The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-31
NEW ENGLAND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

Gods Grace or, Who Are TO be Saycd-Scr-
mon by Rev. Merrill Richardson's Rail.
roads, Banks, stock Exchanges, and Gold
Rooms rs aIedlum, of OIcnce-Adnm's
Tittls Apple.
The new and beautiful temple OF worship the New
England Congregational Church. corner OF Madison
avenue and Forty seventh street. was filed to Its
utmost capacity az the services yesterday morning
by the usual intelligent, fashionable and deeply at
tentve congregation. After the preliminary exer-
cises OF PRAYER reading tile Scriptures ana singing
the last partly by splendid choir or select and &C
Compnshel singers and partly BY the congregation,
REV. Merrill richardson the popular and eloquent
pastor, entered upon tae delivery OF
THE SERMON,
which on this occasion was characterized by all the
usual eloquence OF this modern pulpit orator. Ills
text was II. Timothy, l., g:-"God has saved us not
according to our WORKS, but according TO his grace
which was gwen US in Christ Jesus before the world
began" HIS Introductory proposition was that the
work OF Gods grace began IN the beginning. Paul
asserted that grace was always In the gov
erument OF Cod. Grace, he therefore urged,
was always a principle Of Gods govern
ment. The very moment Adam sinned
God pitied and blamed but He followed him with
HIS grace Grace followed the first transaction.
Affairs were erected 10 God. Men then saw that
God could be gracious. what faith was there In
Abraham anu even Job, though he not or the
Hebrews, knew that Cod gracious and could
pardon. And then came all the rites and cere-
monial OF
THE RITUAL SYSTEM.
But when the Jews fell into ceremonies Isaiah
told them that II not forms that God regarded,
but the heart. When the ancient Hebrew built rs
altar and offered az MS sacrifice with right humility
or heart then that sacrifice became aGcesafs
able. That wnole a. sY 81 The same as
- A-...-IJs IneIe was the priesthood, and hosts
aud paradeS; but they were only part OF their re-
iigious system. What feature Ia their worship
was
oc.
lt was figure; ana the Jews through t saw how
the sins Of tue nation could be borne away into
Wilderness with the goat. But TO make moral I'M
preston upon The heart there Is no significance In
any form or ceremony 10 show that grace was in
of he ne was asanced the
rupt deoased, found grace. God
respector Of persons. The Nneyltes, according
10 st. Pauls Episte TO the Romans belonged TO the
nnclreumcised, but grace came into their hearts.
lie knew not how many heatnen were saved, but
there was grace Tor ALL lie next spoke OF grace as
an element Of
GODS NATURE.
God was not the cold unre enting interchangeable
God many pictured uim-not such a God as III was
recently portrayed IN relgious paper. Grace
was a part of Gods very nature; that grace was
always IN tic system Of Gods government was, he
urged, shown all about US. Man learns MS way
God demln perfect obedience. The moment
Adam fell, the moment an angel fell, the moment
man, woman or child trlnsgress, there Is grace
for them. Many redicue the idea OF Adam
taking an apple because OF lis bitterness
Adam began IN ignorance. There was no
ERIE RAILROAD
10 TOD IN tHOSe Gays, no rod, no temptations
Of the Stock Exchange and Cola Room. All that
God asks OF angel or men Is TO up to the light
they have. His next point tnat Gods physical
works had Swallowed forth this system OF grace.
Grace was recovering process. man breaks his
bones, but they knitted together again. 1t was
so with grace. Some OF the cid sage3 thought God
was not strictly rigid III his government because He
was not 30 as to physical law. Nature would not
heal the wound ant the cause was removed. Sin
may be paIsioGed the moment iniquty ceases; but
let nquty begin again and the past pardon amounts
70 nos ing. We're society strict in requiring every
qIS TO come to
very many OF them would be obliged 10 leave
society. God not hard master lie did not
require ideal perfection.
When this JeCt was up for discussion in Lon.
den. two years ago, Professor stuart expressed
the beiIef that Socrates and Plato were
saved because they philosophers. aud
cognlZed the existence and power of God His
theory was that the same salvation would be ex-
tended TO millions or Others who come up to the
light they had. said a Frenchman God thinks twice
before lie damns great man. God, he did not be-
neve, made any distinctions between men. But
was not 1t Asserted that there is no other name
EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST
given under heaven whereby men can be saved IL
was so asserted. There was no passage IN the New
Testament that had been more abused than this.
Many puzzled their brains as TO whether those liy-
Ing before Christ Cou he saved; whether the heatlen
of to-day, not hearing OF Christ would be saved
Some were equally puzzled to know whether n lew
or Catholic. OF an Episcopaan, or Congregation
alist could be saved. He dwet upon this point at
length. enforcing with singular eloauence his
theory, as deduced from the text. In conclusion he
showed that grace came down from the ages; that it
prevailed through the present. That 1t would con-
tinue through the coming uries. This grace was
as free as the waiers All were invited TO drink. II
was theirs to- sanctify their lives to Gods services
TO be Ills now ana they would be His hereafter.
Singing, prayer and benediction Terminated the
exercises