The New York herald., 1870-08-22
JANE STREET UNITED PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH.
SIS God PIen,eous in Mercy or Not ,,,-sc,

SIS God PlentoOus In Mercy or Not s''-Scr-
mon by the Rev. q. ID. Mathews.
Every pew in the above church was yesterday
flied by respectable and attentive worshippers.
This may be attributable perhaps to the fact that
this church is not exactly what is called ,ashion-
ablen one After the usual prayers had been offered
up, and some expressive hymns rendered In an
artistic manner the pastor announced that his text
would ne Psalms, Gill;, 6:-''rhe Lord executeth
Righteousness and judgment for all that are op-
pressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his
acts unto the children OF Israel. The Lord IL mer-
ciiul and gracious slow to anger and penteous In
mercy" He said:-In the days OF Joseph, when
the famine ragged IN Egypt, after those seven years
OF dearth, when the whole land was devastated and
STARVATION sTALKED ABROAD,
then was the wisdom OF Joseph extolled for laying
up corn IN the days of plenty. In Egypt alone was
there abundance, solely through the foresight of
man, as all the countries around had their seven
years OF plenty as well as Egyp but no thoughts of
She future possessed the Inhabitants They ate and
drank, feasted and rioted, until all at once their
merrlrnent cut short and their rejoicing turned
10 weeping. No more music and gayety heard
In their has--the powerful and the oppressed all
suffered alike The strong were made weak ana
puny, but the weak were not made strong Grim
death visited all equally, and nothing heard but
tribulation and weeping. How readily then did men
forget their quarrels and GnimoSltieS under the
pressure OF dire necessity. We find chat the very
greatest enemies of Joseph quelled their feelings
and went down into Egypt and even begged from
him The food to keep them alive. How beauti-
fui did that land Of Egypt then appear
bestow upon Joseph whom heretofore they had
reviled He, remembering not the evils they had
| done him, IN q moment folgvins the past sup
pied them with all they required In the gene
| rostY OF his heart he saved them rom starvation.
| How beautiful IL Is to see human being so lorRiv
ing IN his nature, truly chGrlrable Ia MS dongs;
yet how incomparaDly beautiful is GOD In his deal.
ings with men. how forglving and long. sunenng
direct The attention OF the congregation TO the latter
| part OF the text
| 'sTHE LORD Is PLENTEous IN MERcYn
| No mere human reasoning that
| God Is plenteous IN mercy Even His promises 40
not lead to believe His mercy also. lis actions
rather leave us under the impression that lie Is
! God OF vengeance. Take for instance tne thunder
storm ana the lightning IN IT'S destructive course
scattering death wherever IL strikes. Look at the
hurricane sending to eternity thousands OF human
creatures traveIsing the ocean. LOOK AT the earth
quake, shaking the buildings OF the world to their
foundations striking terror 10 the inhabtants--
FAMINE, PESrILENCE AND WAR.
war that DIRE sc0urge oi the human race, Causing
homes 10 be made desolate and bringing fortn ali
the corrupt and evil passions OF man. We have
now specimen OF the terrors OF war in Europe.
The hands OF men are dyed III the blood OF their
Fellow creatures. Al this moment thousands of
corpse5 lying around pollutng the very eartn by
| their ghastly appearance.
| We may reason about the existence OF God we
may attempt to speak OF His omnIpoCe nee and ON
| nipresence, bur such reasoning can satisfy only
few and carry conviction 10 none. We are totally
unable TO speak of the attributes of God or by any
process OF reasoning TO define His positionin TACT
we are unable TO argue HIS existence, character
the nature OF His mind. But there Is another aspect
| through which God Is revealed unto MS justand
forgivlng God and that is by His gifts 70 men. God
| made man and knew well mat sin would come into
! his mnd he knew that would disobey HIS
| commands and walk In paths Of MS own, In which
sin ana wicxedness predoninaied. II de had
been
AN UNFORGViNG GOD
man would have then experienced the measure OF
His vengeance; but what Is the fact? He gave His
Son to the world in order that the sins which men
commit should be washed out by HIS blood. Thus
| alone can experience that divine mercy ana be-
come partakers In Kingdom to when nave
forfeited all right by the enormy OF our ofences.
Thus must believe, not reason, the character and
ways Of God.
| Columbus, by process OF reasoning, judged that
| land lay beyond the poundess deep which washed
the shores OF sunny Spain; but he only could INA
gine it-he had no positive assurance that such did
exist. BY surfnise alone could tie support MS
theory. II he went the grounds Of pure reason
ing he never could have arrived at his conclusions
definite, comprehensive footing mast ilrst be ob-
| tained before we enter into pure reasoning on
any subec--otnerwise 1t will be impossible TO arrive
at convincing termination OF the argument. AS IN
worldly affairs, so 1t is In heavenly matersa solid
basis for reasoning must be apparent before conylc
| tiou Will be carried TO human minds.