The New York herald., 1868-03-23


gentleman selected his text from the sixteenth chap
ter Of Matthew and twenty sixth verse:-"For what
Is man prodted, If he shall gain the whole world
and lose his own sous or what shall man give |
exchange for his soulS' were four specific calcua-
tions with regard to the everyday objects OF ife and
our Saviour put his question to his hearers in this
form that by comparing thus our lives with the eter-
nal life they could better understand him.
Who does not hear that still, small voice,
counselling him throughout his actions In his
office, in his counting house In his business "What
will 1t profit me II do thisa In the first place we ).
must estimate the value OF what ls onered In
exchange for the soul. II is impossible that we
could prevent ourselves irom yaang tnau ~ walcn %,s
Is q world teeming with beauty and arrangement,
and all the developments OF good and evil; but 1t Is
world also full OF changes. Everything Is changea
BILE here, and yet paradox though 1t may seem, the
world goes on In one groove and every event IN lle
IN nature, in history Is but repetition OF what mas
through life is like endless band around the circle
OF the worlds machinery; changes OF events are
aspect, from age to age from period to period.
These events may be frightened by fiction, thaJ may
be Drowned by time, they may be warna@ by circun-
stances, but nevertheless cne feature pervades
them a-that Of sameness and uniformity.
With the Deity time is but as the eb6
and how OF the tide, or as the bows that rise and
changes one is but repetition OF the other. There
Is no doubt that II OF the devotees Of the world
stage OF life which he may deem pleasant now,
even ne would quickly tire OF his condition and cry
was not made for the world, but the world for the
soul. The world is only fitted as resting place for
it-as means to an end-before 1t seeks immortality
Our Saviour when he said, tsShOud man gain the
whole world" simply meant the highest idea OF
human happiness for none but the Deity could own
the whole world. Let the rich man think OF this,
"What viii 1t profit mer Let the man Of business,
the man Of advancing years. the young picking up
pearls edi N youth who dream n,a+. not OF Sd aye age
perspective OF their early fe The days OF life are
but as the evanescing foam and what will there be
walton to work out eternity to look forward to
When the thinking power OF the soul, which raises
God himself, is looked at, its inestimabe value
be perceived The faculty Of man for doing wrong
shows his power q doing good. II there had been
no disObedience at first there would have been no
capacity to obey. II there had been no devil there
would have been no angel Mans very wickedness
consider the enjoyments of the soul, Its sweet
communion with the Deity, and the price the
Saviour paid for it-wIt6 his bood-can we
| give it up for anything this world can give Be-
| sides, all the pleasures of the world will profit
nothing when the soul itself is lost for then the
faculty OF enjoying them will be lost also, for we
only possess that through the soul ITSELF II we lose
that we lose everything, and when our loved ones
selves of the blessing Of eternity The reverend gen.
| tleman concluded by telling his listeners that at
| that moment their souls were at a poise, and he
entreated them earnestly to ponder the words OF his
text for what pro1teth 1t them should they gain the
| whole world and lose their souls?
How Shall the Church Deal With the Ques-
ti0n OF Amusements
The Rev. Day X. Lee preached before not very
numerous congregation at Bleecker Street Unver.
salist church last evening, the subject of his dis
course being, "HOw Shall the Church Deal With the
Question OF AmusementsY' The preacher selected
as his text the ninth verse Of the eleventh chapter
Of the Book Of Ecclesiastes-"R O, young
man In thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee
in the days Of thy youth, and walk In
the ways Of thine heart, and in the sight Of thine
eyes; but know thou that for all these things
God will bring thee into judgment" In opening his
remarks the reverend gentleman stated that this Sc
lection Of Scripture had by many orthodox ministers
been construed or accepted in an ronica sense, but
this was an erroneous view and false acceptaton,
as the Bible could not be deemed to have any traps
into which men shall be unwittingly led. There was
never, probably time when the world manifested
wilder and more enthusiastic passion for frivolous
amusement than the present day, and many persons
had been led to regard the churches dreay PRISONS
the preachers rs "old coveys" and to consider that
fathers and mothers had better keep shady.n This
spirit had In great degree served to stimulate de-
and this IN was arue ne e o s acS ~
rest and withdrawal OF influence in the Church, the
sabbath and the Bible by the weather. and more in
nuential classes. The Puritan Sabbath 1t was true,
was thing not to be wished for. It too dreary,
too austere, too rigd but even that preferable to
|
further laws the subject would be Of little avail
for the laws which were now In existence were not
observed or enforced As one OF the means by which
some Of the results desirable in the way OF eevat
| ing the taste for amusement among the people, he
would suggest that the Church itself put OF some Of
its fnery, be simpler In its forms, have fewer points
| OF doctrine, and embrace purer, freer principles.
Address to the hearts and reason Of the people love
for all that Is beautiful and pleasant and teach them
that religion is not dreary show; let Christian men
and women do more to promote and create public
| lectures and libraries, such were offered
| at the Cooper Union with intellectual and
instructive public readings. And II the
people viii have dramatic amusements and pastimes
let them be OF the refined and eevatng tendency OF
| the readings OF Mrs. Kembe and Mr.. Murdoch.
| which were the highest attainment of intellectual
dramatic culture, divested OF all that was Injurious
and depraved In ordinary theatrical exhibitions And
| az an additional means OF providing healthful men,
tai amusement, let the churches form literary asso-
cations Tor the young, In which the essay the
| Moledu, the conundrum, and, If practicable, pc
| riodical publication, should be made attractions
Small beginnings In this way might be made the
| means OF achieving glorious results, elevatng the
| tastes OF the people and aboshng much Of the
present degrading system OF public amusement.
BROOkLYN INTELLIGENCE.