his solvency, so the angels of immortality will some time take our book from its place and read our thoughts, our words and actions, It is not for me to ask how your record stands. The answer can only be given by your own hearts. How mar- velleus is the passage Of time! To-day we are beys; to-morrow we are in middie life. It seems but a fitful dream. It has lost its marvellous roseate tint. It is sober gray; it isasevere fact. When the eongae that you are-in middle life comes to you for the first time it comes like a cloud between you and the sux. It cools your enthusiasm, “TAM GROWING OLD.”” lam sinking in the west. At any moment unfor- geen digaster or accident may come, and with lessened powers of resistance I may be swept Those thoughts work with @ mysterious ers ‘Time will fy. You have not power to stay it. Be you scornful or Hg eee your watch ticks on, and with each tick your Itfeebbs away. And 80 we are always marchiag—whether up or down depends on as, Though life is short eternity is long. We have a beginning, but no end. We begin at the cradle, and with each year we add a ring to our growth, ado the trees of the forest. And each Ting carries us nearer to God. No, ‘TIME I3 NOTHING. It tells on our bodies, not on our souls. You must measure it by experience, The time that bears no fruit deserves no name ; In hoary youth Methuselahs may die, ‘Oh! how misdated on their flat’ring tombs. Life is but a mesns to an end, that end ap- proaching mearer to God. This year is PECULIARLY SIGNIFICANT tousas a religious society. Twelve months ago we started on a new life. Your friendship bore me up. We left our old household in the name of Christ, our watchword Christ, our weapen the cross, our aim to save the seuls of men. We were so glad that truth had dawned upon our souls. We went into the community to lay the corner stone of OUR NEW CHURCH, and that church is for rich and poor, We care nothing for riches and jewels. Men are men; God is our father, and we are the servants of Jesus Christ. This is our foundation. There are those in this city who can be rai by your efforts, and who, if we neglect them, shail be res) jonsible for their lost souls? At the throne of God there will be go many witnesses against you. This is a responsi- bility that cannot be shaken off. There are oun and young women who are now taking he it downward step. Life is so fascinating that, like the serpent, {t charms its prey. Shall we leave them alone ? Sure of heaven, shall we sit, like Pharisees, in our own righteousness? No man is sure of heaven who is simply P aervane pure. He must save others, He must go forth into the world, LIFTING THE DOWN-TRODDEN, And there are others half-way down the hill, and others tented at the bottom. Shall we see them float down the current and only shudder as they go over the cataract? And we can speak to them with the authority of God. If you embrace that cross there will come to you iu years @ peace that ages all understanding, but if you refuse to em- Brace that cross all your life will be bound “in shal- lows and in miseries.” Blot out the sun and what good. is lie? No grass for Spring, no fruits for Autuma. Were Christ blotted out of your life your life would be @ Sahara without an oasis—sand sand, sand. Weil, we are standing on the threshold of another year. We cannot tel what a day may bring Yerth. FRIENDS AND FORTUNE are unstable, but it is in the power of each of you to make @ character as stable as eternity itself. ‘Though we cannot control our bodies we can con- tre: our souls, and let us do it in an improved fash- jon. 1tis a marvellous thing that men fail to do this. We build our little boats, weign anchor and start out on tke broad ocean. The shore of our childhood is soon out of sight, and with masts sprung and our sails tattered we are leit to face the ocean before ps. Is there no salyation’ Yes. There comes a noble craft, She is headed for us. On her masthead is ¢ red cross of Calvary; her name Christ the Re- er. Arope is thrown us and we are drawn poard, saved, saved from exposure and danger, coath and hell. After the close of the sermon the whole congre- tion united in repeating aloud tne Lord’s Prayer. ‘Their voices, rising low and strong and then dying away, resembled the deep roar of the breakers dashing on the shore, The names of eightcen per- SQus Who intended Remo ged church were read, titer Which was ceogig by the congregation and ‘losing benedict! ac ithe BROOKLYN CHURCHES. Paget coh <a cecanseenesaieona o* ~~" PLYMOUTH CHURCH. A Large Accession of Members to the Church=—Sermon on