The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-03

Inc thirty thousand dollars nearly realised last
Sunday for the building Of q new church did not
quite satisfy the desires OF the Subscription Com
mittee. and yesterday morning DR.. Clarke asked for
5000 more. Subscription cards in the pews were
filled up after the sermon and there seemed
confident expectation that the request was COM
piled with. .i
DR.. Clarke preached from Genesis xviii, 12-.
"And he dreamed and behold q ladder set M on
the EARTH and the top OF it reached to heavens ana
behold the angels OF God ascending and descend
ing on it," The introduction to the discourse was
q sketch in few sentences OF the deceit pracsised
by Jacob, and the motives that prompted Rebecca
to ask Isaac that Jacob should be sent away. The
subject Of the sermon was
"HOw TO BE GOOD"
and the incident In Jacobs Journey the sleep, the
vision that accompanied the Sleep what God said
and what Ja"ob did. were made subservent to
the docor sa o what WAS done
through the instrumentalty OF the vision was done
by God, The ladder that was spoken OF was not
nremans ladder 1T was doubtless successive range
OF hills rising higher and higher until they were
lost in the clouds. Upon these were ascending
and descending, In the sleepers mind, angels, and
at the summit was. God. That was done for
Jacob, and then think who this Jacob was that
God did this for How he had eF az
TRICKED, CHEATED AND wRONGED
Esau and then think that this great blessing
o s as h Of
then with God, and there IL was that al goodness
must begin. Not In ourselves but In Him our true
strength was found. The promise to JacOb-how
large 1t wasl How overlooking and boundless was
the grace OF GOd God promised not only to lie
with Jacob but to keep him wheresoever
he went. What was the first feeling OF
Jacob at this marvellous interview with
lul Is this place. Thisis none other but the house
OF God, and this Is the gate OF heaven.n This feel
ing OF reverence was fast fading away among
modern Christians. The tendency OF the teachings
both OF the pulpit and the pew was In that d.
rectiOn. 1t was greatly to be lamented. The poor
Catholic woman who bowed herself on the moor OF
q cathedral, counting her beads, IL might be, as
she prayed to o God she believed to be present,
showed moro faith in Hin than the highly privi-
legged Christian, surrounded andsetherealized With
the light Of Gospel privileges, who rose from the
service Of the communion and conducted herself
at the close as though she were at q
NEW YORK THEATRE MATINEE "a ~
Jacob did not content himself with reverence, but
he vowed q vow-a vow made after q talk with
God. There was an essential difference between
our resolves that were made with good Intentions
and vows that were made after an actual cOmmu.
mon with God We knew in this latter instance
that we had as certainly cOmmuned with God as
we had talked to our friends. Such vows were
seldom broken. Part OF the vow OF Jacob was the
setting up Of the stone for a pillar-and OF giving
o tenth OF all that he possessed unto God. SO
obvious illustration as this DR.. Clarke did not,
ing of the church, and to use In the support of
o suggestion that II this tthng principle OF jacobs
was adopted the new building for the church
would be verv easily raised.
This concluded the sermon and formed the pre-
lude to the collection Of the subscription cards..