The New York Herald Newspaper, June 16, 1873, Page 4

4 THE WEEKLY WORSHIP, ‘Tho Metropolitan Congregations at Their Devotions Yesterday. A DAY OF DULNESS. The Sacred Shepherds Putting Sinners to Sleep with Soothing Sermons. Hepworth on Death Disarmed of Its Terrors and the Soul as Its Conqueror. DR.CHEEVER ON LOVE Dr. Cuyler on the Moral Mirror Which God Holds Up to Us. “THE OFFICE OF TEMPTATION.” Tho First New York District Methodist Oon- feronce—A “Love Feast” and a General Good Time, Father McCready on the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Father Quinn Inviting Sinners to Repent. BEECHER’S UNIVERSALISM. A Plea for the Personality of God and the Pure Happiness of Mankind. Talmage’s Last Sermon of the Summer on the Lessons of the Crucifixion. CHUROH OF THE DISCIPLES, Death Disarmed of Its Terrors=Sermon by the Rev. George Hi. Hepworth. It is very evident from the undiminished attend- ance at the Church of the Disciples, corner of Madi- son avenue and Forty-filth street, that the hegira into the country incident to the advance of the Summer solstice has not very sensibly affected the congregation worshipping here. At the services yesterday morning ‘there was present the usual large and fashionable congregation, and the ser- mon, for that matter, by the popular pastor, Rev. George H. Hepworth, was more than usually elo- quent. Tie theme of his discourse was “Heaven Very Close to Karth,” and his text was Psalms xxiil., 4—“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” 1 come this morning, he began, in my course of lectures to the consideration oi a very important subject. Itis the sternest fact in the can DF THE HUMAN SOUL. And yet it is a fact which must be facea, It is one of those mysteries in the presence of which we feel oppressed with its awiu! sublimity. There is a kind of uncertainty, just enough to make us fear the ordeal. Ido not propose to speak of death in a doletut way; | cvoose rather to call ita triumph, and I would that dark hour the hour just before the dawn. 1 would speak of the soul not as the Vanquished, but as the conqueror. Death is sub- jugated by ‘our trust in God. And yet it 18 a Strange thing. Before you lies a sweet form, and, as by an instinct, you rhudder, happencd? adead standstill, That is all. The wheel ot life, in obediunce to an unseen, incomprehensible im- pulse, has stopped and uo exertion ou your part cam move It one meh. WHAT IS LIFE? Where isit? Where is that wondrous essence that looked through the eye and was felt in the presence of the hand? Analogy iurnishes us with no comparison to it. Siecp is very much like death. In sleep we continue for hours in utter oblivion. 1t is a marvellous state which you enter every night, and from which you emerge every morning. Now death Is a sleep that continues how leng we do not know, and as some dear voice arouses us from our sleep, 80, after the long sleep, the angels or even God himself may rouse us, Again, how curious it is that men are dying all the time, and yet there is no care on our mind, Who knows whose name shall be called Every man’s LIFE HANGS RY A THREAD and yeu cannot tell when it will break. It is related that once upon a time King Harold saw an ariow in the air, will strike?” said he, turning to bis courtiers, They thought that it would not come near them | and the king turned his attention to semething else. But that arrow pierced his heart and he fell dead. There is an arrow in the air ail the time: whose heart it will hit God alone knows. to you, brethren, that the only faith | have in the Kesurrection comes irom Christ. [i it were not for Him I should shudderingly grow old, but there is something avout the life of Christ that banishes this dreadful feeling. Whether it be life or death it is ail one, and that faith ean be found only in the life and teachings of Christ. Said He to his disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you,” and while He was telling of heaven they thought he was telling of eartn, They hoped all the while for a kingdom that was made by hands. All the morality of the New Testament is based upon the assumption of a future life, These are really moral because upon it depends the future bliss, After further enlargement upon this subject, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ. He said it es NO'ALLEGORY, NO INTERPOLATION. It {8 as firmly a rooted part of the Bible as the Ser- mon on the Mount, and upon it 1 base my tndiiter- ence to the things of this life and my regard to the things of the life to come. Weare but grubs in this world, and it is not till we enter the next world that we shall put on our beautiful wings. The ps concluded with narrating a custom in some of the Eastern islands. The fishermen are obliged to go far out to sea, and it sometimes happens that @ fog sets in and hides the land. When this occurs all the mothers, wives and sis- ters leave the town and proceed down to the shore of the ocean, and then simg with full voices one of their national songs. This guides the fisherman towards his home, and on the very rises and falis it is answered by the oar in the rowlock, Howcan you meet this fact? Youcan meet it triumphantly, and you can feel that you are 1 God's hands all the time and that no harm can come to you. “Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, I will tear no evil, sor Thou art with me; Thy stail and Thy rod they comfort me,’ 8T, MARE’2 COLORED OHUROR. Sermon by the Rev, W. Butler=Fame | and What it Am nts to when Gained, This modest iittie edifice in West 3sth street was yesterday crowded with an intelligent colored congregation, assembied to listen to the remarks of the Rey. W. Butler. ‘The occasion was the cele- bration of the anniversary of the church, and the preacher's remarks were on death, the object of his preaching being to show that death comes at all times and under ali cireumstan consequently we should always be preparcd for Nis visit, which will inevitably come, be it sooner or later, THE SERMON, The gist of his remarks will be found in the follow- ing. The object of existence seems now to be to ovtain social recognition, People spend their precious time in hunting the shadows of fame, seemingly oblivious of any other object in life. ‘They Jabor and toil to climb to the topmost rung of the social ladder, Social distinction with them means costly carpets, voluptuous pictures, loud sounding pianos and brown stone fron With us it means “get into the Custom House." Why will men choose these bubbles, which are no sooner clasped than they coliaps ‘whole existence for the enjoyment of a little ephem- eraliame, His reputation lasts but a day: one day he is a demigod and the next there is bone so low as to do him reverence, choice of the people for national honor, to-morrow the fron jaws of the press fasten tn his clothes and jJeave him naked in all his imperfections, Do you think that when the last roll is called men wiil be mentioned as General “This’’ and Lord “that 1 Do you believe that their titles will avail them anvthing? di you do, disabuse yourselves, Sluyple What has | The physical machinery has coine to | next? | “Whose heart, think you, that arrow | Lcontess | ’ A man spends his | To-day he 18 the | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1873.