The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-29
ALANSON METHODIST CHURCH.
Gods Presence In tho Church-Sermon by
Rev. w. vi. Punsh0n.

Gods Presence In tho Church-Sermon by
Rev. w. vi. Punshon.
The AlansOn Methodist Episcopal church In Nor.
FOLK street was densely crowded yesterday morning.
1t having been announced that the Rev. W. Morley
PunshOn, the celebrated English pulpit orator and
lecturer, would preach Wnen the hour for com.
mencing the service arrived there was not standing
room In the church. Upon previous occasions when
Mr.. Punshon visited New York he uttered his clio.
quen periods in the Fourth avenue church, the cen.
tire OF the Methodist arstocracy, but yesterday the
democracy OF Norfolk street were favored with the
minstratiOns OF this eminent preacher.
Mr. Punshon has john Bull physique ana looks
as If the roast beef and plum pudding OF Ola Eng.
land agreed with him. He has not an affabe physi.
Ognomlcal expression, hts features In repose being
more indicative OF narshness than sweetness OF
disposition; and yet Judging from the discourse Of
the morning, he evidently Is q "workman that
needen not 10 be ashamed" He would not be
considered a profound thinker; but the word pic.
lures which he frequently drew were models OF
beauty while the whole sermon was permeated
with practical, evangelical truth. During the de.
livery OF some OF the imprisoned passages mum.
Der OF mercurlai brethren In all parts OF the house
gave vent To their emotions In shouts OF "Gloryn
and "Halleuah." The orator, however, dampened
their enthusiasm somewhat when he SAID that
boisterous expressions OF JOY were not always the
deepest
Mr.. Punshon took his text from the fourth chap
ter OIL lsaiah:-"in tnaC day shall the branch OF the
Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit OF the
earth shalt be eXceenG and comely for them that
are escaped oil Israel. And 1t shall come ID pass,
tnat he that Is lett IN Zion and he thai renaineth IN
Jerusalem sla DC called holy, even every one that
IS written among the living In Jerusalem when the
Lord shat nave washed away the filth OF the
daughters oil zion. ana shall have purged the blood
oil Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit OF
Judgment, and Dy the spirit OF burning And the
Lord will create upon every dwelling place OF
Mount zion and upon her assemblies q cloud and
smoke by day and the shining OF q flaming nre Dy
After an appropriate introduction, IN which he pic
,urea the CONDITION 81 me israeiites previous
the stteran nee , Oh Inc promise prom In the
judgment 10 the grandeur Of deliverance was
aorupt ana striking by the appearance OF Him who
was called The beautiful and glorious branch Of the
Lord. Strange and w0nurOus was the change
which passed upon human fortunes when once the
you know, IN iact the change which passes upon
nature when from the sunny South have come the
risen into the lie OF June. That must be a rare
sunrise which they speak or In Eastern cllmes
wneie, without twilight, darkness flashes IN mo.
suddenly TO riches. the hungeroOrn Outcast set
down as the heir OF the banquet and OF
the veins OF one lhat has been newly raised from
the dead, and the most complete changes when
nature and experience know are bot faint SYMBOLS
OF the change that happens to the race OF man
when Christ, the anoliied and the IeIlow OF me
Father, dies the just for the unjust, that lie may
bring us % God. spring IRON the drearlest winter,
DAY from the darkest moral night, unsearch-
able rcnes instead or beggary, everlasting life
from death INFORM and universal-tnese nave
peen made possible 10 every man, because
my saviour and mime TOOK upon Him one
niature and died IN our room upon the
Tree suppose 1t Is hardly necessary 10 re-
ihind you, and yet the truth comes so fifty
anu 50 exquisitely out ID the passage that
one must tring lt forth, that without Christ
,nere ~ no help Tor man; no comlorta-
PIE woru and Kind VIII dlsti upon the
uarkened understanding he speak It; no free
uom from iemorse ana condemnation Will ever come
upon tiie Duidened conscience unless He bring IT.
without Him there Is no 10y in the present without
nun no nope IN me future unless the wraih clouds
a,o sca'etea rom tne SKY and the stOren0uses Of
CnIist we are hopeless and lost. Give us Christ,
anu we are hcirs 10 all Inc fullness God The
perences oil the lsraetes during tnc,r forty wears,
pilgrimage In the wilderness Inc presence of the
piilar Oh nre we're descaned upon In cloauent terms
ana the speaker said that the followers of Jesus
| In these times were also disciplined in order
] " purify them and thou1n called upon