The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-29


Church Year. Appropriate services
were held in the Episcopal Churches,
and We publish below a synopsis of
the sermon by Rev. Dir. Van Ant
werp. His sermon was highly COM
mended, and embraces many points Of
interest to the Christian community.
Next Tuesday will occur the Feast of
St. Andrew, and religious services
will be held ia both churches. We
are satisfied the following will be
found interesting by the mass of our
readers:
Synopsis Of .zduent address, Deferred in
50. PaUt's Church, OF the Jf0rAiRg OF The
5tTSt Satn day IN -Adve1at, 6y ReU. W. II.
VcI71 A9stt0eTp.
This morning reveals q movement in
one common din ection throughout the
worll. 1t has ushered in what has been
called, ever since The fifth century. the
g Advent Season" Of the Christian Year
a new year - In Christ has dawned
above the re Ig Gus horizon. The Church
to-day begins 10 look Tor the appearing of
that /" Bright Morning STAR" or rather
that true . son or righteousness - whose
Coming into the world nearly two thou
sand years ago. began new era OF light,
and life and beauty on earth.
It seems proper, therefore, At The com
mencement or another Church year, TO
initiate The practice CT prudent men Of
Dusiness-tO have set time for reviewing
the work dOne-gather up its lessons ana
order our plans for the future.
/. The SEASON itself puts a key into our
hands
What is "Adveet?" What mean We by
these stones? II may be asked of these re-
curing Festivals and FasIs, as the genera
tons of OLD Qaefied about the Twelve
Stones which Joshua set up by the banks
of Jordan.
AS those memoIisls told Of mercy and
deliverance to GoG's people, In leading
them out of the house of DO ldage" into
% the Promised Land" tais monument
to-day Is fhe witness of q LAYING ginduess
which has brought Isite aud Immortality
to light.
htstoricalau prophetic. Il c0mme m0rates
ana it antici pates. u one direction IL bids
rs prepare for the due celebration OF
C2rSstHldS- It Is the twilight before he sun
FiSing-the herald pFOciaininR - good
tidings" before the Hoonapcn.
In another direction IL points tho way to
the sec0ad coming in glorious maj ssty 10
Judge. He who was SEEt9qt~ calls the Judg-
Tne details OF this sublime doctrine Will
present themselves as we progress with
these neWIy-Eesumed services.
II. But this first Sunday bids US make
sure OF oar foundations; to |" mark well
the bulWarks," TO master the grand fact
upon which is splendid superstructure
Of Christianity and civilization is built.
The body is of small sign ficance, compar-
ed with tue force of the enchanted spirit.
The true point OF interest lies in the ideas
at work in the individual or society. IL is
not IN the framework OF the spiritual
structure that we are to look for tn power
which is to determine what Christian men
separately and the Church collectively
shall be in the future. But we must look
TO the construction OF mems mindS-the
springs of action. Why do men believe
so and so, or act thus and thus? When
you ask such questions you have begun 10
nnllVZp. to BACK 10 GuA 9lGmAufa
If you find that time or distance has
weakened mems hold upon these princi-
pies; If gy and grasp and power seem
lost or shriveled up into mere conventional
propriety-the conclusion is forced upon
the mind that either these primary princl-
pies are no LONGER regarded as they once
were or else custom has cramped their
movements.
New countries illustrate the earnestness
of strong, keeniy realized faith, though its
objects are material.
Any truth that penetrates and arouses
men, stirs the Will TO execute the dictates
OF Faith and Reason. A high motive be-
gels high aims. Let the motive and the
end be yelled IN shadows; let them fade
away the consciousness of reality, and all
at once eSertiOn IS paraiy zed.
Therefore, when the salesman forecasts
the future, and to conjecture the form
which human life viii assume a century
hence, his process Is a very simple one.
He reviews those first principles which
uDduly present society. He searches for
It's leading and governing ideas. He
men look at things among them.
And II we, as Christians, desire to dra "
q horoscope OF the future, and to Judge OF
the form which church life Tor Christian
life) will take IN the coming times, we
must go down below the surface and ex-
anime its present forces, and the ktnd of
its spiritual activities. And If We wish TO
do our par.s towards averting evil and pro-
noting good in the future, 1T is By acting
osi these fcrces aione. the first psinci pies OF
cSsristsenity which ADVENT brings before
Is At IN, u
OF the ehurch-thst neatly two thousand
years ego the Almighty God, In the ike
ness Of our nature, visited and redeemed
This world. The necessity was human sim
tulness; the m olive was love; the way was
by sacrifice. The end of all was the renO-
walton and restoration of the fallen, self
exled creature TO union and communion
with GoG. here ana hereafter. THIS makes
Christian lie the earnest thing tits.
II Christ i'd down His life for us, and we
believe taat truth. think of the inference.
II conduct IS individuals or a Parish
seems TO come short OF that high aim and
pattern, IS there not reason 10 fear that de-
cline has begun, and we have drffted away
from our mOOTlugS2
And this suggests INN ed ateIy the first
duty of this seasOn-that OF seIf-examIua.
ton aEd prayer, and repentance Advent
was SOlemned in olden time as a lesser Lent
For the coming OF Christ in tue fiesh, at
az, was the awful evidence of Gods alb
horrence Of sin. Every picture to be COM
plete must have q background; ana here
against the moral darkness of our corruDt
> n
Son Of God. Looking at Him, we zee our
duties written IN light. We know that He
came once to save; we believe He Will re-
turn to judge IL IN righteousness. If He
were to come again SloeU, could wa cry
% H sanna2' And must not the manner
in which we address ourselves 70 these
truths OF redemption, evidence to all the
world the degree with which they are
realized IN our Utmost hearts?
The corner stone of Christianity Is the
advent Of Christ. His promise To abide
with his Church as the Spirit bea, ing Body
is made good That is what makes still
and ever the power in the worlds refor-
nation. We know that this life and pow
er go out through Christians and Christian
What are we doing toward
for the individual and the parish TODAY.
How stand the facss and the principles Of
name?" Something has been done. YES.
much. In Personal growth in grace, in
labors, in giving, in missions, We hail
the welcome proc. OF the presence aud
blessing OF the Holy Spirit. Signs of an
lntenser life still abound.
But to look only to the parish Do we
not see a great power unused? We are ~
peace-no appalling shadow of war upon
our homes. We are biest in our families,
In basket ana store.
Pioneer this call OF graf tude. We can
not hide from our sight the TACT that all
this national strength, this social and re-
lIgicUs influence, are making up our ac-
count as people, as a nation, a q parish
for that other coming. We are trustees
under Go1; stewards, not consumers. He
has put into our hands the means of q
grander growth and extension of His
Kingdom. Look at the WORK to be done
even here, along " the beautiful river"
and the Old World floods of immi-
grafton from two continents ara telling
upon the living and acting of naiion.
But the work and the duty lust 112Ssesy
ass before We gather the harvest. Here is
our Missionary field call. The wsrk must
begin at The Hsuss Of The Lord In each
neart. christianity aud Christian civil
IL ton are on trial in a doabting and e
age. How can the duty be dele
gated. How can any man avoid It? The
Judgment 1mpends alike our humble
Christian and him who AZ made no vows
III. On such 8 day as this it is the duty
of q Pastor 10 deal plainly and frankly
The life and influence and growth Of q Il
can do much; but he cannot 40 The work