—TRIPLE faith is more than Norman blood, and the widow's mite than the miluonnatre’s endowments, Prac- tise to be good and you will bo eet ractise proper and you will become perfect. ractice makes master. Practise giving to the poor and the more you will have to give. Always think of death and he will not surprise you when he comes, lag up riches in heaven, where the robber doth not enter nor the rust corrode, and when the spirit leaves its earthly habitation it will ascend to ener the happy fruition of the blessed sight of lod, CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH. “The Office of Temptation”—Sermon by the Rev. Henry Powers. The elegant Church of the Messiah, Thirty-fourth street and Park avenue, was, for the season of the year, when most of the pewholders are sojourning at their country seats, quite well attended yoster. day morning. The subject of the discourse by tho pastor, Rey. Henry Powers, was concerning temptation. He selected his text from Jamesi. 12, in part—‘Blessed is the man that endureth temp- tation,” After suitably introducing the subject he said that temptation reveals us to ourselves and to others, The word ‘‘temptation,’”’ in all tts forms, stands invariably tn the Bible for a test or trial of some sort, which is applied to us usually by means of some allurement or entertainment to forbidden pleasure, or through some sore afiliction or pain- ful alspensation which comes upon us in che prov- ince of God, The temptation in itself, therefore, is never a commendabie, though it may be an agreca- ble thing; but the result of temptation may be an increase with us of both virtue and joy, and should be always. Undoubtedly itis the dirst and strongest desire of our Heavenly Father, in leading us through the paths of an earthly pilgrimage, to free us from all sin and to perfect us in all right- eousness. We may each of us find ail the Lpreag ok ofour inmost life reflected back upon us by the occurrences of the outer world, They put no new prinnipis or spirit within us, but simply bring out hat which is within us already to the clear light of God’s truth and love. Strictly speaking, they are the occasion of this revealing, while it is our own lusts and passions that entice us really, and give to the circumstances of our lives their meretricious and seductive charms, Ifthere was no LURKING DEVIL WITHIN US there could be no successful Feapiasion. from with. out us, There is a meaning in this everyday life of ours which we do notcareiully and oiten enough consider and seek to comprehend. Men say, “If we had not been so sorely tempted we should have not so sinned.” True, but also they would not have become aware of the evil that was in them and that must be purged away; and therefore God leads them into the midst of these temptations, not that they might be induced to vield unto them, but that they might have their propensities to sin so revealed unto them that they might be aware of them forever thereafter and take the necessary measures for their eradication. The provocations of the world about us are needed in order to make Known what is within us. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, and that fearful struggle for piace and power which is one of the worst and most common of the sing of a republic, do not point us to their unscrupulous acts and their depths of cringing baseness until occasion and circum- stances have uncoiled their ches dr eee mater and revealed their annoying possibilities of evil. Thus our lives are led along the paths where the objects of our love and hate, whether holy or sin- ful, are gathered, and in this way all the evil, as well as all the good, that is in us, 1s made te assert itself; and if we will we may foster the good and stay the evil. But, whatever may be our choice, our true selves are thus mirrored to the gaze of self-consciousness as truly and as clearly as the forms and fortunes of future dynasties were passed BEVORE THE WIZAKD’S GLASS, Here Mr. Powers eloquentiy filustratea the points advanced, saying among other things that it is frequently said that the cit, compared with the country is very wicked, but this was not strictly true, as the absence of temptation in tue country was much greater. ‘There is more virtue in the city than in the coun- try, because there are more temptations in the for- mer successfully resisted. Who are those but our rural friends that visit the city fur afew days and indulge in all sorts of siniuiness, serving the devil rather than the Lord? There is more sin, perhaps, here in the city, but there is more virtue. Mr. Powers also alluded to the temptations and crimes of individuals of the present day, referring to the startling criznes committed, and finally he asked his hearers to note @ lesson taught by the theme—a lesson summed up and stated in that saying of the apostie James, ‘My brethren connt it all joy when ye fall into divers | temptations.” Not when yourush heedlessly or | madly into them; that’s not a virtue in any one. “Lead us not into temptation” 1s instinctively the language of the righteous soul; but if, in the provi- dence of God, temptations of any sort are lying in our pathway, then let us gladiy meet them and triumph ov hem, for the sake of the greater vir- tue that is to be attained, cial lesson of our theme. We hear a great deal said these days, and with much reason, doubtless, about the dangerous laxity of the times and the demoralizations in Church and State and social life that- are everywhere apparent, and the de- mand is, consequently, for a restrictive policy and a suppressive discipline, & rigid control; and yet a religion of austerity and gioom has of itself no power to save ‘rom sip. What is needed is to re- | move the plague of the soul. 8T. LUKE’S CHUROH New York District Conference—Opening Sermon by Bishop Janes—Love Feast” and Addresses by Local Ministers=The Session To Be Continued To-Day. The first District Conference for the New York | district—a new feature in the Methodist polity, | and which was recommended by the General Con- | ference of the denomination, in the hope of in- creasing its eMciency—commenced Its session yes- | terday morning, in St. Luke’s church, corner of | Forty-first streetand Sixth avenue. Among those | present were Bishop Janes, Dr. Brown, the Presia- fog Eider of the district; Dra. True and Holdich, of the American Bible Society, and other | ministers, Bishop Janes preached the introduc- | tory sermon, taking for his text Matthew xi., 5— | “And the poor have the Gospel preached unto th ** In explaining the cirenmstances under which the words were uttered, he said that the works which Jesus performed in the sight of the multitudes, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, were miracles of power that demon- strated the aimightiness of the Lord Jesus Christ; but the climacteric one mentioned in the tex | that the poor have the Gospel preached unto them— Was a miracle of love, and demonstrated that Jesus Christ was infinite in His beneticence, and | proved beyond all reasonable doubt His divinity. The recovery aud restoration of the race to the | nature and’ the fellowship of God through the atonement and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ constituted the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was to be preached to the poor, preaching might be done by manifesting its loving spirit in intercourse with others, GOOD LIVING IS GOOD PREACHING, and God expects a good sermon from every one of his children each day of their lives, It might be done by incidental