The New York herald., 1870-05-16

The Glorious Powers Of Infinite GodhenJ-
Sermon by the Rev. DIR. Deems.
Yesterday large and highly fashionable audience
assembled in the above named church to hear dis
course by the Rev. DR.. Deems.
The Doctor took his text from ]. Peter L. II
q, beginning:-"lf ye call on the Father, who,
without respect OF persons judges according to
every mans work, pass the time OF your sojourning
here in fear" DC.
Attention was called to the contrast between this
and the earlier verses of the chapter where the
Christians inheritance 1s spoken Of as ncorruptble
and the Christian Kept In garrison by The power
of God until he can enter therein. These Scrpural
paradoxes are not infrequent as when the apostle
declares that
WHEN BE IS WEAK
then he is strong that must become fool to be
wise, &c. Bunyan has the whole philosophy Of the
case when he represents Christian is quite safe In
his fight with Aponyon, but quite unsafe when
sleeping in the sequestered bower Better be fight
ing the devil than losing the roll out OF one's BOSOM
Then this fear incucated by the apostle was de-
scribed. IL was no doubt OF God no fear that he
would change or prove false, or feeble fOrgetfu
1t was terror inspired by false view Of his
character and attributes That is the sinners or the
heathens fear the fear that comes of hate super
sntIop but the apostle was addressing those
and good and gentle as the light but the seen
through dense smoke or colored glass seems urid,
murky, wratlliu SO God seen through our sins
prejudtces but seen through Jesus He all purity
and sweet, revivlng, cheering power.
The Christian fear is rather reverence The
Heavenly Father seems TO him so worshipfu, so
grand, augustly good so unspeakaby tender,
uniting in himself all the gentleness OF mother, all
the strength OF father, all the kith and kin OF human
lty, all the
GLORIOUS POWERS OF INFINITE GoDHEAD,
all dictatorship, all ruershlp, all inspiration, all up
as the moon draws up the sea; the idea Of God
makes all his life worship Of Him whose air he
breathes whose light he sees whose planet ne ureads
and whose Spirit inspires this human life.
over against this loltiest lovingness whom he
scares him That is the eclipse OF God. That is the
observation Of hope. That is the Deah
manhood Poverty is to be summed but If it come
it is to be borne. Caunny, persecution, deserton,
sickness, death, all can be borne Jesus bore them
all, and was the sweetest grandest noblest thing the
universe has seen and 10 this day the sOftest,
satlneN cradle in the purest hearts OF women and
day the Josephs OF Armathea have no sepuchre too
rich and sacred for the dead Christ But sin is what
he could not bear. God cannot and man should not
tolerate It, The Christian fears lest he may come to
be able to bear 1t. We grow FUSED" TO trouble but
it is terrible thing TO grow used to sim 1t quick,
repellant sense OF sin that Peter calls 'fearn
That fear OF sin turns the Christian back upon
himself and makes him regard his own frailty. And
the more he trusts God the less he trusts himself
He REMEMBERS THE MIGHTY
men VINO have 1allen-the Davds, the Soomons, the
Judases, the Peters. He may even be king or an
apostle and yet may yield. He remembers that he
is vet in the nesh
Above all the Christians fear is that ndescrbable
tenderness OF an absorbing love which makes the
lover feel that something may come up between his
soul ana the soul OF the one he loves 1t Is the
chnglng love OF the sick child that cries after It's
mother as she leaves the chamber for an instant
SO David cried, "Forsake me not. o Lord; my
God, be not far from men Whatever else remains
all seems gone If the Lord depart.
This fear was then shown to be devoid of all weak
ness and superstition but rather the most reason
aDle ana improving state of the mind; that those
VINO hao IL We're the strongest and bravest men in
the world. An Illustration was drawn from Noah.
THE REASONS FOR THIS FEAR
were assigned FIRST, our position. We sojo8rn-
ers, not inh abitants Men do not behave at an inn
as they do ut home. Strangers the city, merchants
VINO come ior trade, are not as easy and quiet in
their own towns. The dangers to which they are
exposed were described at length under these as
poets; They may be c0rrppted; they may Sail 70