New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-05
NETWORK BIBLE SOCIETY.

SERMON BY THE REV. DIR. cHEEvER.
The annual sermon before the New-York Bible So
ciety was delivered last evening by the Rev. Geo. Il.
Cheever, in Dr. Huttons church on Washington
square. The pews were well filed. The text was
Rev. XIX 10" And he clothed with vesturs
dipped in blood and his name is called the Word OF
Good" The subject was the mission OF the Bible
Society and these propositions were set orth-that
the inspiration of the Bible is present life and utter
ance even as the being Of Christ is present being
that the Scriptures are to us as the being oil
Christ-both human and divine that as Christ
is Goldman and God in the flesh, 20, also,
are the Scriptures that the evidence of the word
is necessarily in itself and not dependent on history
or authority and that it is 10 be considered not
speculation but as life. They might, therefore, send
out the Bible with confidence and faith. The Bible was
entirely independent in regard to all human authority
but entirely and solely dependent upon God and the
amazing glory and blessedness of that work in which
they were engaged and the certainty of its divine re-
suits DIR. Cheever deprecated the faith in the Bible
which obtained from historical or other extrsneonS
sources, and deplored the skepticism OF Frank
lin. They must receive their religion as Frank
lin received his knowledge of electricity, from
the kite, by their own feelings and not as Frank
lin received his skepticsm, from reading Sh8itesbury
and Hobbies. Those advanced people who depended
on historical authorities would not listen TO Paul he
were 70 appear among them, they would want to send
him to a Theological Seminary. For Paul would not
telk about the Eocene and Meiocene and Pleiocene
formations or Ichthyosaurians or hejatherium; he
would preach Christ and him crucfed. With the word
of God always went the sprit Of God. In every age
and everywhere they met most wondrous testimonies
Of its efficacy These testimonies were the sunny spots
of ecclesiastical history. They took us to Ethiopia and
TO the River of Egypt, to Justin Martyr and the Wal
denses, to Wycklyffe and to Tyndal, to Luther
and to the youthful Melancthon, to the martyrs OF
Italy and England and Spain, to Tartary, China and
India to the South Seas and the AbOrgnes OF Amer
ca DIR. Cheeyer reviewed ecclesiastical history and
catalogued multtudinous examples to prove that his
torical knowledge Of little avail to the truehearted
preacher, and that the living power of the word was
sufficient in itself, though fragmentary and cas-
uay seen or stolen TO effect the salvation of the soul.
II was God manifest in the flesh 1t could not be
bound and in its unsound nature il must conquer 1t
had been translated into l52 languages and dialects in
which il might be read by COO 600 O0o Of the human
race. But of these only 90 100000 enjoyed its free
use Among Christian nations 20s, 0OO,O 600 were fet-
tered and not allowed TO read 1t with free ION;
10 900 900 reverenccd the Koran ard 4s4,OooOOO
we've still in Pagan darkness But even IN Turkey the
death penalty denounced against the apostate by the
Koran had been abolished, aud Mussu men were now
free 10 become Christians This freedom must soon
extend even to Italy. The promised day OF glory was
near a. hand.
At the close of the sermon collection was taken up
in aid OF the Society.