conversations, by written or printed communications, by circulating the Scrip- tures or such books as help to the knowledge of the samme; or it might be done technically by re- ligious discourses uttered by Christian ministers. Preaching the gospel to the poor did not imply that It was not to be preached to the rich also, nor that the latter did not as urgently need it as the former; for both inherited the same depravity, were under condemnation alike, were equally in peril and were unable to recover and save them- selves, It was also a mistake that the rich did not need the blessings of the gospel in this life; | nature; could not quiet a guilty conscience ; could | Not remove the dread apprehensions of the future nor prepare them for the judgment day. Men might acquire riches in a way that would be offen- | sive to God and harmful to themselves, but the fact pel could hardiy be preached to the ir without | Inaking them rich; for i it had its legitimate influ. ence upon them it would lead to industry and frugality and to habits of virtue, which Woald almost ‘hecessarily give them prosperity anc crease their earthly possessions. But the preach- ing of the gospel to the rich was nota work of | benevolence, They paid for it, and wealthy city | churches gave a full equivalent to their ministers for their labor. It was NOT BENEVOLENCE, BUT BUSTSESS for such ministers to preach the gospel. It was, however, a work Of benevolence to preach the | gospel to tnosef who could not pay for it, a | Was the kind of preaching that Jesus gav: | world. He preached to the poor, and He had not where to lay His head. | preaching was contrary 10 the philosophy of the | world, for whenever a man attempted to éstablisn an empire or to effect any great revolution in | society he did not make khown his plans tot poor and endeavor to enlist them in the furt | ance of his wishes, but invoked influence and Weaith. Jesus Christ began with the lowly and the poor, and His method was contrary to the spirit of men. In Christendom there were some manifestations of this generous sympathy and care for humanity, but He affirmed that what heathendom is to-day Christendom would have been but for the Gospel? There was not an association or government in heathea lands that | | Sought to promote the interests of the great masses of the ps »» But he (the Bishop) also main- tained that there was not an infidel organization, | Ror any body of persons who did not believe in the | supreme divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ who had 4 heart for the world and were seeking for its re: | toration and recovery, How many foreign m. sionaries were now in heathen lands sent out by any other save evangelical chur Y_ The preach- ing of the gospel to the poor was a word of such ‘olence that it came irom the inspiration of heaven, and proved that Jesus and His religion Were diyjue, He (Bishov Janes) believed that the This, then, is the spe | 3 | | This | | for, although they could satiate thetr senses | and gratify their tastes, yet riches could | not satisiy the claims of their higher of being rich was not an offence to God nor against | the interests of society; on the contrary, the gos- | A that | to fold | Baptist church in Fifty-fifth street, near Lexington | not be worth the work. | soul. ) trast with the method organiam of the Mothodist Ohurch is admirably pted for the fulfilment of this work, but ne did not say that his Church was ¢he only one adapted to it. He had a sovereign contempt ior all the bold pretensions to EXCLUSIVE CHRISTIANITY, the claim of some te be the true and ‘only Church. When these proud pretenders, said he, stand in the light of the judgment 44, aud see the general embly and Church of thé first born, one glance it will take out of them all this nonsense and rrogance. When they see Luther, Whitfeld, Ed- wards, Paysen, Asbury and Bangs coming home, bringing their sheaves with them, rejoicing, they will not say they were not true ministers of Jesus Christ. Bishop Janes then proceede | with great particularity to enumerate the peculiar forms of the Methodist Church and the respective duties imposed upon its ofictal and pri- vate members, spoke of the necessity of a baptism of the Holy Ghost as the great Ly a pretecl to promulgate the Gospel, and closed by saying that, God helping him, he would repent Ot bis past delinquencies and be more faithfal and zealous in the perlormance of his ofl- cial obligations during the remnant of time left to him. Tiis utterance fell from the ips of one who is justly termed ‘tho Wesley of America,” and who for neariy fifty years has-been in labors ‘‘more abundant” in the denomination of which he is a re- vered superintendent, “love ieast,”” which means @ meeting for the narration of Christian ex- perience, was held in the afternoon, and in tho evening addresses were delivered by local preach- era, ‘The Conference will remain in session Monday and Tuesday, at St. Luke's church. 8T, PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL God's Invitation to Sinners to Repent— Sermon by the Rev. Father Quinn. The Rey. Father Quinn delivered the sermon at the high mass services at the Cathedral yesterday, He took for his text Luke xiv., 18-24, in which is given the parable of the man who “made a great supper” and sent ont invitations toall those “that were bidden” to come, but who excused them- selves for various reasons, This parable, the rev- erend preacher remarked, showed two things— first, what God does for us, and second, what we ought to do for ourselves, The great banquet the Lord referred to was the enjoyment of God in heaven, and even here on earth, where the good man enjoyed happiness in the practice of virtue, THE BANQUET WAS INDEED A GREAT ONE, for it was extended by God Himself to all. The invitation held out was not limited toany particular class, but to every man, and all were welcome. The reverend gentleman then went on ai great length to describe what a lesson was taught to us by the parable, andhow applicable it was to men who refuse from some cause or other to heed the voice of God calling upon them to abandon their evil ways and become reconciled to Him. God was continually calling upon us to the panquet pre- pared for us in heaven—eternal life itself with the enjoyment of God, Those who excused themscives from attending at the supper the parable alluaes to were all engaged in some employment that was legitimate and proper; and it should be borne in mind that God’s invitation to us to live well and so actas to merit heaven was made not to those buried in heinous crimes alone, It was addressed as well to all who, though engeged in employments that are legitimate, in ENJOYMENT OF PLEASURES that may be innocent in themselves, were often in greater danger ef eternal death by their careiess- ness and neglect of duty than even great crimi- nals, Examples were to be found all around us of how men, in tho accumulation of wealth, for instance, and in the enjoyment of the things of this world, forget all about their religion—the duty they owe to God. Thus many, by the concurrence of the flesh and the pride of life, gradually and by slow degrecs allowed themselves to stray away from the path of rectitude. God was merciful, but His justice was inflexible as His mercy was unbounded, and many who, aiter being repeatedly called by God to re- turn to righteousness, persisted in their bad ways, simply