The New York Herald Newspaper, November 1, 1875, Page 5

“THE PREACHERS. Mr. Hepworth on Spiritual Birth. DR. PRICE’S FAREWELL. Mr. Beecher Indorses the Re- vival Movement. The Methodists Celebrate an Old Foundation. REVIVALISTS AT THE RINK. CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES. MR. HEPWORTH'S SERMON ON ‘‘CORNER STONES BORN OF THE SPIRIT,” Mr. Hepworth’s church was crowded, as usual, yes- terday morning. Mr. George 8. Weeks was present, and added to the interest of the services by his singing. Mr. Hepworth chose’ his text from St, John, iil, 8:—“Born of the spirij.”” Weare told inthe Bible that it requires two births to make a complete ana per- fect man. The first is a natural one, it comes involun- tarily, The second is a spiritual one, and is volun- tary. We recognize the fact that our irresistible ten- dency is to the gratification of self, and a man must go down in the waters of oblivion and come up in the green fields of a larger promise, This is a solemn step. 1 would like to show you some of the consequences which come to pass when a man subtracts himself from earth and adds himself to heaven, I take it that it is every man’s duty to stand still and think about his eter- naldestiny, and, as in time of war, aman reading the news of the battle field slowly comes to the condlusion that it is his duty to give himself to his country, so it is our duty to walk up to the recruiting ofllcer of God and enroll our names in the book of Christ, ready to be in- étant, in season and out of season; and when one does that he does it with a promise. The promise of God is rich indeed. The first thing that will come will be an infusion of an all-pervading love throughout our being and life, filling the vems of the relation you bear to God and manifesting itself in all the ramitications of your business and social pursuits and pleasures, changing the whole complexion fromm the GREEN AND YELLOW oP DISTRUST tothe gold of confidence and hope, Now we are in debted to Him for all the love in the world. Lf you read the pages of history carefully you will be surprised to find the basis of all systems selfishness. You (ind no spot where religion has been promulgated which gives to you asthe central motive of action what even ap- proximates to that precious love preached in the New Testament, A theology of fear always produces a gov- ernment of fear, Religion controls human life in every phaso, The nations of the earth depend on their popu- lar beliefs in God for the kind of theology they have The only means of developing a race is by changing its theology. That is the golden key that unlocks every Fase of progress. It is a curious fact When men be- ieve, for instance, ina despotic God, they believe in a despotic government, and they have it, When God Was a giant men were slaves. There were some Jeeble attempts to something better; but they were all broken and could not last. But in our government, for instance, we have organized charities, and that means organized love, Wehave hospitals, They arethe | natural Christian expression of the world’s obligation to infirmity, And what makes this obligation? Nothing but a still further recognition of the personal obligation, to those in sudness and sorrow, ‘There is no law about 1t; itis the action and persistent force ot the law of God, it comes from the tact that God loves us. Ob, strong man, I know you reckon yourself by muscle and health ‘and wealth; but whavis there in you of Value but the love you have? That is the attribute that makes you manly, heroic. But, in the second place, when a man takes the step of which J speak he enjoys therealter what! like to | wall PEACE OF CONSCIENCE und Joy of the Holy Ghost. You remember when Jesus | suid in Lhe fourteenth chapter of John. twentyseventh | verse, just before He leit His disciples, He said, Peace | I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” There is romething peculiar about that sentence, ‘Peace { leave with you,” in a general way; ‘My peace” is a legacy to eacl, the heritage of Him who is born again, from the Dear One whose hands are pierced by naila,’ See if it | fs not so. “My peace I leave with you,” said Christ, but the apostiés had little peace as we look upon It} they went out from that chamber to death. We would suppose that they were to sit on thrones und wear royal purple from that moment, But they went forth to the cross, hammer and nailé and thorns of martyrdom, | and yet, foreseeing it all, Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you,”” It is not an outward peace; itis like ‘A WELL OF LIVING WATER in the heart, and we aposties realized the fact that God had given them peace. How is this to come to pass? We find, curiousiy enough, in the firet chapte of Acts, the whole thing explained, eighth verse:—*But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerasaiem and im ali Mudea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” That is a | strange thing. ‘The Holy Ghost is to come into aman, | and it is to add to lis power. Let us find upon whom the Holy Ghost is to como—tenth chapter Acix, thirty- eighth verse:—“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were’ oppressed of the devil, ior God was with him.”” We cannot wonder at that, for it was Christ; but let us read the forty-second verse:—‘And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and 10 testify that it is he which was or- dained’ of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead.” ‘The Holy Gliost falls on all them Who have the word; there is nothing for us to think about, We are not to struggle ulone, but the Hoy Ghost has made a distinct and dotinite promise Lo be with us. We will not fight the battle of lie alone. Will we be a siave, with chains ¢lanking av every step, when, if we but go down on our kuees to God in con: | He will make us free? Ob, the glory And they can be a Life scems like this very morning. At sunrise itis * beautiful, but about eight or nine o'clock clouds begin | to rise, ‘After awhile, perhaps in the splendor of our maturity, the clouds break away and the biessed rays of the sun shine through. But, brethrea, remember the faci, religion is a thing God never thrusts on a mun. God may hold salvation out in His eternal hand to you while tears roll down His checks; He may beg you to take it, and yet, if you refuse to extend your own hand, salvation’ will never come, Ifa man ever gets to heaven he will find himself there partly through his own effort, blessed and super added to by the etforts of the Holy Ghost, There must be a marriage ceremony as binding as that between husband and wile, between you and the spirit, there fore you shall walk—not two, but one—the spirit ave You, entwined in the same life. Oh, brethren, we Uwy ‘be adopted by God as His children,’ and when w neglected Hitn und lost sight of Hin He sends Hic « Sou to tell us to come back again, Ob, brethren, tu be intimate with the Almighty, to realize His promise that whatever ye ask yo shall receive. The man who prays carnesily does get hold of a certain latent iorce in t universe. You may deny it as much as you ple Recorven Hacker? savs:—“Tue ovvicers wio xs | CORT AND GUARD J'RISONERS TO AND PROM THE CITY PRISON, AND WHO GUARD THEM IN COURT, AND WHO TO SOME EXTENT CONTROL PROCKSS, OUGHT NOU TO BR MERE POLITICIANS, BUT SUCH RKLIANLE MEN AS THK JUDORS seuuct.” it is a fact. In our earnestness we can each out und take hold of the something we God, I don't believe there is a power this side the | stars that will begin to compare with the carnest prayer of aGod-fearing and godly man, and go 1 urce you to accept this {ack AS you Would be loyal to your Moiber or wie be loyal to Christ. Oh, bret want more soldiers tn the army of Christ; dare to wear the uniform, L know itis hard, is hard; it ig a trial at best, but, ob, brethren, thereas something beyond if we will only persevere and ty by ye shall stand so close to heaven that i sali be but | a step to the threshold of God's glory | ST. STEPHEN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH FAREWELL SERMON OF DR. PRICE--OUR DUTY OF WORKING FOR CHRIST. | Rev. Josep H. Price, D. D., rector of St, Stephen's Epweopal church for the last thirty eight years, preached his furewell sermon in tho church in Forty- sixth street, near