The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-20


the churches yesterday for the relief OF the Avondae
poned for another week.
Below will be found reports Of the more interest
ing services OF the day in various churches.
TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH.
s'spiritual Darkness as Illustrated in the
Character and Writings of Lord Byron,--
Sermon by the Rev. DIR. Stanford j.
Home.
Last evening the Rev. DR.. Holme preached a SER
mon on the above subject at the Trinity Baptist
church. corner OF Fifty second street and Third
avenue. The reverend gentleman took his text
from the Proverbs w.. 19-"The way Of the wicked
Is as darknessn
The term wicked as used in the Scriptures was not
strictly synonymous with the term as used in
common speech. When one spoke of wicked
persons those addicted to vice were gen.
orally referred to, but the word was also
used in much broader sense, including
all those who did not exercise faith In the way OF
salvation through Christ Now the way Of the
wicked was not only way OF darkness, but OF dark.
ness that grew In intensity as It advanced. Light
and darkness were symbols OF most frequent use in
the Bible to set forth the condition OF the righteous
and the wicked, and language could present more
just than as The shining light that shineth more and
more into the perfect day. Nor could 1t present
The wicked than that It was as DARKNESS and those
that walk In 1t know not at what they stumble. Cne
thought suggested ny the text, and to which atten
OF the extingulshment Of the sun. moon and stars
IN the natural world but lmperlectly represented
spiritual light from the SOUL The deeper and darker
experiences OF men were seldom brought to the
were phases of human experiences that men did NOT
care 10 unDosOm 70 themselves, and much less did
they care to expose them to the gaze Of others But
lnconsiderate spirit uncOnSci0usy made q record OF
lts experience SO deep as to be quite Incompetent.
sDe TO the great mass OF readers; indeed he might
any who had not passed through like trouble expe.
Tences or as they might be unlocked or interpreted
THIS was found in the writings Of Lord Byron, in
enigma 10 his critics. Sir Walter Scott, Lord Jefrrey
and others who had especially noticed IT confessed
1t as poem In which succession OF terrible images
was placed before US, hitting and mixing and dis.
engaging themselves as in the dream Of o ieverish
jeffrey took q ike view Of IT, saying that Ozark
ness' was dark and gloomy sketch Of the supposed
great fear and fearful force, but with something OF
German exaggeratlon and fantastic solution Of
incidents.
The preacher however, believed it to be rather a
matter OF deep religious experience, and that Scott
and jeffrey, IN regarding the poem merely as a
poetic erusion, overlooked the true character and
critic was enigmatcal and obscene would from
religious standpoint appear at least Ineligible
though not less terrible and oppressive to contem-
plate. In short, the efYusion OF Byron might be
taken to be practical but fearful illustration of
the truth Of the text The way OF the wicked is as
The poem commenced with the significant line.
81 had dream, which was not all O dream" There
was terrible reality Ia It. II was setting forth or
the Deep dark realities OF his inner life 1t was
mot altogether unlike some passages OF the Psalms
an thy waves ana thy biows have zone over me =
pavids experience was, SO far as present darkness
ana gloom M was concerned very near to thar Of
despair. DAVID knew in what direction to look for
Light. The opening OF the poem was:-
t bad dream, which was not all a dream.
Did wander darling in the eternal space,
swans blind and sssk.nias in he mconle.s atr,
sHs ss sDa ssss
VI this their desolatoni and ali hearts
Were chilled unit. selfish prayer for light,
The world was void,
seascniess berbiess, treesss, msniess, iiieiess,
lump OF death--a chaos Of hard cay;
no.as wssn ,ss .'aHa Silent id Depths
Ara Their ms "a isl down pcesmas hsy dropp'd
e waves , Mere as.a the ias. were their sv
And the clouds persisted; darkness had no need
or aid from thern-she was the Universe.
The first thought suggested by those lines in Illus
tratlon OF the text was that spiritual darkness fore
of all action, and could contend single handed
against all the evils Of life; man, while
hope remained could bear up against a
swelling tide Of evil. II might for time
cverwhelm him. and by the force OF its blows stun
nim, but he quickly recovered strength for another
connict But when the light of hope was extln. |
gulsaed ., he sat down only to weep. Such was the
Meet OF ueler spiritual darkness. Indeed such
fairy settled upon the soul that illumIne IT, even
Ior single moment men gladly sacrificed all for |
would ask their attention, In Illustration OF tnis, to
Byron:-
And they did live BY wa,cbares; and tho ,brone.
The palace. Of crowned Einss-the nuts,