presumptuous in the goodness of the Almighty, were often left to themselves when their cry for mercy was greatest. And thus many men who heeded not the call of God finally WED IN THEIR SINS, crying for mercy when there was no mercy. In- deed, it often happened that he upon whom was showered the recast of mercies was the very one who was finally left without mercy when most it was needed. ‘This was God’s punishment for the sinner’s persistency in doing evil after haying over and over again been the recipient of His mercies. The reverend Father then spoke of the happiness of heaven—of that eternal enjoyment of God, the extent of which St. Paul said even the heart had not conceived, and earnestly exhorted his hearers 80 to live as one day to be partakers at that banquet prepared by God for those who Joved Him here on earth and faithfully served Him to the end. He knew, the reverend gentieman said, that this was a hard world to battle with, and that the way to heaven, beset as we are by temptationson all | sides, is @ narrow anda rugged oue; but him | who was of good will and courage God always ex- tended His Bee for all were welcome who cheer- | fully accepted His invitation to come to Him. | The musical part of the services was, as usual, | excelent. The “O salataris hostia’ duet, con- tralto and soprano, was exqusitely rendered. SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, The Rev. Edward L. Clark on Christian Humility. The congregation of the Second Presbyterian church of Harlem have @ handsome white marble edifice in course of erection, and now hold their services temporarily in a frame building in 130th street, near Fifth avenue. The new structure will when completed be a credit tothe people of the | upper end of the island, as well as to the congrega- | tion ander whose care itis built. The Rev. Edward L. Clark, pastor, yesterday morning took for his | text St. John xiit., 8—“IfT wash thee not thou hast no part with me."? | He detailed at some length the circumstances under which Christ had made the remark and the form of the ceremony of the Passover, In this instance, the paschal supper, which had been par- | taken of by the twelve Aposties in company with | the Lord, was ended. A greater than Moses was in | thieir midst ana they now expected some demon- stration of that power which they believed the Son of God to possess. How wonde rful was the means employed to demonstrate both HIS HUMILITY AND GODLINESS. | Christ raised Himself up and having taken a towel, girded Himself and washed the feet of the disciples. | The discussions as to who should be leader were quieted and in this act Christ showed a willingness be the very humblest servant of | them all, They were to go out into the world with feet washed by the Son of Him who had smitten the Egyptians at the | time of the first Passover, In tms service of the Redeemer Judas was not neglected; even the worst of them all whom Christ at that moment knew wonld betray Him was treated to this saving | grace. Peter deemed himself unworthy of such a | great distinction on the part of the Lord, and joubtless recalled the scene of a fallen woman who had washed the feet of Jesus at his house, The words of the text were then uttered by Christ. DAILY FORGIVENESS ESSENTIAL, This act was symbolical of a daily cleansing trom all faults. If Christ had washed Peter’s | head or face he would have implied that there | Was fom riee unsound in him inteliectual!y; but Peter, on the contrary, Was a man of great in- telligence, salvation eget hs We may understand Christ, but still be unwiiiling to bow graciously and ac- knowledge that we are inferior to Him who made | us. We accept gifts from friends, but reject every | day of our lives the precious mercies of God, The supreme egotism of this conduct is seen by all of us upon the slightest consideration. Our trouble | arises from an unwillingness to let our minds yleld | to the iipressions of the Holy Spirit. THE DANGER IS 1N OUR VANITY. Washing the hands of Peter would have implied | Wrong acts. This was not true, however, He was | resolute, courageous and faithful at heart, The hearts of most men are good, They may have a deference for religion, but, although their senti- ments are all right, they do not act out their beliefs | in their tives. It is that intangible thing which I | can only call ourselves that we mustexamine, We must Ris are st in our hearts and ascertain | definitely and correctly what their condition is, | None, however, can do this who are not striving faithfully to find God and His mercies, TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH, The Reign of Love—Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Cheever. The Rey. Dr, Cheever preached in the Trinity avenue, yesterday morning. He took his text from the Book of Proverbs, iv., 2—‘Keep thy heart with ali diligence, for out of it are the issues of lle. It was certainly a life eternal, he said, ort would Were it not a life eternal Jesus would scarcely have come down to redeem this world, What was this heart? None could know it, none could completely fathom its secrets unless it be the Eternal Father, who could see into all hearts, If God only couid know the heart it fol- lowed that He only could keepit; and they had to take their hearts to Him and ask Him to take them in His charge, What was God’s method? He took their hearts and showed them the dirt, the cob- webs, the necessity for greater purity. He finally brought them to Jesus as the only Saviour of the Let them look at the method of God in con- of man, THE METHOD OF GOD WAS LOVE and light, the method of man was falsehood and deatu. kvery precept was but a tool for Christ for polishing and beautifyin The result of the Method of God was the peace that th all un- derstanding, All things were possible to him who vest Ti yas character aud lie ja Gbsygt tase He understood Christ and the plan of | was God's object. The shiftin; terranean were carrted inlan in order to protect the fle. it was necessary to raise an embankment with which to keep the sand of, So it was with the heart; to keep it pure the; must raise a barrier of God's verdure and love thal would protect them from allevil. There had been many a shipwreck when the course had been set right by the compass, There were a great many other things to be considered, Their hearts nad a diabolical cunning to keep them off their guard. “Keep thy heart with all diligence.” Man must watch with it and watch over it, We must keep watch over the watch or the watch would not Keep time. “The kingdom of God is within you,” sal their bleased Saviour, The work of & watch was good for nothing 1F THERE WAS NOT A MAIN SPRING. The heart was empty and barren if it lacked the main spring of faith and love, God worked in them all to will and to do. If the machinery were cver so rude it answered the purpose as long as the spring was Beene A wateh of this kiad would take a man through all seasong, according to the power that workea within. A turnip, if it kept time according to its power within, were better than the costliest chronometer that was ever con- structed, Without this power within their hearts they would have no moral or spiritual motive hold- ing them to God, even if 4 possessed the genius of Rubens, the intellect of Shakspeare, the talents of the greatest men who have ever lived. When Franklin was engaged in his experiments he von- tured a