The New York herald., 1868-03-23
DIR. Chnpin's Church.

DIR. Chapin's Church.
The beautiful and capacious sacred ediflce on the
corner OF Forty-dfth street and Fifth avenue, in
which the Rev. DR.. Chaplin of1ciates as pastor, was
usual well filed at yesterday mornings service by
the devout OF the congregation. There was no no.
tceable deviation from the ordinary divine servicess
OF the Sabbath day. that in the prayer for the
occasion the reverend doctor invoked the blessing OF
the Almighty upon the President and Congress Of the
United States and implored that the commission to
sit tomorrow to-day In the Senate chamber OF the
Capitol would be filled with wisdom, so that they
might be enabled to discharge the solemn duties ana
responsibilities devolving on them TO the glory OF
God and the welfare and good Of the natlon ana
people.
After the customary services DR.. Chaplin proceeded
with the sermon selecting as his text two OF the
verses OF the lesson for the daythe eighteenth ana
nineteenth verses OF the fourth chapter Of the Gospel
Of St. Luke-passages from Christs discourse In the
synagogue at Nazareth the place Of his nativity, as
fO0ws:-"The spirit OF the Lord is upon me, be-
cause He hath anOinted me to preach the Gospel to
the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captive and
recovering OF sight to the blind to set at liberty them
that are hruscd' "To preach the acceptable year Of
the Lord" The reverend preacher said these words
constituted the text OF the divine Saviours discourse
to the people OF Nazareth. This was his first dis.
in substance taken from the prophecy OF Isaiah
The people were wonderfully startled at the
gracious and solemn words that proceeded
from the mouth OF one who had been among
them and on hearing them they said one to another,
"Is not this Jesus the son OF Joseph and Mary ?" IT,
then, the words Of Christ were the OF astonsh
ment to the people of Nazareth, how much more
startling and with what greater admiration and
wonder should they not be read and accepted by the
people of the presen1 day. "The Spirit Of the Lord
was upon Him. and He had come to fulfil the ancient
prophecy to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal
captive and recovering of sight to the blind to set at
liberty them that bruised, to preach the accepta-
BILE year Of the Lord" That acceptable year has eX-
listed from that time to this this Is the acceptable
year OF gra to ALL Throughout His life Christ had
made many similar declarations Of His divine mis-
sion and that in Him was fulfilled all the
ancient prophecies vouchsafed by God to
| man. Jesus in another place says:-"l am
the resurrection and the life: Come to me
all ye that labor and heavy laden and will give
You rest. He who hath seen me hath seen the
Father" Certain miracles performed by Him were
only types Of the spiritual condition of men through
out all ages to whom the words OF Christ were heal
ing words; words OF spiritual deliverance nom their
sins. And to-day, wherever the Gospel is preached,
Is the accepted time Of the Lord-the acceptable
year in which all can turn to Him and have rest.
The text indicated the religion OF Christ adapted
to the needs and conditions OF all Here Is a
religion expressly adapted to human ills; here is
something peculiarly adapted to the experiences,
the thoughts and feelings and aspiration of man,
and in the hour Of death to the soul OF man. The
preacher then proceeded to describe man in the
actual and practical condition Of life boundless
In his aspirations after unknown things brave
and unceasng in his efforts for the attainment
of higher knowledge, restless-resless ever In his
pursuit Of science overcoming all obstacles In his
way and daily mastering the great problems OF the
natural world. But, bOundless are mans desires
and aspirations, the universe is as bonndless and
ever affords fresh fields OF exploration to the mind.
In this God has been good to mans activity of
thought is ever sustained; fresh incentives to the
study Of the great book Of nature always open
to him. But this is not enough for man. Is there
nothing to assage the yearnings of the inner mind
Is there nothing applicable to the feelings common
to all humanity, rich and poor ake2 Nothing to meet
the requirements OF the soul looking for comfort and
consolation In the dark hours OF fe2 Oh yes; Jesus
supplies the consolation needed He says to all, in
the words OF the text that He hath come to preach
the Gospel to the poor heal the broken hearted,
to preach deverance to the captive and recovery OF
sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that
are bruised; to preach the acceptable year OF the
Lord. The preacher was listened To with wrapt al
tention throughout very lengthy, eloquent and In
hymn was sung by the choir and the congregation
dispersed.