The New York herald., 1872-09-16
Marriage and Divorce MICROSCOPE
oally Considered by the Rev.
Charles B. Smyth.
SUNDAY A GRIM SEVERITY.
The Charity of God and Its Power Over
Human Hearts Considered by
Father Farrelly.
A SCOTCH DIVINE ON GLORY.
God Demands an Undivided
Heart and Perfect Love.
ST. PATRICK's CATHEDRAL.

ST. PATRICKS CATHEDRAL.
Sermon by Reverend John M. Farrcny-
Charity tho Greatest Comma niim Mt
Its Definition and It's Oblig gations-The
Charity OF Christ, OF HIS Saints and OF
His Church.
The Cathedral yesterday was, usual, well at
tended, and the chill temperature and gloomy
aspect OF the morning seemed to interfere in no
respect with the solemn celebration OF the Sun
day. The vocal and instrumental music of the
Mass lacked nothing Of its accustomed impressive
ness. The great absorbing feature OF the OCCASION
however, was the eloquent sermon preached by
TIE REV. JOHN NJ. FARREILY.
recently appointed Secretary to and by the
Most Rev. Archbishop McCloskcy. After the
singing OF the Epistle and reading OF the
Gospel by the celebrant, Rev. Father
McNamee, the reverend gentleman proceeded
to the pulpit. made the requisite announce
ments and then read the Gospel OF the Sunday,
from which he chose his teXt--St. Matthew xxii.,
35, 3s-"And one OF them (the Pharisees), a doc
tor OF the law, asked Him, tempting Him, Master,
what is the great commandment OF the law p
Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with thy whole heart, and thy whole soul, and
with thy whole mind'" In reading the Gospel his
tory OF our blessed Lords conversations with man
~ S WOrtNy Oh remark tnat tnere were
THREE KINDS OF QUESTIONS PROPOSED
60 Him. They were either questions of some
utility to salvation or they were questions OF mere
idle curiosity, or, finally, questions good or in
different, but prompted by malice OR bad faith. To
the nrst class OF interrogatives Jesus always an
swered directly, to the second never to the third
sometimes openly and directly, sometimes OBJ
securely. Thus, when the Apostles on one occasion
asked Him. "Why cannot we cast out ?"
In fvirna fly hnno AN.I
questOn-"Because OF your incrcdulity. This
species OF demon Is not cast out save by prayer
to Him tie question, "Lord, how often shall my my
brother offend and forgive him 2' ''Scvcn times"
o Of ssysn ms %
never answered. Thus, when theApostlcs curious
%m about t. the ,,l last day, INQUIRED II on that
the signs and times which the Father holds in His
rogatiycs that the Gospel which have just read to
you refers, when the question asked proceeds from
Hence Jesus, full OF charity towards oil men,
answered the doctor OF the law promptly and di.
rectly, because He knew good would come out Of
such was the power OF the truth spoken by Jesus
that he who came to scofr remained to pray, and
dom OF Cod"
WE COME HERE TO QUESTION JESUS
ike the Jews Of His day ws too perhaps come
with various motives. Some, and the grcatcr .por
tion, trust, come in real earnest to make their
curiosity and in the spirit of bad faith; but what
ever our motives, the answer OF Jesus to us all Is,
wit WITH ALL ali thy mind. This is the first ana
StsaSfs' SWSrS "THs Is the last and least co%nans
the the" charity Of the worid And here we come to
Caary IS ga an OF e Ses TO and
as God is the great object OF mans love, charity
Sreved IS ~ when he He is oended and reioiced when lie
Is gorfed, and to love God sincerely Is to gorlfy
Linn in the best possible way.
THE OBLIGATION OF OUR LOVING GOD
Is. therefore, obvious. In the Old Law, the Jews,
although the sword Of correction hung above their
was 70 ove Goa above ali things. And St. Angus
tine tells us that as there, can be no
religion without worship, and ..,,un NO w0rship,
much more pure, holy and perfect our religion Is
are we bound to love God sincerely. Our religion
is the religion OF sanctity and perfection, ana
nc Gecea the bondage
bat that Of adoption as sons, whereby we cry Aopa
The condesccnsion Of God to win our love was
such as man might never have hoped for. He sent
upon earth His only Son. not In the fulness OF man.
which inspires the keenest sympathy and tenderest
affection-the form OF little iniaEt. Follow Him
rom that chilling night ~ Bethlehem to that bitter
snd His actions breathing tho tenderest love for
man. His blessings and Ills promises were
always most bouDtiful, and His department to.
wards man full Of sympathetic considerations. In
Gethsemane, when, In the midst Of His agony, lie
found His disciples sleeping, lie said, "Seep on,
the traitor He did not smite him by an act OF His
Omnipotent will, but kissed him tenderly saying,
s'Judas, betrayest thou the Son Of man with
kiss ~ We cannot, as followers OF Jesus smtc Ills
enemies, but we still can give Him evidences OF
our love. We can give him our hearts, all that lie
rcouires s.SOn. rlve me thy heart.n We can keen
His commandments, and we can avoid giving scan
dial, the most virulent wound which can pierce
the heart OF Jesus Christ. We can love Him for His
sake-mark, for His sake, and not ior our own per-
This charity it is which renders worthy Of eternal
life the ardent zeal Of the apostle, the invincibc
courage Of the martyr, the profound learning OF
penances @ q snv ancHorses ahd Sy other sbeciss q
Christian sanctity. But II charity be wanting God
would not reckon them one instant among his
faithful nor admit them to one ray OF heavens
glory. The apostle says, "If speak with the
tongues OF men and angels and have not charity, I
am nothing but sounding brass" !" and again, III I
should give all my goods to the poor and have not
charity, II profteth me nothing" Where charity,
therefore, h there also Is everything for 1t is the
seeding Of all that IL holy In this, then is all the
Jaw and the prophets.
GLOVE COD AND DO WHAT YOU WILL,
Gays St Augustine, for you can never do anything
that VIII displease Him. tor no sooner does tne
love OF God enter into the soul than It takes abso-
lutte possession Of 1t and directs II where IT wills,
and, moved by this invincible love OF God, man
rises superior TO oil human respect. Thus II Is that
young Tobias ned the haunts OF dissipation and
eOugnt God IN prayer and In His holy temple. Thus
David bowed down his head amid calumnies and
o.Ar that, tfta rn.Ja anI