New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-08
THE CHURCH IN THE CITY;
THB RELATIONS OF RELIGION TO TIE WORLD.
A 8 ERMON 4:
By REV. L. II. CHAPLIN.

In my discourse this afternoon, endeavored
to suggest train Of sentiment appropriate to
our entrance into this new place of worship,
and intimated that ! would make some fur
Their remarks fitted TO the occasion. | pro-
coed to do so, then at this time, BY observing
that the edifce in which We are now assem-
bled represents great Verify. 1t stands here
in the midst of the City, devoted to a specific
purpose, sheltering and connecting peculiar
class of interests. Every building around it,
indeed, is symbolical of some fact or idea-is
the expression in brick or stone of some
thought desire, reality, in our nature. The
Appetites, even 10 the very lowest, have their
shrlnes, and the Intellect its temples the
dear Affections of our life throb far and wide
through the arteries of all these homes: and
the boundless thirst of the human heart, its
searching enterprise, lifts itself up here at the
gates of the sea with its girdle of stately ware
houses, and its helmet of a thousand ships.
Among all these, say, stands the Church,
and it also signifies something 1t has not
merely been built up by devising minds and in
dustrious hands; it rose out of the Soul, and
has its deep foundations there. 1t is a sculp-
tured prayer always ascending above the at
mosphere of daily life-it is a confession of
faith, majesticaly eloquent, put up here aud
there along the highways of toll and traffic testi
mony to that Verify which stands ike a rock amid
the dashincs of wordness and skeptcism and ainst
which the gutes of nell shall not preya-the eternal
Verify of RELIGION.
The Church in the City, thea represents the Interest
of Religion in the world and this suggests my topic for
the present occasion There various ways in
which this suggestion might be carried out might
speak especially OF the dnagOnsrs OF Religion 70 the
world; but | propose to say something OF its
relations to the world The Worship render, the
Truths we contemplate the Sentiments we would
cherish here have relation to the field Of life and
action that stretches outside these walls WHAT IS that
relatonl
And, taking the words of the text my guide, say
emphstcay that among all these interests Religion
should be the foremost interest in other terms that the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness must stand rs,
If would have all these things truly added unto US
if would have their essential use and fulfill their
purpose This idea that Religion should be the first
thing the fundamental and controlling element in the
sphere of daily life and of the world let en-.
deavor to illustrate and enforce.
Every serious mind is more or less engaged with the
problem Of iirng-with the method OF reconding tho
claims of the world with the highest spiritual interests
The question is, How answer the wants Of ma
ture, the demands of society and of many faculties in
own being and yet maintain the welfare of the
soul How cen live in contact with those material
realities, and yet preserve the predOmnance OF Eternal
and Divine things That this is light problem, every
will perceive in proportion the depth OF his ex
peience aud the importance which he attaches to such
subjects.
ton between these two classes of facts They have
deemed il necessary either TO give up the world or TO
give UP the religious lite and they have chosen TO do the
former. They have fed from the busy crowd INTO tne
wilderness They have exchanged lives OF luxury for
the closter and the And thus barring out the
and the aoicous that swarm beneath it, they
have ied, with painful discipline and sharp denas OF
the flesh 10 tread the rugged way which leads TO per
lection and 20 God And my friends let ia not be too
confident in termng this the device Of spiritual pride
of dwelling superstition. Whatever the motive may
have been with some many have adopted this method
fromp urgent conviction and with the utmost sincerity
And If they have sought spiritual attachments in wrong
WY they have not made mistake ~ those who
90 seek such aainments at all 1.-the Glory of Eter
nal Things has sOte upon their vision 50 ~ 10 eclipse
all earthly good their delusiOn is not vital those
whO make tins earthly good their IDOL anu their all
Better an excess of spiritual anxiety than that lehargy
thai death bound WORKINGS which permits no throb-
bings OF higher lie. Better this sharpylsaged sncer
tv this acute looking into torny, than living as the
universe were all deed mater-as though we were
barnaccs Gins ing TO this hulk OF being, and drifting
through INFINITE deep OF which We know AMI care not
Yet cannOt say that this absolute abandonment Of
the world ia the true method of spiritual ittain
ment The conventional world no doubt, we should be
very jea "a Of There is much IN It which we must alb
olutey surrender and avoid, entirely evil, and hold
ing nothing but the faint II DEATH But, taking the
in it, q "A
of exbeusuess wonder and beauty regarding IL IN Us
phases OF Home, and Education, and Labor, and
ChaIity-iR one word, discerning much good ming
ling with ell It's evil we cannot believe that the true
method of living is 10 shut ourselves in from its con
facts and opportunities. Ii we do So my friends, we
NEGLECT the Of life Religion is not merely passive
attainment: 1 is ectiye work IL IL Divine Prnci-
pie but the world il the sphere for it exercise Il gives
out Eternal Sanctions, but they run into domestic life
and bu ness and the entire order OF our earthly lot
Our actual dues if live sincerely, will furnish Us
with sufficient instances for sacrifice and for conflict
need not orske these to strain with artificial ones
The trivial round the common task,
VIII furnish all we ought TO ask
Room TO deny ourselves road
To bring us, daily, nearer God"
Christianity does represent the true ideal OF life -
accomplished by quitting the world by running from
but BY OrorcomsEg H. The Great Exempar was no her,
init, tempted in al points arc, tnc conflict DID
not drive him from society; and 4 In retirement he
found communion with God in active life he mani csei
the Spt God "IprEy not sad he referring 20 rs ia IL
pies, that should Ouf tul
thou sic uld keep them from the evil And this true
position 80; 10 -o'iesl sclucn ofihe r.obep se in
the world, and yet IN the power - evil &C be nor
afugitiye from tlat evil but ayictor over H. Not IN
eCttAc soarngs and visionary cOmbats but in actual
conflict God helping in that spiritual supremacy TO be
ught cut By which antcpate heaven and draw to-
ward perfection. Mr. canwe escape the evil Ofthe world
In any other way than by actually wrestling with IT, not
seeking occasions Of temptation, yet not stunning those
that lie in our way, lest We abandon dsy also. No
walls cen bar out sin no garment OF mstilca'oa
can shield a2antit IL will Proiane the clOter aud the
cell II vii pitch ts tent in the solitary heart and sPrng
s susge. tons in the Asotics Prayer. And stter all
the true saints, the holy who line the galleries
OF Scripture have been apart from the world bur in
H. TIE cloud Of witnesses by which encom
passed have left their footprints in the Hmphithesfre
Of commonile-they gained their crowns amidst the
very duet in which most contend
We see, then, my friends, that can get above the
world only by living in It wish 20 urge upon you
the truth that tie only way Of living in IL Is . i've
abOYe IL The grea; reassn why the world proves
favorable 70 the Interest of Religion because Rel