the Knowledge of God=—A Dog-Pit Proprietor and Mr. Bergh—What Worms Know About the Ten Commandments—An Illustration from Professor Tyndall—The Present Age an Age Drifting Towards Atheism, ‘The morning service at Plymouth church yester- day was rendered memorable by the admissien of a large number of new members, A long list of names was read; sixteen were admitted on the profession of faith and the remainder by letters of disiaissal from other churches, The number has not been exceeded since the May gathering, a month that has for several years been a favorite | son for candidates for membership. Mr. Beecher an- | Bounced after the reading the annual letting of the | pews on Tuesday evening next. The sermon was on the knowledge of God and the text was selected from the third chapter of the Kpistle to the Epliesians, sixteenth to nineveenth verse—"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with bia by His Spirit in the inner ek that Christ may dwe! a your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted an grounded in love, may be able to com! rehend with all saints what is tne breadth and length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ witch passeth knowledge, that ye might be fille with all the fulness of Ged. In an elaborate lengthy introduction Mr, Beecher endeavored to show the difficulty of humanity to find out Ged: how this dificulty had true Bont. chorded ins: ats, Men with in one direction could net understand men whose faculties were not absorbed same direc! Take a man who owns > te me A DOG-PIT in New York, who has a pride ia black and tans or in bull-pups, whose delight is in ¢] the dogs eka ki who to in valving of it through the day, and whose re, the eat trial of their atre! comes at the exhi- ition at night, could be realized self. Now put the great Mr. Bergh with that man, and let them sleep together, and what a life they would have! To illustrate another condition of mind. There is a peck measure of marbles, and you want to know how many it cen- tains, You take them out and count them, or by sorting them you could that he must hear it. But it was not by any pro- cess of reasoning that he ascertained the value of the music; it was not because it was a certain number of sounds, ae by the making of the that an estimate was found. A different kind of peoaley was required—a faculty, too, that was lve in its character and obeyed the same law that arithmetic obeyed. When yeugo into the question of taste the same law was observ- able. There was @ certain intuition—not a very definite naming of the faculty, but one which men had united in naming, that was an aggregate of the faculties within ts—and that was best known as a moral sense that enabled us to judge of cer- tain qualities for ourselves. Thus we at length reach our text, ‘‘to know the love of Christ, which asseth knowledge’’—that is, passeth the lower nowledge. We come to a knowledge of Christ by relating ourselves to His nature; we come to & knowledge of Christ by a perronsl expression of these suas and the power of which is founded on great nensibiitty. Just as much a8 is God-like in us responds to that which is God- like, 80 that we become as sensible of the groennee ef God as the baremeter is sensible of the pres- sure of the atmosphere, bears witness in us, not more than we bear witmess of the God. So that by looking at ourselves in the light of these truths we come to see hew it is that WE KNOW 80 LITTLE OF GOD. “Thou thought that Iwas such a one as thou art’’ was the interpolation en one eccasion. There was probably such a thenght as this by the worms. Suppose he (Mr. Beecher) were ‘to recite the Ten Commandments to a worm could it understand it? What sort of a time would he have if those before him were werms and ke was | reaching to them? But give him (Mr. Beecher) human heart, and let its strings be revealed, and how he could play upon it! Leave him nothing but a brain, and he could put his hand on the rea- son, and that was all. Then, look at man at his highest. How little he was’! Heroism, how little 1 Our best moments, how insignificant! Our noblest endeavors, how small when we compare them with the God-like, even as we knowit! We are constrained to admit that these are but parts of His ways. A boy, who has just learned to read and who plumes himself on it, what dees he know of Mteratmre? When we attempt to prove fe Saistence of God on » scientific paste we reach but a very small way up. We caanot prove that which He’ beyend matter by matter. We go sound- ing through all the universe, and we can get no