dangerous experiment with the lightning, ‘Thore was & German scientist who experimented in the same manner, but he did not put his trust in God and was struck by the lightning. THR DIABOLIOAL POWER OF ROMANISM was intended to break men tnto mere mechanical creatures, whose consciences were in the hands of the priests, and puliea to and fro by the wires of superstition, en the law stood outside it bent aman to death, but when it was the main spring within it was indeed the law of the love of Onrist. Might af keep tneir hearts by letting Christ keep them, All that Christ asked was to let Him reign and live inthe human heart, Ohrist within the soul, and His love filling it, it was easier to go right than wrong. Ifa man’s heart was filled with God, how easy and delightful life was to him. God had given them the means to attain the salvation of thetr sous, There was light in God and from Goa amidst all the darkness. God was Love, and who- soover dwelleth in love dwellethin Goa, and God dwelleth in him, ST, STEPHEN'S ROMAN OATHOLIO OHUROH. Sermon by the Rev. Father McCready— The Real Presence in the Eucharist— Proofs from the Scriptures. The high mass at St. Stephen’s yesterday morn- ing was attended by a large and fashionable con- gregation. The music of the mass—Meiner's No. 3, arranged by the organist, Mr. Danforth—was ren- dered with an excellence and skill of performance highly creditable to the choir. Colletti sang the solo “Et Incarnatus” with his usual power, and the voices of Mile. Munier and Mme. Bredelli were heard to great advantage in the “Sanctus” and sands of the Medi- by the wind, and, “Agnus Dei.” The Rey. Father McCready preached a logical and eloquent sermon on the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. He presented that profound mystery of the Catholic religion in tts strongest and most beautiful aspects, while, on the other hand, he anticipated the ebjections of adversaries and demolished them with the adroit, sure and easy strokes of a skilled dialecticilan. He took as his text the words of Ohrist—‘‘A certain man made @ great supper and invited many” (Luke Xiv., 16). The selection by the Church oi this portion of the Gospel for the Sunday within the octave of Corpus Christi leaves little room to doubt what, in her mind, is meant by this “Great Supper.” On Thursday last she celebrated that festival in honor of the institution of THE HOLY EUCHARIST, on which to thank God for that miracle of love and to make little atonement for the many sacreligious outrages He receives in the sacrament from the wickedness of bad Christians and the coldness and eee of many who outwardly profess the faith. As most of the injuries He receives in the sacra- ment of the altar arise trom a want of practical, lively faith in His real presence, it may be well to refresh our memories and enliven our faith by a review of a few of the arguments in support of that sublime dogma. The doctrine of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Hucharist has been and is the object of violent attack by those who refuse allegiance 10 THE SPOUSE OF CHRIST, the Holy Roman Catholic Ohuren. They admit, in- deed, that in the mysteries which relate to the divine nature of the Godhead, to the infinite at- tributes of the Supreme Being, to the Trinity, to the Incarnation and Redemption, reason must yield to faitn; but when the question of the Yeal presence comes up, they exalt their obscure reason above the bright effalgence of revealed truth and refuse to submit their intelligence to the Word of God, St. Paul’s deflni- tion of faith is peculiarly applicable to this mys- tery. “Faith,” says the Apostle, “is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.” The truth of the dogma of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist is evident to any intelligent and un- prejudiced reader of the sacred Scriptures. in the sixth guapiar of the Gospel according to St. John we read that Jesus, after proving His divinity by feeding a multitude of 5,000 with five loaves and by walking upon the sea, proclaimed Himself “the Bread of Life.” “Lam,” sald He, “the living bread which came down from heaven. Ifany man eat of this bread he shail live forever, and the bread which whl give is My flesh for the life of tho world.” That both the Jews and the disciples who heard Him under- stood our Redeemer to have spoken of the real eating of His body and drinking of His blood 1s abundantly evident from the content for the Jews sald, “How ga apie Man give us His desh to eat?” and the aiaclpies Temarked, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?’ And when our Saviour, noticing that Hia disciples as well as the Jews were shocked at the promise of a real, true eating of His body, he said to the twelve, “Will you also go away ?” and Simon Peter, answering for his associates, said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life,” Christ does not teli them that they have misunderstood Him; on the contrary, He confirms them in their belief that He had spoken literally, To suppose for even a moment that the Son of God either communicated or confirmed an untruth would be the height of blasphemy. The words of His promise, then, can only be explained by the Catholic doctrine of the real presence. ae re of the eat of the Holy Eucharist, when that promise wag fuliilied, fully established To understand these remarkable words it will be useful to consider the occasion on which they were Spocen. He was for the last time at supper with the men whom He had selected to preach His doctrines to the whole world. If ever there was an occasion on which He should be careful to pre- vent the possibility oferror or even doubt as to | His teaching about this pager that was surely the time. And yet St, Matthew tellg us that “while they were at supper Jesud took bread and blessed and brake and gave to His disciples and said, ‘This is my body,’ and, taking the He gave thunks and gave to _ them, saying, ‘Drink ye all of this, for this is miy blood of the New Testament which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins.’ Words less difficuit to understand, less lable to misapprehension, could not be found, and these words express the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist. In them God spoke as He did when He sald, ‘Let there be Le and there was light,” in language easily intelligible to the dullest under- standing. Alter enlarging on those proofs from Scriptare and showing that the Catholic doctrine is the doctrine taught by St. Paui, the preacher exhorted his hearers not to slight the invitation of the great Master, which is duly extended t@ them by the ministers of His Gospel, but, putting aside ail frivolous excuses, approach the divine banquet with the dispositions which St. Paul required of the people of Corinth. