The New York herald., 1871-09-11
CHURCH OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE.

Sermon by Faiiscr Eicciker on Holy Faith-Tho
Iudaelity Of Onr Time.
The magnificent church OF st. Paul In Nlty.ninth
street was tnronged, as usual yesterday by brilliant
and intent congregation. The ceremonies were i'm.
pressive aud the choir performed part with great
satisfaction. High mass was celebrated by Rev.
Father Dwyer, and, at the appropriate time, the
Very Rev. J. T. Hecker ascended tho pulpit and dc.
livered q very able discourse on faith. Beng
OF logical cast OF mind. Father Heckcr
generally seeks to stamp convictions
OF the irntis which he propounds on the
minds OF his hearers, and afterwards embel.
fishes his stern doctrine In truly poetic mauner.
IL Is to the cold nationalist well to the
vent tradionalIst That The discourse Of yesterday
shall prove most Interesting. HIS text the preacher
took from !. Corinthians, xvi, Is-"waich ye,
sTAND FAST IN THE FAITH,
do manfully, and be sreng hened." What Is it, be
said, thar makes iah " Ue Of priceless vaues WHY
should we esteem It more than places and lands
ani reiat,ves-yea, more tnan life itself We may
estimate the worth OF things IN Two ways-viz., by
the value OF their inherent qualities ald by that
which men are wiling TO suffer IN order to possess
them. Let us consider tie value OF faith from
each OF these staudpoints. There are many
things which men prizs highly. At certain
seasons men cross the seas and endure fatigue In
every form simply 10 admire nature, 10 survey
streams and mountains aad perfumed flowers and
revel in the songs OF birds. And why do men prize
these beautiful scenes? There must be, there Is,
something valuable In them; for has not the
prophet exciamed:-"rne heavens and the earth
are full Of Thy rchesir The sam, can be SAID In
regard 10 the works OF Inen. Why 10 you love
poetry, music, painting, scupturef Why nave
TuEevtksE5 OF HOMER
ana Shakespeare been the delight OF uyeJf whole
nation Iceis nunorca IA having an Aagc,o, Raphael
or Dante We are Delighted 10 hear tile strains or
EMOTION wHea hem we ioox "pon 'I majestic ruins. ,.
whyS Because they, more than other things,
the attributes OF God. But, re ,han mana ANYTHING
when be found IN nature fata ele Yates soul
OF man. brings |, nearer 10 Goa. ani inspires him
with lar greater knowledge than he can ilnd In
nature. How micn iuore, therefore, snouid not
faitn De esteemed Than those temporal dell1htsS We
know now many men are devote 10 science, who
seem 10 live alone Tor that knowledge. The astr0uv.
ner. gazing on the planets, discovers great laws
amt nnds mat they govern tho universe; he then
LOOKS all his labor as ndasnt, because Oy unfold
new truths he Is lifted To Cod. And the
reason Is OBVIOUS. Al. truth Is In harmony. The
truJi nature The same source as the truth
In Our souls and in lhe Scriptures. IL men imagine
tnat inere Is contradiction between these 1t Is be-
soiss,E FALSELY so CALLED.
This capacity 10 perceive beauty In nature, art
and laws. belongs 10 our reason, and Is q tite
wnich cannot be Esteemed too highly. why then
snond we look on iaith as something more precious
Than all tnlnHs5 Because tue light vi aith Is given
to enhance and TO illuminate all other tLngs Tue
light In nature does not satisfy man; he wants TO
tons more fully satisfied. .hrlstiant, has no olner
aim than 10 bring the human soul nearer TO God.
and TO establish more intimate relations between
then. TINS Is done by The hight Of divIne ialth.
Hence II II That Ii you yaihe an, thing EARTH you
must value fah sriil more III YOU love nature art,
and ali the better because Christianity brIngs us
nearer TO the obect OF research all cur reason.
An oaNAMeNr AND CROWN
TO the human intelligence IL brings US TO God as
children, not creatures IL SHOWS Him. not AZ the
PrOVlupnCp. 4 IN Lo
we may cry out, WIN the lnnOst affection OF our
hearts, Abba. Father. II anything Is truly valuable
u Is so because III brings US nearer To God; but
faith brings us nearer 10 Him than aDvlning ese
Here Is the essence or Christianity. It VIII make
our sous WI II tVrrents OF delight and nrnla 10
tlcm IN Ills glory and beatItude Is not everytbi ng
thus vauaDie Dy It's qualities let Us see what men
have done Tor II. Cnrist, TO bestow tnat gif In-
spIrcd the prophets, and did not fear TO become
uan, great was the gilt to HIS creatures. lie SUI
fered the death or the cross to accomplish the
ELEVATION OF MAN
TO the divine order by the gut of mitl That for
whlcn the God-Man uhl 50 much must he Of lnestim-
able value. fhc apostles before they obtained Is
were umd; but when they had received 1t they sui
fered and gored therein. because IL was Tor Jesus,
who had given them so precious gut. Ana when
Tie faith was published IN pagan Rome Gono,s,
wealth, Joys were renounced IOr II. In France,
Germany and Ireland inultI.ndes abandoned every.
thlng ior It; nations have been wiped ava ior IT,
in modern times Christians nave refused know.
ledge wnen poisoned witn neresy. And you who
nsys Len dear cd Ireland, why are you here today
ment In he. Had you chosen 10 abanaon
IL you couid be prosperous today. Look
a. tho throng OF conver,s Nno have cast aside
wealth, and power, and lame Tor that hoy latin
whcn afterwards maze ttenl herai,ls OF truth TO
tho nations. DO we appreciate this giit as they did
II 50, then Tor rs the words Uf The Apostle have
true anu living meaning. 81 ever .t.tG.ftI.
WE SHOULD WATCH I.. gl.|
u is now. The nations 10 which the Church gave
bsrtn, AMI which have become great under her
wings, can no longer TO looked upon as defenders
oil the faith. The very countries Ia which we are
numcrcaiiv strong are governed by infldels'
WATCH aud stand last Ia the iailh. What do We be-
hold IN the literature oi our timer CaIumn.es lies,
misrepresentation. What IN the press--thc most
powerful engine or modern tmncsr Enmity 10 our