The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-08
LEE AVENUE REFORMED CHURCH.
The Joy Of Harvest-An Anniversary Sermon
by Rev. DIR. Carroll.

The Joy Of Harvest-An Anniversary Sermon
by Rev. DIR. Carroll.
The discourse In the Lee Avenue Reformed church
yesterday morning was appropriate to the occasion,
1t Being the second anniversary OF the passionate OF
the Rev. DR.. Carroll The text was part Of the third
verse OF the ninth chapter OF lsaian-"lhey Joy
before thee according to the Joy IN harvest"
Under the old dispensation such manifestations
were presented as ceremonia but that joyous spirit
passed away when austere pharseeism appeared
for O time; Yet, when the time OF Israels deverance
was accomplished, anu the Incarnate came, and the
heavens rang with angelic harmony, with good VIII
TO men, then religion shone forth again In prlmeval
loneliness and was glorlously TRANSPORTED GOD in
tended religion TO be an angel Of peace and Joy and
good will, smiling and singing In the chambers OF
the soul, and 1t was time that religion were justi-
fed from the foul nfdel suspicion that she is the
mother OF all grief ana enemy Of all cneer, for
"her ways were ways OF pleasantness and all her
paths were paths Of peace" The joy OF the Lord
the CHRISTIANS strength, and cheerlulness was the
VERY ELEMENT OF GOODNESS.
Religion was not the stern heroism OF q soul
clothed in sackcloth and marching 20 martyrdom;
1t was rather the perfect harmony OF all the SOUPS
facu ltes moving together IN the music OF joy and
love. In which the whole man marched heaven
ward.
Piety Is not poisonous IN ushrOon, growing
best IN the night, out the fragrant sharon,
needing Gods sunshine. Tie old Iuritans tried
hard TO make religion torment and IN their dread
OF Joy were at las; forced 10 seek amusement by
making
BONFIREs OF WITCHES.
The old Jews did TINS thing great deal better
with their JOYOUS holidays when with harp and
VOL they went TO Zion, and the American Church
sorey needed bapts II OF gladness, which would
God was not sour bondage but that the ways OF
pleasantness were pathways to glory. One element
OF the JOY Of harvest arose from the consideration
n ~ En Wa
over. Ploughing was Gods way OF giving a har-
vest to His Church and getting praise TO
Himself. The infant Church was ploughcd with the
piougnshare OF death, and so through subsequent
periods OF her history Col ploughed Churches with
encouragement anu depression; for without the
deep, long iurrow there no Joy OF harvest.
secondly, the JOY OF the harvest was because the
Gods method OF dealing with men through the ages
was always with Individual believers. Tnc harrow
ing period OF JOBS life was when he sat down IN his
ashes; the harvest, his returned prosperity Many
troubled hearts had been narrowed by
GODS PRovlDENTIAL
dealings with them. Some had come from houses
made sad ny bereavement. Their stream III the
acsert had been bittered, yet God had not ogotten
to nc gracious, for there lay sweeening branch BY
that desert spring, ana the comforting and loving
| Redeemer was ready To bind up tne wounded heart.
the sowing time being over, which was equally
essential TO 1t. When and by whom mad tue
seed been sown1 lie answered, at the family altar;
In The Sabbath school, BY the faithful teacher In the
church, by the hand OF the pastor SoIne, perhaps
fen among thorns, some ON stony ground, ana some
|
1 ground Mothers had often sown the seed OF divine
truth with tears and prayers IN the hearts OF their
\ boys VINO may yet be wandering while they are
sleeping In the grave; sill he 1.-THE speaker believed
the sons Of praying mothers would yet be saved,
and urged such 10 give to their mothers heart tie
| hq yest IN glorY-thc Joy occasioned when sinners
! repent. IA ~ .s..4
] CHRIST sowed himself into the ground, aud lie
would have harvest. awe shall see his Seed" ana
that harvest would be the millennium wnen every
Kindred AMI tribe would bring forth the royal dia.
dem ana crown Him Lord Of all. Paul had har.
vest, for the seed that lie sowed brought mankind
TO the truth and formed the ages. And so the
| Chufcn In all coming time VIII reap II IL lalnt not
| THE Joy TIE HARVEST
was also OF the dews and the rams OF heaven MAT
mad descended There was NJ harvest without this.
| NO matter what the plOughing however deep
| the iurrow-nO matter how searching the harrow
! Ing or how broadcast the sowing, without Gods
showers, without the refreshing from Ills presence,
without the ouipouring OF tie SpIlt, without the
| opening OF the windows Of heaven, there could be
| no termination growth. "Not by might nor ~
power, but by My spirlt,p saith the Lord. The con-
| cuding thought evolved from the text was the
| reapDg OF the harvest. Death IL reaper, AMI lie
never reaps his corn green. Death Is not dcstrc-
ion nor cvel decay but, on the contrary IL was the
| gathering from the fields OF mortal ullage ilpe
fruits In their season for glorious immortality. ny
way OF practical application the congregation were
reminded that the sNeieton hand OF the reaper nigut
reap their fed during the year. nm
I'm the course OF the sermon appropriate illusions
| were made To the relation which subssted between