Sixth avenue, yesterday morning. He is an old man, upward of seventy-six years of age, and he has spent forty six years of his lite in the mints try. When he first undertook the pastorate of St. Stephen’s Episcopal church it was located at the corner of Broome and Chrystie streets; but it afterward removed trom there, and for eight | years led a sort of wandering life, until it settled down two years ago at its prosent site, It was during Meso Jast gwo years that the troubles took place which have finally led to Dr. Prico's resignation. His text yeate: day was part of Colossians, iii., 17—“‘And whatsoover ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord | Jesus.” | Our boly religion, he said, demands from us the obedience due from @ subject to a just monarch. It re- Bards every act andevent as of importance, and not only acts, but motives. The decd that is the offspring Of a base motive, though it incidentally accomp! shes: , religion despises. We are Christ's servants and All lite is red of the servant that he shail work for his mast bost interest. Christ's will, if done, would make of society one great famil with one Faihor, pe HAYARUE Ak CHEAKBE TORE, dkou bap lee — Jove would be universad, and we would follow in quality, thongh perhaps not in degree, His examples of patience and unselfish devotedness. But, after all, we are unprofitable servants, and {t is on His account alone that we are promised favor at the throne of God, However high we rank other duties, be these above them all, This regard for His precepts must, in the second place, be uninterrupted, Submission and obe. dience must we give through every moment of our lives. While the story of the battles and victories of the world’s great conquerors are often talked of, the story of the world’s greatest conqueror of spirits is shunned for fear of ridicule. The avoidance of this subject produces verv evil consequences. It teaches the young to look upon religion first with indifference and then with contempt. Where are we to look for the culture of opinion apd sentiment but in the household? The reverend gentleman now made a few remarks rel- utive to his vacation of the pulpit, and bade the con- gregation goodby, saying he went “in sorrow more than anger.” PLYMOUTH CHURCH. MR. BEECHER ON VICARIOUS FAITH—HOW WE SHOULD PRAY—WHAT HE THINKS OF MR. MOODY, Fully one thousand persons, a large proportion of whom were ladies, were assembled on the cold flag- stones in front of Plymouth church yesterday morning almost an hour before the doors opened. Five min- utes afterward there was not an inch of room on floor or galleries left unoccupied, On either side of the plat- form stood @ vase filled with brown maple leaves, mari- golds and various half dried wild plants such as may be culled by wny country hetlge at this season. The music was nothing less vhan a treat, Mr. Beecher took for his toxt the first seven verses of the ninth chapter of Matthew, which relates the curing of the paisied man by the Saviour, The incident, said he, took place in His own city, That was not Nazraeth, where He was brought up, from which He had been ex- pellea by the riot, after which He betook himself to Capernaum and dwelled there and called that His home, ‘There are no details of His removal there, nor whether His mother and brethren went with Him, From that centre He made circuits throughout Galilee, The min- istry of Christ may be divided into three parts. The first part of His ministry was devoted sn- premely to the reformation of morals; and the marrow of bis discourse was “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” The second part of His ministry was the delivery of dis- courses tending to show what was the spirit and genius of this “kingdom of heaven” in the disposition and heart of man. The third department of instruction in progressive cycles was that in which He taught the mystery of the higher spiritual development of man- kind, and this last was the ministry which had its sphere in and around Jerusalem, near and throughout the days of His passion, As @ were reformer of morals ‘He was continuing the preparatory work which Joun began, No sooner had he gained, however, the ear of His people than He began to ‘insist upon more than morality—upou the development of the positive dispositions of the soul which He con- stituted im each man and in the realm of (ms spiritual and inward kingdom which He called the — Kingdom = of ~—heaven”—sor_—the Kingdom of God. This pervaded His ministry, not oly in Galilee, but as He drew near to the last months of His lie His instructions on these points became dictatorial and dramatic, So that alter being driven out of the Lemple of Jerusalem by His enemies, and having taken rejuge in the mountains, His discourse fairly swarmed with parables, and He rose into those sublime teachings which are found principally in the writings of Jobu—the nature of God, the iydwelling of the Divine sige tim Comlorter. So there are these three natural and progressive periods in the teachings of our Saviour. Now, these verses relate to the early period of His ministry in Gaulee and im Capernaumi, and to the time when He was enforcing His instruc. tions with miracles, While he was sitting in a house which was 80 THRONGED THAT NO ONE COULD ENTER there came a body of men bearing the paralyzed patient on the rug, or lite thin bianket-like pallet, Which is used in Oriental lands to this day as a bed. When Christ saw this man Ho sad, “Sou, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee."? Now this was a great disappointment, probably, all round, There is no evidence that the paralytic nan was hunself able to ask anything. He was, therefore, brought to Christ upon the faith of those who !gved him—a thing whieh it behooves us to remember. When the servant was himseli unable to exercise faith there was vicarious faith, aud the miracle was performed upon the faith of obers. If the man himself was conscious and able to appreciate that which was sud he was, no doubt, greatly disappointed. He came to be healed of the disease which made his life a carse, and instead of that be received & spiritual bless- ing; aud he felt, doubtless, a great disappointment, as one who should say, “What 1s aspiritual benediction good for to me, who am ip such a miserable condition ¢”’ and his friends no doubt would have said, “Why not heal him? Why preach to him the grace of forgive- ness? Why not heal him first and then preach to him?” There was, we are told, a goodly number of Pharisees around while Christ was talking, gathering up what they could to show that He was not orthadox— you ure to remember that the head of the church was not orthodox in His own time—and when Christ said, ‘Phy sing are forgiven thee,”’ these men did not say & word, but one smiled, another nodded, and they jooked at each other and muttered. Jesus, seeing in their faces the expression of the thought, “This is fat | blasphemy,” sald to them, “That you may know that | 1 have power, rise up, take thy bed and walk.”” When the mau rose up and walked they held their tongues. — ‘That did strike them as evidence. When the Saviour wrought the miracle of the soul, when He brought the daylight of hope to the heart, when He said “all thy sins are forgiven thee,” tere was no evidence in that. When they saw the man walk their eyes took that in, and they could understand it; but they could not ap preciate any spiritual mani(estation although they were the men appointed to keep the faith orthodox. Christ, all through ‘His earthly lite was constant in his wor- ship in the synagogue and kept the laws until they were put in opposition with humanity, and then He struck jor humanity. His ponent ings all show tbat He felt the — valuo of man, and of man in his highest nature, Let us, | then, for a moment regard what Christ did. He offered, first,’ a soul gift, and ay that did not seem to be any” | thw, he offered them a body gift, But beyond all | question the disciples, the Jewish doctors and the man | himeell, in the first instance felt that the lower gift, be- cause appreciable to the senses, was the higher one. God had otfered him the highest gift which He could give to man. He offered Him back a white soul, made white by red blood that was yet to be shed, employing the fgare which was 