, 1872-12-16

L 11L S41l1A"O Ot111
fe and making revelation Of the grace Of God to per
ishing men.
IT Ta1g another R'aas Of o9ssyst;0n M The @ ehuss1
an and Ia, lawgEvsr: Every sge, md al elnsses
originated this vast society divided up though it MAJ
be by 30 many names; who proposed the great prin
ciples for which it claims paramount authority over
the historian the statesman, the Of letters and
every tro Of the schools, finds these questions in his
with the teachings Of men7 Ali thought is obliged to
stop and reconcile ITSELF in some way with this organ
and times, over Ill orders Of society, and knows no
distinction Of race or culture.
There is also another kind Of witness. In any given
community or time the world, overwhel1ned though It
be In its ambitions and Pleasures and recEessness OF
immortal life, Knows, and cannot help knowing, that
there is something which calls itself divine and which
challenges the admiration and obedience Of men.
The Church Is fraternity In the moral and rehe,
tous Ife well in manifold relations Of industry and
study, fraternity ig urgent demand. Having common
hopes and aims, beset with difficulties essentially the
same and deriving life from the same sourc there is
carrying burdens together, sharing fears AID making
interchange (eVen though it be TOO ia1gej in voice
erty Of the soulfo. Kings and autocrats, supported
from Others must needs have sort Of imperial guild
savants can hardly do without their academies No
school Of comparison, improvement, and protection
for ITSELF Individual life feels itself to be fractional
and il it can be nothing more, actual deno
nltor Clubs and lodges bred Of tho Of lone
ness and the attraction OF kindred ideas and purposes.
Man is no different in this particular utter conversion
There must be q cantre somewhere common to HIM
self and others Besides, his religion is religion Of
fraternity Els loye do5 the brethren is
terest in the poor the uncouth who have the divine
spark in them, is the boasoming Of his divine lfo
higher than mutual grsidcation or mutual beuef Of
social secular character Fraternity itself 1sdisci-
pline. When two persons loving each other very
much attempt living together, they find frequent OPP
po1t,lnity for the exercise Of difficult virtues The
family is grand moral educator, bringing into visi-
bilty selfshness md littlenesses, generosity and
greatness Of character. man may be good man In
cave L. he good enough to be associated with
In the Church there is going On al the while Divine
le Charity, paueuce forgiveness, self-sacriHce honor
to others meekness humility dencacy burdenbearing,
men and candor are called Tito exercise. md greatly
is largely in this school exercise from which no one
The right kind Of dealing with one another where SELF
interests OF al Borts in, and particularly when
people nre in responsible reaons to eech other make
up large part Of practical religion 10 think, speak
and act rightly toward fellowman, ali sorts Of fellow
men, all sorts Of Christian men, is to reach IN attain
ment in comparison with which the experiences Of an
emotional piety and tho most exact ecrupulosness in
churchly observances snk into insignhcance.
dstinctvey spiritual wants Of men, It is more than
ton through Jesus Christ, desiring communion with
unknown-of being which VIC call Immortality. 70
enter Church life il to embody all these 1ongngs and
may worship and become strong spiritually apart from
the Church. It is not true Of men ordinarily Form,
act defamation fellowship, are ministers to ali right
conditions Of mind. Be he ever so wise, honest.
and faithful, q man can bo instructed, awakened,
warned, enlarged, and made faithful by sharing
the mnstIatlons and responsibilities Of the visible
AZ an aggressive power the Church does not, tho
preacher sad hold quite the pace it is sometimes sup
posed to occupy The aggression is the reproduction
OF itself everywhere. In its organic capacity 1t has
but two thinea to do with the world-to afford COM
who joins with the Spirit in saying, "Let him that is
nthirst eome ~. md whososver viii, LET him take the
little questions Of the world they, and not the Church.
being the judges which is the right aide, The true
to be IN umpire between its children questions of
Science, politics, or social reform.
As to creed, TIE Church having the Bible for .ts
guido has no right to make any other standard Of
faith, Eath the aim to impose Its articles its
hers or to ehut out any true and webehayed disciple
she p1eases for the sake Of 1nstrucng her children
An assent to these articles, however, abe can never
and 1 e eihia es g
For similar reasona tho Church has authority to
make laws except such AZ already made and re-
yealed in the word Of God. It may alter ts voice in
counscls and may attempt to show the bearing Of all
current habits and usages on divine Life. It can,
rather IS to show the believer, with The Bible aw IN
his hand and his heart with the love Of Christ
how he a nay RS BEL be law unto himself man Judging
condition requisite, namely. sincere discipleship.
Is Believe the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be
saved" Then we're added to tho church Of such ss
should be saved" Any interrogation to coming |
to the door Of the Church except to the reality q
bis faith whether that question relate 10 creed or
ton, is entirely outside the warrant and is Of the
q devices Of men WHO have attempted to improve on
Off rhariy Loo,,; that HoaT-
The ministry, the speaker sad, is an Office in the
Church The Church is not the creature Of the min
y whe si7ss himself wholly to the VOL;
The ohuh m x EsE to b cal of is
theme is always ''Jesus Ch1ist and Him crucned"-
not the cEucid1on Of Christ alone, but Jesus Christ in
sharer in festyity, the friend Of Mary and LAZARUS
the guest Of publcans, the erpoundeE Of tho divine
he great Dssener Of tho world, tue refuge Of ali Who
are torn and weary, the man in whom nature and
pernasre are woven together,this Man crucihed for
The minister it be knows his place, says to doc
rine, haVo thought this matter over by the best
mount" As to religion, he does not look down upon
rs people as though it pity that they lack his
says, practically, II am one Of you, behind many
perhaps, let go on together doing til work is
lone, fighting II we've won the crown: AS to per-
7ou see Little Of him. What we, the ministers Of this
generation most need, is undergraduates not the
3abt Of reducing the innocent things Of the world to
he smallest possible number, and making this glori-
'us natural life blossoming out in thousand ways
'aksd as tree stripped Of its branches not such
,abit Of speech as Rha give a reputation for being
pirually minded, but the power to preach t dying
men to dying men u BY which do not altogeth-
+ what ia commonly meant by these terms, but this,
be grace to look on TRUTH on felow-nen, and on
ur worldly relations to the kingdom Of heaven, with
he same se1fforgefulness the candor and mel
owness the same generosity, breadth, and simplicity
mind, with which we will look these things when
he world is slipping from under our feet.
REV. DR.. THOMAS.
The 1ecture-room of the First Methodist
,hurch, which is now being used as the audito-
ium Of that Society, was crowded last evening,
o hear the pastor, the Rev. DR.. Thomas, preach
II " Lessons From the Life Of Horace Greeley"
he exercises consisted Of the usual prayers and
ynns, and reading Of select passages from the
criptures: The preacher chose his text from
'cc1es. vii, and spoke as followst
TIE SERMON.
think it is proper that the pulpit should MT nn1v