The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-29

God With Us and God Against Us-Serm0
by the Rev. g. HI. Hepworth.

God With Us and God Against Us-Sermon
by the Rev. g. H. Hepworth.
AS usual this handsome church edhce was
crowded yesterday morning witt fashionable con-
gregation composed mainly OF the residents Of Muir.
ray Hill and the vicinity. The PASTOR Rev. G. H.
Hepwortn, delivered one OF his characteristic SER
mons, which was most attentivey listened to, and
the following synopsis OF which WILL no doubt, be
read With Interest,"
Mr.. Hepworths text was taken from Genesis XVI
1:-"Fear not Abram: am thy shield, and thy ex-
ceeding great reward" He said Abram was In
trouble. Whom to call upon he did not know.
There seemed to be no way IN which 10 get help.
There was certainly nothing that should specially
attract the attention of the Lord He had no claims
upon the God OF his people; no particular merit Of
his own which could lead him to believe that Hea-
ven would DO for him what 1t would not do for
others. Still God appeared to him In vision, 1t
may have been while the good man was IN prayer,
and he was sure he heard voice, saying
FEAR NOT.
The old Hebrew was but a type OF our common
humanity. We, too, get into trouble; indeed, we
are seldom anywhere else but In trouble OF some
kind. Our whole lives are continuous struggle
now with debts, now Ill fortune, now with passion
and bad desires. Where can we get heps for surely
we need 1t and cannot get on without it, Why from
no less source than God himself This Is the great
long, get accustomed The Hebrews never pro.
Fa ya oE though H. spoke
any national undertaking. never wet to battle. with
out asking His advice and always felt that What
viii both could and would. Christianity has taken
away part Of this awe and put In It's stead larger
trust and conn lence on our parE In telling us that
invited us TO o certain reverent familiarity with
Heaven, and we are taught by every page OF our
1T SEEMS VERY STRANGE
to some OF US that He should be with US. We have
no merit Of our own with which to claim His helps
1t is given freely and lovingly. And II we can con.
stanty feel that God is with u.s. Is near us, is our
time get hold OF the rrue religious life.
The tact that GOD made US leads me, first, to think
me nea Of His noss Is onq
part. TO be sure we told IN these days OF novel
theories, that we are not come as race directly
from the lower orders OF animals by a slow and
tedious process. Well, l have great respect for
long array or facts which this new school OF thought
has produced. 10 certain extent believe IN them.
have never doubted that . certain unity ran
through all orders OF creation. Every succeeding
creation seems to have some OF the holder charac-
teristcs Of the preceding And more than this,
every lower order OF being contains o mint OF
SOMETHING BETTER TO CONE
know some animals that remind me Of men, and
know great I many men VINO remind me Of AMI,
nrst cousins. Because certain monkeys are man.
nish and certain men are monkeyish. Tdo not think
monkeys or that monkeys are under-developed
men, Neither do l think that this new theory is
about TO overturn the whole Bible az some sanguln
airy philosophers suggest. The Bible has gone
through pretty tough controversies before now and
dount not II win weather this Cape natteras. The
world still believes and always will that Gods hand
Is on man, and that belief makes us sure that 40
has some special interest In our welfare.
In the second place, we are taught that God has
called us. He spoke TO Abram and made certain
promises 70 him. He has spoken to us, too and the
promises OF old hold good to-day. The ambassador
from foreign court speaks ana acts with an
authority not mis- own ne feels that he has not only
his monarch but whole Kingdom behind him. Now
feels that he can draw largely on Heaven and Onl-
Impotence asthc circumstances vi his case demand.
And
WHAT BLESSED THING THIS rsl
You come Into this world with written nslruc-