The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-20
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

Park avenue and Thirtyf0urth street, was occupied
yesterday morning by Rev. Charles II, Brigham, OF
Ann Arbor, Mich. The reverend gentleman chose
for his text Acts H., T. Sand they were all
amazed and marvelled, saying one to another,
Behold, not all these which speak Galileans ?
And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born p" The common under
standing of this miracle OF the Day of Pente
cost, he began, Ia that the knowledge OF
foreign languages was then suddenly and divnely
communicated. That men heretofore uneducated
spoke in the tongues Of the North and the South,
the East and the West; to Galilean Jews given
the phrases Of the Parthian and the Phygian, the
Lybian and the Arabian speech SO far as anything
In the narrative directs an Interpretation we may
as readily believe that to each OF the one hundred
ana twenty was given the knowledge OF all foreign
languages as that one dialect was given to one
and another to another. There Is nothing to war
rant the notion that Peter spoke Eamite, while
James spoke Cretan and John Roman, or that they
spoke, one at time, in different languages. The
impression given by the narrative is rather that
they were all speaking together, as the spirit gave
them utterance, and that there was no selection
among them by the spirit We cannot discover
that their linguistic preparation gave to any Of the
apostles an intmaton of the way OF their mission
Is there any evidence that in their after speech
that they ever made any use OF their miraculously
acquired gift How could 1t edify men to speak
languages which they did not understand when
they had common languageS The more we ex-
anime this the more absurd it becomes. TO meet
this inconsistency various explanations have been
offered. They say that the devout Jews heard holy
sounds that familiar to them. Only the piOuS
were touched.
THE REAL MIRACLE
consisted In the loss OF dialects. Each seemed to
recognize the language of his native land. The
Jew heard his mothers prayer. bidding him to be
for past times. 1t depends upon the religious SYM
patty between the receiver and the imparter
their thoughts are discOrdant the
PREACHER's WORDS ARE USELESS
What we want Is the sameness Of the words Of the
minister and the thoughts of the congregation We
want the congregation to say those words were
the thoughts OF my solitude. Thus the acts OF
Jesus are most eloquent to the man Of experience.
His restoring sight; the widow, with with a
dying boy, by His healing the sick. He, the minis.
connected with the discourse, that mutual under
standing comes in unity OF purpose. The Scripture
ali agreeing with each other. This made others
believe. In war, II men have the same purposes
obey the same commander, it matters not whether
they speak the same language or not In the sep
nchre OF Jerusalem there are pilgrims from every
land. All kneel together and offer up their
no confusion. Outside the temple are trav-
oilers who speak IN the same language,
prayers Of the pilgrims is followed by perfect din
Of dssonant voices. On the one hand there is unity
of purpose; on the other individuality There will
be no harmony Till there Is q consciousness OF
UNITY IN THE CHURCH.
There will be excitement without fruit until they
Let one in religious gathering tell of his private
wants and there is interest aroused but let him
speak Of the concerns Of all and quickly disappears
this lethargy.
After enlarging on this point the speaker declared
that the simple story of the life of Jesus made more
converts than all the forms OF logic, than all appeals
to selfish advancement. Let the reports OF
SERMONS IN THE HERALD
show that the arguments addressed TO the mer-
chant are the language OF the Exchange to the
lawyer, OF the bar and to the wording OF pleasure
The speaker next proceeded to state that there
was need of frequent PentecOsts In the Church.
There must arise Intellectual variations; these must
be settled There are but two places where sounds
are unilOrm-in the higher regions of the air,
where there are no distractions, and In the ocean,
beneath the tumultuous heavings OF its bosom, be
matters there are but two uniform places, the
heights of prayer and the depths Of spiritual
thought.
ST. STEPHENS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Sermon by the Rev. Father Hickey-Tho
Descent OF the Holy Ghost-The Begin..
ming OF Christianity-The Fishermen's
Preaching.
Yesterday, being Pentecost Sunday the services
in the Catholic churches were attended with great
pomp. and the most elaborate ceremonies were
availed Of to produce effect. The affairs at St.
Stephens church were decorated for the occasion,
and profusely covered with lights. Owing, how
ever to the heavy rain that Tell In the morning the
high mass was not attended by so large congrega-
ton as Is usually to be seen here.
The music was, as usual, Of the highest order be-
ing both well selected and well rendered. The mass
sung was Weber's in G.; the "yeni Creator" before
the sermon was by Sofge; the ofrertory piece was
from st. Cecie, Transcribed for the organ; march
soprano yesterday was Miss Fay, o lady who has a
highly cultivated voice and who manifested In her
singing a most refined taste. signor Coletti, as
usual, sung well, but especially fine in his solo
In the event Creator.n All the other singers OF the
choir acquitted themselves admirably. Mr.. DAN
forth, the organist, was graceful as usual In his
accomplishments.
The high mass was celebrated by the Rev. Dr.
McGlynn with the Rev. Father McCready as deacon
and the Rev. Father Lynch as sub-deacon. After
the first gospel was over the Rev. Father Hickey
preached the subject Of the day, the descent Of
the Holy Spirit.
Before His passion Christ had promised that the
Father would send the Paraclete and on the day Of
His ascension He told Them "You shall receive the
power Of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you
shall be witnesses unto me, even to the uttermost
parts OF the EARTH" And, again, He said, 'Stay In
the city until you shall be endued with power from
on high" Ten days after this the Saviour full
filed His promise. While the apostles were ''per-
severing with one mind in prayer there came
coming and 1t filled the whole house where they
were sitting, and there appeared to them parted
tongues as were OF fire. and It sat upon every one
Of them and they were lIled with the Holy Ghost"
Enlightened and purified by the spirit which God
poured into their souls the apostles Immediately
went forth upon their mission, and on the very
first preaching Of Peter three thousand souls were
gathered into the Christian fold. On Peters second
pre3cping five thousand more acknowledged the
tnued to impress every nearer with the truths the
apostles uttered. Not alone In Judea did the mar
yelous effect OF the apostles preaching bear fruit.
These men, filled with the Holy Ghost travelled
far out OF their own Country Into places where
me wisest OF she aye were won't TO meet ana mere
breath OF wisdom upon them, proclaimed that the
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