The New York herald., 1869-02-01
AolY Trinity. EaouxLYE.
Sermon by Bishop LiuIejohn. Of the New
Diocese of Long Island.

Sermon by Bishop LirfIejohn. of the New
Diocese of Long Island.
Yesterday being the first Sunday after the conse-
GRAFTON OF Right Rev. DR.. Lirtiejohn as Bishop OF
Long Island, a large congregation was present at
holy Trinity church, Brooklyn, in the morning. to
hear the rst sermon Of the right reverend prelae.
The musical service was fine the chanting Of the
III Deum being especially impressive.
The text chosen as the subject OF the sermon was
the tweniy-sixth and twenty-seventh verses Of the
fourth caapter Of Mark:-.So is the Kingdom OF GOD;
As II man shpud cast seed into the ground and
shonld sleep and rise night and day, and the seed
should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how
ST. Marx, began the preacher, was the only one of
ahe evangelsts who relates this parable. Like the
parable OF the eleven its intent to show
kbe hidden energy of the divine word and that that
word has an inherent and iinperishaDe vitality
winch shall develop In some way, sooper or later,
when fairly planted In The moral consciousness
The question as to who ~ the s0wer Is OF only
secondary importance; but the original and pattern
Scwer Christ Jesus In the Class OF sewers must
DE reckoned every person who by the providence OF
ss0d IN made the instrument or conveying truth with
Others. The text asserts Inat the kingdom OF God
grows; that II viii continue TO grow; tnat 1t has
llself the power VI expansion; that however the
sower may sleep, tile seed that he has planted will
work continually by night and 10y day, work secret
", WORK mSsierousy, beyond the ability Of man TO
Know. There are TWO periods when Christ visits the
soul OF man IN such way thai In comparison with
II ne may be said other times TO be absent from
thIm- These III the beginning and the emo OF the
e Of COD the Soulne seed TIME ana the harvest.
BetweeR these lies the great nterSai IN which the
divine life grows independently Of sucn maniresia-
nons Here is a hznoiui Of seeu which Is cast into
the soil and covered up The sower thinks of II no
more, and may 90 OF ON Journey Day after day
lies there, apparently doing notnlng AT last in
culnbent cou ihal II breaks away ami firm
STALK springs up Uy law Of irs own, which III
tength puts fesh branches and bears rui Ths seems
n very miracie OF God. II man cannos comprehend
te fe Of plant IL = not strange that nc should not
Know how tue soul bearing the image or God should
De made TO spring up wan spiritual life. VI must
not, however. he inferred nom THIS that the
truth s absolutely aud Internationally
tain to bring fortn fruit when II mas found
lodgment m the heart. In many
OF passions and appefiies. still there others
whose hearts though no signs OF the coming life mas
Tor long time be apparent the truth Will take root
az LAD aud bear abundant run Az II IL with lndi-
yisiuas 20 II ~ with peoples Ihe places that were
the scenes OF tue principal events IN the history
~ Christianity now longer prominent, tue
pouShshare having passed over their very Iounia-
cons Nevertheless, the seed OF Gods everlasting
truth has taken root in the soil of Calvary, and d
vInely wa.ered there by the Redeemcr's precious
bsoon, has grown up INTO mighty tree beneath
whose shade the whole world shu one day repose
Amid storm and sunshine Il has grown up we know
not how. scepticistn ami inndellty have but con.
x1buted TO show iis nnperisnabe vitality. Tne
tningn tnat have been M tle dcsUate places
snat have been mentioned are the things that
snail be there again. The word has gone
forth and the breath vi the Eternal spirit dweiIs in
/. sbe word OF his mouth. n Goo Is In the dormant
seed corn nich befng into the ground bringeih
forth nuDdredfoid surely ne cannot he absent from
hiy word given unto the children OF 10 return
from these general statements 70 the individual
when the truth IN spoken by any oiie he must not
despair though he may not see any good come OF II
IA long time. lie should remember that the In
crease ~ of God and must go on ia secret. II Is
bui few years since = few grains OF corn were
taken from the shroud that enveopcd an Egyptian
CORPSE They were cast into the ground, when 10
after sleep Of two thousand years they began to
grow and have since covered many neld win
teeIrhng harvests 30 II may be with the truth
planter IN any heart II may he many years, IN !.
difItrept country ard under far different circuu-
stances tnat IL wGl take root hut II shall lose
tts vitality. Inc seed sink deeper when we plant
fhan when We Inink. amt tie labor expendc IN
plsnting II shah not he Ia VAIN.