60 dear to the Jewish mind. That gift has in it the promise of righteousness, rectitude, right thinking, right living uuder all circumstances in ‘hich the man is placed, It prepares the soul by this | cleansing \or j ‘THE INDWELLING OF THR SPrRIT OF GoD. It brings into the chambers of the soul a now light, a new life or new inspiration. God represents Himsel! as | NI NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1875—TRIPLE SHEET. , swered before he started, or he never could have prayed fitteen years. He bas that which lifts one up into the presence of God, so that in his present dark- ness of the winter of discontent he knows thatthe summer comes and hoids on. When the para- lytic man was brought to Christ, He says mot “Rise right up and walk right off,” but “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee,” That was not what he sought, but it was better than he sought, The man prayed for a special gift. You have aright to pray for a special gift; you have the right to pray for the disposition of your boy, or the reformation of your friend, or your ‘own worldly prosperity, but you have no right to sup. pose that God does not answer your prayer because does not give you this outward manifestation, for the dear Lord is always thinking of the better part, while we are always thinking of tife lower part. God 1s cher- | ishing the pearl that is in the oyster, while we are watching the outer shell. Now, in the light of these remarks examine what is thie object of your souls and examine what is the nature of your ordi- nary praying, What is it for? Do you constantly live in two worlds, treading "on the one, but lifting up your wings into the other? May we Come to that frame of mind in which we shall hardly come to ask God for anything, but simply come to Him and say, ‘Lord, behold, do that which seemeth good.” . JOHN STREET METHODIST EPISCO- PAL CHURCH. CELEBRATION OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ‘FIRST METHODIST CHURCH IN AMERICA, Yesterday will long be remembered by the members of the old Methodist Episcopal church in John street asaday of fervent worship, prayer and praise, The occasion that called the throng to the venerable build- ing, which was the first Methodist church erected on this Continent, was the one hundred and ninth anpi- versary of the services. ‘The services lasted during the entire day, beginning with a love feast at nine A. M., in which a number of ministers from sister churches and many of the old members of the church Recorper HaeKerr says:— “PosstnLy 1 MAY WEREAPTER INVITE POLITICAL ANIMOSITY BY THIS DETERMINATION; YRT, WHILE PRIVATELY MY SYMPATIUES ARE MOST ARDENT IN TIRKIR DEMOCRATIC ‘TRNDENCIES, 1 SHOULD BR RECREANT TO MY JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE AND SENSE OF DUTY IF I ANSWERED OTHERWISE THAN I HAVE NOW DONE.” who have moved to other places participated, At half-past ten the services were conducted by the pastor, Rey. N. J, Cheney, assisted by other ministers, Upon the platform were Bishop Peck, Rey, Benoni I. Ives, Rev, Mr. Kettoll, Presiding Elder of this district; Rev. Mr. Dunn and others. ‘The services were opened by prayer and the singing of the hymn beginning— Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does Luis successive journeys run, After which Bishop Peck chose for his text Acts xi, 20—"'3o mightily grew the word of God aud prevailed,” and preached a learned and lengthy discourse on the subject of church growth and spiritual development, 'The preacher endeavored to impress upon his hearers the truth that church development does not consist in mere numerical increase of membership, but in the growth of the holy spirit in the hearts of the members, What we wanted was a growth of vitality. Such was the nature of the growth of the Apostolic Chureb, The minister spoke of the vitalizution of the Word of God and its imperishability, and impressed upon his congre- gution the {uct that the word of the Lord was contin- valiy growing in these latter days as well as in the Apostolic times, when ten were persecuted for the Lord’s sake. He conciuded by brieily referring to some of the interesting events connected with the introduc tion of Methodism im this country. ‘The sermon over the Rev, B. L Ives addressed the congregation on “Temporal Affairs.” He stated thi this church was the property of no individual congreg: tion, but was systained by te General Conferenc which appoints the trustees. It had been instrumental in bringing many sinners to God. The brethren who keep this dear cradle of Methodism warm and rock- ing require $3,000 for its support during the year, and he now proposed to ask everybody to sit sull autil it was raised, Mr. Ives then selected secretaries and collectors to circulate among the audience sub- scription cards, For over an hour Mr. lyes begged and implored the brethren to give, give to the Lord, and by amusing sallies and eloquent appeals he succeeded at this service in having over $1,600 subseribed or paid in in sums of from $9 to $200, At half past two P. M. another meeting was held, at which addresses were made by various ministers and a further sumcollected, he celebration of the found- ing of the church was closed by 4 sermon at half-past seven by Rev. Dr. Ives. MASONIC HALL. HUMAN THOUGHTS OF GOD—SERMON BY MR. 0, B. FROTHINGHAM, Mr. Frothingham’s discourse yesterday dealt with the many fancies and failacies regarding the nature of the Deity. The Bible of the Hebrows insists upon the impos- sibility of measuring and weighing God, Nevertheless men and women claim to be perfectly well acquainted with the intentions of the Deity in the past and in the future, This is done with a simplicity of mind, which would be amusing were it not so dangerous, Now I j have a single observation to make on this point:—We have only thoughts of the Deity. It has never ap- peared to us; it is only a hope, a dream, a conviction; only ahuman thought. The pantheist thinks of a God | as the soul of the world; the theist thinks of Him asa personal being, and so on, CHANGING GoDs, It is urged that God has made a confession of His inmost thoughts—that He has revealed His innermost self in the Bible. The Christian therefore thinks that he has recorded God’s thoughts about himself, But it is still his own thought of God, and the very same per- son may pass through all phases of thought with regard to God—irom atheism to pantbeism, and to Christian- ity. A person, for instance, reads a scientific book and lays it aside with the conviction that God is unknowa bie; but scarcely has he laid aside the book when he hears of some organized wrong that bas been done. It stirs his conscience, and he feels that he must do some- thing to redress it. being, the'Deity of right and justice. A man feels that God is necessary to rescue hith, aud seeks the closet and the priest aud becomes an evangelical Christian. Now, does that change the character of the Leity? All these phases of belief come with perfect naturalness and with the varying phases of human thought, THE CHILD'S THRA. ‘There is the child’s idea of God. A child has no mis- ivings to ask God fora cake or a flower, There is no arm in this, but when the child grows up and be- comes a mun it is sad indeed if it stil retains its child- firm background behind them all, There isa beam that supports every resolution; and a man who is true to himself, who yloes his duty honorably, feels under | his feet, in’ his Heart, something which he does uot | care to define as leng as he knows it is there. CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH. THE REV. DK, WILLIAM R. ALGER ON ‘THE LAW OF VICTORY IN YH CONTESTS OF MEN.” A very scant congregation assembled in the Church Of the Messiah, at the corner of Thirty fourth street and Fourth avenue, yesterday morning, to listen to Dr. Alger’s discourse on ‘The Law of Victory in the Contests of Men,”? The spenker began by stating the desirability of every human being’s having some particular aim and object in life, The words of the text were:—"'The mace is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,” And this was too often quoted, the Doctor thought, by disconsolate, morbid creatures, who persist in saying that “no matier how well their plans are laid or how perseveringly they strive to accomplish