The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-29
LEE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.


Abiding in Cbrist-sernon by Rev. y.
Hyatt Smith.
The morning service ct the Lee Avenue Baptist
church IL chiefly eXposltory. After the usual intro.
ductory exercises the pastor reads chapter and
comments upon 1t at length Yesterday the selec-
ton was the eighth chapter Of Romans, which fur
nished tho reverend gentleman with matter suhi-
Client for doctrina and practical suggestions.
When he came to the text 'The Spirit itself beneath
witness with our spirit, that the children OF
Cod" he said that If Gabriel came from
heaven to assure him that his humble
name was written In the Book Of
Life he would say, "Gabrial, am very much
obliged to you, but If you had better Grand than
that you ought to have stayed in heaven" The
holy Ghost assured the believer of his adoption
into the divine family. One might as well go to
the family record to see If he was born as to 90 to
the church record TO learn whether he was con-
verified not Church-clerk christianity, would
never bring people to heaven After thes ilging
Of another hymn Rev. Mr.. Smith preached
short sermon from John !. H., 2S---"And now,
little children, abide in him. When John
wrote the epistle he was in the evening
Of his life, and he always addressed his
fellow disciples little children. There ia legend
that when the Apostle John was very old he was
carried into the midst OF the congregation upon
kind Of litter and his only utterance was 'littlc
children, love one another" and when asked by
disciple why that was the continual burden OF his
Speech replied 'Love Is the fulfilling of
the law" The preacher made some re-
marks upon the phrase ''litte children"
Some people, when they had studied little and
collected few facts, felt mature and grown old In
knowledge. but man was never prepared to re-
ceive truth especially Divine truth, until he fell he
young lazy who had finished her education"
Her mind was Dramatically sealed with
pr seo 81 1
quoting, end he Mr. smith thought he might pos
sioly improve her appearance By putting quotation
MARKS on either side Of her mouth: 4 man was in
hopeless condition when he felt that he had at-
tanned all TRUTH but when, like the great Apostle
Paul, he only saw IN part and was pressing forward
to the great condition OF his being that would
he all TIE while growing in knowledge and true
plants trat are in this bright sunshine Go out on The
hillside aud ask the tree In oil its sturdy strength,
are you completS2 u am perfect tree in
but must grow. I must forget the days
when was a twlg end press forward to the time
when shall be a glorious and majestic tree" So
saint should live In the bright sunshine Of God and
grow all over. The speaker illustrated the idea OF
childhood further BY nictSrps the return ora great
who, after looking into the face OF his mother,
/ ceases to be man. but becomes little boy again.
All the sweet impulses OF his child nature come up
again when his mother calls him John or James and
not General or Doctor so and so. When the believer
Law In the arms Of God az child did In the arms of
Christian was never 30 great "a at such time.
Mr. Smith proceeded TO eucidate Ia his unique
style the other thought OF the tcxt-that 'little
Children should abide Ia Christ and alluded TO the
circumstances OF the TRANSFORMATION. The first
step to be taken TO abide In Christ waa TO pass in
through the door that gave us an abode In that
divine house. Repentance for sin, faith ia the
blood of the Lord iesus Christ and regeneration by
the power Of the Holy Ghost what was mean by
entering the divine house, and there Is no other
door OF entrance than this grace Of God IN Christ The
house had many rooms IN IT, but hc did not think
that the doors should be kept locked. lie dated
upon Spurgeon's figure In regard TO the ark with
three stories which symboli2ed the different phases
or CHRISTIAN experience and then spoke Of the re-
suits Of abiding in Jesus. BY dwelling in Him the
human spirit was brought into contact with tho
divine spirit and the human was brought into con-
formty to the divine win. Christ forbearing.
gentle, forG wing. mercfu and kind; ana those who
dwelt by faith In Him, partook or Ills nature. In
conclusion, tho preacher put some searching urac-
teal questions 10 his hearers to whether they
exhibited the spirit OF Jesus In their daily lives.
| Those who said, II forgive, but ] never
! forgct,r did not eylnce tile mind OF Christ.
| The man who went out on the highway
and battered his fellow and carried away
! his yaluables was saint compared to the
man who with stealthy tread ana With
dagger dipped in poison, stabbed under the NTH
rib OF the vttals OF some mans character and fair
fame. Hell was too good for the home of a man
who assassinatod tho reputation of another. He
closed with comforting words about the final per-
severance OF the saints, saying that they who abide
in God dwelt in security.