The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-26
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,

How and When TO Obey Gcd-Preacb-
ing Not intellectual Gymnnstics and
Penances Not Fiety--Sernlon by Rev.
Samuel j. stewart.
The West Twenty-fith street United Presbyterian
church seems to have considering the weather,
moro than its share OF religious worshippers. At
the services yesterday morning there were very
few vacant pews. They have had no Summer
Gallon at this church. and Row. Samuel J. Stewart
IL the regular pastor. He IL quite a young man,
but delivered a good sermon nevertheless.
Over the pulpit is written In evcrgroens "WeI-
come" which is quite appropriate, seeing
all are invited to attend this place
OF worship On the afternoon OF the
first Sabbath OF each month Rev. Mr. Stewart will
preach to the young people. After the customary
prayer-which was OF great length, or seemed to be
to those standing in the vestbule--and hymn came
the sermon, the text being Jonah ill.,, !, 2-.And
the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second
time, saying, Arise, go unto Nincveh, that great
city, and preach unto 1t the preaching that bid
thee" God commanded Jonah second time be-
fore he obeyed. God generally gives but
ONE CHANCE FOR SINNERS
Do what the Almighty bids you at the first conf
mand, for you may look vainly for another chance.
We should obey God directly and promptly with no
questions or doubts. Sometimes we intend to obey
Him eventually but not when He first commands
us. We think that when we become Weather, more
famed or heghten our reputation, that then will
obey God; but do not wait, you who Christians.
The circumstances may never be the same again:
you may never again have 1t in your power to heed
the order OF the Most High We may have II lin our
power to save or help to
SAVE SOME SOIL.
No other time will do Int the present. Our hearts
are sinful, and the more we stun and try put Off
q duty the harder II Is to perform. Temptations
may 9nd do surround us at every turn. and the
only safe method is TO obey God implicitly. The
day will come when there will he no Chance to obey,
and it Is one of the
DEVILS TEMPTATIONS
to think that we win do the good which we orig
nally intended by and by. God commanded jonah
but he ran away without fulfilling Ills mandate.
He almost lost his life in doing 50,
but God was merciful aud gave Jonah another
chance. Gods command to Jonah was that he
should proceed TO Nineveh and preach to the sim
nels, CRYING that in forty DAYS the city should be
destroyed. He was q minister, and was biddcn to
preach what God told him. There two things
In preaching-thc law and the gospel God told
set out to preach the word OF God we must preach
all OF II. This system OF covering up the Gospel and
is not preaching as God desires His ministers TO
do. Preaching is talking. 1t Is standing before
Gods creatures and telling them OF their Saviour
ana their sins. The duty OF every Christian minis
ter Is TO preach all unpleasant as well as pleasant
INTELLECTUAL GYMNASTICS
Of some speakers Is not the preaching of God. II
is declaring damnaton 10 those who do not trust
God and love Jesus Christ. Neither excitement
nor sensational preaching converts the soul What
If 1t be dry, 1t Is the truth, and Cod commands us
to always speak the truth. We cannot convert men
their duty and be sanciided. Tic has resolved that
we obey Him or Ire cast out forever. NIneveh was
an exceeding great city OF three days Journey and
the city crying out what the Lord had babe him,
.fct forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed
This was whispered around the city, and at last
camo to the ears or the King who, with his mobiles,
Needed this warming. He ordered that all, from
the King down, should cover themselves in
SAckCLOTu AND ASHES
and fast, sending up prayers for the forgiveness OF
their sins. The King and his people were heathens,
but they listened to the Almightys voice. In time
OF trouble IL was customary for the Inhabitants of
tho city to fast and pray to God for delverance A
man fasting does not really amount to ANYTHING,
but consists OF something else. We can worship
God as well and feel as sincere and much more
happy and in q healthy frame OF mind and body.
This system OF abstaining from food and reducing
the body VIII not make man more spiritual or more
repentant. Having disease Is not picfy. We
might sut3cr and fast for days; hut if repentance
is not III our hearts God would know it, AMI all our
sacrifices would do no good When we feel peni-
tent we naturally decline food Just as when a dear
friend dies. True fasting is laying down the soul
before God. Notice the prayer OF these people or
Nneveb. II was no
FORMAL PRAYER,
but heartfelt and trne one They We're 'cTying
nightly from the very depths Of their souls In
their agony, We go along istlessly and indilYcr-
emily, not Knowing at what hour the Son OF
Man cometh. There was another thing about
this fasttng-they turned from their evil ways. A
man may bc sorry because sin brings him into
trouble, but II ii cost him no pain he would sin
always. The suffering OF the dumb creatures dur
ing this period OF fasting served to remind them of
their sins. The decree or God ever remains the
same, but His external works sometimes differ.
He threatens us with severe punishment unless we
The people Of Nlneveh repented at the first verse
in the sermon OF Jonah, and they were heathens
knowing nothing about Jesus Christ. How shall IL
be with us who know all about Hms
ST. IGTATIUS' CHURCH