The New York herald., 1870-03-21
GRACE CHURCH.

Seeking Grace In 100000 Eauipagss-New
SprinH Fashi0ns-SermOn by Dr. Potter on
the Unciean Hpirits-Prevcntion Bettcr Than
Cure.
large congregation 10 the result OF fine weather
at all city places OF worship, and Grace church
was no exception to the rule yesterday morning
| Nearly $4,000 worth OF horsenesh bore burden
Of lackeys, lovelmess and afiuence to tue sacred
| shrine, and, as many Of the fashionable mliners
| had their opening day last week, the new green,
blue, and dark coiors OF the iadics' bonnets
| had quite vcrnal appearance. Now that fair
/ woman is donning her new attire. and as in che
| body's cleanliness and adornment the mind re-
cciyes certain secret sympathy more appropriate
sermon could have been preached than on this text
nom Luke XII, 24:"When the unciean spirit is gone
out OF man he walketh through dry places seeking
| rest aud finding none he saith Will return unto
| my house whence ] came out" The rector. the
| Rev. Dr. Potter introducing his subject, said that
| by the
| REvULsIoS OF FEELING
| from the temporary stiffness and emptiness when
the man Iurches back into the old life and IN the
| rude but forclble phraseoogv OF the hour, finally
| "goes UNDER" the spirit OF torment and tyranny
nnds his home In that human heart he had lately
| gone out from, stll empty. swept and garnished;
empty, and therefore open to him; but not long
empty, for now ne goes back again diab0itcai
power seven fold strong more resolute and re.
m0rseless-g0es back never to 90 away again from
tile lie be has invaded blghted and ruined. What
Q portraiture Is 1t oil tho
ACHING, WANDERING, HUMAN SOUL.
empiied OF ITS old domlnloni and yet filed with
nothing better Wrenched away from the past, and
yet centred ia deep plan for the future the man
DRIFTS ruddereSs tenantess hulk. or, in the words
OF the poet,
The magnet Of their Goarss i only points IN vain
Some such ruined inpolency 1t is that Christ here
holds up ior Che recognition and warning OF suose-
Quent aces and men. The text IL not only interest
lng because OF its incidental testimony to Him who
uttered 10; u s supremely interesting as revealing
the sovereignty or or slavery TO SIM
PRIMITIVE iNS0CESCE.
There was time, he said, when the unclean
splrlt had no. found admission. There IS Il time
Wnen the rcsD Young cheek burns aL the suggestion
Qf an unciean thought ana when the soul hates IL
scn @ lof nsapor'hg base or we proposal There =
II to shut s ear 10 every corrnptng invitation and
W steadIdst struggles tries 10 keep Itself unspot
tel from the world. There Is time when,
though it freely owns everything that expe-
rieacc or revelation may utter concerning
the extended deprayity OF It's nature, the soul
knows lnat It has a purity winch 1t may lose, an
mexperience in sin which VIII degrade 1t to ex-
change ior any GIFT OF guilty knowledge; u free
dom from cnervaion III It's innate power OF resist
ance to temptation which, once tampered With, can
never be again possessed.
PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE.
Now, because II has been the fashion OF some
minds TO make overmuch OF condition Oi compare
tive innocence, winch lS after all. only SOlt OF
negative strength, IL has been the habit OF an
other and opposite class to pour studied
contempt upon every injunction that BIDS men
cherish IL. Better" some say TO let the
young life stumble down into the valley OF pollution
and then 10 WIN cry nightly to God ana cast away
any vestige OF sc.irellance, and so nnay shine as
brand snatched rom the burning. Say what you
please ol the spiritual fervOr OF q st. Augustine
once dissolute and goddess youth, and other est-
mablc men. who In early life were reprobafes. such
an experience Is not an essential Ingredient IN the
completeness OF symmetrical Christian charac
ter, or that those who have passed through
II have had because OF il any subsequent
advantages that have not been immeasurably
oyeioaanced by grieyous disadvantages IL q
monstrous ana nnwarrau,able perversi0n alike OF
Scripture and OF experience. On the other hand,
examine the probabilities that those VINO have let
go instructive purity and comparative inno-
cencc ami gone down into the SINK Of the
worlds pollution VIII easily or often find
their way out or 1t. ''God be praised ~ sand
the divine, "that many have and do, but how many
are there who get just so far as he whose story
stands before us in the text and then slide back
again. The Doctor deduced some fOrciDle figures
from the tex. and concluded with the eXordlum
"ReigI Thou within us. and then the souls Thou
hast EanctiIied shall De made free from sim having
their irult OF holy living and the end eternal lifen