sign, no hint of God. These difficulties are not lessened if we turn in other directions. In this age there was an unmistakable DRIFTING TOWARDS ATHEISM. But there was no relief to the human mind in that direction. We say that matter is eternal; but we don’t stop thought bya word. It was more dim- cult of conceptien than the idea of @ personal God. There was no rest, either, in pantheism. We know when we are in the presence of @ great nature; we know it thoughit speak not. We come toknow that there is a glerious centre of life and warmth for our moral nature. The Christian knows this, and although this is not an argument it is an a gument that is absolute and is a wise one. It is a sensibility that has relation to a Belng that im- resses itself with its own qualities. Now, if the ew Testament were looked over it would be seen that it appeals throughout to this style of evidence, When Christ was onearth and in His replies to the inquiries of the wise men of the time He answered in that direction. ‘Yeu snow not Me, because you have not that within you by which you can Know Me,” was the substance of hi reply. That was the standard principle that men were to look to for the subjective condition. So that it came to this, that men to grow in Christ and in the ener of the Lord Jesus Christ must comply with the laws and conditions that growth in that knowledge required, A short practical application closed the dis- course, after which the ordinance of the Lora’s Supper was administered te a congregation that entirely filled the floor. BEDFORD AVENUE REFORMED OHUROH. The Character and the Cor tien of Jesus Christ-Sermom by the Rev. Dr. Ormiston, o The Bedford avenue Reformed church (Rev. Dr. Porter’s) was well filled yesterday morning, de- spite the severe storm that raged, the announce- ment having been made that the Rev. Dr. Ormis- ton, of the Fifth avenue Collegiate church, New York, would oceupy the pulpit. The congregation were well compensated for braving the elements, for the distinguished divine preached a sermon Which was characterized by the quaint originality, pathos and spiritual unction that mark his pulpit efforts and has rendered his fame universal as an orator. After lengthy but interesting introductory services Dr. Ormiston procecded to discourse upon the fore part of the Psalm cx.—‘“The Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou at my right hand, ua- till make Thine enemies Thy fvetstool. ‘the Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule Thouin the midst of Thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: Thou hast the dew of Thy youth.” The preacher went on to say that this noble psalm was written by the pose King of Israel more than a thousand years before the Babe of Bethlehem was born, and yet it was clearly and authoritatively Messianic. Itisone of the grandest in the old psaltery, and it has ever been peculiarly dear to the children of God. It is a glowing PREDICTION OF THE DIVINITY, the priesthood, the victorious triumph, the reign and the righteousness ef our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is a Chel lyric, an evangelical creed and acrystalized system of sound divinity. It was also worthy of note that it had been more frequently quoted in the New Testament than any other psalm in the book. This psalm, written by David under divine inspiration Fecha SE the Lord Jesus Christ, beautifully and [Te i de- lineated His oitice of prophet, priest and king of His peor, and also spoke of his original glory, deep jumiliation, terrible conflict, glor.ous ba ‘nigh exaltation and eternal rei He was highly exalted at the mght band of God, the place of dignity, honor and imfuence supreme. The sceptre in His hand is alike far reaching, beneficent, majestic and mild; the subjects over whom He rules are numerous, prosperous, loving and devoted; the victories which He wins are great, complete and final as well as famous, and the triumpks recorded are magnificent, ~ righteous and renowned. Dr. Ormiston said tl at he would consider two points—the character and coronation of our glorious Redeemer, and the gracious government and righteous reign of our enthroned Mediator. In elaborating the first peint the preacher showed the human and the divine nature of Christ by a group of beautiful werd | coined descriptive of the birth, baptism and ramsfiguratien of Christ and the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, in which natural and simple events were intimately linked with wonderful manifestations of divine power, The Gay of Christ's weakness had passed