The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-05
ANNUAL. SERMON BEFORE THE SOCIETY
OF lNQUIRY-UNION THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY

1sst ever ing at the Aity street baptist chur.h Rev
Dr. Williams preached the annual sermon before the So
ciey Of Inquiry Of the Union Theological seminary.
The church depsey crowded, and the Sermon though
oecupy ing nearly hour and half in It's delivery was
Listened to with deep and attention throughput
Ee chose the hssis Of his discourse, Acts Colt is
more blessed to give than to receive Happiness lie be-
gan was the great chief pursuit Of All cravsd it
with deepest intensity; tie child the man in his mer
clan strength and the veteran ont with years and
'ci and disappcnments The great question with each
is, how to gain happiness. A right concep
ton Of the beatitudes Of lite he established
the proper basis to insure real ard truly dgpihed
enjoy ment He irstarced Cnrss example in his mission
70 erath, as showerinpg this happiness the highest
Gsgrte. Chat achieved .r himself happiness that he
power Of even his cviDe and sinners nature could
have conferred. The efectinR OF his mssion the
Ierfectipg OF the highest beAtudes OF the divine will
sId majesty Not alone did the touch Of his hand
eproy and cause the sick to ise from their bed OF in
trinity and the dead even To come forth from the cham
OF their silent abodes but sent life and joy to the spirit
His mission to confer the attainment OF eterna hap
rness upon the hImanIsce; But thus TO sye himself
20 with his apostles who followed alter him. They gave
theuseye. to the work OF evargiizaton-they gave up
the pursuits OF honor and wealth and accepted lives
persecution and danger and death, and in dong they
found It more blessed to give than to receive
just beautude and the victory This same principle
OF abDegaton OF SELF it urged further, had snce
the time of the apostles and would be- the charac
elistc Of the true Christian 10 convince the world Of
unhappiness Of the lives of the many was
misconception OF the true beatituCes Of human
existence. The of avarice thinks money will give
bin epJoy ment, yet at his dying day he only finds him
self yearnng for 1t with the votares to
btion with the Cesars Hannioas the Napoleons OF
ons with the Machiavas the Rcheus the Robespcres
tie Taeyrands Of all time but they find their highest pur
suits vanity their hghest victories emptiness. II mat
tered not whether men be conservatives radicals
what ght be their views aims, long their beati
tudes were not right as long they not right
with God proper comprehension OF the just
or life he thoQght best ah0sn in the life OF the
missionary. The missionary he considered living
life nearest to that Of Christ He spoke OF the
Of against aiding to extend missionary work
that spendrg money and pering lite upon people
appreciatye and who never could be made to take
stand the nations OF the earth. To these argu-
n ents lie gave fthe words Of Christ'Go into all the
world ard preach the Gospel to every creature This
Injunction, caime1 sought 10 be carried out
by the Society OF Inquiry. In concluding, the Rev.
speaker dwet upon the subimity and nobeness, In his
Howard, Elliot. Smith, and long list Of others who had
perled their lives In this work, we're true men, and
great was their reward. Such men, too, az Jonathan
Edwards, Timothy Dwight, John N. Mason and Arohi.
bald Alexander in the positions they occupied in the de-
votion OF their talents to Gods work. and eschewing
emoumeD and riches had each experienced that It
more blessed to give than to receive. He asked that all
view life ard ts duties as these men did, In closing he
sought for the Society Of Inquiry the sympathes,
pray ers and aid of every true Christian. As they would
cerve Individual enjoyment and make life beautiful and
hasten GU the millennium. they must avail themselves
OF the afforded through this channel TO do
ard work good.
After the strmon, the exercises terminated with
prayer and benediction by Rev. DR.. Skinner.