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. Sermon by the Rev. Dr. T. D. Anderson on “Loss and Gain,” or the Advan- tages of Self-Denial as a Means to At- tain Salvation. A respectable and large congregation assembied yesterday morning, at hal{-past ten o’clock, in the First Baptist church, corner of Thirty-ninth street and Park avenue, to listen to the religious exposi- tions of the Rey. Dr. Anderson, After the recita- tion of the customary prayers, the singing of ap- propriate psalms and the interpretation of various lessons of Scripture, the reverend Doctor chose his text from the Third Epistic of St. Paul to the Athe- nians:—"All these things I count as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The reverend preacher introduced his discourse by drawing the attention of his hearers to a beau- tiful simile, in which he pictured be ore the minds of all the value and endurance of immortal life compared with the LITILENESS OF EARTHLY THINGS, summing up his thoughts as expressed with the text, “What doth it profit a man to gain the whole and suffer the loss of his own soul” “How wise, how grand and how sublime,” he said, “to concentrate ail the reasoning and im- uginative powers Of one’s soul upon this great question, which had been so often to the wayward and erring the very keynote of salvation! What is there worth striving for if not the felicity of an eternity?” Many enter the race but are weakened by hindrances—trivial obstacles which may have been easily overeome, or renounced and the loss be productive of gain. A few strive, and, with on- ward force and pressure over all hindrances, reach the goal, What a glorious thing to look upon all hindrances of salvation, whatever account they may be in the eyes of the world, as our greatest 1 loss The preacher here placed the two ideas, “GAIN AND LO83,"" in a Scriptural sense before the minds of his hear- ers. He then put the interrogatories, Whence have we come? For what pares are we here ? wi 19 ail He ta the pblect gf our gugah Wifither are we tending? Christ was the into ‘ so $$$ prize we are tostraggie for, Hi the truth and the lie,” and the things else may be safely considercd a logs, gain was to know Onri the Bible has it, “the excellency of she | knowledge of Christ Jesu our rd.” By = this | was of Christ, but knowl- Meant the religit edge of Christ personally, and by experience. We NO BEING WAS MORE ESSENTIALLY HUMAN than Jesus, as none also was more divine. must fee! those pulses beat in us that beat in Jesus, He was human as we are im every phrase of His ex- istence—in Bethichem, in Nasareth, at the grave of Lazarus, on the waves of Galilee, ascending the rugged heights of Calvary, or stretched upon the cross, Everywhere He was human betore the eyes of men, but the divinity and the Godhead were also concentrated in Him, ‘The knowledge of Jeaus was to know Him according to the full measure of our being; to know Him by experience in a word, to osseas Him in every affection of the soul, and Trust and rest upon Him, Like the little Nuttering bird that hovers around the tree branch and then perches upen it for support, so should we fy to Christ and rest with Him, He drops ® tear with every swelling flood of sorrow in our breast. [tis His sympathy which makes us know Him, amid the loneliness and desolation of earthly misfortunes, Aknowledge short of this is nothing. KNOWING CHRIST 1s being vitally united to Him, and all that prevents us from being thus unrted to Christ is our loss, thoug' it may be not ap abstract loss. Whatever, theretore, hinders trom knowing Christ as He ought to oe known must be given up, or ese the hope ef faining Christ relinquished. Every social tie or business consideration that makes an estrange- ment between us and the truth, which is in Christ Josus, must be relinquished apart, notwithstand- ing ali that the foibles and fashion of this world may dictate, He (the preacher) believed in eter- nal perdition as he did in eternal salvation, and the demands of tushion or of worldly iife and its considerations would never plead before God or make us excusable when fe comes to hold us ac- countable for the rectitude and justice and trath of our lives, The reverend Doctor here concluded by exhorting nis hearers to deny themselves, and consider, in the words of his text, all things elso a pady but the knowledge and possession of Christ jesus. BROOKLYN. CHURCHES, PLYMOUTH OHURCH. Another Sermon by Mr. Beecher in the Direction of Universalism—The Father- hood of God—All Are His Children— The Family Relation the Relation of God To His Crentures—A Plea for the Personality of God and the Pure Hap- piness of Mankind, Mr. Beecher is evidently leading his people to the acceptance of a modified faith in what is known in religious circles as “Universalism,” and there" fore delivered yesterday to a congregation of the usual magnitude what might be considered a com- panion discourse to that preached on Sunday week, in which “Universalist” doctrine was set forth in all the attractivcness and glamour of Mr, Beecher's familiar eloquence. The text selected was the ninth verse of the sixth chapter o/ St. Matthew— “AS ter this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in Heaven, Haliowed be Thy name.” Mr, Beecher commenced by asking ‘the following questions :—Who may say this prayer? Is it a prayer limited to the use of the sectarian, or Is it univer- sal? May it be employed by every one that desires to be better? Is it his title? Does it, so far as any- thing can, set forth in an adaress the holy nature of God, and to which our thoughts must address themselves? Have we the right to determine the jovernment of God and the providence of God rom @ title such as t! In our time no subject is more in men’s thoughts than the midst and bounds of the true nature of that government under which we live aud by which we are fashioned in our higher itfe. All governmeut depends for its nature and price upon the character of the Supreme Governor ; irom his will comes the supreme law. This ig @ universal prayer. The lowest, the honest, tie best, the worst, the most cultured, the developing savage who has just put one foot before the other in his upward faith, all may draw near to God by this sacred appellation. But have we the right to determine from the imperiect condition in which moral rejations are developed in this lite—consider- ing how much belongs to us by reason of our mate- rial culture—considering how much that is talse that is in us of our way of life by reason of our weakness—considering all this, have we the right to determine the divine nature of any such figure asthe fatherhood of man? That there is a great deal that must be thrown ont from the mate- rial life of man that is inconsistent with a symbol- izing of the divine nature all will admit. But the substantial nature which is THE AFFECTIONAL NATURE and the moral nature, are alphabetic elements, irom which we can spell something of the divine nature always. The moral elements of man are not lke God's in kind. They differ in this respect, that truth in man is not the e as truth in God. It differs not in its executive power only, but in its nature itself. When this is not accepted it goes to show that man has been deceived. The essen- tial quality of truth is the same that man has with God, and therefore man can argue from his own personal inspiration and from the family govern- ment tothe divine government. Let us look at what a true government includes, leaving out all the feebleness and imperfection and looking at the only true and familiar govern- to sketch the form of family government and to trace its analogy to that of the divine. He said, first, that children gre connected to the parent by true and distinct ties in nature; second, that the family was made up of parents and children who are eSsentially connected by its own economy. It is a little separate kingdom of its own; its ebject the rule of the children. Its interests subordinated so as to bring the greatest amount of happiness to