The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-06
ST. JOHNS METHODIST CHURCH.

Limitations Of Human Knowfe&ge-
Sermon by Row. DIR. Fowler.
During the session OF the Methodist Episcopal
General Conference IN Brooklyn the pulpit OF the
b. Johns church, Bedford avenue, VIII DC supphed
hy distinguished ministerial delegates to that BODY
Yesterday morning the Rev. Charles u. Fowler,
DID,. or Chicago preached an eloquent ana orglnai
discourse from / Corinthians Kill, l2-"For now we
zee Through glass darkly; bat then face to lace:
now know In part; but then shalla know even as
also am KNOWN"
In the opening OF his mastery argument he said
~ he had no Bible ami Christ he thought he
should bring out to his own mind the ideal thinker
having al possible thoughts and infallible logic,
and that ideal would be his idol. Few things
seemed 70 him more pfsiabic tban the creature who
was coEItent to ind his heaven Ounging on Tire de-
caying hay by the side OF stable In the spring san
shine, with no Thought for the future and no apprc
hensi0n OF the TRUTHS that surge by him, taking the
future the present, unlimited and unQuestioned.
Such "a life, without a purpose firm fate and
without hope bhght rs the future, must be pita-
BILE IN the extreme. Andyet when he looked at the
boundess unknown and them as best he
coad, looked back upon the known, upon the
few things that were understood, tue line
between the scholar and the Ounce was re-
duced tn more mark In the dust. Seen from
that standpDint the scholar and the fool sat side by
ther fond oORceits In this life OF ours Is only the
'sprouting time; rightly used 1t draws the strength
sOut OF this earth, and can prepare little Tor the
tiowers and fruitage OF tomorrow. II
thoughtfnl and honest before God and prayeriul
mere we may POSSIBLY secure Inc phag sn ana h he
the Omegasha,l never come And thus IL happens
that all our knowledge Is narrowed, Imperfect and
limited, that we know but few things partially and
nothing perfectly The speaker then proceeded to
demonstrates, in the unique and fclicitons style for
which he is. famous, that In the world of nature
we saw very darkly, and that the achievements
Of the astronomer, the chemist and the physcolo:
gist, great as they were, did not unrave
the mysteries that met gaze in the world OF
ture Those who said that they hasl captured ma
tnre ard extracted from her her secrets were like
the man who gave the empty caskett TO the highway
man and kept the jewels. Science had never
peeriess, anresisting Infinite something that dwels
within me; this something that plants all the
republics and POUNDS all the Civilizations; that
writes all the books and fights all the battles; that
loves and hates and acts.
Dr. Fowler went on to say that as mankind was
in this univers, under the government OF the
only Ged, it was not strange, when we came to
contemplate eternal verities that there should be
sented dficnlt Of solution The mystery OF the in
Carnati0n and the different phenomena in the pro-
cess OF regeneration could not De anayzed yet inc
performed by God. Another thought was suggested
by tho passage under discussion, which WAS that,
did see some things The mind could become aware
OF great truths which came within the reach OF its
dntuitions and perceptions which, however, could
uotbe grasped and condensed. We slide along the
coast, but we do not go around the continent; we
feel the solid rock beneath u.s. though we 90 not not
mountain peaks covered with light and we know
that the country is yonder. One mountain peak
was the fact OF revelation from Coda fact too
infinite and too mysterious to be accepted
without proof and too infinite and mysterious to
be rcjected without demonstration to the contrary.
Somebody brought man into the universe We did
not make ourselves; we have no memory of the
pedsrse the A he
not like the pedigree, but preferred the other pedi
SON Of GodS The fact must be admitted that man
'lsin the world and so circumstanced that he must
n % IN s s 20 nave peace o. Fs
showed how the Bible met all the spiritual wants Of
mans being, and in gazing at It's truths he saw
had sight OF the city OF God, with its gates o.
pearl and Its streets OF gold, and also OF the LIANT
OF God who taketh away the sin Of the world. In
conclusion he spoke OF the three elements-faith,
hope and charity-which We saw face to face. The
fact Of the wonderful power OF Christianity In civil.
this connection he said that the spirit Of Christ had
century that this republic nut down mating that
the feet OF the sentines might not jar the nerves OF
the greatest traitor OF all history The final thought
In the text, that in the future, shan know we
known elaborated. The movements OF
Providence were often inexplicable now, but in
strange that child born In the lap Of luxury, with
all the advantages Of Christian culture, should be
handled by harlot should grow up and aake society
tremble These and kindred problems would be
solved In the mture world. lie Closed ~ narraLlnX
thrilling incident OF the war. In 1862 two old men,
unknown to each other met, as troops were being
mustered for battle one drummer anti the other
afifer When they started the music thu, drummer
dropped his sticks and turned to the fer saying,
"John, didn't you play that at Lnndys ane as the
sun was going DOWN" The fife fell from his hands,
for he had been there and they embr; iced each
other. There something in the music which
made them recognize each other. so VIC md IL be
with those who crossed the river OF deaf b.. There
would be something In the voice or IN the CLEAN OF
the eye that would reveal friends TO each Their.
ffpr fha w MI &C.