The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-16


of grace At certain times and
under certain conditions it is not
easy for us to appreciate what Dr. Anderson
calls the littleness of earthly things. But
when we come to place them side by side
with the immortal, eternal, unfading things
of the future life, their littleness must appear
unto all men. And though we know and
sometimes see and feel very keenly the COM
parative insignifcance of the pomp and pleas
ures OF this life, we still allow them to rob us
of our crown and our harp and our home
beyond. Our temporary gain is thus made
our eternal loss.
But death and the grave have been subju-
gated by One who carried our humanity tri-
umphantly through them and led captivity
captive that He might give gifts unto men: and
not the least of those gifts is that trust in Christ
which, Mr.. Hepworth declared, alone banishes
the fear of old age and death. Faith in
Christ and in the power Of His resurrection
will enable man, while he walks through the
valley of the shadow of death, to do so without
fear. And nothing else will do it.
How apt we all are to consider that preach
ing belongs to peculiar class of men, and
how little we think that every man and woman
may be q preacher! Bishop James tells us
that good living is good preaching. We be-
lieve it is the very best. While sceptics and
infdels have secuted and scoffed at the
teachings and the miracles of Jesus Of
Nazareth, they have not been able to
point to single act or word Of His that
did not show moral life, true life.
And it was not the Sunday life of the Phar-
isee, put on for the occasion, but it was the
everyday life accessible to any man who ac-
cording to his ability, will seek for it. And
hence, as the Bishop declared, "God expects
a good sermon from every one of His children
each day of their lives" And for himself, he
pledged a more faithful and jealous perform
ance of official obligations in the future
Temptation in itself is never commend
able thing, though it may be agreeable and
its result may be an increase of virtue and joy
in US. Mr.. Powers is credited with telling us
this much. But is it not quite possible that
the result Of temptation may be to increase
vice and sorrow as well as virtue and joy? It
is successful resistance to temptation that
brings joy and peace, and we gather from
the discourse that that is the idea inculcated
therein. And only in this sense can the prov
ocations Of the world be needed to bring out
what is within us. The evil within will make
itself felt and known with very little or no
provocation whatever, but the good is Of slow
growth and too often Of feeble existence We
NJ hot 30 xysr
tue in the city than in the country, because
there is more temptation here to do wrong
than there is in the rural districts, and all the
cry about country virtue and city vice has no
relative foundation in facts.
DR.. Cheever, contrasting Gods method Of
governing human hearts with mans, finds
that the rule of the latter is one of falsehood
and death, while the former is love and light;
and the result of Gods method is peace in
the heart that passeth all understanding. But
without the handspring of faith and love the
heart is barren and empty and cannot answer
the purposes for which it was made.
Thousands there are who spend their years
chasing the sunbeams, striving after fame and
fortune and pleasure, but when they have
reached the goal they are tired, weary and
footsore, and have no heart to enjoy them. A
moment more, another step, and they enter the
tomb. What, then, are these things good for
Rightly does Mr.. Butler characterize them as
''baubles," "ephemeral," and intimate that
when the long roll Of eternity is called the
angelic secretary will not waste time with our
titles. We shall then all stand naked and
open before the eyes of Him with whom we
have to do. Then simple faith will count
more than Norman blood and millionnaires'
treasures.
In explaining the parable of the Great Sup
per recorded by Luke, Father Quinn brought
out a thought that is not often made promi-
nent-namely, that those who refused the
invitation were engaged in some legitimate
and proper employment. But this did not
constitute sufficient excuse for sighting or
refusing the invitation. Nor will any such
excuses avail the sinner who neglects or re-
fuses to hear the voice of God by His Spirit or
His Word calling him to repentance and new
life. And hence, as Father Quinn added,
neglecters are often in greater danger Of eter-
nal death by their carelessness than even great
criminals.
While DR.. Quinn was making this practical
appeal to the Cathedral congregation Father
McCready was evolving from the same parable
the doctrine of the ''real presence" Tor the
worshippers in ST. Stephens church. The
truth of the dogma of the real presence of
Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the eucharist,
prejudiced reader of the Sacred Scriptures.
One of two things must therefore be true.
The seventy or eighty millions of Professionals
or non-C Catholics in the world who read the
Scriptures are both ignorant or prejudiced or