The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-07
CHURCH OF TIE DISCIPLES.

First Sabbath In the New Edfhce-The
Aims and Duties OF the SOciety-Ser-
mon by the Nev. George III. Hepworth.
The opening Sunday services IN the new and
splendid church edifce Of the Church OF the Dis
ciples, corner OF Madison avenue and Forty-ifth
street. drew together yesterday morning con-
gregation filing to its utmost capacity the vast
building. The Church, using the word in It's cor
p0rate sense, starts out on its new career under
the most favorable auspices. Everything went of
finely yesterday. The music on the new organ was OF
the finest the singing uncomm0nly fine and the SER
mon. by Mr. HepwOrth, OF his best pulpit Efforts
The subject was appropriate to their entrance
into their new church. His text was Acts,
xiii, 10-"The iron gate that leadeth unto the
city, The Scriptures ne began, are peculiarly
suggestive. When we read that certain men went
into the city the mind, by natural law. infers
from this spiritual fact. II wishes to get to
the Eternal City he must go through
THE IRON GATE.
The way to happiness is hard, but sometimes the
harder the way the sweeter the happiness. II you
your own strength. but that you are constantly
aided by God, nothing can daunt you. Though
the clouds are above you there is sunshine shin
look back on the last fifteen months that you and
have been travelling towards the iron gate The
learned to feel that 1t was another hand than ours
that was doing the work. We have learned to be-
do, and in building
OUR NEW CHURCH
II was not to crafty cur pride or ambition, but to
listen to those words that might do us good and
then to be up and doing The sooner we are up
and doing the better. After ampifying with marked
tians he proceeded to discuss the questton-What
right had they to existence No man has right to
speak unless he has something TO say. What then.
is the purpose OF their new movements These
walls Symbolic its purpose. When the reapers are
hard at work end some one comes In with a
sickle, they do not want his help unless ne
goes to work with them IN dead earnest, but
let reaper come In with keen sickle
and help them work the better or work with
the best Of them and he Is received with a
welcoming smile, do we prefer to be idle with this
great sickle in our hands, are we ia dead earnest
and have we jelned the brotherhood Of laborersY
Pursuing this branch of his subject at some length
went on to explain their Christian faith We stand,
he said, for
SINGLE DOGMA.
The foundation OF our structure Is implicit faith
In Christ; latin in Jesus, the divine Lord. With us
Christ Jesus is the beginning and end OF all things
The cross on the top OF Calvary claims our allegi.
ance. We have stood at its foot; we have heard
the Savt0urs cry and we have taken Him to our
hearts and have no power except from him, and
but involves the IatherhOOd OF God and the sinful
ness OF humanity. you are TO find even the road
to the iron gate you must find it from on high.
untrammelled by antecedents. We can do what
we think is tor the BEST We have no standard
but the cross. We are bound to those dogmas
which are the foundation OF the universal church
Our duty is to save human souls. We profess to be
A WORKING CHURCH.
II can help 1t no one shall sleep during the SER
mon be idle during the week. This church
stands for honest noble work all the time. Let US
not be lazy Christians. God hates idlers. Let us
where there shall be no caste. preach TO human
beings. This pulpit Is devoted to Gods trust.
Again, said the speaker, want this TO be a young
need friends SO much as young men. SO, let us
have good lectures and music, that they may spend
their leisure hours under the guidance and APP