their darling object something is sure to militate againat them and prevent their achieving what they had get out to accomplish, It was true that a foolish speculator often succeeded where a sharp, far-seeing man failed, and that TUE KEENEST SOr.DIER sometimes slips and loses everyihjng when a fool, by what some term dumb luck, wins, But these were only exceptions. The law of victory will, as a rule, favor that man who by patient, earnest toil clings firmly to his object and lags not by the way. Who gained the victory in those days when the people of Greece were wont to assemble and either engage in or stund by as witnesses to those games and feats of strength and ondurance the hke of which the verld has never seen since? Was it the laggard? Was it the timid, weak and cowardly, or was it those men who, by constant toil aud training, made their muscles and sinews to resemble bands of iron, and who knew not the word fear? ‘True itis that af a swift man lag by the way his slower competitor will win the race; but ReconpER Hacker savs:—“IP THERE EXISTS AN OFFICE WINCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER ONE SHOULD BE UTI..RLY DIVORCED PROM POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS IT IS THAT OF A CLERK OR DRFUTY CLERK OF A CRIMINAL couRT,” if he persevere and strive solely for the race, he will, by the law of victory, gain the prize. Napoleon was one of the brightest examples of this theory that the world Las ever seen, A poor Corsican, without position or iniluence, a siranger by birth, with no friend but his sword, he carved for himself a’niche in the column of fame second to that o! few men. His final downtall and overthrow was the result of the fact In that emotion God starts into | ish ideas and superstitions of God. When the Hebrews | wanted to conquer the Land of Promise their natural Idea of God was that of one who assisted them in their unable to dweil im the hearts ef those that ane gi ver slaves toein. The man. who was cured did not know what he had presented to him. A mar brings me | agreat gift. Running in hastily and out of breath he cries “1 _kuow your taste,” and bands me an oyster—a | great rough thing. “and that is the gift? Open it, and there’s a pearl! Magnificent! Christ never refused 0 heal the sick, raise the dead or feed the hungry, but He was always s.riving to make this a mere bridge to a higher gift. It is a yood deal better to teach a man to raise bis own food than to give it to hin. It ts’ a good deal better that a child should be taught to so carry bimseif that be shail not stumble and cot himself than hew to cure bis wounds atver he has fallen and hurt himself. As |t was in those days so itis now, In great cities When there are movements being made for the salva tion of men, people stand oi and cry, “What blas- phemy 1 this? who are these men that make these offers? The men of God into whose hands has been given the kingdom of Heaven they cau let asim, but these wandering and VAGABOND EVANGELISTS how can they assume to themselves any such office?” Another man stands off and says, ‘‘Now, what ideas do these give? Where f8 their shapely logic aud ingenious | philosophy that rises up and appeals to us? What do | they do but gather crowds, produce momentary im- pressions and then let men scatter again as the sea scatters the crest of the waves in drops of foam. What do they do?’ If all they did was to make an hour jumiuous and hopeful, they would be doing some- thing good. I suppose there are some gouls that know | more of pure spiritual joy in one hour in such a gather- | ing than they do iu their own homes in a month. Out | of overy bundred people that are excited there aro fifty at least that learn the new Way—then the greaver gilt is theirs, it is not sirange that the doctors and the philosophers and wise men afd literary critics of our day do w nderstand what the Pharisees did not understand, “Seek first the kingdom ot God and Lis righteousness and all things else shali be added unto you,"” First humanity, first, soul power, first God th you—wisdom, strength, enterprise, Joy, peace; first that, and not first clothes and bread and coal and money. "First that which js most important—the | soul's salvation; first that and you are striking aright. Some people say, “What's the use of preaching to the poor; why don’t'you feed them? Why not bring them Joaves of bread justead of Bibles? Man can’t eat paper even with the gravy of printer's ink on it,’” say the soofters, These efforts w evangelize the people carry with them in their train everything that a man naturally needs, Bring Ten to a sense of religion, to a sense of responsibility, | to something that is generous, to gomething that ite them above trouble aud care, Give to Ul friend that will never b Give to the seifish, 6 lonely & e them nor forsake them. proud, wicked, gluttonous, drunken man that power of God which shall enable him to rise up out of bis moral paralysis and you have given to him the best thing that God can give to man, Fitstened | to Mr. Moody yesterday morning and rejoiced with ail my heart and soul in the success that God has given to hit, 1 have not had my heart so filled with thank: giving for @ great Reconoee Hackett savs'— lr THERE EXISTS AN OPFICR WHICH MORR THAN ANY OTHER oNk sHou' : SIDERATIONS IT 18 THAT OF A CLERK OR DEPUTY CLERK OF A CRIMINAL COURT.” while ag when I listened to him and saw one person rise with A PRAYER POR & CHILD, and another with a prayer fora drunken husband, and so on all around the room. And the conductor of the meeting exhorted them, even if they had been praying for fitteen years, not to give over yet, He gave some very affecting incidents of unceasing prayertulness, and he told of the prayers of @ man who bad been praying for fitwen {te and had bona 4 had his prayer answered, beg your pardon, Mr. Moody, anybody NA Ai AU A A eid as Dhak aad ray ox war, who would stop the sun and moon in their courses, would scourge the enéiny with pestilence, would dry up the water, &c, This idea was very natural to a people bent for ‘war and conquest, and whose greatest ideals were those of courage and ‘determination. The great evil is not in expressing the false idea of the Deity, for the false may becoine the truer and the truer the true. ‘The great evil is that we associate our false idea with | God Himself. MAN ASSUMING GOD'S AUTHORITY, 1t is nnavoidable that by thus associating our fall thought with God’s thought we d sweetest of human traits. The m le nent & man fecls | bread or water or to get across the troy humility, that | that God must think as he does himself he arrogates to | himself power which .by ‘The greatest minds are alwys the most modest, Such minds Recorver HACkerT says:—“EVvEN IP prs. POSKD TO THROW OPWN THE HOOKS AND RECORDS OF THE COURT TO A POLITCIAN | COULD NOT DO IT, IK CAUSE THE DRECTY CLERK IS NOT APPOINTRD BY THE JuvGes oF THE COURT OF GENERAL Sksst0xs.’— revise their knowledge continual coarse, ignorant man, who is unacquamted with © means belongs to him. but take some | the thoughts of the great thinkers, and he will so | identify his Jucubrations with the supposed thoughts of the Eternal God that he will deem himself as one anointed ; God’s determination ; that God’s band is thing and God’s countenance is in that thing, and all the time never suspecting that these are his own thoughts. The revivalist preachor is subject to this strange hallucination. If he could only remember that the thoughts he offers are his own and not those of God he might work to good purpose. Is this God that is working or is it the preacher that iy working? That js the question. How do we know that it 18 God’s work? By these preachers saying sof But we all have read history and found that those who are loudest in professing to be mouth- pieces for tho Deity are often those whose records are the least clean. NARROWING DOWN Gop. ‘The moment we associate human thoughts with God thoughts they become hardened, fixed, immovable. Of course God's purpose cannot’ be changeable—that 18 well understood—and, therefore, when we point our thoughts to His, this quality reacts upon our own thoughts. Many'a good man would render an appre ciable homage to another who cherishes a different religious belief but that some Ser)ptural injunction is quoted which holds him back. 9 noble and good thought ever stunts or narrows a man; it en larges and broadems him. But history is fuil of incidents in which men mutilated their bodies and crushed down their leve of truth Pepe because they thought God required these things of them, There are people to-day who would not go to hear a certain preacher; who would not read acertain book that might interfere with their pet thoughts which they assume to call God’s. So pernicions is this evil that many people say, “Better have no God at all than one who arrosts the progress of the soul; who stands in the way of trath."’ This evil would not exist if we only kept the truth before our minds that our knowledge is not sufll- cient to define a superhuman being. The Being that controls the universe is so tar beyond us that we know what we know—and that is all. And now @ new light comes upon us. It is not our duty to speculate upon God. It is only when our darkness is supposed to be the divine light that we stagger about like @ drunken man, t us bear in mind that our dream is adream, and the world of love, of hope, of aspiration will still be open to us, Our business is not to reconcile this creation with God, but to reconcile things as they are with things as we know they should be, Our duty, then, as we see it, is not to pry into the dim haze of eternity, but to do daily something which will make things as they are such as we feel they ought to be. Thoughts are airy, mere vapors, but if thoughts are all we have that he will claim that his purpose is { in this | that he had become evil to humanity and retribution therefore overtook him and buried him beneath her hamiliating mantle. ‘The Doctor went on to show how, by earnest, well directed endeavor in any good cause, éuperior ability will in the end win, Mediocrity had’ often been sue cessful and will be again, simply because it frequenuy strives energetically and untiringly ina given direction, but were learning ‘and genuine Worth pitted against it, and properly and judiciously utilized, they must of necessity win the race. Take the great’ men of ail times, in either literature, theology, ethics, or on the floor of the senate, and we see that they have been in- that their suce Worth and not to What we may call chance or luck, THE REVIVAL AT THE RINK. Yesterday, morning the crowd of people trying to enter the Rink wus not so great as on the previous Sun. day. It was not found necessary to close the doors, but every available spot in the building was occupied. Among those present on the platform was Mr. 8. C. Needham, an evangelist from Philade!phia, who, to use his own words, was “arrested by Mr, Moody, on board the Spain, within baif an hour of the time for ailing for Europe,” and brought back to assist in the religious services in Brooklyn. Rey. W. G. Lawson, Rev. Dr. Lomas, Rey. Dr. Carrol, Mr. Morton and General Clin- ton B, Fisk also occupied seats upon the platform, The services were commenced. by the singing of a number of hymus by the members of the choir, On the entrance of Mr, Moody and Mr. Sankey Re dividuals of indomitable will, energy and ability, and | s8 has been «ue solely to intrinsic | posed of women, conversatiun & little eh jong waitin, The rustie of dresses, the murmur of and occasionally the clear prattle of «4 the building with sound through the “me, All ages were to be seen in the con- Bregation, from the little child just able to walk to the aged Woman apparently of three score years and ten, and judging from the sharp contrasts in co!or and form Of dress all social conditions were represe: od as well. Among the notices Mr, Moody announc: | that the Services next Sunday would be the same as {)-day—in the afternoon for women only, in the evening for men. He announced also service in the Rink every evening except Saturday, in the Tabernacle every morning during the week, and Bible reading in the Tabernasle Wedues- day, Thursday and Friday afternoons, The address was listened to with the deepest attention throughout, the audience being swayed by the preacher's mood to smiles or tears. Toward the close many were weeping, and a feeling of deep solemnity pervaded every part of the house, Mr. Moody himself was much affected, 50 much go that in the prayer which followed the sermon he was obliged to stop several times to obtain self. control, At about half-past three the choir sang, ‘Ring the Belis of Heaven.” in the course of which Mr, Moody and Mr, Sankey came in and took their places, At the close of this bymn Mr, Moody asked the congre- gation to join in singing the hyma “The Great Physician,” one of the most popular of Mr, Sankey’s songs. After aprayer by Mr. Moody the choir and congregation united in singing tho hymn, “Oh, Think of a Home Over There.” ‘The Bible reading from the third chapter of John was followed by the song, “Wondrous Love.” Mr. Sankey told the story of the writing of the song known as the ‘Ninety and Nine;” that it'was written by a lady in Scotland, who has since died; after which he sang the hymn with much pathos and effect, Mr. Moody spoke from the text, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”’ He asked the audience each to ask the question, “Have I been born againy” What is regeneration ? ‘It is a new ) & new creation, anew spirit. ‘There is no other question so important, The only way into the king- dom of God is to be born into it, The moment a man or woman is born from above he or she has a new lan- guage, a new creation, a new spirit, Regeneration is not going to church regularly, itis not saying praye: regularly, All the churches in the world never saved at soul; that is the work of the Son of God. Regenera. tion is not baptism. Why, if I believed baptisin would save people I wouldit be here preaching 1 would take a bucket of water and go through the streets and baptize every man, woman and child in the city, Some they ure Christians because they go to the Lord’s Supper. Why Judas went from that Sacrament right downto ruin, The religion that imparts life is the religion of Jesus Christ. Some think they are safe because they are very moral, Who did Christ say these words to? Nicodemus—a man who stood very hich in tue com munity, and yet he came to Christ, and the Saviour said to him, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” There are two musts in that chapier—"the Son of Man must be lifted up,” and must be born again.’? A Scotchman said it took ty to convert him—God and _ himself, He resisted all he could and God_converied him in spite of his resistance. When God ercated the world He was alone, when He redeemed the world He was alone and in (he work of regenera- tion God works alone, Flesh amd blood shall never tn- it the kingdom of We cau never save our Some think they have gota beiter way. I be if Gabriel should come down and offer us our own Way of salvation we could not make it as siiaple as God as made it, Then, hasu’t God gota right to say who shall come mto His kingdom or how we shall come into His kingdom? And if He says ye must be born into it shall we complain? We don't know low God created this world, we can’t reason it out, neither can we reason neration, but it is a fact, Suppose we say because we cannot reason out regencration we will not believe it, A man said he would not believe in the Spirit because he never saw it Did you ever seo the wind? But you have felt its effects, and no man ever felt the eilects of the wind more than I have felt the Spirit of God, I can- corpeR Hackerr says:—"Tue Li LATURE HAS WISELY PLACED THE SELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE CovRT OF GENERAL SESSIONS IN THE EXCLUSIVE DIS- CRETION OF THE JUDGES OF THAT CocRT. VERY DAY OF EXPERIENCE CONTRINUTES TO A COURT OFFICER'S USEFULNESS’? the former came forward to the desk, said:—"We will or <THE MEETING the One Hundredth psalm, All people that on e: After the singing Rev. W. G Lawson led the assemb! in prayer, giving thanks for the success which hi hitherto attended the revival movement, and asking for blessings in the future. Mr. Moody then requested Mr. Sankey to sing the hymn, “Hold the Fort.” Mr. A DEATIVLIKE STILLNESS among the audience, After the reading of the first chapter of Joshua by Mr, Moody Mr. Sankey sang, a3 a solo, the ninety-sixth byinn, “Nothing but