The New York Herald Newspaper, November 3, 1873, Page 5

LAW AND GOSPEL. The Good Man, the Bad Man and the Indifferent Man Discussed. BLIND FAITH A GOOD FAITH. The Resurrection of All Souls and Their Re- union with the Dust of the Body, The Mirror of Morality Held Up to the Malefactors of the Age. CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS, ‘The Power and the Achievements of the Gospel—Sermon by the Rev. T. A. Hoyt, of Nashville. The Rev. T. A. Hoyt, of the Presbyterian church in Nashville, preached yesterday morning at the Church of the Strangers to an immense congrega- tion. He took his text from St, Paul’s Epistie to the Romans, i., 16—‘‘For I am not ashamed of the Gos- pel of Christ,” &c, This was the very thing, he said, which was the stumbling block of all the Jews. ‘The Gospel presented itself in various aspects to them, all enticing and grand. In the first place, it presented itse)f to the human mind as @ greaysys. tem of truth, Truth was the great elementary Principle of nature. Truth was valuable in exact Proportion to the high objects which it revealed, Even art did not embody the very highest symbol oftrath, But the studies of the Gospel were indeed sublime, and they commanded all the powers of the very highest intellects—even if they lifted their contemplation up to the divine mystery of the stars; even if they discoursed of the wondrous beauties of nature, of the subtlety and abstruse- mess of the human intellect; even though they were only contemplating the hems of Jesus’ gar- ment. It was He who could and who did say, “1 AM THE TRUTH,”? All other knowledge was but the framework of this divine truth, Therefore, when men carped at the Gospel and at Him who was its author they only @isplayed their own arrogance and their own ignorance. 0 the folly of thdse who assailed the word of Christ! This was the very :ountain of the source of all knowledge and all truth. But He who had said “I am the truth’ had also said “I am the way.’”? This was the king’s highway. At first it was found with great difficulty, but after a while it was found to be broad and smooth and level, The geverend preacher then related the fairy story of a prince who, after great anguish and diMiculty, had found the splendid palace of his long-lost father. In avery few, brief sentences the Gospel inculcated all the essential principles of goodness and justice, It presented a model of these principles, too—a model glorious, pure and Spotless, But it was not on account of this that the apostle had said that he was nos ashamed of the Gospel, It was not because the Gospel was a truth, but because it was a power. They had seen already, then, all the bright gods of Olympus de- throned by the living God; they had seen the Gos- pel in confict WITH THE PROPHET OF MECCA, and now they saw a conflict between it and all the wins and errors of the world. It asserted the true, the beautiful, the sublime, the lofty—and not even the power of hell could prevail againstit. lt was the Gospel alone that subdued the human pas- sions and had first established itself on the altar of the human heart. He might speak of the forti- tude of its missionaries, of the heroism of its mar- tyrs, of the wondrous power it_ had exercised over the world. What was this wondrous power? ‘The apostle said he was not ashamed of the Gospel be- cause it was the power o! God and the salvation of God. And this word was the innermost kernel of it all, They would remember that in other parts of the Gospel Christ was called the “Power of God.” The Gospel was to them what it was because of Christ ‘who bore it, and Christ was to them what He was Decause he bore the Gospel. He was called the “Word of God.” “The Word was made flesh and dweit among us,” and this was the first divine fact that struck them as they contemplated their Re- deemer, Forming the first link BETWEEN WHAT WAS UNMADE and what had been made, He became the apex and the ultimate expression, the very core 01 the heart of the universe. It was thus that He was to unite heaven and earth. What was the mighty task that Was to accomplish this? What was it that was to ardon them and save them from eternal death ? it was that he discharged this work enforced upon him by His divine Father. Law consisted of precept as well as of penalty. ‘This double action was continually active among them, The divine law bad a precept that was perfect and a penalty that was inevitable. The angelsin heaven knew nothing of the penalty, although they obeyed the precept. Christ obeyed the precept and He suffered the penalty. He exhausted the penalty, and when He died He declared that out of this obedience He had Wrought this everlasting righteousness, It was evident that this work of salvation was accom- plished with dificulty. The work had become roe to them, but it was not easy ior Him. And thus HE ACCOMPLISHED THEIR REDEMPTION, and His death was the great crowning stone of the palace of truth. That saivation, 80 wondronsly wrought ou Was offered to them on easy terms, indeed. Al! ‘who believed Him and obeyed Him could be saved. “He who believeth not is already condemned.” the Redeemer did not attract them their hearts ‘would condemn them, and all that remained to them was to look forward to the final terrible Judxment. But the arms of the Redeemer were opek and here was a twofold invitation to every one t believe Him and to be saved, PIPTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH The Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Armitage. The members of, and congregation who worship at, the Hith avenue Baptist church yesterday celebrated, in an impressive manuer, the ter- Mination of the first quarter of a century of the pastoral settlement of Rev. Dr. Armitage. The morning services consisted of a “voluntary” by the choir; “Introductory temarks,” by Deacon G. A. Hansell, chairman ; “Reading of the twentieth chap- ter of Matthew,” by the pastor; “Prayer,” vy Deacon J, C. Baxter; ‘““Hymu,’’ commencing “Kin- dred in Christ, for His dear sake!” “Address to the pastor,” by Charles T. Goodwin, senior deacon; “address to the church,” by the pastor, and the “Administration of the Holy Communion.” Deacon Goodwin, in addressing the pastor on behalf of the congregation, cordially congratulated him upon the eventful career of Christian labor he had performed in the last twenty-five years, dwell- ing minutely upon the early history of the churcn, when it was located in Norfolk street. He refer- red to the labors of the venerable pastor who had Preceded Dr. Armitage, and the circumstances ‘under which Dr. Armitage in 1848 was called from Albany to take charge of the congregation; the de- ‘Voted interest that he has taken in the church, not nly when located in Norfolk street, but after the erection of the present building on the corner of Fifth avenue and Forty-sixth street, and dweit mpon the sentiment of unity and affection that had existed between pastor and people for twenty-five years. The address was a full expo- sition of the struggles and triamphs of the pastor aud congregation in building up the church. At the conclusion of the deacon’s address, Dr. Armi- who Was visibly affected by the words of love and confidence that pervaded it, responded at length, thanking the con, regation for the generous support