The New York herald., 1870-02-28
IHE BRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

INT bhCk FheobIIthAN lhubLr.
sasi.ay "Reminiscences Of the Old Pile asd
Its Aged Pastor-Tbe New Pile and tho New
Freacher-"fnshionable'' Hours and Wsys
"f Attending-'rhe Services Yesterday.
od residents OF New York will remember the pile
OF reiigions red brick that for lifetime stood upon
the block Of ground now bounded by Printing House
square ana beekman street, PARK row and Nassau
street, whereon stands AZ present the TtnasS build
ing. TINS was the brick church, built IN 1897, from
whose pupit the reverend and venerable DR.. Gardi-
ner Spring was wont 10 proclaim the truth with an
eoquence and earnestncss that Il rarely Initiated In
this day and age About fourteen years ago the old
church was sold and torn down and a new brick
church was erected on Fifth avenue corner or
Thirty seventh street. The venerable DR.. spring
has fought his good 1ght aud lalmostl finished his
coursen aud only awaits the time OF his departure
10 70 where "A crown OF eternal life ls reserved
for him lie Ia now past egnty-lve years OF age.
and though able 10 be in his place on fine sabbaths
he In growing every day more feeble and helpless In
body but strong in spirit aud In faith. lie has eit
us record OF the pulpit OF his day and generation Ia
ine literary and historical work on the American
pulpit IN which given sketches OF the giants tha5
were in those days and or the spirit and power with
which they preached the Gospel. 1ne doctor has an
able coadjutor and In the Rev. Dr. Murray.
The new brick church ID rather handsome building
II is large convenient and cheerful looking within;
but though capable or accommodating about 1910
persons, It's congregations unusually small. Yes
terday the galleries were almost empty, and tho
body OF the church lacked about one-third Of being
fully occupied. The worshippers were modcstly
though comfortably attred, and seemed TO take
interest IN the services tut the atmosphere OF the
So Ssa wai M aea TO een one
| warm enough TO be aole to pay strlcs
oe, about Se the capen a e a s e.
Tie usual qnartet-wnich In these DAYS OF fashion,
able Christianity mas taken the worship OF song out
OF the hands and hearts aud voices o1 ihe Christian
| congregations helps to this fashionable
Impression. There Is nothing IN Christian worship
aud congregation where ali sng is less likely 70 bs
arstocratic and exclusive than those where this
away in small niche 1t the back Of the pulpit &C
companies the quartet in the musical worship.
clock IN the tower tells the hours OF day those out
slde and clock within apprlses the munster and
the congregation Of the hour for closing. The con-
gregation yesterday kept straggnx in until ten
minutes past eleven o'cock-forty minutes after the
opening of the services.
The Rev. Dr. Murray preached the sermon from tho
text-John III, 11-'.verily, verify, | say unto you
we speak tnat We do know and testify that we hayo
existence and the o,uniscicnce OF Jesus Christ, ana
impressed upon ms audience the necessity of giving
| testimony TO wnat he taught, whether relating 10
the evidence OF heaven or he'll. df future state OF
rewards or pnnishmcnts, OF the provldenal care OF
| tile Father over tue smallest and meanest OF his
creatures or any otner doctrine not purely appre-
claoe by the senses l. that OF an eyewitness aud
should therefore bc received as such. And herein
consists the difference between Christ and all other
religious teachers. They spake only tnat which
i they had heard. lie spake tnat which he knew and
| testified what lie had seen. lie had seen from HIS
throne III glory tho aticiions and prosecutions OF
| His people. lie had heard the prayers OF Abraham
| for sOd0m, OF David for deliverance from Saus
hand and from the hands OF hrs enemies, ana OF
Daniel In HIS house In Babylon or III the lions Den,
and OF the Hebrew children IN the furnace, ana
knowing tnus the potency OF prayer he had urged
| earnest fervenI and constant prayer. The truths
| which Christ taught derived force from HIS know
ledge VI the facts and conditions OF life from the
| time that God created the heavens and tho earth
unto His own time. lf scientific teacher tells us
that ray or light from the chief In Pleiadee
takes five OF years to travel earth We re-
celve his testimony without question: but We obJecl
| to the testimony OF oyewirncss when the Quss-
tons involved relate to the truths OF Christianity
Herein Is the aosurdliy and inconsStence Of belief
! In Columbus belief and theory OF western worit
as We are IN the doctrines and teachings OF Chris
! the continent OF America would not have been dis
covered and We should not to-day be enjoying th
degree OF prosperity and OF civil and religious bert
that do enjoy, and this land would not be a. i
The earnestness and fervency OF manner anu voic,
OF the speaker cannot fail to impress an audenc,
that he breaches what he fully believes and uers
with purpose to gain believers TO IT, The doCto
do not gcsticnlato nor rise to lofty eminences
el0quence nor does ne send forth asncs OF rhetoric
| but ne evidently depends upon the internal powc
OF the truth itself for spiritual success. Ncverthe
less IN thus age or sensatonaisn, when the people
| or New York, ike the AtheniAns OF old are alwayi
seeking for some new thing, the churches and the
preachers that best supply this sensation craving
are likely 10 be the best patronized but they car
hardly hope TO do much real good while int
quiet churches and ministers VIII pe comparative
deserted.