The New York herald., 1872-07-22
THE MADISON SQUARE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
Rev. Rufus w. Clark on the Old Paths
and the Way That Lcadeth TO Peace.


and the Way That Leadeth to Peace.
Rev. Rufus w. Clark preached at the Madison
square Presbyterian church yesterday to an audi
ence very respectable In numbers for a summer
congregation, taking MS text from the sixteenth
OF the sixth chapter Of ofJeremiah-'Thus saith
the Lord Stand We on the ways and see and ask for
the old paths, where is the good way, and walk
therein, and We shall find rest for your souls. But
they said. We will not walk therein"
The old paths, said the reverend gentleman,
where Is the good way, are not smooth easy paths.
They arc rugged There are none of
THE MODERN CONvENIENCgs
applied to these old paths. No swift-movng rail
road train dashes along the level surface bringing
the traveller who would go thereon quickly to the
city OF his destination. There are no time tables
telling him Just when he will arrive They are the
old rugged paths. just they were in the days OF
Moses and Enoch and Joseph. No modern inven
tion has been secured to save the spiritual labor
necessary to win grace and bc saved. The prayer
OF nearly three thousand years ago for help from
above Is the only thing available now us then.
THE wAYFARER AT SEA
learns to know the heavens ere he see the city
of his destination. He looks above for help, as all
South, where the roads are sometimes so narrow
that the carriage wheels touch the brush at both
Sides the drivers, who cannot see the road and can
scarcely see their horses for the darkness learn TO
know their course by studying the narrow streak
OF twilight that shines through
THE OPENING IN THE
above the road These old paths run high above
the ordinary course OF worldly men. Enoch, who
walked with God, q plane cle-
yated far above the darker road, where
men stumbled in superstition and darkness, and
fell precipIces and against rocks: and although
he lacked human companionship ne had the glori.
Gus company Of the everlasting God himself.
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW
OF death was far below him and he walked this road
right into Heaven, over the bridge that faith had
constructed. The preacher then went on 10 discuss
the relative claims of faith aud philosophy as bases
of religious belief. Philosophy. he said. claims
science and as its bases for religious belief,
and its religion consequently DIVORCES Into sccpti-
cism, panthcism and positlvism
REASON
should be the basis Of religion but il should he
capped by faith, for when reason has raised its
structure as high IL reach faith l. needed to
carry the dome OF the structure high enough TO
coiyc the tinge OF light that beams from the brow
of Heaven. Science merely destroys itself Science
IL simply dscoverer and its discoveries consist
mainly In discovering That past scientific theories
are false IL Ia not upon such evcr-shfting founda-
tlons az these that the Christian religion Is built.
Moses revealed the word OF God, the Prophets con
frmed what Noses had revealed, aud what the
Prophets uttered Jesus Christ fulfilled
TIE SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF
that God gave to Moses has never been changed
or improved. The ten commandments are as fresh,
as strong and rs important now as they were when
Moses received them on the Mount The preacher
concluded an Interesting and very able sermon by