its position. Thus jt was organized as A COMMONWEALTH, seeking a common end and a common good. In such acommonweulth there must be obedience, and, if obedience, the means ot eniorcingit. Every family government has in it physical coercion. The distinct peculiarity of the family govern- ment is its personal relations. jommon rues and principles are employed by a visible father and mother. Every true father and mother governs for the sake of the children, and not for the sake of the family. This is the va- ternal government. This is the government tliat is personal. The fact that a government by law exists is entirely consistent with a paternal and a personal character of a divine and moral govern- ment. Just now the tide of discovery scts strongly toward the methods by which God governs the world. Mon gre thug driven infé the tdea that theré is io it Brathivent in the world than one of Jaw. Our whole duty is said to be in finding out, as fast as we can, what are the laws of gur condition. Men are beginning to scout the idea of a personal government. It seems to me that law may be ate in accordance with & personal government. Everything in nature may be under the Personal cognition of God just ag a personal cognition of te natural and ani- BP Elrdots. i ey bioe eice that seeks througi: law to show to us A PERSONAL GOD, and which maintain our relations to us throngh the organization of nature, but that can over- flow wis law to reach His creatures; that is my belief, A personal God includes a phys teal, magisterial and personal relation. Love is the government that man is ruled by, out of which comes justice and Kindness. A personal govern- ment explains the dificuties which have been in- troduced by theology in the scriptural use of the terms of luw and sovereignty. Men have thought that, as God isa sovereign, he must do as sovereigns (lo, God seeks nothing but the welfare of men; that is the supreme desire. tt is in this that is found the true explanation of the paternal character of God’s government. God is spoken of a8 a consuming fire; but what is more consuming than a true iove, Love, therefore, is the true conception of the sovereignty of God. He is our Father, therefore, by a physical law, by a magisterial law, but above all by that law of the sonl that would make all men happy, and which has for its deeign and atm the ‘inal happiness and blessedness oi all mankind, TALMAGE AT THE ACADEMY. The Last Services of the Summcer—Lessons from the Crucifixton—The Hiss of the Academy. Services were held at the Academy yesterday | for the last time previous to the pastor’s Summer | Vacation. This suspension of the services has been somewhat earlier than usual in consequence of the fact that the interior of the Academy is to be reno- d, and that, as the work will consume con- siderable time, the Tabernacle people will have to vacate now, as they intend to use the building early in September, and, in fact, alter that until their new church shall be finished, Wereay we vis" MOEnINg service, Std Me. Tetnege preached an earnest sermon on the crucifixion and the two groups of spectators around the cross—the unfriendly and the friendly groups. In the unfriendly group were the Roman soldiers, Now, it isa grand thing to serve one’s country, It was no mean thing, it was no idle thing to be a Roman soldier: but the noblest army has in it sneaks, and these were the men who were detailed from that army to attend to the execution of Christ. Their das- tardly behaviour puts out the gleam of their Gee! they were cowards, they were ruMans, they ‘were gamblers. ‘No noble soldier would treat a fallen foe as they treated the captured Jesus. In this unfriendly group there were also the rulers and the scribes and the chef priests, Lawyers and judges and ministers of re- igion in this day are expected to have some re- spect for their oMice. In this lamd, where the honors of the jadiciary sometimes come to BESOTTED POLITICIANS, it is an unheard of thing that a Judge comes down from the bench and strikes a prisoner in the face. No minister ef religion scoffs at or mocks @ con- demned criminal; yet the at men in that land vied with each other in casting seorn and billings- ate in the teeth of the dying Chi So it has bevasa ll ages of the word that tuore have been Dying Thicf—Another Marriage in the | ‘There was a very large congregation present yes- | ment. Mr. Beecher from this point proceeded | high position who have despised God and Te Gospel Bad that mob that hounded Ohrisé from Jerusaicm to “the place of a skull” has never been dispersed, but is augmenting yet, a8 many of the learned and great men of the world come out from their studios and laboratories and palaces and cry, “Away with this man! Away with Him ''* Tne most bitter hostility which many of the learned men in this day exercise in any direction they exercise against Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Saviour of the world, without whom we Will die forever, In the group of enemies surrounding the cross E also find the railing thief. it seems that he twisted himself on the spikes and forgot his own pain itt his compete antipathy to Christ. I do not know what kina of a thief he was. I do not know whether he had been a burglar or @ pickpocket or a highwayman; but our idea of his crimes is ag- qraraced when we hear him blaspheming the Re- ce emer, HISSED AT BY A THIEF! In that ridicule I find the fact that there ia hoa- tility between sin and holiness, And whenl see & good man going out to discharge his duty, and he is enthusiastic for Christ, and I see persecution and scorn and contempt after him, 1 say, ‘ Hark, another hiss of the dying thief!’ When I see Hoil- ness going forth in her white robes, and Charity with her great heart and open hand to take care of the sick and help the meedy and restore the lost, and I find them lashed with hyper-criticism and jostied by the world and pursued from point to point and caricatured by low witticisms, I say, ‘Aha! another hiss of the dying thie!” It'is sad thing to Know that people nearly always die as they Jive. There is but one instance in all the Bible mentioned of a man repenting in the last hour. There is such a thing as @ death-bed repent- ance, but Inever saw one. (iod to all this Bible presents us only one case of that kind, and itis net safo to risk it lest our case be not the one amid ten miliioas, If you want to die YHE DEATH OF A CHRISTIAN you must live bis life, As Christ looked down from the cross on the crowd of people he saw some friends there, and the first in all that crowd was ‘his mother. “Oh,” Meee ‘why didn’t she go down to the foot of pill a the nd sit with her back to the scene? It was too horrible for her to look upon?” Don't you know when a child is in anguish it Makes a heroine of the mother? ike hor away from the cross,” you say. You'can't take her away; she will keep on looking aa long as her Son breathes, Whata scene it was for a tender- hearted mother to look upon! How gladly she would have sprung to His relief, How gladly she would have CLAMBERED UP ON THE OROSS » and hung there herself if her Son could have been relieved, How strengthening it woald have been to Christ if she might have come close to Him and soothed Him, But no, she dared not come 80 close. ‘They would have struck her back with hammers, They would have kicked her down the hill. But there was another friend in that group, and that