The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-19
! fnlDrA CHURCH

Sermon by Rev. ssenry ward Ieccher-1lOpe
my the Anchor o. the Soul.
There If . perceptiole decrease IN the number OF
attendants of Plymouth Church on each successive
Sabbath Of late, owing, no doubt TO the absence OF
portion OF the regular congregation at their favor
tie summer retreats. Yesterday the church was well
but not uncomiortably nlled. The reverend pastor
took for the text Of his discourse the sixth chapter
Of Hebrews and nineteenth verse:-"which hope we
have as an anchor of the SOUL both sure and stead
fast, and which entereth nto;thatlwithin the VEIL"
The Apostle Paul In his episte TO the Hebrews, from
which the text Is TAKEN refers at length to the dan
ger Of seeking after new doctrines. This was an
evil which ne wisely foresaw and against which he
has left behind him solemn warning. The apostle
knew 1T was q much easier thing to destroy
than TO build up. And in this the
Apostle was right The reconstructive tai
ent is the rarest vouchsafed to man. In religious
point OF view this is more essentially true. For
when man becomes unsettled in his religious be-
lief when he drifts away frOm the landmarks OF the
soul, the power to reconstruct the religious system
IS one or the rrest powers that has been revealed In
man. The DANGER and In fact the occurrence OF the
thing Is more imminent and far more frequent than
able to decry the doctrines Of our fathers to discard
the anchor and the other safeguards which re-
osn @ Msn 10 9e 20 the eS as
OF the superiority Of reason the beliefs which
hitherto the soul chung every point and in every
is great and shah prevail" This, especially among
young men, IL one Of the great evils and peris Of the
every young man standing forth and drawing up
code OF moralities for himself But man In this
spec; Is NE four year ola children going to the
discardlng the custom Of their elders, throw
board the oars, the salts and the rudder, by which
the boat was navlgated: aud pushing or are help
less before the powers Of the surrounding elements
The tide bears them way, further and further
from the shore; the wind ARISES, the night draws
becomes
and now, without oars and without SAIL without q
rudder to guide them they are encOmpassed with
perlls every side. So 1t Is with the man
who denouncing the tenets and the teachings OF the
faith inculcated in him. seeks for new dOgmas and
ton. The power to settle definitely the modes Of
sapctfcatiOn to fashion beliefs, to form anchor
TO man. There is much more Likelihood for there
being another Homer than another Augustine;
another Shakespeare than CALVIN; another Milton
than an Armenlue; another Dante than q Knox
This philosophical and practical CONTINGENCIES
OF moral and religious things Is the rarest OF all
gifts; so that when man cuts away from the be-
lief he had in the past and seeks new doctrines he
Is q mere expermentizer, working In the dark,
utterly Ignorant of the dark gulf that yawns before
him-the most cavernous and dangerous gulf that
ever man precipitated himself into Things are like
words aud words are mems souls journals. What
il the word mother but the registry wherein every
has left the dearest souvenirs OF his youthful
iifef What is in the words wife, father, sister or
are pure and fresh in the souls Of men, Man must
not therefore, lightly or unthnkingly discard from
bis soul the religious ana moral teachings he has
received. The doctrines, the ceremonies ana the
usages he has been accustomed TO and trained TO
observe and reverence though they seem to be even
absolutely false are better than to have anchor
all on which the soul can rest. 1t is
not an easy thing and 1t Il never Q safe
thing, to take away from man those usages those
doctrines and those customs and observances how
ever erroneous they may even be- but which long
education has sanctifed to him, without being first
assured that he has found safer anchorage for his
hopes and longings after higher and better life.
Take, for example, the sacrifice OF Christ az
we have been educated TO regard and
reverence it. What Ia there sweeter than
the thought OF Christ's dying and atoninQ
for the sins OF the world, What il there that SO
a contemplation calls forth2 Take away this belief
and all love and reverence, the souls emotions are
destroyed, and LIE becomes blank and death Itself
conceivable terror. A noble nation cannot be
happy without rellgion-without food from the In
visible and the infinlte-and the moment that
man drifts away from the settled anchorage
OF the faith IN whish he has been brought
moment man attempts to found new system of
morals for himsef-the moment he attempts to solve
the great probiem--he will End himself overtAsRed
he viii ind himself going forth 10 combat Goliah
eDcased IN the vast and crushing armor OF Saul.
Take from man his belief in the doctrines
very elements OF his salvation. Man must
have positive belief. When the ground OF faith ia
settled the transition to another belief is diYicpIt
and when well directed is noble and praiseworthy:
but transition from lie to nothing IL worse than
living up the lie. Christianity Ia the hope spoken
OF by ST. Paul. which hope we have az au anchor Of
the soul, both and steadfast and which entereh
was listened to with great attention throughout ma
eloquent DISCOURSE.