Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-03
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a VISIT To the Third Prcsbytcrinu

Il VISIT To the Third Prcsoyfcriuu
Church.
When the morning bells Of Easter Sunday had
ceased their importunaie clangor, ge found our
selves in one Of the narroS clips Of the Third
Presbyterian Church.
Whether these slips we're made IN imitation Of
a well known "a : in the Mammoth Gave, yeieBi
1.-The fat mans misery" or were constructed ~ a
spirit Of anita gonism 20 The prevailing fashion in
ladies' dress, or whether designed with more
serio1s intent, to remind hapiess mortals Of the
narrow house appointed for al the living, We
cannot determine.
But now music bursts forth from the gallery.
and we forget the uncomfortable pews, aid listen
to the tumult of sweet sounds. Some voices Of
rare power and exquisite beauty float IN triumph
upon the morning air, reminding one OF the easy
fight of "A bird, of the swOOpiDg wing OF an
eagle. anon sinking 10 the low sObbiHg moan
OF the ocean. ~Detracting a little from the vocal
harmony, a thin voiced melodeon apes the airs OF
organ in full accompaniment. Such attenua
tel music may suit the piping times of peace,
but mingles discordantiy with the thunder tones
ofwar. Our ears have become too familiar with the
echOing shout of battle, and the "diapason OF the
cannOnade," 70 listen now 70 the pulling sounds OF
a melGdeon.
The choisters have ceased. and the instrument
has spun out the last fibre Of sound to its utmost
tenuity. Now turn we to the pulpit.
In front of the frescoed drapery stands the
mnister-in frame no Hercules; in voice not
Boanerges. The slight figure and pallid face
seem to assign him the "Brahmin caste" if
ranked according to Holiness "aristocracy OF
scholarship" They say he has reached the
prime of manhood. Ii this be true, then must
he have somewhere discovered the elixir of life.
so Iemarkably does his youthful appearance con
fict with such record of years
The subject of this mornings sermon Is "the
narrow way" And first, by way of contrast, he
reveals to US the broad way that leads to death.
As the panorama unros we see the hearse with
its sable plumes, and its dead occupant followed
perhaps by but a single carriage vending It's way
to the filling cemetery Then comes the
imposing procession which carries to the
same resting place the man of wealth or position.
Now the squad OF guarded prisoners with pickax
shoulder. 10 perform the last sad rites for a fal
len comrade. Anon the long cortege bears with
badge and banner. and wild martial music, the
dead whom The nation delights to honor But
we can not reproduce from the pallet Ot memory
the vivid hues thrown by skIllful hand into the
striking picture
We will not attempt to follow the transitions
which led to the "strait gate" and up the
"narrow way" To the opening gates OF pearl
But well do We remember that no hedge of sec
tartan thorns bristled along its borders Neither
Pope, Council, nor Synod, were invested with the
dignity of Lord Keeper" o. the portal, which
flew open TO the magic touch OF faith. 1t
was Christ, the way the only ,eGy-albeit reveal
ell in the dread hour of the last extremity, even
the soul is exhaled in the smoke OF battle.
Christ-shrined in the heart, although 1t beats
beneath a cross a rosary Christ, the possible
way Of salvation, even to the poor despised de
brew, who vet typ6es him in sacrifice, but knows
not that his atonement is already made. With
yearnjng charity and trusting faith, he even dared
10 hope the gates OF heaven would not be barred
against the poor seif-tortured heather, who ap-
pretending by the light OF nature, and the dim
ligh, of tradition the of sin. and its atonng
need, worships through his symbolic idols the
unknown God.
Yet fearing perchance these messages of hope.
might lull the vacilatin2 into false rep0se, he
warned of peril, ii not forsaking the broad road
they vet hoped by threading the margin OF the
marrow way" to reach its goal. Nor did he fail
to denounce the yet more dangerous, and endan
gered class, who would fain obtain right of way
for all forms of error, and all vice, by setting
the borders of the narrow way as wide asunder as
the depths of hell, and the nights of heaven.
1t we have Inexperienced or unwittingly mis-
represented any part of this excellent sermon, the
surest (and to US the most gratefully vindicatioI
will be its publication.
This church is but recently builded, and We
are at some loss TO know to what style of arch
lecture it aspires Wencline to think, however
IL Is cross between "Crystal falace anu
tbeatre-at all events there is no lack of gaudy
paint nor stint of daylight rather plain look
ing congregation wOrships in it, with no tenabl'
claim to aristocracy, unless it be the prestige
of descent-being colony from the "Firs
Church."
The present pastor of this people has had but
one predecessor-one who is now far away seek
ing health on the golden shores of the Pacific
We thought when first we saw him that long err
a.; ba no III tha
of Paradise We remember 10 have felt awed
as if by a message from the Gland of spirits,
while we watched the tremOr of his fragile form
| and listened to the words of impassioned elo
! quence falling from his lips. We are glad tC
learn that the balmy breezes of the Pacific ar
reluming the lamp of life which we had though
almost extinguished. A CHURCH GoER.