leaves! The spirit grieves,”” &c., founded upon the Bible story | of the withered fig tree. Mr. Moody then announced the services for the week, Meetings will be held every | evening in the Rink this week at half-past seven o'clock, except ates evening, and prayer meetings every | morning in the Tabernacle at eight o'clock, On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at tour P. M., meet- | ings will be held in the Tabernacle, that on Wednesday beiny to consider what verses are best to use at inquiry meetings, and those on Thursday and Friday, “How to Study the Bible.” MR. MOODY'S SERMON, Mr, Moody said there were two words suggested by the chapter he had just read, to which he wished to in- vite attention—courage and’ enthusiasm, In all ages God las never used a man full of doubts and fears. If we could only get the men out of Doubting Castle who are now in it it would be the best thing that could hap- | | pen the Church. The Lord said to Joshua, “Be strong | and of a good courage,” and from that moment no man | wos able to stand before him, He led his people to con- | stant victory, When he was under the walls of Jeri- cho the angel of the Lord was gent to try him and stood as a man with drawn sword in his path, but Joshua marched right up to him and asked, “ART THOU POR US | or for our adversaries?” Had he begun to tremble | aud be afraid he would have been of no use in the great work for which the Lord intended him. Now, if we are of good courage, we may succeed with the Lord's holp in any work we undertake. In the last many generals wore always acting on the defens keeping Ubeir armies within the camp, But these gen- | is were always displaced aud gave room to better, | And just now the Church appears to be acting only on the defensive; there is courage. At first Moses had no courage and had to be sent to school for years in the wilderness, and, even when God upon him, he only looked this Way and that, but said:—" Now, Moses, you get down into Kevpt and de- hyer the people of Israel, and when anybody asks you who sent you, say, ‘I Am hath sent me unto you,” THIS WAS A WLANK CHROK, 1 with which he was furnished. When the people wanted Red sea all he had to do was to fill it up. ‘The necessity for courage, Mr. Moody went on to illustrate in his quaint and orignal manner from the lives of Moses and Elijah. Once, he conunued, I was very despondent on a Monday morn- thinking I had had no success in my preaching the before. Buta Suuday-sehool teacher came in and , mmended me to study up the lite of Moses, 1 did it, and I found that Moses worked a hundred years and never gave up, and was not discour- | aged. I went down to the midday prayer | meeting and a man got up and told us that m a small village down in Illinois they had just taken in 100 young converts. “What,” thought f, “would old Noah have said if he bad heard thatY’” Ministers come into the pulpit discouraged themselves and they only throw ® wet blanket over the congregation, quench- ing all the ardor that should be thera. IT once heard a man, who had got his hand badly vut, praise God because it was not cut off altogether, So, if things are bad with us we can praise God because they aro not wors Turning to the other | word, enthusiasm, Mr, Moody said that nen of con servative ideas in church matters, old fogies, [ must call thein, for want of @ better name, raise a tremendous | cry sometimes about | ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGR, Well, | would a thousaud times rather have zeal with out knowledge than knowledge without zeal, Lot stocks go up twenty per cent to-morrow, and see the enthusiasm that will be manifested in Wall street; bat no man should be so enthusiastic as the child of God Mr. Moody then told a number of anecdotes silustrating the power of enthusiasm. If we are to be successful in the cause of Christ, he continued, let ease and dig- | nity be laid aside. If the world is perishing let us go | forth to saye it, The vine does not bring forth any fruit, it isthe branches; and if they don’t there is no fruit, We are the branches, Let the young men work and the old men cheer on the young and bid them God- speed. I would to God IT could say something to fire your zeal, I havea rule that! wish all would 1 won't let a single day pass w¥hout speaking to some one on his eternal interests. Thus from the lips of each one of you 965 persons might hear the Gospel rociaimed every year; and if your years were pro- longed to threescore and ten how many sinners might be saved! There are at least 10,000 persons in Brook- lyn who could do this, and if they did every soul in the city might be saved within a year, The services were brought toa conclusion by the singing of the hymn, ‘Rescue the Perisuing’’ and the pronouncing of the benediction, WOMEN’S MEETING IN THE AFTERNOON, | Long before three o'clock every seat in the Rink was filled, and not long after all the standing room was ap- | propriated also, The disappointed seekers who had hoped to secure seats by coming carly crowded the aistes, while later arrivals were forced to content themselves at the doors or wait for another service. Here and there at intervals the masculine mustache and whiskers were to be seen, but Reconogr Hacker SAYS:—“EVEN IF DISPOSED TO THROW OPEN THR HOOKS AND RECORDS OF THK COURT To A PoLITICIAN I couLD NOT bO IT, BKCATSE THE Deroty CLERK 18 NOT AP- POINTED RY THE JunGRS OF THE CoURT OF GENERAL WO mug bo All phy more carp) LAl,thore should pp 4) SxssiONs,”” the audience was for the most part com: and, after engaging in silent prayer for a few seconds, | by singing the first hymn, or rather, I should cal! it | rth do dwell, &e. i Sankey's clear, ringing voice, ds it sounded forth the | martial music’ to which the words, “Ho! my com- rades, see the signal,” &c, are set, produced | | spe | themselves of th | his quaimt way, were evidently appreciated. | POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS | and common sense. not ‘explain it, but I know it, We bave reason to | believe there is such @ thing as conversion. Go into | yonder miserable hovel; it is the hame of a “runkard, the cbildren "hide when they hear him coming home, bis wife dreads his p ence. He comes’ here to-night, and the gls | tidings of the Gospel reach his heart; he is burn from above, and he goes home and says, “Wife, 1 have | heard a strange thing to-night; 1 asked those Chris- | tians to pray for me and Twant'you to pray for me.” | Together they pray, aud the light of God comes into that heart. Go to that home three months henee, and | you hear not some low drunkard’s song but “Rock of | Ages, Cleft tor Me” or “There Isa Fountain Filled With Blood.” Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. An unrenewed man would not be happy im heaven; it would be hell to him, When I was born of my paretts | in 1887 1 received their nature, but in 1856, when I was born of God, I received another nature. If you have not deen born of God make up your mind that you will | not leave this hall this efternoon until you have been converted, Make the fountain sweet and the stream will be sweet, make the heart right and the | life will be right. “Except ye be born again ye shall not see the kingdom of God.” and New York and Philadelphia, and all the cities of the earth; but there is one city your uncircumcised eyo sball never see. You may see the kings ot the earth; | bue there is one King you shall never see, and that is You may go out fo-might and the King in His beauty. You may ‘see Boston | look at the stars of heaven; but there is oue Star your | eyes shall never see.’ You may go to Cali- fornia and look at the great trees there, but there is one tree you shall never see, and that 1s the Tree of Life, except ye be born again. 1 may be king to some mothers who have chjidren in heaven. Some of you have fathers and mothers there, All of us have an Kider Brother there. Listen to the warning of the text, Except ye be born again you shall never seo them again, My friends, won't you come; won't you stirt for heaven now ? After an impussioued appeal to the unconverted Recoxper Hacker? says:—"l¥ THERE EXISTS AN OFFICE | WHICH MORE THAN ANY OTHER ONE SHOULD BE UTTERLY | DIVORCKD PROM POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS, IT 18 THAT OF A CLERK OR PEPUTY CLERK OF A CRIMINAL CovRT.”’ Mr. Moody requested all who wished him to remember them in the prayer following to stand. Numbers availed invitation. During the singing of the hymn, “Jesus Paid It Al?’ a large portion of the audi: enee withdrew to the Simpson Methodist church, where | an inquiry meeting was to be held, THE NINE O'CLOCK MEETING. Notwithstanding the late hour at which the meeting was announced to take place every available seat in the Rink was occupied by an earnest assemblage. Mr. Sankey opened the exercises with a solo, following which “Hold the Fort” was sung by the whole cougre- gation, Prayer was then offered by the Rev. rge C, Needham, an Irish evangelist. “Jesus of Nazareth Passeth By,” one of the most tching of the hymns sung by the evan geslists, was rendered by Mr. Sankey in bis clear, distinct. manner. Mr. Moody's address was little more than—Kecorder Hackett says:—* Whatever may have been the political sins of former lealers in Tammany Hail, they have never increased them by even suggestiveiy interfering with the independence of the Court of which [have the honor to be a Judge.” —a repetition of that given in the afternoon, His Vigor and earnestness seomed to impress the people, and the incidents of veryday life which interspersed his address, told in the requests for prayer something like fifty people, principally young men, arose, and Mr. Moody brought the mecting to a close by a genoral invitation to all who were anxious for salvation to enter the inquiry room. MR. MOODY IMPEACHED. The Rev. ©. P. McCarthy preached im the Bleecker Street Universalist church yesterday evening upon “The Lake of Fire and the Characters Cast into it.” He took his text from Revelations, xxii., 8—‘But the fearful and the unbelieving and the abominable aud murderers and wboremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all Nars shall have their part in tho lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: whieh is the second | death,’ The burden of the preacher's discourse went to prove that “the lake which burneth with dre and brimstone” was not local, but was found in the pangs of the conscience of every sinner, that Recorosk Hackerr SAYS:—“IP THERE EXISTS AN OPFICR WHICH MORB THAN ANY OTHER ONR SHOULD BE UTTERLY DIVORCKD FROM a IT 18 THAT OF A CLERK on DEPUTY CLERK OF A CRIMINAL court’ hell, as under- stood by the ancient and modern theologians, had no existence, but that if people could not be induced to be virtuous without hell and the devil, they were welcome to both, The preachor further maintained that the doctrine of substitution, or the washing away of our‘sing by Christ’s atonement, was a false and unseriptural one; that every man would have to suffer the (ull penalty of his offences and that all the repentance, all the groantngs and moan ings of revivals, all the emotional spasms temporarily produced by Mr, Moody would never abate one jot of tho penalty which every sinner would have to undergo. Bul as to the eternity of punistment for offences committed during this brief existence, it was repugnant both to Scripture We had existence forced upon us, and Recorpsk Hackett says:—‘'le THE NOTIONS YOU YORESMADOW SHOULD BR ACQUIRSCED IN RY THR Ontvt- NAL JUDGES, INSOMUCH AS THR COMPOSITION OF POLITI- CAL COMMITTRES OFTEN CHANGES, 80 MIGHT THR CoMPO- SITION OF COURT OFFICERS, AND THEREBY CONFUSION, AT LAST, RE OCCASIONKD. I CANNOT SANCTION YOUR PROP- osirion”’ what living man would dot rather repudiate it than run the risk of an eterpal burning. er then addressed himseif to Mr. Moody's attack on versalista. He characterized it as wilfully false, He said that he could not trust himeelf to speak ezlempore upon so grave a matter, but would read to the congregation the letter he had sent Mr. Moody on the subject, Subjoined is the leer: 420 Weer Piery-ripri Serpe, New Youk, Oct. 20, 1875, Mr. Moony» Draw Sin—T feel moved to addrese to you the following observations relative to your deseription of universali«m ropurtgd in iaet Thursday's Hera, am @ Universalint Upon | minister, and after an ex Episcopal clergyman of the Established Chureh uf England, Thave become 60. at 00 ‘sacritice, but with & solemn vietion, after matare and prayerful study, that our Uni- Yersalist fith ix truly seriptural and contains the only practi- gt solution of the otherwise inscrutable mysteries ug Lither conselously or Ignorantly you have borne false wit- ness ayainss us. In gither case as a prominent public teacher you are culpable, isrepresentations may deceive and lead astray: y earnest and inquiring minds for a while, but you wi din these days, when creeds are crumbling and the human nd is hungering for a practical manifestation of the spirit d life of Christ, that theologieal lies have short legs and cannot travel fur, You describe us as teaching “that God is so merciful that He will save all men, and they have no need to repent,” after which you proceed to ridicule and caricature on Chris~ tian faith by the illustration of & governor who was so mer- ciful that he would punistf no eriminal, and then assert that “these men who are all the’ time crying out that beeause God ts so merciful He is going to save all men” would be among the first to declare that such ® governor was fit to hold his position twenty-four hours. You then add that God is just, 4s well us merciful. As if the Universalist did not believe in His justice just as much asin His mercy, Truth compels me to express the conviction that in this sermon you conseiously lated the ninth commandment, Your past knowledge of F ministers, our schools and some of onr people forces this uvietion upon me, 1 am bound, therefore, in all love and faithfulness to tell you that you knew the reverse of what you said was true, and that our Universalist faith teaches the possibility of salvation without repentance, and the inex Able penalties of transgression as well as the irrevocable certainty of retribution for iniquity and sin, Our reverent and exalted estimate of the divine justice obliges declare that neither repentance nor faith in Christ an save any one from the just punishment of wrong-doing. And we believe, aceording to the Seriptures “though hand Joins in hand, the wicked shall not be uupunished,” and that ‘the Creator ia 40 true to His divine character that, according to wnother Seripture, “He will by no means clear t guilty; and still, according to a third unequivocal state. ment "from the inspired volume, that “he that jnstifieth the wicked and condemnoth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord." Thus Mr. Moody, by three Scriptures, euch — definitely expressing @ moral principle which never changes [ vin- dicate our glorious faith and shatter to fragments your romivent but not the less pagan superstition nd favorite dogwa, substitation! It is true we ure “the very men” who would find fault with any governor who permitted the guilty tw escape. Why? Because we not only believe in just punishinent as an eternal principle, but also because wo Know tts correcting: and reforting influence ou the criminal. In the case of the divine administration this Justice i always tempered with mercy, because the justice which i without merey to the transgressor is unjust, and hence, be- cause useless, ponishment to any one cannot be endless, much less can it be of that sanguinary and brutal eharacter pro- claimed bg our Puritan fathors--a Proclaiaation the details ‘of which you wisely either don’t believe or conceal. On the other hand, who but a knave or a tool would tolerate a gov- ernor who not only acquits the criminal but inflicts on the innocent the penulties due tothe guilty and then has the brazen Impudence to proclaim this justices. Yet, what you and all. men would call a folly and a crime in @ human gov- ernor or Judge is exactly what you teneh God does by some doctrine Of aubstitution. You are not ignorant of the mnlti- tudes of Scripture passages which emphatically and une. quivocally tench the final salvation of all. And—for I have been there—I am, alas! from sad experience, too familiar with the miserable shifts and subterfuges to which commen: tutors and religions tenchers are driven in mangling and wauipulating the English and Greek toxte of the Bible, and how weil they succeed by ingeniously devised exexetical