The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-09-12

Let us sinful mortals take courage. The
season Of grace opened yesterday. All the
churches were full, and at the aristocratic
churches prayers and perfumery mingled as
they have not since the spring months bloomed
into summer. Our warnings and exhortations
of last summer seemed to have had some effect
upon the fashionable worshippers. We are
assured by the reporters that at most OF the
tabernacles the congregations appeared more
devoted to their prayer books than to their
own and their neighbors' fashions Heaven
knows that none of US are free from sin, and It
is just possible that after ten weeks spent at
the watering places some of these church-goers
might have cause for unusual piety and devo-
ton. At Grace church only did the religious
stagnation continue But Grace church Ia not
easily stirred. Its regular congregation Is 50
eminently proper that the members never
hurry themselves to open the fall season.
Brown, gorgeous as ever, was there, Of course,
and so were few strangers, who listened to a
good sermon, not so well delivered as it might
have been.
But at all the other tabernacles where the
leaders Of society meet on Sunday the attend
ance was large and the attendants as pious as
dry goods store, dressmaker and jewelry
establishment could make them. Trinity was
redolent of sanctity from the steeple down to
the doorsteps. Plethoric papas slept tram
gully while DR.. Dix told Of the good Samari-
tan, and their daughters condescendingy lis
tened to lesson on the duty Of compassion.
At Lyric Hall the season opeped with the re-
turn of Rev. o. B. rockingham. He preached
on the subject of wisdom, which we trust he
carefully studied during his vacation. The
Pope and Louis Napoleon were held up as ex-
amples of human faulty. Referring to the
age of excitement in which we live he declared
cit is the dreadful privilege that we modern
men enjoy that we cannot escape from the suf-
ferings and SORROWS and agonies of all our
kind" The enjoyment of anything dread
full by modern men is sad evidence
Of natural depravity. Speaking of the
rapidly with which we now receive news
as compared with the length of time re-
of our forefathers, Mr.. rockingham said
1.-THE great events came to them (our FORE
fathers) slowly, and when bad tidings reached
them from over the water the distance had
already deadened the shock. How different
now! The telegraph wires are knit in each
of our heartstrings." This reminds us forcibly
of the Irishman who wrote his brother a letter
announcing the death of their mother, and on
the back of the envelope requested him not to
open it until he had prepared himself for the
sad intelligence. Why the effect of any news
coming before the invention of the telegraph
wires should have been less than now we can
not imagine.
This illogical style of speaking was also in-
dulged in by Rev. Charles F. Lee, who,
preaching on the law of progress, declared
that in the life of fast young man, ''the full
corn in the ear ripens and rots before the
blade has been matured." Placing aside the
fact that we do not remember any other
reference to grain in the life of fast young
man than the sowing of wild oats, the presence
of full corn in the ear before the blade natures
is such an absolute impossibility that the meta
phor seems rather stretched. However, some
,
ing sermons of the season. A couple
of weeks more are needed to prune
down the exuberant imaginations of
the preachers. Rev. Mr.. Smyth got off an old
joke about King William being wide awake
while taking Nap, and then continued in
sermon on the war in Europe, in which he
expressed the opinion that there was posi-
| bility of Napoleon being restored to the throne
of France DR.. Wedekind, at the English
| Lutheran Church of St. James, delivered an
| interesting discourse on the dignity of man
| while Rev. Stephen Tying, Jr., preached on
the goodness of God and the debt of gratitude
| we owe Him. ~Evangelization in Europe occu-
| pied the attention of the congregation at the
! Broadway Tabernacle. DR.. Thompson and Rev.
| Mr.. Clark, of Milan, speaking on the subject.
| They promised that great things would accrue
from the overthrow of Napoleon and the expul /,
sion of the Pope from Rome. Rev. Mr. Clark
was of the opinion that Rome would be the
! centre of evangelization. At the Church of the
Strangers DR.. Deems eloquently declared the
| glory of Christ, and at the other churches the
sermons were very good.
In Brooklyn Plymouth tabernacle was
crowded. but Brother Beecher did not oficiate.
He was represented by his brother, who did
WELL In Washington and elsewhere the SER
mons were excellent and the attendance large.
| We must not omit mentioning the churches
where our colored population meet to wor
ship. These were well attended, the toilets
were gorgeous and the congregations very
decent Altogether the opening Of the reli-
gious fall season gave promise of a large
number of saved souls during the winter.
City improvements.
! The Commissioners of Public Parks have