they had given him in his arduous efforts . to preach the sore Of salvation, and the generous forbearance they had extended to him when, with an enfeebied constitution, he entered upon his labors. The pastor stated that the duty of the church in the future was to do what they could to make it such a would be acceptable to the Lord. ‘The most marvellous part of the world’s history to every man, he said, was the one of which he had formed a part and the contributions he nad made to it The past, therefore, was not so im- ge as the fature, and we must forget he things that are behind and look to those that are before. Whatever a man sows that shall he reap, What sort of a narvest, he aske: @hail we as a church to-day sow tor? ie believe @ man could be whatever he aspired to be by per- severance, and if this church was to become a poweriul one, and instrumental in winning souls to Christ, Cae could oniy do it by persistent effort, ‘They could jorm an idea of the kind of churci they should be if they remembered what kind of a ehareh ps ing inthe eye of our Lord Jesus Christ nd, having all the appliances and talent mecessary, they should, in the next twenty-five ears, make ii such achurch that Christ could look down and say, ‘Well done, thou good and Jaithfnl servants,” The three P. M. serv which consisted of addresses, prayer and sing participated in by Rev, D. H. Miller, Rev. hapin, Rev, i. Hodge, Rev. S. H. Tyng, Sr. Kev. W. 8. Clapp, Mr. George H. Andrews and Members of the ehareb. The eveviva serdees NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1873.—TRIPLE SHEET. ‘were conducted by Rev. J. D. Fulton, D. D., who preached an impressive sermon. The pulpit Was appropriately decorated with flowers, and over it was, in China asters, the sug- gestive legend, Our Pastor ; 1848—1873,"” 8T, PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL Homage to God and Devotion to the Saints and A: is—Sermon by the Rev. Father McNamee. The Cathedral was, as usual, largely attended yesterday, the omMciating clergyman at the last mass being the Rey. Father Kearney. At the con- clusion of the first Gospel the Rev. Father McNamee preached a sermon, taking for his text the words, “Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.” The rev- erend gentleman, in the course of an eloquent and forcible address, lucidly explained the reasons why Catholics honored the saints and angels whose festival had been celebrated the day preceding, and pointed out the fallacies of those who accused the Catholic Church of Semctaning idolatrous wor- ship. The Church honored all the saints reigning In all the festivals of the saints object of supreme worship, and together in gio God was the on! the whole of that INFERIOR VENERATION which was pee to the saints was directed to give sovereign honor to God alone. Nor was it in- tended to produce representa sony of the Deity, since It was not possible that the Almighty could be seen by cdrporeal eyes. The sacred images were not intended to be true representations of the subject, but they served for our instruction and edification. For this reason every altar in Catholic churches had a picture of the crucifixion in order that the people on entering might at once be reminded of what the Redeemer had done for the salvation of mankind. If the devotion which Catholics paid to the angele and saints, and also to their IMAGES AND RELICS, was the same as that patd to God, then they were idolaters. But as the devotion paid to them had entirely its termination in God, the charge fell to the ground, Every Catholic believed and knew that the most fagitious crime that could be com- mitted was that of me even to the highest saint in heaven, one particle of that devotion which is called adoration, and which belonged to God exclusively on account of His infinite at- tributes. There was A SUPREME ADORATION which belonged to God, and the offering of homage to any of God’s creatures, no matter how exalted, was never tolerated in the Church. When, there- fore, Catholics honored the saints, in them and through them they honored God. The succor of their intercession was among the advantages reaped by celebrating their festivals, The Bible, upon which the accusers of the Church go strongly relied, set forth that God Himself commanded us to honor the saints. Every Catholic knew that even the highest angel had no power to forgive sin, since the granting of grace belonged to God alone. Catholics merely asked the angels and saints to intercede for them, to pray to God to ob- tain that grace which he most especially stood in need of. When the Church celebrates the festi- yalsio honor of angels and saints she has in view the object of stimulating her children to IMITATE THEIR VIRTUES, Nothing could more powerfully incite us to as- pire with all our strength to the incomparable hap- piness and blessed company of the saints than their example, The choral arrangements, under Professor Gus- tavus Schmitz, were, as usual, excellent. One of his own masses, in D major, was performed; and the offertory, the “Cujus Anima,’ from Rossint’s “Stabat Mafer,’’ was eung by Mr. Persin, The chorus was strong and harmonious. LYRIC HALL The Consummate Flower of Humanity the Good Man—A New List of Beati- tudes—Modern Adventists, Debts, Busi- mess Confidence and Defaulting Bank Cashiers—Sermon by the Rev. O. B. Frothingham. Mr. Frothingham preached to a la"ge and atten- tive congregation yesterday mornin: on “The Soul of Goodness.” His text was, ‘ther’ is none good but one—that is God.” These are ‘he words, he began, that Jesus spoke to the youn’; man who in- quired the way to eternal life. Dd Jesus: mean what He said? Did He simply intend to put the young man off? There is no evidence that Jesus ever assumed to be @ perfect being. People claimed that He wasin the Godhead. His favorite title was Son of Man. Jesus was the ideal man—the consummate human being. What does the consummate flower of humanity, the perfect man, mean? All the poast- bilities of human nature complete: the abstract man stripped of all peculiarities. Such a man has never been and is not now. We cannot conceive of such a being—a man who falfils every obligation of life. It isa dream and has not even the sub- stance of ahope. We must remember that Jesus had a habitation, and was the child of a particular race. He was an Oriental and a Hebrew. The type of that race’s goodness is easily compre- hended. The great qualities of the Hebrew race were adoration, submission, trast and obedience to the divine laws. Charity, hospitality, good will and fidelity were the characteristics of the Hebrew race in its prime. Jesus had these qualities to perfection. He was the fulfilment of all hopes and aspirations. “Not my will, but thine be done,” is the loveliest expression that e ver fell from hu- man lips. His life was a prayer. There was nota bitter atom of blood in His veins. He could not remember an injury or avenge an affront. All THE DOORS OF HIS HEART were open, and those who chose came in. There ‘was no error that He coula not overlook. The wo- man of the town creeps up to Him, bathes His feet in her tears, wipes them witn the hairs of her head and she is forgiven. He was the incarnate heart of the world. He had .but one word and that was love. The feminine