and the Cy His power dawned; the cross was fol- y she. Furane the edict had been issued, git, Thou,’ and He sits to-day AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GoD, Where 1s He? Have we lost Him? Nobody took Him away. He went away, and He told us whither He went. It required only a leving heart to brush away the tears from the eye of faith to see the same Jesus at the Father's right hand, still as ving, tender, faithfal and true, but wielding the sceptre of the umiverse in tke behalf of His ran- somed people. The preacher showed tuat the prophets which went befere Christ were types of the Atness of His exaltation as prophet, priest and king. The returning, triumphing Cenqueror bad admitted and enthroned amid the acclaim of angels, and He there sat King, kead over all, for Its iy 4 sake, whieh is the Church, and will sit unt foes become his footstool, There could be no stronger guarantee of the child of God’s seat in glory than that He sits there, the leader, fore- runner and Redeemer of Hie le, The preacher then proceeded to elucidate the second part ef his theme, and said that to be @ lee of Carist was the inost irrational, monstreusly wicked, basely un- ratefal, hell-di Ing and iniquitous act ef which fimanity was capable. He who loved not the Lerd Jesus Christ was oppesed to Him. NEUTRALITY WAS ABOMINABLE anywhere, bat with Christ utterly impossible, He if ‘iug, ‘He that is not for Me is against By the phrase, ‘‘The word of Mis truth,” was meant the gospel ef His grace, it being the power of Ged unto salvation, not unto destruction, Jesus reigns to subdue eur enmity, overcome our oppo- sition, and out of the débris of our crashed ex- to Fecpantrnes aos, redeem it M on — “The day 0! is power” mean| e foape: hae nsation, which included the idea of pente- costal baptisms upon the Charch and individual ions of the divine spirit, Christ heimg exalted to give repentance and remission of sins and the gilt of the Holy Ghost. The above sketeh gives but [ worthy of earnest perusal, and is as follows: in imperfect conception of an effective sermon, which was permeated with what religionists term 4 “heavenly unction,* QUARANTINE. | __ First Annual Report off Dr. Vanderpoel. ti The Important Work Accomplished During the Year 1872, INFECTIOUS DISBASES BROUGHT INTO PORT: Interesting Statisties of Yellow Fever, Shis Fever, Cholera and Smallpox—Sickness an/ Deaths on Board Vessels and in Hospi tals—The West Bank B ‘Work on Heffman Island—Receiv- ing Shipe—Warehouses—Board- ing Stations—Reduced Rates and Diminished Detention— Deaths on PacketShips, 8. Oakley Vanderpoel, M. D,, Health Oficer of the’ Port of New York, has submitted his first annual’ report to the Commissioners of Quarantine. Here-. views in an exhaustive manner the workings of the important department for the year just closed, and: presents for the consideration of the Commission-. ers many points that will not only greatly Interest them as a body, but the public generally. It is: sang coreg ELL, Chairman of the Commissioners of in—In compliance with the requirements of statute I present herewith my annual report, Callod upon unexpectedly in Match ast to fill the position of Health Oficer for this port I found myself, confronted with new duties and responsibilities. While recognizing the importance of becoming familiar with the regulations which at that time goyerned the opera- jons of Quarantine, it seemed none the less essential that the principles which experience and careful study of the Jaws of Infectious diseases taught us should Also be taken in consideration, in order that while the fullest protec- tion might be given to the community on the one hand, it should, on the other, restrict as little as possible the operations of commerce. ‘The conclusions to which such investigation led was that the office of Health Officer was, in spirit and cl ter, purely sanitary and medical, and that its enforces, ment must be limited strictly to a fulfiment of these provisions, and that the dividing line between sanitary and commergial relations must be distinct and reeogniz- able. ras the commercial relations were con- cerned tho duty of the Health Officer, while main- fainting a direct sanitary control, should be to allow the’ fullest liberty compatible with public safety. During the past Summer I have acted upon the prac: tical application of the above principles and though at the commencement of the season I was often greeted rophecy that such & course must absolutely e practical workings and the inability to rotect the cil Tam happy t the Fesuit