The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-10
GRACE CHURCH.

Typical Excuses for Rejecting Saliva
tion-scrmon by Rev. DIR. Potter.
Conspicuous on Broadway and the only religious
house OF worship on that thoroughfare between
Fulton and Sixty eighth streets, stands Grace Epis
c0pal church 1t begins already to feel the effects
Of fashions demands In the falling or of numbers
10 that yesterday it was not much more than half
filed. Many Of its membership have thus early
gone TO the country. The service began at eleven
O'Clock, and as 1t was the sacramental occasion
there was not much delay in getting through with
morning prayers The Gospel OF the day which was
read Is part Of St. Luke's 14th chapter, from the
10th to the cath verses inclusive 1t is the parable
Of the great supper or feast unto which numbers Of
people were invited, but each one had an excuse,
and the host, rather than have his feast unat-
tended, sent his servants out into the highways
end hedges to compel
THE UNLIMITED MULTTTUDEs
TO come In. From this parable DR.. Potter dis
coursed, likenng the sacramental feast which they
were about to commemorate to this Gospel feast,
and to it he invited all who desired to stay. But
evidently the same, or kindred excuses. keep the
invited away nom the Lords table to-day az kept
them away 1900 years ago, II we may Judge by the
comparative few who remained TO commune. In
searching for the precious metals the Doctor said
the surface indications often may be slight and
imperfect, but as the miner digs down the vein
grows richer and purer. Sometimes, too, the vein
IL may have been forced up from Its natural bed,
and we must dig through an unproductive rock to
nnd on the other side continuation OF the gold
vein, exceeding In richness that which we had
lost Even 80 is It with the Gospel. We
come to 1t, and find the deeper we
glg the richer its golden veins become.
VI IKE the mummies dug up from the ancient
9raveyards OF the East, when the wrappings are
TAKEN on the spices with which the bodies are en-
palmed are found to have lost none OF their per-
iume. 90 II Is with this parable. We come to IL
anu strp ~ oil It's wrappings and inquire what is Its
reaA meaning to US. Those men who made ex-
cuses are typical classes. They had perhaps, like
20 many men IN our own day, qualfedly accepted
the invitation to the supper. But one had bought
piece OF ground and he must needs 20 and see It,
He was man OF property now and was quite salts
RELIGION WAS NOT so NECESSARY
70 him now IL was when he had not thoae wov,d,v
possessions. SO he thought Another was ba rcain
ing, but had not yet completed his purchase He
was trading for five yoke OF oxen and IL was neces
sary Tor him TO prove them, and therefore ne must
DC excused The third pleasure seeker. He had
married wife and was engaged In the festivities OF
MS new relationship In the Jewish polity man
was excused nom military duty for one year after
marriage Hence this man makes no apology; he
does not beg to be excused as the others did but
says simply, II have married q wife and therefore
cannot Gomez
Who were they then who came TO the supper
they who were compelled. Compelled By intense
solicitude and entreaty; compelled by a eeing OF
hunger for the bread OF life and a thirst for The
living waters. They who had wandered into n far
swine did eat; they who had failed to be satisfied