qualities in his nature were supreme trust, reliance and sensibility. I wish to speak—ne went on—not so mnch of goodness but of the soul of goodness: the Motive that led to goodness. What was the soul of Jesus’ goodness? The imitation of God. “Be erfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” hus {dea was one of the cardinal Ideas of His race. Elijah calling down fire upon the peopie was the true servant of Jehovah. It was no longer THR GREAT I AM but the Father in heaven. The mighty arms were spread out in benediction. The power that was seen in the earthquake and volcano in ancient times were seen now in the summer shower. The rule was to imitate the Supreme. The absolutely perfect, that knew no shadow ot turning, must be imitated by those who were imperfect all over. Since God is but @ conception of ours, will we clothe the Eternal with lineaments of our own, follow the dictates of our own hearts and call itdivine? ‘The belief that the world is coming to an end is very conspicuous in the New Testament. The belief presents that in a few days the order of things will close. John comes preach- ing “The et ee of heaven is at hand; Jesus comes preaching the same thing. The message at this world will go out when the kingdom en comes in. People must keep themselves in resignation and engage in no business, Why stake life and heart and effort on @ moment? baat ro @ profession for which there may be no e WHY MARRY? when we are all going soon to the ovher world, where there is no marrying nor giving in marriage? Why go toa judge, when the day after to-morrow you will have the bternal Judge? Blessed are the poor, for they have nothing to leave; biessed are the meek, for they have nothing to regret; blessed are the hated, for they will be very glad when their persecation is done. is style of belief should result in this style of goodness. It is not that we disbelieve in God, only God is too large to be copied. The world believes more in God now than it used to, The thought of copying a Being, absolutely perfect in will, justicé, compassion and love, 16 impossible. The modern rule is that we do not copy the divine in heaven but His works on earth, Abraham heard God tell himin a dream to sacrifice hisson. The modern father does all that is possible for his bo: to bring him op 8 noble man. ‘The old patriarch copied the Father, the modern parent cepies the laws of life, We believe in @ «permanent unt- verse, We build houses that will last a hundred years, for they are built on a solid foundation of rock, and we engage in industries. We are pretty sure that the kingdom is not coming to-morrow. There are some enthusiasts who still cherish the ho} that Christis coming in the cloud: rhaps, is there any sueh thing a8 goodness? Must we con- fess that eastern goodness is one thing and western another? Why do we try to get at the heart of the matter? Goodness means liness. A good man is one who keeps all his uman relatious and engagements; a man who fulfils every atom of obligation is of course not an idiot, Well-might Jesus say “None is good but God."’ None but the Supreme keeps his word for- ever, Tne SILVER BELFRIES OF THE Sky @trike the hour of noon. The consteilations al) move in their order and keep perfect time. The wandering planet never loses its way. The sun, moon and stars keep their time. The drop of Water, the bubble on ¢ stream, the sand fake in the heart of Sahara—every atom, every speck mur- murs, here | am, when the voice that has no Speech gues through al the ends. The good man is good after the same fashion as od, bus not in the same — degree. God is not trae, bat truth; not just, but justice; not loving, but love. Goodness is the disposition as far aa ability to pay debts, The debt is a very great matter—not merely paying the bill the trader brings m, but to pay debts to fel- low)beings; to the at, who help us up, and to the Uttie, that we mast help to lit up. ‘me sou, voojness consists in paying gebwy #nd iM dae ity to engagements, Some think goodness is some- thing ideal for priests and preachers; something ‘that is proper to people who Rave no cares, If any one was to be after that fashion the worl Would come to an end very soon. In the world shrewdness and resolution are the idealized qual- ities. We put no conscience in business. A gen- veman a in the paper asking people to ut thelr names and addresses in their pocket- Ks. We read that and took it for a piece of VERY COOL IMPUDENCB. ‘The thief said frankly “We have nothing to do with goodness, My business is to cae ft oa pocket; if you are not sharp enough to look after it I have no scruples in picking it.” If goodness is a thing for priests and women why is not the thief’s profes- sion a legitimate calling? I respect the thief who openly avows his calling. He is not a church mem~ ber; he is no te. A bank cashier takes $100,000 and expects to be acquitted because he took it for the bank, He was annoyed to think his plea was not qnietly listened to. diness is not an ideal thing but a plain matter of fact thing that consists in keeping truth, CHUROH OF THE DISCIPLES, Christianity a Panacea—A Blind Faith a Good Faith—Lite a Sojourn—Sermon by the Rev. George H. Hepworth. A large congregation was assembled yesterday morning at the Church of the Disciples, corner of Madison avenue and Forty-fifth street. Mr. Hep- worth preached on Matthew xi.,30—“My burden ta light.” These words, he began, convey two very significant intimations. Oné of these is that all life, even when you make the best of it, is a burden; that even under the most prosperous circumstances it is a care. One must be Wary and watchful all the time, This is God’s plan, The other inference from the text is that the large majority of men select a heavy bur- den instead of a light one. And because men were overweighted Christ came. Men were walking in midnight darkness, and He brought a kind of twi- light. If I understand Christianity rightly, it ap- Peals to the reason. It is no NEBULOUS GATHERING OF DOCTRINES. It is a demand that you shall find the spot where the sun shines the cheeriest, or the easiest path over the mountain. Christianity is an exposition of the way to lighten our buraens. What is necessary toenter upon this new state of being, marked by its sagacity and foresight? It is neces- sary, first of all, that one should accept the sys- tem of Christiamty. This pretends to be @ divine institution; and it claims an authority higher than human judgment. Put your own opinions on the table. This demands a cer- tain impartiality on our part, and an extreme par- tiality on the part of God, Every precept has for its end the development of the soul. The Scriptures have the same authority over us that we have over our children. When we were children, we often differed from our parents; but now we see that they were correct. The mind of childhood sees only a few inches before it. it 1s governed by im- pulse. There is no earthly connection like that between the mother and baby. Now I transfer that figure to ourselves, In the eyes of the angels we are children, “ONLY THIS AND NOTHING MORE.” Our business for the present is to have implicit faith in the Father. The first condition is an ac- ceptance on our part of the New Testament. I know that there is a great deal of laxity on this subject in the community. Some of the FS ologians have tried to prove that Christis amyth. Others regard Him as an historical personage standing amid the other sages and philosophers, though towering above them all. To these two classes the Bible has no more authority than Darwin's “Origin oi Man."’ You may accept it as true, but you are thousands of miles from its spirit. You may assent to every moral precept and yet never put them in practice. There isa third’ class who believe that Christ came from heaven, that the words he uttered were from om- nipotent wisdom, and that irom these words there is no appeal. What does Christianity offer to us? It offers us an authoritative law, and there is noth- ing of which we stand so much in need. I would as soon believe that the Himalayas could be thrown up bya spade as that those old barbaric people could have uttered vhat crisp wisdom found in the New Testament. What has endured 80 long must be of.divine origin, for time will crumble the greatest human work. Babylon was made to last forever, but we now have ‘to dig in the sand for a stone of its remains, Human glory fades, but here is a statue from which not a single atom has been chipped away. Christianity offers us a pattern thoroughly de- veloped, CHRIST IS A PICTURE BOOK illustrating what He did. He said something and then He did it, in spite of Roman laws and Roman spears, temptations of the present and traditions of the past, We are offered not only a law, a petition, but are commanded to cover the present with the future. Live each day for to-morrow; live for eternity. If this life were all we might seek only what this world can give and not care for honor or charity. When I go to the woods in my vacation I buila me alog hut. ButI do not take too much pains with it, because it is only to last for a few months. I know that wheu I come back to the city I will have better things. Life is our hut; we must not think too much of that if it can only last a short season, OHUROH OF THE DIVINE PATERNITY, The Rev. Dr. Chapin Upon the Righteous- ness Required by Christ. vr. Chapin, pastor of the Universalist church, at the corner of Fifth avenue and Forty-fifth street, yesterday morning administered the sacrament of communion, after a sermon on the kind of righteous- ness required by the Divine Master of his disciples and of bis followers to the end of time. Having opened the services by prayer for all mankind, and especially for President Grant, and invoked divine guidance to the people in the political struggle of the coming week, he announced his text in the fifth chapter of Matthew, at the twentieth verse— “I say unto you that except your righteous- ness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Every great trath or system, said she reverend teacher, which is adapted to enlarge and extend the sphere of hu- man understanding and benefit our race will be both comprehensive and instruct- ing. It will include all truth before taught. No truths are antagonistic to each other or subversive of one another. Truth is but one, and what seem separate truths are bat fragments or sections of a harmonious whole. Many problems of this hour will hereafter be re- solved, so that we shall see that what seemed con- tradictory but supplement and complement each other in one luminous flood of truth. We are often told that truth lies between extremes; but this is notareliavle rule. It is sometimes far beyond and outside of the widest extremes that the truth 1s ultimately found. Every thinker has probably experienced this. He is first attracted to this side of seeming truth, then his opinion swerves to the opposite view, and at length increasing light set- ties his conviction in a belief quite aside from either, though all ofthe positions may have had some elements of truth. it is betrer to believe that all religious sects have had their origin in SOME GLIMPSES OF TRUTH than to conclude those we do not agree with are founded upon absolute and utter error. All useful truth is constructive. It may batter down some error and correct seme false reasoning, but it ts shallow and of little real value if it con- fine itself to criticism; if 1t does not present us some substantial foundations for a structure of betcer life and enlarged usefulness. That is a poor system or sect which simply finds flaws in others and exposes their fallacy or evil tendency, No sect which does not give us some aid in the devel- opment of humanity and advance our knowledge of God will stand the teat of time. It will soon dry up and wither unless it has better foundation than criticism of others. The Gospel did net pro- fess to pull down and destroy the la’ fulfil it. Christianity was not a new sys: - ligion. If 80, we must conclude that all the teach- ings of the Old Testament were false. Christ's sem enlarges and improves that of the prophets, ‘ying it forward to the full development of man into divine sonship. The New Testament but illu- minates the Old, not contradicts or subverts it, It enlarges and entorces the old revelations of the Divine character and its requirements of hamanity. EXTREMISTS AND CONSERVATIVES both resist the promulgation of a new and better trine, Some consider what we term, for want better phrase, “liberal Christianity,” which en to designate Universalism and a dangerous heresy—a declaration loctrine which we do not really believe; others deem it but another name for license to believe anything or nothing. The truth suffers from both theories, Hardshell conservatives and softsbeil extremists are both satisfied with their own right- eousness, but they fall short of what is required by | the Divine Master in tue text. He calls for an ex- | ceeding righteousness, a true religion of the heart. Scribes and Pharisees have passed away, but men remain. “Cructiy Him" is as often heard in New York or London as at Jerusalem. The righteons- ness oO! the Scribes represents that of more kuow- ledge, a thorough acquaintance with the Bible and ability in theological discussion and statement of doctrine, # righteousness of the head alone. It plays with questions high as God, deep as hu- Manity, asa player with men on a chess board. Obrist requires A BETTER RELIGION THAN THIS. Ritualism, like the rigteousness of the Pharisee, is formal, external, superficial, There are sweet- tempered, amiable, generous men, who lack the religion of principle which will stand the test. A flesh and biood sinner ia better than @ cast iron Christian whose religion has no beart in it, The Feligion of impulsive generosity will not sumice, nor that of policy, respectability, or one which per- forms coy AS we pay taxes, because they cannot be evaded. Christ's religion is one of faith—of the heart It colors and controls tae Whole lie, Good @eeds alone do not constitute it; they must flow from @ heart wholly imbued with the divine love. Pure water only fows from pure fountains, Jesus sought to give His disciples an inward righteous- ness of the soul. The outward actis of consequence only as it shows the soul, He is a murderer not only who commits the outward aet, but he who bates his fellow. A lie is the intention to deceive. Pro- fanity 18 not avoided by splitting words and inserting dash lines between the letters. Phari- sees are content with