bas ech most satisfactory. From the commercial community there has not been the slightest disposition itieetious diadove hasentered ‘the city front Quarentines se has e city from in though, aewill be seen in the subsequent parts of this re: pore ‘more than the average has been under observation y the department. It is needless, perhaps, to say that the course alluded to wronghtan entire and absolute change in the work- ings of quarantine. Re: chard practically the destinc- det commercial relations, ers and bi hi ‘ears been controle er, Were thrown, Joan to competition, under appropriate. resuiations, to any person presenting the request from the majori gobsignecs of & cargo, and executing & satisfactory boud: to fulfill required stipulation: iatate ‘a Board, consist st a ard, ind Brooklyn, the @ Officer, are to mee! quarantine towing, warehousing, &c. leretofore the rates have been m fixed at 100 per cont above ordinary harbor rates, creai ing thus @ most onerous and oppressive tax upon com. merce, At the meeting of the Buard this year the above were reduced to ordinary harbor rates, thus permitting the merchant and employe to fix the special charges in each individual case, Betoro the close of the season the happy resulis of these changes were noticeable in th increased commerce from tropical ports. Instead ot ves~ sels being chartered to Hampton Kuads to awalt orderg they came direct to this port to discharge. Carried out in the above spirit quarantine regulations, to far from being oppressive elther in increasing thé cost or retarding the harge of the cargo, has been, in’ some cases, the reverse. I have been assured by the masters of vessels that the balance shect was in tavor of the quarantine discharge, when the speedy clearance, the necessary dock and harbor charges aud the discl- piine of the inen were considered. Now that the experimont has proven a su intention to present to the Legislature a di based upon the foregoing principles, in the hope tt ‘with its passage, the question which has for several y the coi mercial relations of this port may be deilnitely settled. Paring ae past fifteen years. sanitary science and the large introduction of steam into ocean mete have ‘wrought am entire change in the principles that govern: the practical workings of quarantine. Until of late ves- sels coming from infected, ports or having an inggetioug disease on boara were detained a specified nut ir of days and then allowed pratigue. While the operations of commerce were curried on mostly in sailing vessels such detention, though annoying, did not involve rai ous pecuniary’ interests. But with the introduction steam time entered into the problem asa factor which could not be disregarded. The success of the steam en- terprise depends upon the regularity of the passages and. the departure from port ona specified day. The cnor- mous expenditure arising from prolonged detention would ruin the commerce even of a great port like New York. Happily sanitary science could meet the require- ments of commerce. Indeed, in thiy respect, commerce owes adebt to scitnce which has not been tecounized. The laws which govern the incubation and spread of in- fectious diseases have been so far studied that sanitar: regulations and commercial interests may work in al- most entire harmony. We now know positively thatin ® suspected vessel or cargo the longer her hatches are kept closed and the fomites of disease are allowed to ger- minate the more to be dreaded is the danger of infection, Instead of detaining @ vessel to ride out a specified quarantine we rather discharge the cargo in the shortest possible time, in order that the vessel may be thoroughly cleansed and’ disinfected and the cargo exposed to the free action of the atinosphere. But, while there are general principles which must govern the operations of quarantine everywhere, still every port must be studied from its own standpoint as Fegards climate, commercial advantages and proximity to countries from which infectious diseases are mostly Drought. From the earliest times the eftort to make juarantine uniform for all places has attracted the ate tention of many whose knowledge of the subject was not obtained ‘ith quarantine work. All that was valuable in the system has been added point by point, was found necessary at various times. All the crude impositions and oppréssion, ¥ery name a dread to commerce, those who thought the quarantine of this port should ghteragy, Sev ernrng, coopering, uniform with that of others: and these have been removed, it was found in practice that