The New York herald., 1871-12-24

Winter the Season of Meditation-Urgent
Need for Deeds Of Charity and Benevo-
lence-Sermou by DIR. Gutheim.
The disagreeaDle weather OF yesterday and the
bad walking deferred many from seeking the sane
tuary, and hence the congregat!0n in the Temple In
Fifth avenue was very small. And this sltmness did
not escape the notice and the deserved rebuke Of
the Rev. Dr. Guthem. The few who were present.
however. enjoyed literary and theological treat.
while the absent ones missed an excellent DISCOURSE
In which they were particularly noticed The Doc.
tor took MS text from the Book Of Psalms
cxlvii, 15-1S-'He sendeth forth His COM
mandments upon earth: His Word runneth
very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool: He scat
tereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casreth forth
His Ice like morsels: who can stand before His
cOldi He sendeth out His word and melteth them:
He causeth His wind to blow and the waters i0w,"
The Book or Psalms, the Doctor remarked, Is SUBJ
lime In conception and elevating In execution.
Every theme touched upon in 1t rebounds TO the
glory OF God and st
PROCLAIMs HIS GREATNESS
and goodness. Tho Psalmlst only looks upon
nature ana history as being the WORK OF God and
as Immediately under HIS providence and control.
Hence every object and phenomenon OF nature put
down as the word or God, and many such words
there are IN the $50 poems which compose this
scripture. The Nineteenth Psalm, for instance,
Is appointed to be o sublime morning hymn,
In which the sun goeth forth out OF MS
chamber as q bridegroom and reloiceth as o strong
man to run race. The Eighth Psalm Is an equally
sublime evening hymn, wherein the works OF God
are placed under the hand OF man. The Creator mas
not only revealed Himself TO us through HIS word
and spirit and continues to do so, but He reveals
Himself also through history ana nature Tne
chem as the brooks of waters. The events OF mis-.
tory and nature are moulded to suit HIS wise pur.
Ills E glory and innumerabie worlds proclaim the ex.
ceence OF his innnte power aud wisdom. Day
and yet there neither speech
nor voice heard among them. Their sound never
theless Is gone out into an lands and their words 10
the ends OF tue world. This annual season points to
the constant change Of all Things IN the earth and
1t Is appropriate tnat we should Gun the
LESSONS WHICH TINS SEASON BRINGS
The boundaries OF spring, summer and autumn,
he said, are not distinctly drawn IN nature though
they are defined In astronomy. The several trans
formations OF bud and flower and fruit gr ad-
ual that they could be determined with accuracy;
but winter comes maestlcally and defantly, In
one night the tree is despoIled OF Its foliage the
ground Is encrusted with Ice and the earth IS en-
folded In snowy winding sheet. And thus winter
is often an unexpected and unwelcome visitor.
Dropping and witnered vegetation, or q dazzling
OF summer and autumn The warbllng of the feath-
cred sOngsters Is hushed ana solemn stiffness relgns
change Of All ear,hv obiects whatever Of material
character you most delight In Will one day leave
you. As one after another Natures beauties OF
gather on its surface and cover 1t in robe or white
ness, so shall the winter OF lie cover you and
THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE
will be hidden from your vision. However you
may shut your eyes to It sudden shock Will tell
you that winter has come. and tnat the tree Is
snorn of Its strength and stripped OF It's foliage.
And as winter r0bs both nature and man OF those
attractions, why should we be proud OF those flowers
and fruits and Joys and pleasures which SO sud
denly Jade overestimate that which shall 80 GER
tainly pass away Spring and summer, stripped OF
white, reminds us OF season OF thoughtful medi.
tati0n Of the future. And TO draw us away more
violent its streams are checked, and we are
forced TO look within our homes and ourselves for
comfort and peace The shadows OF the past rise
thus In the soul and revive In the memory. On,
that our medltations may be compatible with the
solemnity OF this season. that our minds may d.
knowledge and In all that good and true and no.
BILE and great, that we may fitly discharge the noble
duties OF ile And let usunderstand that though The
earth may change, the starry heavens ever remain
the same above It, that, though the joys and pleas
truth and virtue remain sieadiast forever And
IsRAELs FAITH DESCENDING FROM THE STARS
will never fall though some OF her sons and daugh-
ters NAV straw away from the national fold. We
must remember that we have passed our winter OF
persecution and now let Us devote our even.
learn the truths OF religion whicn they In
culcatc. The Doctor then expanded the idea
course and is calculated foster FEELINGS OF human.
ity. He referred to the MANY homes where pinch
ing poverty reigns, and where death stands at the
door, and he called upon those who revel In riches
and luxury not to forget their less fortunate neigh
bors at this time. He also gave mild but merited
rebuke 70 .:he majority Of the proPrlesors Tors Of the
continually from It's services and Worship But as
winter covers up the seeds which In the spring come
forth In beauty and grace, so, ne said every soul
contains the germ OF new life which VIII burst
forth and bloom IN Immortality. Nature, he said
with all her phenomena, Is the WORK OF God, and
deserves attention. There are sermons in stones
books In running BROOKS and instruction IN every
phenomena OF nature II we only make the proper
application.