The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-15
LEXINGTON AVENUE SYNAGOGUE.

Snnct1hed versus Unsanct1neu EAnJOy.
ments-A Moral Basis Needed for All
True Pleasure-Sermon by the kov. DIR.
Huebsch.
The popular rabbi OF the synagogue in Lexington
avenue and Fifty-ffth street. the Rev. Dr. Huebsch,
yesterday preached one Of his practical dscourses
the kinds of enjoyment or pleasure that men
take here and the work that they accomplish. The
discourse was an able protest against the preva-
lent sins OF Americans-namely: excess OF work
and excess of amusement. His text was LEVITT
Gus, XII, 44:-"For am the Lord your God; ye
shall therefore sanctiiy yourselves and be holy, for
l am holy" Those, the Doctor remarked are
among the closing words of the old dietary laws OF
Israel. He had no need now to instruct his people
In regard to their observance; they had laid them
aside as they found them unnecessary or incon-
venient, and had substituted for them the modern
dietary laws. But the Lord has babe US sanctify
ourselves that we may not forget that the body Ia
the vessel of the Spirit, the Spirit is the crown OF
life and men should never injure the crown nor
the vessel. This thought led to some remarks on
the new dietary laws and to the
RELATION OF LABOR TO WEALTH
and enjoyment. There Is one man. he said, who
puts his hands on his lap and lounges about, aziiy
waiting for work or wealth to come to him, but
they come not. If man would cross the ocean
he must 3uild the ship first and prepare It with
for safe and successful voyage. And the man
who would acquire wealth must work for that also.
But some one will ask, What, then, has God to de
with 1t I? He has much to do with 1t. Thank Him
for the health and strength He gives you, the care
that He exercises to bring you safely over the sea
and the food that he provides for You. In the
Scriptures it is written that God giveth to the cat
tie their food. But why to cattle and not to man
1t is that men may work and enjoy the fruit OF
their labor but cattle get their bread ready made by
the Creator. God could not have enjoyed this world
had He not first made 1t, and we must make our
worlds ere we can enjoy them. But our activities
must be holy and holiness is always active yet not
that kind of activity which swings hither and
thither like the pendulum of clock, tic-tac, work
days and holy days alike, until the wheels wear
out and then it stands still forever. Such indeed,
is the work OF many men. Work days and festival
days, right or wrong, they perform their daily
round from morn till night until the wheels OF life
wear out and they stand still. That however, Is
not the way in which we must work. go to the
ant thou sluggard,'' is the recommendation OF the
Scriptures. The ant is stretching out its
grain and half OF wheat during the season: but.
according to the legends, 1t stores up and leaves
II oG ae G1 IN Wsn are
Thou made them all
GOD IS HOLY,
and all His works made in righteousness All
human holiness must flow from the state OF the
mind and hence our activities should tend to make
us spiritual. But If spiritual principles do noe
glory viii be like that OF the ant We
shall gather . and nd store, grind, work eat
Of wheat behind us. Some men leave greenbacks
instead of wheat, and for such the ant is good
teacher, But there is an enjoyment OF labor higher
than this. There are about thirteen hundred mil
lions OF people on the earth, every one OF whom
is seeking enjoyment, but they know little moth
ing about it. 10 have and to hoard is not to enloy
To enjoy IS TO feel pleasure in your soul and to
have sense OF enjoyment there. Two men look
at the same picture, and one sees only the gross
and material side OF it, while the other takes in it's
artistic beauty. Two men listen to the sounds OF
music-one rej0ices in the harmony OF sweet
sounds while the other is more interested in the in
siruments that produce them. Men listen to SER
mon in the same way One is edited at its depth
OF thought, another by It's glow of inspiration and
third is amused If not edited, by the
OCCASIONAL wITTICIsMs
OF the preacher. But all these enjoy the picture,
the music or the sermon according to their
capacity, though none OF them enjoy alike. Two
pendulum law one Keeps open work day and rest
day all the year. The other observes the Sabbaths
and fast days. At the end OF the year we would
say the one that kept open every day has done
one-sixth more business and made one sixth more
MONEY! But mas mas ne done so you measure BY
work as the ant works. The man who has worked
six days and remembered the sabbath to keep is
holy may have one-sixth less gain than the other,
but he knows that he has obtained 1t justly and in
compliance with the Divine law You see two men
OF equal business, and, so far as you can observe
OF equal means also. One man subscribes largely
and literally to all the benevolent objects OF the
age. He supports the synagogue, cares for the
orphans, helps to build homes for the aged and
hospitals for the sick, sits down, perhaps to
frugal meal, and goes to the theatre once month
or 10 the opera once year. The other lives
grandy; he
FARES sUMpruoUsLY EVERY DAY.
he rides out to the Park In a splendid eounaoo
every afternoon, and goes to the theatre or tho
opera with his family every night. Men look at
HIM IN astonishment, and talk of his wealth and d
his wonderful enjoyment ofit. But which OF these
men enjoys his wealth most2 Evidently the man
who does the most good with II. He has moral
foundation TO his enjoyment. But some man will
say perhaps, II IS easy for the preacher to say
tnese Things; IL Is part OF his business Yes, the
Doctor replied, but where is the man who gives
more TO The synagogue the church than the
ministerY The tal0nts which have made him q
preacher would have made him a merchant, q
doctor or lawyer. But he prefers TO live another
ne than that OF the ant. And he DR. H. wonld
have the people avoid the extremes OF over work
and excess OF pleasure aud take the sale middle