The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-26
CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH. WILLIAMSBURG.
Sermon by the Rev. Mr.. Adams.

"The coin is spurious; nail it down." So John
Lttleohn used to say on all sorts Of occasions. So
John Littiejohn would have said Of the generic
fashionable sermon, OF the generic fashionable
clergyman and the generic fashionable cOngrega.
tion Is humanity all feathers, and no flesh and
bones Fashlonably speaking, Of course 1t is; and
so 1t is sort of comfort TO creep into pew in some
non-Fth avenue spot, where ones feathers are not
noticed and listen to sermon that means some
thing moro than pretty metaphors, rounded OF in
the latest fashion Of rhetoric. little body In your
discourses and less feathers, gentlemen OF the
slrpice, Ii you expect to control the men
even the women Of the century; If you expect TO
mould or have any part in moulding the thought OF
the age. Religious confectionery Is excellent for
and in far as the Methodists are really sturdy and
scriptural in their religious manhood, In that far
they have more influence over the thought OF the
age than the paror knights that infest some other
They draw fun II not fashionable audiences; and.
really one soul is about as valuable as another IN
the quotations OF the religious price current So,
Notwithstanding the weather. which was In
the congregation at the brick structure cor,
ner OF Filth and South Fifth Streets VII.
as usual. The house was FULL though not congested,
ana the services were conducted by the PASTOR not
wthstanding the fact that the period Of vacation
has already begun. cool, frescoed nook Of
place Within though bare and bricky enough eXter-
nally, the building is, of hot day, as really re-
frieerator OF q place as, in the ''Tale OF the Two
Citesn the residence OF poor Dr. Monette was
Of place. in which everything was heard OF be-
lably'' "a did the poor beggar the odd story OF
an English tramp.
After singing, reading and prayer-the former
latter to the extent Of few mufiied responses-the
Rev. Mt. Adams, pastor, announced his text from
the gospel according to St. John, always, and justly
so. regarded by Methodist cergymen as the pro-
ionndest and most keen in Its insight into the ideal
| life OF all the gospels. The text vast
.Verlly say unto you, the corn Of wheat except
II fall into the earth and die, abdeth alone But II
| II die IL bringeth forth fruit.n
The speaker began with brief exposition OF the
simile included In the quotation. The Saviour
seemed always 70 have His eyes fixed upon the final
termination of His earthly career. In this
tam Greeks had called upon the Disciples to inquire
already gone abroad, and had been by the Disciples
brought in personal contact with the Master. In
The conversation which ensued occurred the words
OF the text as transcribed by St. John. In all ma
tnre, the speaker went on to say, death seemed to
Se but preliminary 70 life: Out Of ,os death
Illustrated as the round p' u natural pe
nomena. The corn Of wheat fell into the earth
1a dd but out Of that death multiplied
the grain OF wheat should die il remained forever
unproductve 1t might be left to lie In the granary
thing-except a single kernel OF wheat. Put it In
the earth and death took place, involving the
urrecuon 10 nober life and the bringing forth OF
frut and In thissaw Of death out OF life was found
one OF the most instructive SMILES OF nature-a SIM
lie lie Win which the saviour was accustomed to Illus
From this exposition the speaker proceeded to
draw out the thesis oil his discourse, viz:te death
to SIN, otherwise dennable as the death se Sacri-
cay speaking, self was generally used IN the sense
OF selhsnless, and In this sense the apostle spoke OF
the cruciiixion OF sel which equivalent to the
crucinalon-the mortilcation OF the putting on OF
tue Old man. In this sense also was drawn out the
made living soul, and the new man Adam who
was made quickening spirit. In sell
that 49, seifsh1ess therefore, was found
the root and source OF sin and hence the radical
ism OF the Apostles In insisting upon the putting on
OF the old man and the putting on Of the new. This
constituted the death to sin SO leluentIy advocated
Dy the Apostles as a radical part OF tue relig ous
me-. 1here was sort OF inyulnerabillty about the
death 10 sin which had tendency to promote hap
plness-ieF there was no happiness Ike that Of the
difficult part Of the Lords prayer to
be adhered 10 in heart was, ''Thy Will
oe done on earth land in mel as it Is done In
heavenn II under all circumstances the follower OF
the saviour could repeat these words with ali the
heart then, indeed, had the death and sin taken
place and the new upspringlng to holiness of lie
had already begun In the kerne OF human wheat
the lesson OF the text with apt metaphor and smile
rising here and there into the foryidness Of earnest
aud natural eoquence, aud enumerating with
pointed eject the symptoms OF the worldly
heart. II one could not bear to hear evll
spoken OF himself, to be OF no reputation, for
the sake Of doing night, then the old man was not
dead. Ii one could not endure to hear others
then ne might be sure that there was not yet an
utter death 70 sin In his heart If the old passions
Of envy and malice and covetousness were strong
within him then the old man was stlll uppermost,
ana the kernel OF wheat OF the old man must
yet fall into the earth and die that the fruits of
meekness and patience and love might be brought
forth.
The speaker concluded with an eloquent perora-