The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-24
ST. PATRICK's CATHEDRAL.
The Inner and the Outer Life-Sermon by
Rev. Father McNnmee.

The Inner and the Outer Life-Sermon by
Rev. Father McNnmee.
Notwithstanding the excruciatingly warm
weather st. Patrick's Cathedral was filed yesterday
Mt the high mass services with goodly gathering
OF devout worshppers. The sermon was preached
by the Rev. Father McNamee, who took TOR his text
that portion OF the Gospel OF the day where the
Saviour instructs his hearers that an intention to
do evil calls greatly for judgment as the actual
commission of bad deed. The sermon, besides
being an eloquent one, had the merit of being a
short one-a coincidence of merits that the swelter
Ing congregation no doubt fully appre
ciated. The reverend Father in open
ing remarked that there vast
difference between human laws and divine laws.
Human legislation was received from God for mems
wen being but 1t only touched mems exterior
acts. God alone could Judge man for his interior
acts-hs thoughts and intentions. God sees the
secret OF our hearts and penetrates to the utmost
recesses OF our souls When Christ came among
the Jews there class among them who prided
themselves upon their observance OF the laws but
whose hearts were not pleasing to God. They were
the Scrlbes and PharlsceS-a set OF men distln-
gushed for their learning and outward show OF
piety, but who were In reality Gods bitterest ene
the Holy Writings. They prayed in public
and visited the sick, but not out , Of love
men and from men receive praise. Their
whole religion consisting in pleasing their fellow
men. In the Gospel Christ tells us that II our JUS
tice abounds not than that or the Scribes and
Pharisees cannot enter the kingdom of God; for
their brllancy was simply an empty show, want
ing In That which alone makes our acts pleasing to
Cod purity OF intention, desire to those things
which God requires and solely with the view Of
pleasing Him. The Saviour called their attention
to the law which declared 1t a sin to commit muir
der, and then told them that he who harbored an
intent to do wrong was as guilty as he who did
wrong He laid it down as law divine that men
should not only refrain from taking the
lite OF their fellow men, but. that they
should not harbor feelings OF anger or
revenge toward them. 1t was, however, clear
from the different degrees of punishment men
were threatened with by the divine law for COM
uniting sin that there were also different degrees
of offence First and foremost, in the matter Of
harborlng feelings OF anger, was that anger mani
Tested against God HIMSELF and out Of which arises
the sin OF blasphemy. Examples OF this sin was
Herod's conduct in Strengthening the innocents, and
that of Julian, the apostate who died disappearing
the name of his Maker. The reverend Father then
went on to describe what species Oh anger was sim
full against God and to describe how bad intentions
called for Gods Judgment equally as well as bad
acts committed, and closed by exhortng his
hearers SO to act as TO avoid that judgment when
they should be called upon to give an account to
God Himself for every word spoken, every act done
and every thought conceived during lifetime.