New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-11
RELIGIOUS.
PHILOSOPHY AND INCENTIVES.


10 listen 20 discourse by the Rev. d. $ stephens Of the
Edinburgh University, Praise; its philosophy and
incentives" After preliminary devotional exercises the
gentleman said that IL is OF the great character
sites of the psalms that them the sweet singer OF Israel
uters sentiments that teach not to rest satisfied in
the mere outword show of religion, in ceremonies mdrt
ua observances rather obtain and practice sound
inward piey and virtue of these sentiments Is found
embodied in the words Of the text Psalm Xviii, g. sing
praises 10 God" The subject is one that ought to
be considered at all times-but the subject OF
praise ought especially TO be present to our
minds since the great Gyer in addition TO
the blessings of health and prosperity, has given us
prospects for the recovery of venerable leader Praise
Is the only return make for the nnuneraDe DIES
tude should manifest itself. That we may exercise t1e
devotion OF praise properly ii is necessary tha we should
first understand the nature or the anu snen c0
slider of the which call foth toward the
divine ruler Our mind aSG ii EverT object
perceived by the awakens responsive 1eeg IN
the susceptibility, and this feeling IN turn manltests
itself i'm the will In proportion the object perceived
interests Individually TO the same degree is the inten
sty of the feeling aroused IN the sensi6ty When TINS
object and the performer of this act Is human
being the feeling aroused associates Itself with the agent
Sise ~ the pcnations and necessities of our nature
II the act is that is Of advantage to me:
the feeling is one of thankfnlness, ana ,d IL
hfe itself-thcn my heart oyerfows with feelings OF
gatcfulness and through the viii finds its outlet IN
the act OF which We are the recipients, must be one
which is agreeable and desirable Secondhand we must
perceive these desirable qualities OF the act because
less they he agreeable they will not awaken the resDon-
Ceived by us the emotion OF gratitude cannon De au-
dressed Surprising the conditions of praise 10 be salts
often accented by men to mean merely set form of
acknowledging fayors received; a mere mechanlci
affair without any aPPTe9b e most Ci HIN S bv
siU,,iy dirtIinG ySnr knees i'm affected humility, or
stranng your in uproarious devotion Gratefuness
comes nom the heart ana may n ,{t, n%iI ht
kernel OF tLe smell
without the kernel is but hollow mockery No suDSutu-
swer for true observation-disclosures The Psamist tells us
to praise God In order that We may do it properly Il
would be well TO consider some OF tne reasons %I I
shoud prompt us TO this devotion. Ihey are! !, us
advantages ?. 1t is duty which our natures demand
Us 10 perform. g. debt which the divine benencSmces
obicate us to pay Men are commercial beings They
S1$ ke an n eye about e proabe dividend car
Iicd less into the consideration OF motions 10
tain extent proper seek the advantages derived
uererom IN me eXSIcise Oh lIle teIe lG lie he
muscles of the It pleasant In its exercises
than of PRAYER Prayer is significant OF need, while
prai- s q Spontaneous Offering OF a satisfied and CRATE
ful heart. Prayer is peculiar to mans aliSn eTiat'
while praise is the primitive devotion before the ian en-
tailed wants upon man. Prayer Is the supphcauoR OF
weak mOrals below, While praise Is the enpo! nent od
the angels, and 1t raises Us upward, Teelg US ron to
grOSser Of earth, and lifts US up TO the cont
ton divine PROJECTIONS praise. 1t also enlarges
the capacities OF our sous-tnrns them rom e low anu
little things below to TO the discovery and admiration oil
those greatest aud nobest PROJECTIONS OF Divine nature
AS the great difference between hOdcaTr1er ana PM
iosopher is the difference in the objects which
oyfr,riotion Of noble objects expands the mind BY
this contemplation We become SognIlHt o. our oT Sn
councnance and favor Of the Almighty for II is ODenS
his command and fulfilling His design III creation.