mere form. They go to church} that is their religion. It occupies an hour ‘with wervice, and then tbe church is locked up for six days, The Scribe boasts a clear head; but his his heart harbors all uncieanness. He does not strive to abstain from cheating, but to cheat with- out risking punishment. True religion i# @ 8] init, not what may be seen by men’s eyes, but by God’s eye. Only by it can we enter into the kingdom of heaven}; not by cutting icy steps up the frozen side of Mount Blane, but by soaring aloit to its summit. No law can make a man good. It must be by the love of goodness, Christ 18 the embodied EXPRESSION OF INFINITE GOODNESS. A8 we come to be like Him we apprehend true righteousness, exhaustiess love. Is @ man so in love with sin that only the dread of eternal pun- ishment can restrain him from crime? God shield the neighbor of such a Christian! Absolute love for the divine character alone can make true Christian righteousness. Yesterday is called Al Saints’ Day. There are many saints in humbie places, unknown, unheeded, whose faces equal those whose images are emblazoned on painted corridors and sculptured in eloquentstone. To- day is called All Souls’ Day. The change of death only frees our immortal essences from the union with perishable bodies. Our souls and those of all men Who have lived are in the keeping of the Divine Maker; they are not dead, but changed. When the friends of the dead in the European countries to-day wreath the tombs of departed irtends with flowers they butassert theic immor- tality. There is but one world to God. Dead and living are alike in His sight. To partake properly of the emblems in the holy communion in the spirit of true love to the Master is to possess that exceeding righteousness by which we enter into the Kingdom of heaven, while the Kingdom of heaven enters into us, 8T, ANN’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Sermon on Purgatory by the Rev. Father Lake. The festival which ts so honored by the Catholic Church, and which is held annually in commemo- ration of the souls of the faithiul departed, under the name of All Souls’ Day, formed the subject of a sermon at this church yesterday by Rev. Father Lake, He said that compassion for the afMlicted is @ natural feeling in the human heart, No earthly suffering can be compared to the patns of purga- tory, which must be endured by the greater num- ber of those who die without having fully satisfied the justice of God ‘or manifold transgressions in life. He spoke eloquently on the duty we owe the souls of our departed friends to pray for them, and by acts of penance and mortification and by the holy sacrifice of the ‘mass to alleviate and shorten their sufferings. The “Kyrie” and “Gloria” of Durand’s mass, a thoroughly French work, formed the first part of the musical services, and the “Credo,” “Sanctus” and “Agnus Dei’ of Dachauer’s “Messe Solennelle, No. 2," the latter. The work of Mr. Dachauer occupies a position of merit iully equal to that which he composed many ears ago for the Church of St. Eustace, Paris. The “Credo” begins with a majestic unison of all the voices, followed by strongly chorded passages in the same elevated, devotional spirit. “Et ex Patre” is an impressive bass solo, which is re- peated with the altos in unison, the other voices coming in at intervals in quaint and effective har- monies. A beautiful tenor solo, commencing with “Et Incarnatus,’’is followed by @ solemn choral, “Et Homo factus est.’’ The mystery of the cruci- fixion is expressed in a chorus of startling effect. Trumpets and the female voices in thirds and sixths usher in the “Resurrection.” The ‘‘Amen” forms a brilliant finale to this highly effective num- ber. The “Sanctus” is remarkable for the effect pro- duced by the voices uniting in an outburst of joy (chord of the diminished seventh) at the word “Hosanna!” The ‘Agnus Dej” has a feature in the qnaint metho in which “Miserere Nobis” ts introduced. The effect is that of a passionate cry for mercy, Tollowed by the mournful tones, an octave lower, of the alto and bass voices. Ne, Corradi and Mle. Gomien sung “Ave Maria,’ by Niedermeyer, at the Offer- tory. It ts an exceedingly beautiful duet and was sung with all the expression and religious spirit it demanded, Mile. Gomien gave a delightful render- ing ofahymn by Nave at the Gospel, The charm ot her singing bringipally rests inits abnegation of individual display of voice and its complete ab- sorption in the ideas of the composer. Mr, Dachauer is organizing @ large chorus for this church which will make the choir second to none in the city. SEVENTEENTH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, Miss Smiley on the Atonement of Christ. The congregation of the Seventeenth street Baptist church yesterday morning listened toa sermon from the Rev. Miss Smiley. This lady took for her text the words:—‘Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.” She sketched out the circumstances under which these words were uttered by John the Baptist. He goes on to tell us how he had known Christ. It is doubtral if John knew Christ’s nature until the day of His baptism. This ceremony implied more than & mere rite. It was an absolute admission that Christ assumed man’s nature and identified himself with fallen humanity and took upon himself their infirmities and their weakness, God took this moment to introduce His representa- tive to the world. Christ had been callea by His disciples the Son of Man; but at that moment, as He came up out of the River Jordan, God took occasion to prociaim:—“This is my beloved son, in whom I am Well pleased.” God on that day took into His heart A GREAT, SINFUL WORLD. Whether we are called upon to introduce Christ to the sinner or the saint we can do so with equal confidence as the Lamb of God. Men when they begin great careers in this world generally choose | the dignified and authoritative method; but Jesus ‘was not to save a lost world in that way. He came as a teacher of almost abject humility. He came to teach the world that the majesty of conquest was to come by patient, individual effort. Gentie- ness is greatness, weakness is might. A wonder- tul religion this, which finds its chosen symbo.s in alamb and adove! It had been a teaching of the early beh that without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sins ; so Christ came to offer himself as THE ATONEMENT OF BLOOD. Centuries before, we read that @ father and son started for Mount Moriah, the father to offer up the son fora remission of sin. History repeats itself in the case of Christ, when God gives up His son. Even the heathen insist upon human sacrifices in atonement for sin, Jesus, the Lamb of God, has taken the place of this poor, wounded wretched | sneep. Allredemption on the night when the de- stroying angel went over Egypt was to_be secured by the blood of the lamb. The ost wicked man could have been pro- tected by that blood on the door. There was no investigation of the religious condition of the jamilies; their sins were not remembered against them, In our cases the blood had been shed, and it only remains for us to appropriate it and show it in our lives to be saved. THE FORGIVENESS HAS BEEN GIVEN. You are saved, so far as God’s mercy goes, All you have to do is to claim your title to redemption. God sends this message to us:—Be ye reconciled to Corist. Itis but a st0R which brings ou into the household of Christ. ou all intend, sooner or later. Let the step be taken at once, BROOKLYN CHURCHES. PLYMOUTH OHURCH Communion Sanday—Admission of New Members—A Sermon by Mr. Beecher on Serrow and uffering—What and Where Are Natural Laws !