The New York herald., 1871-02-06
CIUaCn or rnu HOLY LIGHT.
How Christians Should Liye-Sermon by the
Rev. Dr. NIcvickar.

How Christians Should Live-Sermon by the
Rev. Dr. Mcvickar.
The congregation at the Church OF the Holy Light,
corner OF Seventh avenue and Tniry-fourth street,
was small yesterday doubtless owing to the fearful
cold which prevailed, and which seized everybody
by the ears withou, the smallest ceremony. Those
who did attend listened tn very eloquent discourse
from the Rev. DR.. Mcyicsar.
The reverend gentleman took for his text tho
words from Chrlst's prayer-Gospcl or st. John,
xviii, 15 He said that schoolboys looked forward
to the advent OF their vacation time with feelings OF
delight, and long before the happy hour came tile
season OF pleasure was enjoyed IN anticipation.
This world, he continued, Is our school, and we
should make some preparation for our vacation.
which i Tho resurrection. Christ prayed not only
for His disciples but for all who wcro to come and
had been. Notwithstanding all our ingrattude He
still loves us. We only our voyage TO another
life. God has decreed that before we see Him we
must pass through
TIE ORDEAL or TuIs WORLD
Though we must live in the world VIC should not
be OF the world. We should live In it as Christ did
while he was among us. What, he asked, was the
sign OF Christ In the dark ages it was easy enough
TO detect this sign. 1t s true that this Is the nine
teenth century ofreligon, and yet how few live as
Christ did. Christ came as an amba ssador from Hty
Fa.her--an ambassador armed with full power--an
ambassador who came TO conquer by love. 1he
the messenger. IL ls not necessary. the preacher
continued that o man should aburc society ana
withdraw himself from his fellows; but he needs to
show the reality OF his position TO show himself
Chr.stlike. Those who listened to him, he SAID
knew best whether what he was saving to them
was in vain: but his ONCE was TO remind them OF
what Christ had done. The divine Son, as man,
STEAKS IN PRAYER;
the Father listens to the petition AMI the Holy
Ghost awaits to carry out the mandate OF the Father
The reverend gentleman here repeated the touching
words OF tho tcxt--"As Thou hast sent me into the
/ tnfn
the world" There were many other prayers
repeated BY Christ In the solitude Of the
desert. and when no human ear heard his silent
petitions. lie repeated that prayer that His dis
cpes might realze their position, their danger and
their glorious prospects. lie spoke clOquenty oil the
BolDyI:s AND VANITY OF MAN,
In thinking that he could do without Col; and de-
spite THIS rash wilful bindncss God still loved him.
God does not pray that we may he carried out OF
this world and Withdrawn from Its dangers ard
temptations, but lie prays that IN our passage
through the quIcksands Of life may be saved from
parsling; not that We should have no dangers to
encounter, but that We SHOULD be preserved rom
be ChristlIkc. We should be with Hum in baptism,
for He says, "unless man be born again OF water
ana the Holy Ghost he cannot enter the kingdom 9f
OF Man and drink Ills blood ye cannot have lifo in
you.u We should be with Christ in fasting, In pray
ing, in relieving the poor In word, In every good
work that He did during his life in our world.
WE NEED sANCrIrfCArI0N,
ana 1t is through Him that we must get It. Why, nc
continued, Is 1t that Christ prays 50 earnestly for
us? III Is that the end OF our being snoulu ne iu'
filed He described the great love OF the Father
which flooded the whole world; the love oI the SOM
which moved Him 10 ntcrcede tor us ana 'ay down
His precious life an gnominious gibbet. ana the
love OF the Holy Ghost which u coequa WIZ t'eirs
And yet, he added
CARE WE STILL IDLE ~
Idle, after Christ has prayed earnestly through
His ilfe for us Idle, after He the great God, up.
peared among the lowly and the humble ones on
earth ldIc when, after His life OF suffering and
voluntary priyauors, lie crowned His great work
by Offering Ills life IN expiatlon OF all our offences
which, In the garden OF Gethsemane, weighed Him
down to the ground
The reverend gentleman concluded his discourse
by appealing to the congregation to offer a0me
marks even OF recognition OF Cnrlst's favorst0 do
something IN return Tor Gods great iove,thc depth OF
which no man knowcth. Such love should not 20
unicunted: and as God Himself came down to save