The New York herald., 1870-03-28
Religion In Various phases-The Fear Of


Death.
1t would appear from the array c. sermons
delivered yesterday that the preachers rage
Of topics has very narrow limit when he does
not stray from his proper function as moral
teacher to catch the popular ear or play upon
the sensation of the hour. Several Of our city
dvines, it will be seen, gave their attention to
that chronic irritaton-the question of ''the
Bible In the Schools question that has two
or three times stirred more or less of q tumult
in this latitude, but which the people just now
refuse to be excited over. They have perhaps
wisely concluded that this is o subject
that will settle itself if left alone better
than the sectarians are likely to settle it.
Indeed, it is in the highest degree probable
that but for the sectarian assaults against the
Bible on one side and the sectarian support on
the other the common sense of the American
people would long since have excluded that
volume from any share in the education of
children.
Aside from this topic of popular character
the preachers confined themselves in an un-
usual degree to efforts to touch the moral sense
of their hearers and to the strictly religious
sphere of thoughts and In this their discourses
present singularIy little intellectual variety.
Two such different men as Henry Ward Beecher
and the Rev. Mr.. Paxton preached substantially
the same sermon In pointing out how the trials
of life are softened and made endurable by
trust in divine assistance. Mr.. Verren, of the
French church Du Saint Esprit, in an admira-
BILE discourse on the uncertainty Of life, gave
in better form and spirit the same instruction
that was contained in the more gloomy SER
mon of Mr.. Wyatt on 'Death." ltis, perhaps,
in character with the views the Methodists
take of life and of the future that they should
appeal rather more to mans fears than to his
hopes in their sermons; and 80 we may sup
pose this Methodist preacher gave the very
spirit of his denomination to his hearers
when he urged them to be at all times
ready for the change to future state, for no
better reason than that they could not know
when they might be called upon, and, there
fore, might be surprised by death while still
unready. The point Of this sermon was hap
PLY put with much brevity by an ancient Jew
ish rabbi, who said to his hearers, "Repent
one day before thou diest" This did not pre-
sumo to tell what all men know already; it
gave no Illustration of the fact that death comes
suddenly; yet it forced that thought upon all
and applied it's lesson with irresistible effect.
We cannot believe that it is intended as any
part of the scheme of human life that our
thoughts should always be turned toward the
grave. There is such thing as the practical
salvation of the human race. Within hstori-
cal times man has been made evidently better
by the physical improvements of his life has
been raised to an intellectual status at which
he can comprehend somewhat Of the great
problems of his destiny and dimly conceive Of
the goodness of God. This has not been
achieved by following the example Of St.
Simeon Stylites, nor by kneeling in hermit's
cell before some CHASTITY reminder Of what we
must all come to at last. 1t has been accom-
plished by men who worked bravely forward
in cheerful spirit, and did with their might the
labor that the uncomprehended purpose Of
God had put before them; and who doubts
but this is in its effect better religion than to
be mumbling before skull and crossbones?