Not only does praise have advantages but loving duty
comes and bids perform the act Ihe very nature
being is such that gratitude and praise are emo
tons that should constantly be in exercise, and whose
incense should continually ascend 10 the throne oI tt t
Mos N. gh. For constantly receiving Deneiits
from which demand greateiuhess IN proportion 10
the magnitude and value OF the tavors The great Giyer
is the proper recipient OF Sdr PRISE S bach SoTks and
INIT "A
noCIcr this. IL is debt because Christ dled
for us But being convinced of the adj
remains hut to carry into performance our CONVICTIONS
rocoectng that the conditions OF true praise must frst
Ice fulfilled That no one should consider our bless
ings from the Divine GyeE Gh we al & ~ heart
The manner in which praise may express lJseI is Dut
n tc nrs of soul enthusiastic With gratitude, in the
silent tear, may be waited IN Heaven unseen ana
mined by the temperament the culture ana the clreun
surrounding the individual. But when II Is Oh
the heart IL praise and answers the demand eX
pressed by Psalmst-whether is manifested in the
Inspired shouts OF the grateful rustic or the less demon
srtye manner of the cultured and refined Chris
OLIVER DYER AT HARLEM
Mr.. Oliver Dyer conducted the services yes
terday morning in Unity Chapel Northumberland
twepty-,ighti4st near FOurth-ave where the Fourth
Unitarian Society worship Mr. Dyer replacing, for
the day, the regular minister the Rev. Mr. Clark who
WAS absent and who is expected back Sunday next.
After prayer the singing Of hymns and the read
discourse Peters denial of the Lord Peter repre-
of eternal life. The various passages IN the Gospels
wherein Peter is alluded to were reviewed. ana he I'M
pusveness OF his character lAnstratea. fyT instance
In Matthew, where the Lord begins to forete MS cruel
6XOn Peter in the most audaci0us ana offensive man
per sets about putting him right and correcting nm,
and the Lord says, Get thou behind me, Satan Again.
The lord comes 10 Peter the latter with his usual i'm
pctuosty says Lord you shall nor wash my rect ihen
when told ii was necessary, he Immediately ran into the
opposite extreme, and said Lord not only my feet ana
my hands but ms head also. The eircuus attend
denial Derfcctly natural IN Keep
ing with Peters character The scene might nave Oc-
rufred right in Harlem. But the poor fellows
beart was sound at the core, after ALL
When the Gospel record as 70 Peter Is ms career
Is traced I'm the Acts Of the Apostles and elsewhere lie
lived Christian hero and died martyr Is 1t not plain
what all that relates to Peter eachesf III teaches mat
person safely rely on his own perception or under
standing strength The men who made tle speeches
before the last war did not win any battles me biggest
and best lighter OF an Is u man wiz ntHig sI sS VIZ x;
You cannot get more than twenty OF thirty words out Of
is the most useless faculty We nave lake me case OF
Byron of the most perfect genses That ever lived
business men aud the mercantile men of those
who DO the work without which the world would perish.
Arc thew the brilliant men No; they not the Peters
they are Jameses and JOhns They have their quail
ties the heart and not on the brain There are those
who have their rel giOn the brain. They would not
give their wives money TO 60 to Long Branch or send
their children TO the seaside. They would not do any
thing Of that kind. We treat men spiritually very much
in the way when they come TO our houses When
stranger comes the door do not ask him in, but
keen nun standing outside till We learn what he wants
hit be person Of some responsibility perhaps he IS
nice he is seated on the sofa and so on, but not
a scintilatiOn Of affection goes out from our
hearts 10 him. II he DC very intimate
friend indeed, may admit him into our sdctu sane
forum: still there things reserve irOm him. There
are drawers which he is not allowed access and in
OF those drawers is inclosed secret drawer into
which no eye but that OF the Lord ever looks Just so
the way We treat persons spiritually: The practical
point do give repeated denlals Ike Peterf
Coming along in the 81 train last night, great big man
Rs big three four sat down nv Inc IN the arm
Of Another biz man came on me Other SIDE OF
me and the two squeezed me up. | was at the same
time thinking what should say here to day 1t took
All nv egOn keep from getting hold OF that man
who first caused my discomfort. He wanted TO say
something 20 lady He up, but soon came back and
doy- nos me A IrayCd, Lord help