—Scientific Dlastrations, It was communion Sunday at Plymouth church yesterday, and the consequence was that the church was well filled with members and pew owners before the strangers were admitted. The result Was @ crowd that exceeded the average, Ten new members were admitted—six by profes- sion of faith and four by letters frém other churches. Mr, Beecher preached @ ser- moa on suffering and sorrow, selecting for his text Hebrews xi, 13—“These all died in faith, not having received the prom- ises, but having seen them afar of, and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and con- fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.’’ This, said Mr. Beecher, was the con- tinnal testtmony and experience of the lives of men who in their day were princes among men. ‘This is the testimony and result of their lives ag they look back on their own consumurate spirit. These Words come to as far back—' strangers and pilgrims” —as a sign from antiquity, a volce coming down from behind the miidle ages, behind the Roman epoch, back from the very limits of his- torical records, Every one gives expression to his experience, and, as the resuit of it, to his views of life, All the way down, from prophecy to psalm, THE HEBRRW SCRIPTURES carry an undertone of sadness, There is showna profound sense of the importance of human life and ofa universal sorrow. In every literature there is sorrow, and every nation has contributed to the solema reguigm of time, All this ts gopaist- ent with the fact that life nas much joy, Never- theless, the sorrows of life are unermng, radical and universal. The joys of life, after manhood has begun, are earned. Joys are the harvest that comes from the sickle, the spade and the plough. Men have large complements of faculties and they do not use them, or if they do use them, use them only at their lowest power, The primary action of tne faculties of the mind and body are pleasurable; pain is the result of not knowing how to use our faculties im the best way. e are made with a soul and a body that are magnificently made, and point vo a nobler sphere than we see here, Despite ali this, we see away down and beyond a ministra- ton of sorrow. If we invite a savage to our table, and he eats the pepper, the mustard, and the salt, and he eats and drinks that which does him harm and not good, we Bee two things: we see that there is a table spread for pleasure, and we see aiso that the savage could not heip his ignorance. First, the conditions in human life are such that the struc- ture of the human mind and all the circumstances of life point to human happiness. If you compare che results of it and what his ogtine ie we say, “It does not yet appear what he shail be.”’ Secondly, we sometimes say aii suffering among men springs poms @ Violation of the law, and it only needs that ) LAW SHOULD BR KNOWN, and then suffering would not be the result. This is certainly true—that happiness will largely in- crease in the reach of such knowledge; but that will not touch the root of things. Pain and pleasure are part and parcel of the moral constitu- tion of the race, Where are these natural laws? What are they? Slowly we are adding to those we have the knowledge of, In @ robin’s nest where there are four eggs you may be sure one of the birds will go to the cats. The stronger bird will push the weaker one out, and the cat will get it. The philosopher says if that bird had only Known the laws of nature and the nature of cats, he might ha saved his life and been warm in his nest. But it didn’t, Suffer- ing is the schoolmaster ; it sets men down to think. Suffering is Just as eternal as pleasure itself. No amount of knowledge or schooling in the right use of faculties can avoid certain phases of suffering. Ne race ever came to development except through struggle and hard work. Mr. Beecher then re- are to the indirect effects of wantof knowledge oro MORAL WRONG, For example, he said, the father and mother of the prodiga! suffer more than the prodiga One o! the noblest developments of human life is such a con- nection with each other that we cannot be separated from human joys and sor- rows, A man that has kindness in his heart has an ear that is open to all sorrow, inasmuch as one with an eye and ear for God must, like his Master, be a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. For example, one great merchant prince fails to-day; he 1s like an oak in the. forest—it brings down others. The bit- terness of commercial ioss is not what a man’s own logs is, but the loss that he brings on others, After all that I have sald { have not produced an, conception af the magnitude of the wisdom an depth of the suffering that is flowing abroad in the world. There are many men who have no literature. The sorrows of the poor and the silent souls who hide their trouble, who suffer in silence, TELL NO TALE. ‘The outlet and the consolation for all this is to be found in the hope of afuture. Ifa man is no more than @ leaf in autumn, then, taking the race throughout, it would have been better that there should have been no human race If it is only to have the experience ithas onearth. This idea of future life is not put faith in by those who are tired of the world; but it is the idea of those who would be encouraged on their way through it, You see the photograph taken, you know not what goes on in the dark X; when the plate is presented to you there is a film covers its face, but let it be “pro- cessed”? and there comes from it the face of one ou love. We aver, like this life to a large extent is he box of darkness, and our way cut yet las a film upon it, but by-andDy we shall see how it comes forth, more beautiful than our highest con- ceptions. Mr. Beecher eoncluded by cautioning men from being discouraged by putting their consciences under & magnifying glass and compar- ing it with the ideal before them. TALMAGE AT THE ACADEMY. The Hard Times—Praying for Working- men and Merchants—The Wants of the Immortal Soul Defined. Mr. Talmage, in his opening prayer, at the morn- ing service yesterday, implored the blessing of God on the laboring classes and prayed that they might not come to want. ‘Be thou to them,” said the preacher, ‘all they need. Give them clothing. Give them fire on the cold hearth. Give them everything they need for this life, and, above all, give them that bread of which if a man eat he will never hunger again. Bless all our merchants and business men, perplexed and knowing not which way toturn. Restore public confidence. Let not the land be utterly prostrated. Rouse up again all OUR FAILING COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. Bless those who have lost large estates. Comfort them and may they seek for God and those trea- sures which never fail.”” Mr. Talmage’s sermon was founded on the para- ble of the ‘‘Prodigal Son,’’ which, he said, contained enough texts fora man to preach about for fifty years, and then