New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-17

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true seaman-like qualities ana courteous manners.
Capt. Luce is about 81 years of age, and lives in
Yonkers, in this State.
SERMONS ON TIE LATE CALAMITY.
To u. EeitO, Of The " T. Tfcme
SIR: have read with interest the various sketches
of Sermons on the late disaster to the Arctic which
appear in this mornings TRIBUNE and Times and
while freely yield the tribute Of sigh or tear to
80 much moving elcquence cannot help being
struck on reflection, with the extremely slender pro-
gress Christianity has yet made in overcoming our
natural hostility to death These Sermons, so full of
kindly sympathy, and in rhetorical sense, so cred
liable every way to the various writers have yet and
notwithstanding their formal recognition Of the Chris
tian's hope, profound and prolonged a wall; the
eloquent speakers take such pains TO pile up the yari-
Gus circumstances before and after the catastrophe
which 90 to intensity its bitterness and leave the
nearer dissolved in a mere natural and ungodly
row. that one feels himself borne inccntnently back
10 those bleak skies Of Heathendom ere Christ had
come to rob death of its sting and rife the grave of
its victory.
Very nearly twenty centuries have elapsed since
that Divine Parsonage appeared upon the earth to
abolish The detpotism Of death, by revealing the
knowledge Of the true and immortal life, of which it
is the minister His name has been since invoked
with faultess ritual honor and benedicton by nnu-
merable sincere hearts; aud yet whenever death is
in question especially sudden and caamitous death,
Ike that Just transacted on the bosom of the broad
Atlantic, no persons seem so timorous and detected
ar the disciples of this sublime aud refulgent Master.
have DO doubt that in hat trying moment on board
the Arctic, when earthly hope defnitively shut
trnf,,r
from despair in the remembered words of Holy Writ.
So it has been before and So, doubt, il will long
continue to be. The sgonizing soul, wrenched from
It's familiar fastenipgs, turns its imploring arms to
Heaven, and even while the roarisg waters close
above its head, hears, perhaps, the words of some
peaceful text sounding like silver bells to lead the
wandertr home TO Heaven. OF tnis, repeat, have
no doubt " Mans extremity Gays the proverb,
is Gods opportunity" and when one Ia fercbiy
severed from the ties Of time, he needs must disburse
a thought upon eternity.
But what strikes me IN this and all similar calami-
ties is the proof they afford that in spite OF our ha.
bitual profession Of belief in Christ, the separation
from this life is almost always Obliged to be ore6le.
that no man cheerfally and spontaneously toes the
marx of death. The shrek Of anguish, moreover,
tina, goes up under those distant heavens s reverbs
rated in lopg-drawn echoes here, and we ALL news
nspers and pulpits alike do our best to deepen the
terror of the scene, and blaspheme by implication,
those tranquil upper realms which foresaw the cruel
blow, and yet inieriered not to prevent it. Now
what is the me aning Of this There rs fault some-
where, or such things would not be. There is no
fool so frantic seriously to nculpate the Unseen
Powers that watch over human destiny Let us &C
cordipgly look for the fault somewhat nearer home.
Let us ask why it is, that when Death thus suddenly
confrons u.s. our serenity does not strike him power
less or at least bring him to our feet the kindly and
vigorous servitor so much need
The ptby reason is that we none of us, priests and
people alike though devoutly claim TO believe in
Christianity, do practically believe word Of it.
Christianity is the revelation of superior or interior
life to the natural one and we all go up on Sunday IN
our most shining garments to the house OF God, to
hear the time-honored story over again, and shout
with musical breath, glory to God in the highest
great is Christianity But here rest contented, as
il our opinions about God and Christianity were the
thing that is going to save Az for practically
letting 60 of the natural life in the least who ever
thinks Of it, Do we not all know that the men Of
most influence in the Christian Church are the men
who have heaped the most treasure together; that the
wealth of the world in fact. belongs to that church
Do we not all observe how Bishop This, or Arch
bishop That clutches the mundane properties of his
church, and UNANIMOUSLY consigns to hell for legal
ly dsputing their possession Are these the proper
examples set by the acknowledged leaders of the
aocki What wonder then that the flock itself should
be content to nibble the scanest herbage and drink
at the least pellucid streams
But some one says: Perhaps, after all, Christiaa-
I'll La ~oaI have fb0Ur ht
and there is no life superior TO the natural oas' say
no. very decidedly to this imagination, though at the
same time perceive how it might account for the
phenomenon am describing II in truth there should
be no life accessible to us but the life of sense then
of course our natural arrest and disruption should be
very sorrowful, and sgnalze itself by frenzied and
tumultuous rebellion. But the truth, we al allow,
ia far otherwise There is If Christianity be true,
superior life to that Of sense-a life which is perfectly
accessible TO US at every Moments life of perfect
neace-which no foods can drown, nor the loss Of all
the flesh holds dear have sny power to disturb There
4; t,ss Christie such life within the reach Of every
one that reads these lines. II is no doubt true thst
this life is beset with in6rmes, that the trnity-in'
ur;,v Of the world, the esb and the devil, are bound
q, AZ ,bs;, hest TO modest IT. but still, is rery nature
:. ,;,u,k erer moiestatioa and insrmify, and to
,.,e men then most of all peaceful when calamity
ip,rudes, when the gale pipes the loudess and the
pillows yawn the 6erces. to enguf proud n.vies Are
these things literally true or not Is OhIsnanny
miserable cheat and delusion, or 'ne s0nae'.
truth If the former, let Us at once give up ana
hug Wsll.s.. and Fifth-sv. to our neef's YIN :.
unlimited con.eutmeBt. But il Is be ru'n' ana u
the life il impsr. be the nearest and most p,acSs'0's
Of realities, then why in heavens name snouu w
no, be ali alert to realize il
Surely this is not cant. In the presence OF Nc"