The New York herald., 1872-09-08
THIRTY-FOURTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.

The Character and Calling OF Prophets
and Religious Teachers-Moses and
samuel ~ Examples-sermon by DIR.
Vtdaver.
Inc jewish rabbies and congregations having COM
p'etea tneir summer vacations are again In their
"onsed places In the synagogue. Though not yet in
sucn numbers as they have been the congregation
nnai sesnurun was very fairly represented yester-
day. Some time ago female singers were in Introduced
into the choir OF this synagogue, but some OF the
OLD orthodox members who have much more care
Tor the letter than for the spirit Of Judaism were
80 scandalized by the innovation that they could
not rest until the innocent cause OF their trouble
was removed. This was done just before vacation
and nothing has taken the place of the lady
singers yet. The consequence is that the reader
has to do much OF the choirs work as well as his
own, which makes the labor hard enough for him
while at the same time IL conveys o feeling of
something lacking TO the mind OF q stranger en-
tering In. If "prase is c0mely for the rlghteousu
1t must be strange phase of religion which ex.
rendered by particular persons and In particular
way And II It Is obligatory upon oil the people to
praise God, why should His praise be confined in
any mouse OF worship to any class or sex The
absence OF singing yesterday certainly produced
strange impression upon the mind Of the HERALD
representative and, doubtless, upon the minds Of
others too. And especially 80 since any one read
ing tne tsalps ana the Law a9d the Prophets must
be convinced that very much Of the worship Of
ancient JUDAISM consisted not only or vocal but
OF instrumental music alsO and that Of both sexes.
The sermon preached by DR.. vidaver was an
earnest, practical exposition OF the
CHARACTER AND CALLING or PROPHETS
OF the Lord and OF their successors the rabies and
teachers OF to-day. His text was Deuteronomy
xviii, 15-"A prophet shall the Lord your God
raise up unto you OF your brethren like unto me;
him shall ye hear" The Doctor remarked that the
OF Jewish prophets. Priests and sacrifices are
found in all nations among the ancients designed
to propitiate tho the wrath Of the Supreme Being. The
pT11
and rites connected with this sacrifcial worship
There was In Israel an outward resemblance to
gether different 1t was not to appease an angry
God, nor were the Jewish priests set above the
peops T9sy rather to walk before the
calling and the duty OF the prophets was different
ta naS to gsrd tns the lamp Of divine
in its saving light. Every fsraeite should get a
clear conception of this prophetic institution,
the world. We should be proud, said the Doctor,
OF this glorious galaxy of seers and teachers whose
blood still flows in our veins Now, what was the
calling OF the prOphetsP God said to Moses that
Aaron was to be his Macy or prophet-that is, a
speaker, proclaimer Of things or truths Moses
taking the Bible In his hand. is the glorious truth
which he impaired to the people. Hence Moses
ceiyed, as he richly deserved the title Of servant
OF God, faithful in all his house. And the prophets
who succeeded him were also called servants OF
God. They spake in His name and declared His
will to the people, But were all
THE PROPHETS LIKE MOSES
No. The text speaks of but one prophet like
respect among the host that lived and and died i
Israel. And that one was Samuel. He is placed In
the same rank with Noses by the other prophets
lore me- yet could not my mind be toward them,"
saith the Lord Samuel was not only a prophet, he
and teaching in his administration. more mod
ern days the former was left to kings while the lat
ter was the prerogative OF prophets And this
DEATH The prophets words were like fire or lava
stream nowing down from the holy mount and con.
that broke the finty rock in pieces. The Doctor
here pointed out the great difference between the
teachings OF the Hebrew prophet and the heather
priest. The former was to establish the religion OF
the true God and to bring the people back from
idolatry and superstition to His worship. The lat
ter was political and was used for selfish ends. He
asked the congregation to contrast in their minds
THE FEARLESS UTTERANCEs OF NATHAN TO DAVID,
OF Elijah to Ahab, OF jeremiah and Amos to the
Plato or Cicero before tlfe Greek or Roman courts
and assemblies The former are uncompromsing
IN their denunciatons OF the sins OF the rulers and
of the people, while the latter content TO let the
people serve God and Baal too. But he regretted
that some of the teachers Of Israel were ready to
compromise with idolatry and superstition, and to
persuade the people that Judaism consisted merely
o Se LORD seH b peaa
Lord are wei" and to think that any kind Of sacr
fee was good enough for an Offering to the Lord.
your Sabbaths and your set feasts are an abomipa-
tiOn unto me, saith the Lord What doth the Lord
Dut TO justly LO love mercy W Wdlk
humbly with God9 The sacrifices Of God are q
broken and q contrite spirit, and with such He is
we'll pleased.
But the prophets Of the Lord were not always
anOinted. They were not sons OF prophets, nor
even doctors OF the law. Amos was q herdman
and gatherer of sycamore fruits, and the holy oil
had not been poured on his head but the Lord
anOinted his heart and sent him forth to
BRING THE PEOPLE BACK FROM SIN
unto holiness and from idolatry to the worship Of
the one only living and true God. And whether they
were sent to rich or poor to peasant or to prince
to individuals or to cities, they Obeyed with the
same readiness and uttered their denunclati0ns
against the sins OF each alike DR.. Vldaver then
pointed out the idOatrous worship OF sraelites OF
the present day and the absolute necessity for the
successors of the prophets the rabbes to warn the
people and to bring them back TO the worship of
Cod and to teach them and lead them In the good
and the right way. And the rabbi who does not
draw inspiration from his work he considered UNFIT
for his calling. But the people now ask the rabies,
as they did the prophets OF DID, to prophesy smooth
things and to declare pleasant things unto them but
the rabbs' duty is to shout in the ears OF the
people, "ThOu shalt not respect the persons OF men,
thou shalt not wresr Judgment in the gate" until
judgment and justice are administered alike TO all
and by all, and then shall every man speak truth
with his neighbOr and the prophetsy peculiar call
ing shall be gone, for all the Lords people shall be
prophets