The New York herald., 1870-04-04
GRaCG CEUaCR.

a Christian ObiiviOn-l.et the Dead Pass
Bury Itseif-Live ia the Present nnd Look
to the Future-biore About Hatpit Re.
IigiOn-ExceIsior and Eureka.
This temple OF fashion. despite the weather, was
fairly nlled yesterday morning with many members
who came to communion. Ine Rev. DR.. Potter In
the afternoon delivered vely beautiful ana im-
pressive sermon on the text .forgeLting those
things which are behind.n Tuc reverend gentleman
In the course OF hIs remarks said that tho great
apostle, out from his PRISON under the walls or
Rome. sent these brave words ~ quicken and In
spire his Christian converts a. Pnlippi. lie uttered
in them seed Of wisdom alike lerse and timely,
always aud everywhere. They written to help
men who were battling Tor the truth and right
nearly TWO thousand years ago, and they words
as living now as then What 50 natural as to
ESCAPE TIE PRESENT
enforced ideness and dreariness by looking back.
ward longlngly towards loerty ana youth. WHen
the apostle penned these woris the most OF life with
him mad passed. lie had no longer youth 10 cheer
hun, nor many friends, most OF wnoni, having loved
the present world, had iorsa Ken him; and hc sat
In his prison with the h0peiunes ana pr0digal vi.
vaclty Of carrier days burned out, and with bls
little Of earthly achievement before him. VINO
could have blamed nlm II lie nad gwen his thoughts
and strlven " lor.et Ills prison surround
ngs M recoleclions OF other anu nappier dayss How
easily could Ills iniagination nave recanei 10 han
the gorgeous lreeuOn VI uiS youth
VISIONS OF The
swept before him III IetrVspectlOil T1crc Wa6
the .D0yish home az beautiful JasOus, Win na
White walls, climbing vhies teiraced gardens.
How often q mad ne followed the banks oi tna
swift, clear river wnicn moved through It's crowded
streets, bearing upon is % ion me sips uf Antony
ana Cleopatra how often nad he sat down beside
the rails Ol Cydnus, CLOSE W the city gates, and
watched the punguis catalaet-Ied then, Us now, by
was all gone now, w well as the cher
isned studies OF the Aery Hebrew youth,
the nonors OF legal u,stincsion, The IrienasnIp
utlhc a nf
royal name winch once he haa DorAc, l0r nov nc was
no longer known ~ saul the israGite OF the kingiy
prisoner. would IL nave Deen suiprslng Win sucn
past had he reverted 70 II, enpit.erny LIS iOueL
hess with memories OF his earlier lreeuon OK hls
active and triumphant niinisry.
THE PASi LESS THAN NOTHING.
He never names his past. save 10 declare that ne
reckoned It less tian notaing. Ola as nc was aud
helpless, lite was stIil before and lot behind him.
and the best realization vi Master's gospel was
TO forget the tuings benind aud 10 press
on. 1ne past onercu now sphere
for action. lhar could De realized only
Ia the picscnt. Lille was MT "Reminiscences not sen.
tlment but struggle, anu, AS Tue racer rounding
tue course, when pressing onward, some dazzling
res Inat he left Den nu nun III NJ. ues.re 10 reacn
the goal so here ciies Pau, Ii tiis our common
race, "forget those Things wA!ca are beaind.'
LIVING ~ THb FAST.
Many there are who nave retired upon their repu-
tations. once, whentney were younger ana drawer
uid or SAID or suffered something which gained
them the worlds applause. Uu t.iat scanty capI.
1hey wil never DO any tuna lLat Is worth ro-
meuiDerlng. such persons nave III s0ciety certain
ornamental vaiue Out they cease TO De Of helpful ana
only interest IA what one has done Is as the pledge
or what lie can 40 periectl5; that Coz only besses
our successes when we use them stepping stones
to Others larger, noDer ana more Chrlsi-Iikc
PAST FAILURES.
How many earnest Dut nor3ll souls CRY Out,
Oinemory more.
In mercy seh Tue past
They are crippled by sinful and sorrowiui
past They hear Christ saying, Come with me.
take my yoke. 1--we tue irec, pure HE that
/ want forgiveness | want freedom bug / can't
forget what l have been: 1 dare not stlne
The memory Of my Ola life vi careessness aud fOy,n
and day alter DAY they st Ike some suipvreckcd
mariner stranng his e. toward tnc where his
snip went down alu refusing 10 see now much OF
mercy yet romans W INN. But tnrlst can say 10
them go aud sin no more" ana to the soul that
looks on HIM the wayward past becomes az though
II never had been.
The Christian lite Is actiOu progress, never ceas-
Ing, upward Climbing. IL OuguJ ~ predtne puier
air, aud grasp wider prospect and taste nearer
sunshine tomorrow than dId yc teruay anu
therefore it NAV not safely suffer ICs opinion
met1ods nnlmU5:tles " crystalline into forms thas
are not ducte, ana yielding. Cur past experiments
may have been very successful Dur We may not
nat PIT RELIGION
The gospel IN the rat pit" the divine said, "of
water street ruDlsener may sound 10 some ike
very incongruous thing; hui better such 0vereager
enthusiasm than the slunDerous decorun tuat Too
often stands irownng upon It,"
EuEEkA.
No; verify to be the LORDS disciple Is to bury our
wrongs and liIj Justices Us lie ala HIS in the wide,
deep grave OF divine OBLIVION. The form that
beck0ns you TO battle on Is ne scarreu form OF Aim
who drew His large OBLIVION u thiei's dark
past as he hung DYING Oh a cross beside Him aud
who, forgetting a tnat had been sdid TO tue lalih
that then 30 late convulsiveiy reached out TO him,
"Ihls night snalt tnou be WAN me III Paradsen