jarities = of this local ‘and je pec its commercial not require. or Permit them, “How unwise to argue. that the same regu- fations which may govern New Orleans on the one hand. ould be applied to New fever is an almost annual visitai with its different temper- ature, it would be almost harinics:. The risk trom shin- Ping, where the arrivals are sometimes, more ina day ban'there are im other large ports in a month, would be an entirely different question to decile in each'pluce. New York occupies a peculiar and significant position m refer- ence to the conditions of climate, commercial advantages and proximity to tropical countries. Located in the most favored part of the temperate zone, its harbor is always accessible and healthy, unimpeded by ce on the one hand and malaria on’ the other, while its vast andy extended front invites the shipping of the globe. In & medical sense it is go situated that since the employment of steam it is within the ineubation of small- pox and cholera from European ports and of yellow lever from the South and West Indies. The large num- ber of emigrants landed imtroduces anothor element peculiar to New York. Thero is no other port with its Wants as regards quarantine, just the same as cach other port has its own conditiohs that differ from all the re st. Recognizing this laws relating to quarantine were, im the formation of this government, reserved for local con- trol, All efforts to change this, whether made under the | pretext of law or involved in the combination of medi- cal conventions, are efforts to add a theoretical system, to that which his grown out of the hard expertence of actual trial, Such efforts, could they succeed, would ot, in my Judgment, Improve the system. but result in isaster. The quarantine system of this port, so far from bein regarded detrimental, Is regarded by. vessels infecte with contagious disease as « haven of sheltei Withia sent year oases anfollows have gecurred:—A Liver- pout yer io New York was fined $400 for. putting Into Piatiax ‘with @ case of smallpox; another steamer with smallpox put into Halifax with a broken rudder; the taptate was not allowed to leave the deck of his ship to superiniend repairs, With? sy Bdaton to Philadelphin, lence on board, fro o sew London, she twas at once ordered off a e and Port t, while in Port or. ver, as are the provistons of the port st infection fund the caro of sick from & negative advantage in the lishment highly favorable to the vast ts seeking our shores. No longer Is it @ rence to care for the sanitary condition of the many hussreds ‘upon a single vessel, but from the time {he port of departure Is leit it Is the study of the om- ters fo haintam the cleaniiness and ventilation ot the steerage, in order that they may successfully undergo the sanitary exai n to which they are subjected— 40 protecting not onty the community ayainst the intro-, Auction of pestilence, but enforcing the comfort and well being of the sea-tossed emigrant. ‘Wilt: these xeneral considerations apon the administra. tion of Quarantine, let me take up some of the particulag features of the departm: The year past hus been one of extraordinary risk of dis. ase. “The epidemic of smallpox whieh prevailed 1, Ish ag continued until reports from every quarter of the globe gave proof of its alarming spread. To this may added the epidemic character of the yellow fever South Ameri dd West Indian ports, with the ui tropical term re of our own Summer, which lasted until the quarantine season was past, and which imposed serious responsibility upon the quarantine work. Embarrassmen| yeen experienced from thi liability of bills of health emanating irom Amen suls, Tthas fi ty occurred, during the, 1c: st @ arrive ‘cases of velow on board. or ha had them during the passage, w' the Dill of health was clean. This, too, when we nad t assurance of the captain that the presonce of the ¢| demic was notorio the attention of the State Partwent ae wast was called to this irregularity, prompt measures wore taken for its remedy. ‘Cnder the law there are four diseases named against which quarantine shall ap) ly; these are yellow fever, smalipox, cholera and typ! us or ship feve 11s vessels arriving hero have had ring the year vessels arr! ve ti genes on ‘board. Most of these brought large num- ers of emigrants, and in them there were exposed, in a greater or less decree, 73,306 persons, either as passen- ‘ors or crew, There were 680 ‘cases of smallpox, ‘of which were fatal. The Jaw of 1865 makes a distinc. CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGE.