The New York herald., 1870-09-19
THE CHURCH OF The STRANGERS.

Jesus n Toacher-SermOn by tho Rev. DR..
Deems.
Notwithstanding the unpropiti0us condition Of the
weather yesterday morning there was as usua q
very large congregation At the Church OF the Stran-
gers DIR. Deems, the popular and gifted pastor,
discoursed In his usual eloquent and lucid manner
upon the subject OF Jesus as teacher, his text
being the following words selected from the seventh
chapter of Matlhew-"He taught them as one hav.
ing authority" He said that the gestures Of Jesus
must have added charm TO His teaching; that some
passages, which are now o little puzzling might
become clear instantaneu0sly II we could see the
play OF features the change OF posture, the motion
OF the hands We repeatedly hear this phrase, 'He
opened HIS mouth" There must have been sensi-
tivencss and expreSsiveness In that feature which
attracted the disciples. What 9 mouth that must
have been out of which poured such streams of love
anu wlsdoml lie next dwelt upon the qualifications
of Jesus as a teacher, which lie
Exhibited IN FOUR PHASES.
The first was His knowledge. He did not seem to
know IN part The subjects OF which He spoke lay
known them absolutely 'tn their generation7' as
the Doctor called 1t; that s in the OF their
being and In their essence, In that which makes
things to be just what those things are. THIS Is the
deepest and highest knowledge. man does well
to study subjects so. But that may make man i'm
practical. lie must also know things In their rela-
tions. This was eminent In Jesus. He did not
know supernature apart from nature, nor God rom
man. He showed also that He knew HIS disciples.
what their capabilities requirements and wants.
This Is most important for preacher: This point
the Doctor largely illustrated from the history Of the
most profound conviction OF the truth and OF the
importance of what He taught he was so full OF
1n 50 free se rSh a IN IT, ae sasa %
with eternity and not SIMPLY touching the pass.
ing age. He saw the ceaseless usefulness OF every
truth and the perpetual damage OF every error.
This put all His lofty nature into His teacning The
third qualification lay IN Hto sympathy with those
He ns te Rns a ne;v
peasant life. He did not despise the ignorance OF
His people nor did He hate their obstlnacy. He mad
come into the world to save them. Every mistake
they made. every wrong they did produced not re-
sentiment, but rather tender sorrow,
AS WHEN ONE's LOVER FAINrS.
He put Himself into the work through accord
with them. He never lost His tenderness for
moment. even when correcting ~ sut the most
was Its authority He never made con.
lecture, lie never expressed an opinion, lie never
reasoned. HIS words had the tone OF Sinai. He
spokeas we suppose God would speak If lie employed
articulate language. Socrates climbed up to the
heights 9 Of truth; truth; Plato went up on wing, as an
to have been always there. He did not go under
humanity and strive to heave it up as did the
stopped to lift 1t. The Doctor dwet on the lofty
intellectual endOwments, the exquisite purity OF
intuition ITO She exalted sanctty Of the moral nature
Jesus. These gave HIN right to speak authorlta-
lively as
THE HEAD OF HUMANITY
No man sever spake like this man." His utter
ances were as Of undenied authority. paramount
and eternal. There must be some standard, some
last authority, some supreme court for moral
questions. Jesus Christ is That authority. This
was enforced by such considerations as the
following:-Jesus has met man as man and
laid down the moral law, not as q fanati-
cal refOrner or dreaming Ut0pian, but as
one who knew what man needed. 1t Is the law and
gospel for men, not angels, that Jesus taught.
Then. In the next place, 1t was shown that He did
this and yet all the requirements Of the highest
moral truth. He was no trimmer. He did nothing
for popularity but
EVERYTHING FOR HUMANITY.
That makes the Oft1est moral teacher. He did this
so perfectly that now all moral propositions are
tested by Ris teaching, and all moral excellence IL
measured by His character. Lastly, all success In
moral culture depends the strictness and seadi-
ness with which we rely upon and follow the teach
ings OF Jesus. The Doctor closed by inviting COM
parison OF I'VE young men who should begin at the
age OF twenty0ne and for ten years should strictly
and cOnscieniOusy follow In their hearts and lives the
teachings Of Epictetus, Bacon, Chesterfield, Frank
lin and Jesus, Severally. II we found at the end q
cold morallst, merely widemlnded man Of affairs
ana business, o polished but heartless man OF
fashion and shrewd, selfish narrow pedder, and an
earnest, warm, pure, high-principed lover OF God
and man, we should have some idea OF the value OF
the teachings OF Jesus.