The New York herald., 1872-10-21
SEVENTH STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH

Christian HOpe-Its Aim and Influence
Over Human Hearts-Religious and
| Worldly HOpe-FI0w Both Are Often
Perverted.-SermOn by Right Rev.
Bishop james.
| sermon on Christian hope was preached yester.
day to an attentive congregation, in the Seventh
street Methodist Episcopal church, near Third ave-
nue., by the Right Rev. Bishop James. The elo
| quent divine chose his text from l. John ILL.,, ,1-3-
"BehOld what manner Of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons Of God; therefore the world knoweth not
because 1t knOweth Him not" The fact that we
are designated or God by the impressive words
Ofthe text spoken to you sufficient to inst into
our hearts hope which should never falter or
culminate In despair. Every man has a
religious and worldly hope, and 1t
was Of the latter the right reverend preacher
wished principally to speak. Religious hope is
divine virtue by which we hope for eternal life ana
the means to obtain it, II is SO important virtue
as to be not unfrequently reckoned indispensable
to our salvation, and our only reason for hoping is
because God has given us an assurance that we can
not be disappointed in Him, especially when He de-
clares to be His sOnS-jOint heirs Of Jesus Christ
The husbandman sows his seed in the beautiful
Spring OF the year because he hopes to reap plen
tiful harvest. The merchant braves the perils of
the stormy seas because he hopes from his traffic to
gain profit hundred fold The professional man
struggles through years of hard mental toll and be-
wildering disappointments because he hopes one
day to be successful and to make his mark in the
world but the good Christian practises virtue and
stores 1t up in his heart in order to merit admit
tance into the blisslul mansions OF heaven. 1t is
| thus that
THE REFRESHING INFLUENCES OF HOPE
are sometimes experienced in both religious and
word II 1s9ens the ne g94m 10 of e
ancy in the childhood of our days as well as in the
decline OF e Tor every cherished hope calls forth
expectation and refreshes us with It's sweet innu
ences. 1t Is manifested In the actions or ALL both
the good and the wicked. Why are deeds Of blood
| perpetratedS IL 1t not because the criminal
hopes to indulge in some false pleasure the delu
sorv result of his crime If two men about to fight
a duel were certain that both would be killed 1t IS
probable both would never enter into the contest;
| but the hope of being victorious causes each to
armies n the destroyed e
| they would not battle against each other The
preacher therefore appreciated the perfection
coming, because when they come to be so
destructive as to guarantee total extinction
and wars will be heard OF no more. But hope
which induces crime and stimulates the human
religious hope, and cannot, therefore, be called
virtue-that virtue which is meant by the text
manner Of love the Father hath bestowed upon us'
as to call us the sons Of men.
There was an hour wheL there was
NO HOPE IN THIS WORLD.
oh, how dense the gloom how sad the despair OF
that hour, when sin first &, DESTROYED all hope But
God said 1.-THE seed Of the woman shall crush the
head OF the serpent;' and well He fulfilled that
promise when He sent upon earth His Son, Jesus
Christ our Mediator. Jesus the soul OF all reli
gous hope Jesus, hanging upon His blood-sta
cross, the source Of all Christian hope But is it
because you hope to repent by and by that you
hope9 on, no The only reason we hope is be-
cause we are now ruv SovS or con
THIS is the reason p we hope. He put the spirit OF
adoption into our hearts. Our religion is, there
4 fnVo q nnQi a
but for spiritual one We shall be like Jesus as
| as He was in the manger of His nativity, though
even there the contemplation of His goodness is
wish to Initiate Him disputing among the doctors
| in the Temple2 What woman does not wish Tor
Israeli WHO does not wish His pardon as He
pardoncd Magdalenes Who would not like to be
with Him at the glorious moment of His transag-
| uratiOn on the mount, during His agony in the
! garden, or ascending with Him the rugged heights
| OF Calvary Oh! that the wings OF time would
cease their iutterng until we mediate still longer
we can't see Christ in the past, but more glo-
riOu5 privilege Is ours. We can hope to see him in
the future with redeemed world around him.
We partake OF His nature but not in all respects.
o p s in Ui me on o.
His Glory. don't know what makes God happy,
but II, at the judgment hour. see Him on my side
THE BASIS OF ALL OUR HOPES,
fed" This gives us a Transforming and recupera-
tive power which assimilates us to God. 1t is,
moreover source OF grace which we must
implore by true conversion to God, by
loving Him and walking with Him. And
how can q man walk with God and
not become more divine every dayf Why then are
not all dev0ut9 Because religious hope Is absent
and worldly hope deceives you II you were positive
you should all die tonight you would repent and
be converted. But you hope to live for another
day. This Is a
MEANNEss WITH GOD
caused by the total depravity Of your minds. On
the verge OF death you cry for mercy In the vigOr
or life you defer your conversion. When Marshal
Ney was being led to execution he trembled, be-
cause, he said, sln war he hoped, but now death
stared him in the face.n SO 1t is with you who de-
fer your repentance, yet cherish this hope IN your
truth and finding It, love 1t, that you may, when
going lastly down The de- decliyity o Of life, reasonably
preacher here concluded o discourse which was In
itself positively impressive and appreciable.
THE RUSS0-oREEK CHAPEL.