was Simon of Cyrene. He was a stranger in the land, but had been long enough theie to show his favoritism for Christ. He helped Christ to carry His cross—a scene for all the ages of time and all the cycles of eternity—a cross with Jesus at one end of it and Simon at the other, suggest- ing the idea to you, oh, troubled soul, that no one needs even to carry a whole cross. You have only half a cross to carry. If you are in any trouble oe have a sympathizing Kedeemer. Go right to m. But there was another friendly group. Ido not know their names, but we are simply told that there were many Irtendly ones who came around that cross, Oh, the wail of woe that went through that crowd when they saw Jesus dic! Eyery pelt ofthe hammer drove a spike through their hearts, and every groan of Christ opened, in them a foun- tain of sorrow. * * * ‘To-day we come and join the crowd, Who wants to be on the wrong side? There is not man or woman in the house who wants to be in the untriendly group. We want to join the other group, 0, L us, We all accept Thee. No one will strke Thee back. Come innow. Come quickly! A SURPRISE. At the close of the sermon there was the nsual stampede for the doors, when Mr. Talmage an- nounced that after the benediction he would unite in marriage a couple, who had that morning re- quested him to periorm the ceremony, This created a sensation among the congregation, and those who were leaving the building immediately returned to their seats. After a hymn had been sung and the. benediction pronounced Mr. Talmage leit ‘the stage and descended to the orchestra, in which the hay couple, Mr. Edmund .R. Glenn, of Cincinnati, an Miss Emily 4. Wolcott, were seated with others of — the poneregation. A space been cleared for them by Major Corwin and Deacon Pearsall, who acted as ushers, and they stood be- fore Mr. Talmage and were united in the holy bonds. The ceremony was a brief one, and was performed without the ring. The bride and groom were in travelling attire, as they intended to pro- ceed immediateiy on a marriage tour. After the emry had been performed the congregation dispersed. LAPAYETTE AVENUB PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. The Moral Mirror Which God Presents To Us—What the Law Is and To Whom It Speaks. Dr. Cuyler’s pulpit was filled yesterday morning by the Rev. Mr. Loomis, who delivered an exceed- ingly interesting discourse, The singing was es- pecially good; the well-known quartet has lately received an acquisition in the form of a Dew s0- prano, who isa thorough musician, and possesses @ voice of marvellous sweetness, Gotschalk’s “Lost Mope’’ was rendered by the choir in a highly artistic manner. Mr. Loomis selected his text from the third chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Ro- mans, nineteenth verse: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” “I suppose,” said the reverend gentleman, “ifT Were to pass around among this congregation and put the question to each one of you, ARF YOU A CHRISTIAN? Have you a well-grounded hope that your heart has been changed? I should hear from many a negative answer, and if! were to follow this ques- tion with another, Why are you not a Christian? the general answer would be, I am not a Christian because I have not jelt my need; and then iff were to AN Why have you not been convinced? rou Woul Shy I suppose the fauit is all my own; have not thought of it. The onject of lawis to produce conviction, says the context; by the law 8 the knowledge oF sin, Says the text—Now we Know that what things goeyer the Jay saith it says to them who a¥é wing the Wd hal éVery Mouth may be stopped and all the world may be- come guilty before God. THE LAW CANNOT FAIL of its object. Every lost son and daughter of Adam shall stand self-convicted before it; God presents it as a great moral mirror, not to sec perfections, but imperfections, It is well for to look into that mirror, Jet me inyite you to look with me into it, afd come for once to aii honest estimate. What 1s law? Law at first seems to be general, indefinite. We have law of matter, of mind, of nature, of sin and death; law of life in Jesus Christ, that sets free from sin and death, Let us see if we can a definition which, defines -it, It is that guiding rule or controlling power according to which a co- ordinate power or agent acts. ‘Throw a stone into the air a thousand times and it will always return to earth, according to the law of gravitation, It is e by thi CRASELESS SWAY of that law that tnis world exists. It is the sway of that law, in counteraction with another law— the law of motion—that hangs this world on noth- pe This law is grand and sublime beyond con- ception, Grand and sublime as it is, it is but a shadow of another law, when you pass ont of the reign of nature in spirit and think of the rule of conduct that should govern every citizen in his relations Bt SOTie, white CA That great spirit or es- sence of law, which the Apostle saw was th law, is fuililled in one word, e. roe and as ifthe Apostle nid teed this love to its ori- gin, and as if he struggled for a term to convey its meaning to others, he said—God is love and is the sonree of infinite biessedness; bring that Source down and enter it ina human being and that soul could wade through hell and breathe the atmosphere of heaven. Giveltto ever human being and this vale of tears would be a bower of bliss. Nay, more, if there might be a power to carry it down tq the dark regions of hell the wails and lamentations would couse and the darkness die away. Floods eannot drown it, nor fire burn it. Look at it in its beauty. Have you kept it? Look deeply, hus that love resigned? The soul ig starving for it; malice, hatred and pride rei; pik ia iieteenon the law speak?” The impile cation he text is that of restraint—th tion is that somewhere are hip as piers We eRe so é first specification of the Decalogue is, “ Shalt have no other God before Me," and all beaten is filled with mute astonishment at the implication. Bring the Papin 1 back from heaven to earth, and it finds the heathen worshipping idols; brin it to the Romans, and.it finds them praying to dead men and women; bring it to the Christians, aud they are worshipping as mean a god as any— fashion and business and pleasure, @ world all turns away from theegreat God; everywhere the law finds transgressors, What are its utterancea? 1 wilt take our Saviour's exposition of the Deca- logue. When the intelligent young lawyer comes to Him, says Master, which is the greatest com- mand of the Decalogne? He says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy.God with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself, On these two commands hang all the law and the prophets. There might be idolatry; so the standard is love 4 neighbor as thyseli, But some one inquires, Who keeps the law’ That is not the question. What is la ud What does it teachl Not one keeps it or ever did. Yes, ere the MAN OF CALVARY, with this exception ail the race are guilty, There is another teaching of law—that of penalty. ‘To ve destitute of the principle of law is to be cursed. Human laws may fail, but God's law cannnot; it t® as high as heaven, as deep as hell, as broad as the universe. We shall stand before the throne and be confronted by that law. Ihave been laboring to bring you to this one resolve, to take sides wit God against yourselves, What ia the verdict< Mulliy OF Bot cwitrr