stratagems and verbal fencing in evading the natural and obvious meaning of the Gospel message, which, in the lan- fthe ancelic ambassador, is “yood tidings of great ch shall be to all people.” It may be that in the pride, us you are surrounded by some this ‘letter will be cust uside with Yee it is written by one who has been of the Gospel fur twenty-five years a n devoted to the study of the Bib ned of the reproach of the ling to die, und who now concludes by asking has wiitten one word herein which the stm- $ not warran {inform so successful a revivalist and Christian truth or of jence of twenty years as an Your ma 1 whose Master's maine, to pause, lest’ in your 1 sentations of the Universalist Chureh you iuay be found haply fighting against God, and those you ridicule may be of il wrote—"For, therefore, we both wh, because we trust in the living God . specially of those that be- mpany of whom or Top RAILROADS AND RELIGION. THE REVIVAL AMONG THE CONDUCTORS AND BRAKEMEN, ‘The railroad men have been struck with the religious revival movement, a fact that must occasion universal rejoicing. Yesterday they had a prayer meeting in the basement of the Grand Central depot, and over 200 con- ductors and brakemen attended, It was an orderly and well dressed assemblage, and there was a clear under- stauding among them that the occasion was one of purely religious reform. Mr, Lang Sheaff, the railroad secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association, opened the proceedings with prayer, and made an ad- dress of sotne length, in the course of which he said that he had been jong laboring in the cause of bringing to Christ the railroad men of the country, and he was satisfied his work was successful, The signs on his path so far were very encouraging. He had many incidents to relate of the conversions of wayward conductors. Their lives were the most precarious of any. Day and night they were constantly in danger, andthe Lord was their only help and guide. Tho speaker dwelt eloquently on the perils of the conduc- tors’ and engineers’ calling, and said they needed the protection of Christ Jesus above all. He trusted the railroad men would form associations and help forward this religious awakening. “Tell me the old, old story” was sung by Mr. G. G. Rockwood, after which Mr. William E, Dodge came for- ward and said he was passing through Cleveland a few years ago, and he saw a room at the depot fitted up for @ purpose he could not conjecture; but, on inquiry, he discovered it was for a religious ‘object, and at that time it struck him that these men who were identified with railroads needed just such a thing. He bdolieved that all ‘the men counected with railroads should be identified with some such societies. Their risks were great, and their pro- vision for the future should be in proportion, He was glad to see that Reconper HACKETT SAYS id OFVICERS WHO ESCORT AND GUARD PRISONERS TO AND PROM THR CITY PRISON, AND WHO GUARD THEM IN COURT, AND WHO To SOMM EXTENT CONTROL PROCESS, OUGHT NoT 1) BB MSRE POLITICIANS, BUT SUCH RELIABLE MEN AS THE svoces sxLecT”’ in the ranks of railroad men there were those who recognized the divine truths of the Gos- | pel, and who sought to act by them. They were ail going with railroad speed to their final home. He was rejoiced to see that his old friend Commodore Vander- bilt had provided such a comfortable place of meeting for them. Then the hymn “Come to Jesus’? was sung by the whole congregation. Mr. Henry Staager, a railroad man, Ame forward and asked all those wuo were railroad men to lift their hands, aud almost all lifted up their hands, He went | on to'say that four years ago he felt religion stir bis soul. His mind had dwelt upon the perils surrounding the “boys’’ he knew. Sin had hardened his heart, and he had allowed his dear old mother to leave the world without yielding to her entreaties to reform. He was @ retty hard case then, but he had altered considerably, je related a story of how the manager of the railroad came to him and said:—‘Heury, I notice some- thing odd about you. Just take a vacation | of five or six weeks and to look to Christ. Your situation is all right.’ The speaker told about his misfortunes, and related a story ofa railroad en- giner who was profane, ungodly, and who took a lon, time tocome to Christ. He was talking with the devil while he was running @ train over the Toledo road, and he became satisfied that it was wrong to ran such a risk, He wasa young man named Sam. Kennedy. He is now the hardest kind of a working Christian, He spoke at considerable length about the beauties of temperance and godliness for raitroad men and the happiness derivable from these sources. Ho also related Recorpgk Hackett says:—‘Tak LrGis- LATCRE HAS WISELY PLACED THE SELECTION OF OPPICERS or THE COURT OF GRNERAL SESSIONS IN THE EXCLUSIVE DISCRETION OF THE JUDGES OF THAT CouRT. EVERY DAY OF EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTES TO A COURT OFFICER'S USK- PULNESS”’ cases of reformed railroad conductors who had comfortable homes beside the lines of the Lrie, Hudson and Central roads. Afver he ended his ad- dress there was wore singing, and then the audience separated. Meetings will be held every evening through the week in the same place. MEETING AT THE RRIE DEPOT. The success which has attended the evangelical labors of Mr, Lang Sheaff among tne rasiroad inen in New Jer- | sey has surpassed all expectations. The meeting at the Erie depot, Jersey City, yesterday afternoon, ture nished abundant evidence that the hearts of the rail- road employés are moved and Rxcoroxk HacKere BAYS:—"THE LEGISLATURE HAS WISELY PLACED THR LECTION OF OFFICERS OF THK COURT OF GENRKAL SESSIONS IN THE BXCLUSIVE DISCRETION OF THe JUDGES OF THAT Court. EVERY DAY OF RXPRRIRNCR CONTRIBUTRS TO & COURT OFFICKR’S USKPULNESS’’ that in the good work many prominent ci.izens are prompt to lend their aid, Among those present were the Kev. Dr. Eddy, Rev. J. R. Fisher, Rev. Dr, MeKeown, Mr. Dum- mer, President of the Young Men’ Christian Association, Mr. C. L. Woolsey, Assistant Superintend- ent of Ferries, and several brie oficials, ir. introdneed the Rev. Mr. Fisher, who offered a er hat God might turn the hearts of the employés of the | Erie Railroad. The byma, “I Am Coming to the © ” was then sung with an organ accompaniment, Hin, Reenan, an engyacer on the Delaware aud Lacka- wanna Railroad, mounted the platform and delivered an extraordinary address. He said that he travelled through dark ways for yoars, and was such “a hard case’’ that be would never listen to any Christian ad- vice, At last he made up his mind to become a better man, and he joined the Masous, Ho then ‘swore off;” but the boys no faith in his pledge, and they gave him two weeks to return to his old bavits, “I always met,’ he said, “‘s6me one who would cram a Christian down my throat, but I would not swaliow him, 0! anf thought if Borneo’ buy religion _ 1 pat it in my pocket and keep it 80 Oh, oh (here the speaker becaine ‘tly excited and swung bis arms around wildly), wouldn't 4 steal it, though I'm no thief. fe through the audience), Oh, my friends, only think of i, Twenty odd years ago I started out on this here road a poor bag Tp out faiher or mother (here the tears fell from eyes), without one to speak a as bape . =e fe ran are we bea Where are e ol ys early all gone, it Dave ter, Jim Quinn and the fees eter Grease ‘i others. (‘Poor Dave,” es man in the pages Ob, let every engineer aif every fireman who ears =6ome turn = to Christ and be better men. Oh, you can’t know; no, ‘no, Lcan't tell you what happiness is in my family since I turned to Christ, but l know it and! have it ere (striking his breast), and I know all about it Vil hold up Jesus wherever I ve been @ watchin’ some of our boys along time and Recorper HACRRTT SaY3:—“IP THERR EXISTS AN OFFICE WHICH MORE THAN ANY OTHER ONK SHOULD BE UTTRRLY DIVORCKD FROM POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS IT 18 THAT OF A CLERK OR DEPUTY CLERK oF a cRiMINAL count” I know they'll follow me, Ob, if they could only feel as F poner his feelings overcame him and he left the atform) 4 The me “Safe in the Arms of Jesus’? was then sung, after which the Rev. Dr. McKeown delivered 4 discourse an the ereat love of Christ far man.