New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-29
A SERMON TO THE FIREWEN. q.
LARGEST CONGREGATION IN AMERICA

'The largest congregation ever assembled within
walls in America for Protestant religious service,
gathered last evening The Academy of Music to listen
to 9. sermon 20 frcmen by the Rev. w. u. CoRBIr,
pastor Of the Methodist Mariners Church in Cherry
street.
At 81 o'clock, when the doors were opened, more
than thousand peop pie waiting for admit ance;
within twenty minutes the house appeared from the
orchestra to be filled, but there cons ant
,wing tide for twenty minutes more, when the doors
were closed ard thousands were turned away. The
parquette was occupied by frenen alone; the first
circle by freuen and their fames OF the ), 400 fire.
men in the city nearly One-half were present. On the
stage were Mayor Tiemann, Peter Cooper, A.V. Stout
City Chamberlain Benz. +. Camp, Gov. Isaac j..
oliver, j. W. Barker, Alderman Owens, ex-Ahermen
Briggs and Franklin, ex-Councilmen Warner and
Esulch, exMayor Harper most of the leading freInen
and ex -fremen, including John ). Giles, Treasurer; D.
S. Halch, exPresident Board of Engineers; Zcphar
Mills President of the Board Of Trustees of the Fire
Department Fund, and VIM. Bates, the Rev. Drs
Holdich, Bangs Strickland, Carlton and Van Norman.
Before the commencement of the services, Ar.
ZOPHAR MILLS stepped forward and sad
reques'edto state that In Of an alarm Of fire viii
state the number of the district from the platform that the
tremen that district 90 out quietly
At - O'Clock Mr.. CoRBIr read the hymn on the
50Gth page Of the Methodist hymn-beok:
I" Oh for that flame OF living fire."
and II was surg with grand effect by the congregation,
whose voices quite drowned the sound of little melo-
deon in the orchestra. DR.. HoLDIcH then made
prayer, and the HYMN the 07th page OF the same
book was sung, commencing,
"ny drowsy powers. why sleep yeso"
Mr.. CORBIT then said:
CySrLyMyy OF THE FIFE DEPARTMENT: We have
"A. "a II in hpafi
tifu and &C mmodous building tnis Christian Sab
bath evening TO worship the God of the Bible through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. have been IN
vied by Committee from your body, IN connection
with Others who are Interested in your present aud
eternal good to preach TO you the word o life. Hav-
ing accepted your invitation, Low come before you
in the name Of ard in humble dependence upon my
| Divine Master to fulfill my engagement: In prepsr-
| ing myself for this occasion, / have shaken hands
with nature, with books and with the present reh-
gous excitement which is now asitaing the heart OF
this great community. Therefore some thoughts
| and even some language which ! may use
on the present accession, you may have seen
| or read in books, or In papers, before 1t comes
| 10 YOU on the present occasion. / make these
remarks that NAV not be charged with bringing be-
fore you as my own that which properly belongs TO
others And now "a have assembled here tonight
in tho name of our LORD Jesus Christ, hope that
God will enable you to hear and me to epeak, that
in the great day Of account dark pail OF duty neg
lected or privilege sighted may fall up0n your 0rows,
and NAV no shade of ministerial unaithfulness idl
upon nv own. The words which | have selected as
the foundation OF NY remarks you may tind in tne -
chapter of the prophecy oi Jeremiah, the 18th AMI
part of the 29tl verses:
1.-THE prophet thai hath drtsa il. him tell dream and b.,
that hath my word vi; HIM sPesk word .hi ny Wn,
the VII saith the lord Is no' NY "o'' Lao Tao
Ire saith the Lord"
The Prophet Jeremiah called upon 10 prophesy
against proane prophets. Wien the words OF my text
veie uttered dreams were regarded as species OF
inspiration or revelation from God and hence IN
the Book Of Genesis we iiEl very many eIemPes ~
which Almighty God appeared 10 Inc people IN dreams
and visions of the night. Many procssed prop ietS OF
the Almighty accustou Ell ~ give 10 the people
their vain imagiDrgs which they conceived IN sleep,
Tor direct revelations from tae Almighty, los wa
highly dispieasng 20 the Deity, and ne warn-'
| the Prophet jeremiah IN the language OF my tex.
In discoursiDg upon the words If this text, design
consider the nature and effects o. nre anu by co IL
parips these with the word OF God you will gee the
force and besuty If this Scriptura figure. VARIOUS
are the figures used Ia represent the word OF uod
~ sword II pierces and cuts asuuceri - Ineiio ne
II IS healing il rs nature; es food II sweeter tsh
| honey and tie horey-comb; as lamp, u hiuullnes
mal.s pathway; snd a. a IRE, !, consumes iHsa
moral dross, puriies his soul, ard prepares lin LOT
TtSideIce IN TIE GOd-D1il; chambers Cf the cees,a
world. whose lrtugpnt sp.ertor- shame IN b'iSut-
ness the pIoudest monuments oi eST'-o94 =
ski. We observe, with regani 10 IRE, tnet y j. 'ui
OF grandeur. EIe Z ns;ue's rudy. IL d Inc h eh
hnsh Uf the eye Of the word Hi.n tue n2Hes- eye
can scar, the ar "a pIegn SD tu IT, ard Wien 'hc
FshN space VNcitAAl-- "a - A~ll upph ~ -
charged ten thousand boil, Ot fame rus @rro"y
through TIE eavets or fised iLt0 one Vs-t o't o.
flame cieavit space &c tire rot slot Of aersl cannon
thu deTing through th1 heayeLS and Tou.as IL
grind, sub.ims CONGREGATIONS IS thOEgA Goo La
| u " deriDg non cloud, Or Ggb,enet t-r"nsu
black tempest, HI. ,ed he void ~ appear A.
| the judgment sest If Or -.
SI.e nraIk TIA. -he NV..d ~, CD = al object II
g-enceuI the G,sF,. a. J-4- tlri. whc1' e F5v7A
tex ics,l,at ofoul - .ni -Iir -, racei ara go-s
.io.y'" ,,lrry tii Do uec"les 20 'i'1l ."f
cuIt, MP alton Nd G., n-u aDlNe or scahy VI
t'l'ct, 60 tIe '.citt.- lI- -hsc tns rft.' a. E
"a. a. ..t, = rO .li ~ . G. y"n' . $40 a. ie- =
u el'r e. -f..i llct a. ~ again o. e pm are
.sr,4 i.aI - ispoi l'" .o ian, aD' 'is+ - - Vr
~ 10 !,,. IL. .ur' a., H.. ,-,r rs the e-'e magu'f.
| r.'''gta Godlcac. Il i- .'-p h.r 'r e hu1an