he must go into the eternal world feeling that he had only just opened the outside door of the subject. The meaning of the parable was that our race had had & good starting, but we all went from God, our home. Sin had despoiled us and made us hopeless, friendiess and godless. We had a fine Spiritual fortune to start with, but we spent it, and we now “begin to be in want.” I care not, continued the pastor, how fine our worldly estate may be, Or how much bank stock We may possess, or how elegant our social position, sip has PAUPERED THE WHOLE RACE, and until we go back to God, our home, weare in an awful state of beggary and want. There is no exception to it. God help me this morning to define the wants of an. im- mortal soul. if you are not a Christian your first want is the Holy Ghost. Some of you have been familiar with those themes about which I am talking long before 1 was born. Some of you have heard a thousand sermons. Some of you have spent whole years of glorious Sabbath ard had innumerable opportunities of religious contemplation and religious joys, and yet you tell me frankly you are not Christians. Why? Because the Holy Ghost has not led you to the cross, What does all this service amount to this morning unless the Divine Spirit touch your soul? A wasted hour. What isall this Bible, with its hopes and promises, Hy you unless the Holy Spirit jilumine the page’ tis A SBALED BOOK. What are all the advantages you have had for the last fifteen years, ina religious sense, unless the Spirit of God drive the truth to the heart? So many arguments for your condemnation. *Well,” you say, “How can | get that spirit? Am I respon- sible for not having it?’ Yes. You must, my dear brother, pray for His coming and He will come. Plead for Him. Beseech His coming. Cry out, “Give me the Holy Ghost !’? Why is it that some- times, when we come to the people with an ela- borate discourse and we have carefully analyzed the subject and brought out the thoughts, as we think, in @ harmonious way, and we think it is about as good asermon as we know how to preach, it all amounts to nothing? It is because the Holy Spirit did not bless the truth that day. Why is it that on some other occasion when rope with only a few thoughts iying in our tind hardly arranged at all, but with a burn- ing desire for the salvation of the souis of men, and the sermon is a poor sermon, Judged by the RULES OF HUMAN RHBTORIC, that on that day ten people come to God? Becanse the Lord sends His spirit to bless that sermon. Oh! if this morning tue Spirit of God would shine on your hearts you would wake up as from a long sleep; you would look around about you and you would knee] down and cry for mercy. Again, your want is pardon. That young man down in the wilderness, ab! how he thought of bis father, He thought, “if I could only hear my father say ‘I forgive you’ 1 would be happy.’ It was pardon he wanted. That is what you need. What has been the greatest sin in your life? It is the sin of driving back the Son of God from your souls and recrucifying the Lord of glory and trampling on the bleeding heart of infinite love, and that sin we have all committed. Added to this are 100,000 other unforgiven transgressions. God is willing to blot them ali out and tuke you in the arms of His compassion. Free, everlasting pardon for all, ‘Then, again, you want comfort. You have found the world to be 4 rough world, and there is in your sou AN ACHING VOID that {it cannot Oil. Worldly amusements cannot silence it. The intoxicating cup only makes the matter worse. You go about seeking for peace and happiness and finding remorse and anguish. It is because the flower you are hunting for does not grow in earthly soil. Substantial comfort will not grow in nature's barren soil. Only in Christ is ieee comfort. He is the balm ior all wounds, liberty for all captives, life for all who are dead. Mr. Talmage also detined strength against temp- tation and eles for heaven. as further wants of the soul, and on these subjects he descanted at con- siderable length, 8T, LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The Resurrection of All Souls—The Holy Communion—Sermon by the Rev, Dr. Dillar. The congregation of this modest temple of the living God, im Clinton street, near Fulton avenue—one of the oldest sacred edifices.in Brooklyn, and supported by a staid, homely ana old-fashioned community—gathered, as usual, yes- terday morning ip full numbers, and attended with earnestness the worship of faith, The choir, which is composed of good material, requires a little more careful training to amend its defects, and it will then be one of the best in Brooklyn. The bass has noticeably a very strong, full voice, and the tenor @ Wolerabiy sweet and cle@r one, The sopraud is pass. —_—— able. There ts apparent, however, in the choiran absence of vocai ambition, which doubtless is the cause of the slipshod manner in which the musig of the service is rendered.’ The congregational singing of the hymns is likewise capable of great improvement under a more judicious and duigent leadership. Saturday being All Saints’ Day, and yesterday the service of the holy communion being per formed, the Rev. Dr. Dillar devoted the time im mediately after the morning prayer, gospel snd epistle to the delivery of a running commentary on, and explanation of, the meaning of the festival of All-Halloween, and of the peculiar doctrines of the Church of Engiand respecting resurrection. He argued that tne soul is never eternally Separated from the body, but that the parting ts only for a time and that at length on the day of the reat uprising they are again united in juman beings could never be because angels were wholly and only spirits. tendency of his reasoning was that the delights and blessings of the flesh were revived in that glorious afterlife when the trumpet should rouse the dead {rom their long sleep. It was @ mistake, although a common fallacy, to suppose that the good who died became angels. They only became saints, Much of this erroneous belief could be traced to a simple Sunday school hymn which many children were taught to sing— I want to be an anget and 5 isto ara aN ee a a. ‘any mothers also said of their little o: parted that they had gone to heaven, ao wes now angels. Neither of these statements was true, a no one reached heaven until after the rea- urrection, Jesus, we had it distinctly told to us, lay four days in earth berore he was resurrected. The oeaier but mistaken notion of All Saints’ Day arose from the above delusion. It was nota day for the commemoration of the lives and good deeds of the saints and martyrs who have been canonized in the Church, nor in bonor of gfhe angelic hosts, but in remembrance of the salvation and transla- tion of‘all good souls who had departed in the love of Christ. He wished the simile of the soul Caeicry! from the body only for a time, to be joined with it again, to impress itself on the hearts of those who mourned dear ones lost; for life was but brief, like the period between death and resur- rection. We should think of them only as gone away for a little time and to return again. The service of the communion gave us intercourse with their love, as well as thaq of God and the angels, Therefore we were to live so a8 to partake often of that communion, and in the end to meet God and our loved ones face to face In the grand reward of eternity. BEDFORD AVENUE REFOBMED CHURCH, Twenty-Fourth Anniversary—Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Porter—Interesting Ser- viees. The services at the Reformed church, on Bed- ford avenue, yesterday were unusually interesting, the occasion being the twenty-fourth anniversary of the formation of the society. The church was tastefully adorned with the Sabbath school ban- ner3, and in and around the chancel were choice flowers. During the introductory exercises Dr. Porter installed the elders and deacons who were recently elected into office, after which he pro- ceeded to deliver his twenty-fourth annual ser- mon, taking for bis text the first verse of the sixth chapter of Hebrews—‘Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Ohrist, let us go on unto perfection.’ In introducing the theme, the speaker asked what would be thonght of a builder who should confine himself to putting down and taking up foundation stones, By such a process would he ever rear @ goodly structure? There were teachers and preachers who were constantly expending their main strength on the elementary principles of Christianity. They were mainly occupied with the doctrine of baptism, sacramen- tal forms, and orders of church government; yet no one could fail to see that Jesus Christ and His aposties taught a few great, immutable truths. When God laid the foundations of the earth be esiablished the LAW OF GRAVITY, which had not to be proved every week in the year; and so when Jesus ubrist came and minis- tered unto us He put into the bistory of the world and into the life of humanity a great fact. It was in consistency with this line of procedure that Paul counselled those to whom he wrote to leave the simple rudiments of the Gospel and goon unto periection. They were to build tuemseives up on the foundation that had been laid and to grow in Christian knowledge, periecting their own per- sonal characters. ‘I'he physical earth was balanced by two opposing forces, -one driving it to the sun and the other repelling it. So it was with human life and society in all its various organizations. .One force drives us backward and the other forward. This gave rise to the origin of two parties, which confronted each other in the political, social, religious and literary world; and society could hardly exist without them. The one was conservative, the other progressive. They balanced each other and were mutually helpful. If we lived only in the past we would die, and if we acted only for the future, cutting loose from the past, we deprived ourselves of nutriment from a@ soil which had been enriched by numerous blessings and experiences, There should be such an ad- justmént of hope and memory that the two forces would hold men in their fitly balanced orbits, The things to be remembered were the best hours of our earthly course, and the things to be forgotten those which hindered us in our up- ward progress toward perfe¢tion of character. We are to stretch every nerve that we may be like Christ. There were some who remembered their ancestors, and substituted such recollections for PERSONAL VIRTUE, There were others laid up former deeds with miserly care, supposing that their performance would excuse them from continued service in righteousness, while others remembered, with ad- miring complacency, what they had accomplished, saying, ‘‘Behoid the Babylon which I built.” This was an exhibition of error, and want of knowledge of the first principles of personal growth. The man who said that as long as there remained one single thing to know he felt himself to be ignorant, comprehended the condition of all true growth. ‘Forward, march!’? was the command which an enlightened conscience spoke out with trampet-like force to all who sought mind and soui culture. Dr. Porter went on to speak of the hindrances to true progress, among which were physical laziness—which was a transmitted epidemic—the horrible spectre of dimMicuity and distrust of the promises of God. The gold ring which filtered on the finger was first | subjected to a hardening process, and no true man could be found who had not. met with and tri- umphed over difficulties. SELF-INDULGENCE was the motto of the worldly man; self-denial the motto of the Christian. The teachers of the daily press were now telling us that what the commer- cial community wanted was contidence. Moncey is just as plenty now as it was before the panic, but | were afraid of each other, He proceeded urge his hearers to trust the promises of and to test the power of the Gospel in developing a noble Christian manhood. The close of the ser- mon was devoted to a review of the work of the church during the year, which, he said, was @ pros- perous one in every sense of the word. The. Schvols belonging to the church met in the after- nogn, when the annual reports were presented and appropriate addresses delivered. In the evening the pastor preached @ discourse to the Young People’s Association. THE XAVIER ALUMNI Rev. Dr. Brann on the Duties of the Laity—Aid for the Memphis Sufferers. The Xavier Alumni Sodality held its regular monthly meeting yesterday in the hall of St. Francis Xavier's College, Fifteenth street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. There wasa very large attendance of members. The Rev. Dr. Brann, pastor of St. Elizabeth's church, Fort Washington, delivered an address to the association, in which he impressed upon his hearers the duty they owe to the Church as c0-workers of the clergy. He said that the laity were a part of God’s royal priesthood, and, although’ they were not in- vested with the authority of the priest in all matters of religion, yet they were author- ized to do good im many ways as refigious teachers. Thou; eer Were not empowered to preach the Word of God from the puipit they were authorized by God to teach their brethren the truths of re- At a Cae rea the Word ha Si oe ir counting rooms, eir He declared that there never was atime in the history of the Cathoitc Church when the priests were so united all the world over as they were at. Present. It was true that persecutions were being carried on bare the Church in various countries, but this aid not proceed from tne clergy. The: hierarchy were never more devoted to the Po; and the interests of the Church one than they were in this, the nineteenth century, Al the troubles the Church was now suffe! fro came from the laity, who were lax in their Christians, He ciosed with a strong appe: to oom eetete Kd join rire se) the te and ep them to do the wor! G rusted te jhen ‘Glose of Dr. ots t the close of Dr. Brann’s remarks was taken up for the benefit of the Tmembe Ts Of the Memphis sodabties, who, it had been learned by telegraph, were in sad need of assistance. A large amount of money was sent to the sufferers last week by the council of the association, A TEBRIBLE DEATH, At about half-past five o'clock yeste: noon, while @ number of boys were preenton dio roof of the new four-story bullding, South Righth and Fourth streets, Williamsburg, number, revanay, ten. yours of age oon. dentally fell into the ‘eellar was mutated. | He was taken to the Eastern Distric propompoed teint ent, where injuries wero