, 1873-09-15
CHURCH SERVICES.
First Sermon Of the Third Onita-
rial1's New Pastor.
Dedication Of the Chapel Of the N. E.
Congregational Church.
Banner Presentation at the Church Of
the Nativity.
THIRD UNITARIAN,

THIRD UNITARIAN.
Tho. Rov. II. J. Savage, formerly minister of
tho Congregational Church at Hannibal, No.,
and rccontly called to tho Third Congregational
Church of this city, preached his first scr1non
to his congregation ycatorday morning, In their
church, at tho corner Of 1atlin aud Monroe
streets.
The toxt WAS thfson from tho thirty y-sevonth
verse Of tho twenty chaptor Of Matthew:
>*Thou Bhn}t }oyo tho Lord, thy Coil" Tho
preacher nakcl Why 1t WAS tho duty Of Christians
to love God. Many aocm to think that thoy
may stop short Of this supreme love, and still bo
doing what is right. Flo compared man who,
in evory other respect snVe ho1ing this ioVo
supreme to all other dutios, good Chris
tian, loving his follow-mon, to q man who builds
beautiful house, and decks 1t ont with rirh
carpets and raro furniture, but leayos weak
spot In tho foundation. Tho nature of tho COM
uand contained In tho to3t must DO
looked into, whother it's obeying is in
itsolf goodly thing, necessity Of our
unt,lro: or 1t it ls a mere arbitrary COM
mani. Tho preacher drew M illustration by
surprising man in the possession Of beautiful
Hover which he thinks Of tranBplantipg in
certain cornor OF his gardon. 4 man, stronger
than he. tells him thnt II ho aoea 30 ho will
assault him; !; while friend, visor than he,
advises him that tho soil In That certain spot ii
not fertile, and the planting thoro Of the flower
would be to insure its destruction. In both
caBos tho result would bo the abandoning Of tho
iaca OF transpaant1ng but the difforent reasoning
IN the two cases ia worthy Of remark. Many arc
unable to understand tllat to love God Is ono Of
tho things Most eBaontial to happiness. The
preacher reviewed in eloquent words the various
roauona commonly given why mon should loVo
God. A child Ia told to love God because Ho is
1lis Creator, without ut tho ea,no timo explains
ing how groat boon the llfo ~. a common
fallacy Of parents in thoir treatment OF
love becanso they arc tho authors Of thoir exist
cuce, while in truth tho greatost boon that l.
Iaroit cap giyo child Ia to educate it up to
loyo Of God. Auothor reason given why we
should possess this lovo IL the greatness Of
tho great may not always bo lovely; that King
ship is not necessarily lovely. Whether we love
tho Almighty or not lepcnas upon the character
TO reason for our loving Him. In our own lives,
it is not m uncommon thing to see ono person
dearly love another who is unable to rociprocato
thu Affection, md III whom simulated roturn
ef tho loyo would DO wrong; So tlo love p, Of
in n Ills lis case, cas- is ain: Again,
by some It is urged that VIC should love God be-
causo He will visit ,,s with fearful punishment II
punishment he likeued to tho grief consequent
upon the death of King who, III order to insure
mourning at his DEPARTURE ordered sacrifices Of
his subjects to bo made. TO urge this roason il
much the sayno as we're father to grasp his boy
by tho shoulder mud say: "Johnuy il you do
not loyo mo immediately, thon shall beat you
you must not merely put your arms round my
neck and kiss nc, but must 1ovo mo with your
reason that God should be loved with an aftac-
tion that Is born OF fear; and yet, to be without
this love, is, and must be, punishable. The in-
s1t1ciency OF this a.titlcinI reason docs not ro.
moye the real reason why no should love God.
Tho first grand reaaon why we should lovo God ID
becauHe Ho IL loso}J. IIo il tho embodiment OK
al that ia beautiful true aud g0oa' the sum and
Of tho mountains ia q touch Of His finger. the
ocoan il His shadow, the beauties Of tho lowers
OF the garden aro but o reflect Of Els exquisite
taate, tho loyes Of eart, tho gentle beanainEs OF
tho eyoB Of husband and wife arc kindled from
the flame Of Hin own tentlorneBB and love. II
any one feels that ho does not lovc God for this,
then there ia In his nature something wrong.
Ono rcason for tho lack of this love il ignorance.
Domo go through life without it bccauEe they
has boen miBrepresented to the1n: suppose
a boy WHO has never aoen Ills fataor,
who il living In . distant land. From what
source would Lis feeling towards tho parent
knew tho father had represented him to tue sou.
This misrepresentation Of God IL often done by
those whose duty it ls to teach to their congre-
cations TIE beauty Of A,s ove and tue man
tngs, doos not fall in with tho ideas 10 branded
as an infidel. a love Of God is the only true
philosophy. Tt il very cotnmon for mon to say
4at they love their fellow men, and e., lot other @
themselves IN the performance OF good works,
belong to aocioties whose object Is tho
loseoning Of human miHery,. build charita.
bio inBtitutione, Tlis is woll in itself, but
;u tnj1 r. in trnn mt frrf r.
creatures will probably blossom into love OF God.
Still this foo]ing lacks the spring OF religious vi
tality, tho love OF God, the only lastlnB anac-
tion. IN & very eloquent conclusion tue preacher
showed TINT no complete and lasting love OF man
can have other source than lovo OF tod, to OBJ
tain which, the only true moans is prayer.
During tho service the Ney. A1t. Savage Btated
that OIL future occasion ho would audreas tho
congregation upon the subject OF his arrival
amongst them.
NEW ENGLAND CONGREGATIONAL
A. large congregation assembled yesterday
morning in the Now England Congregational
Church, at the corner OF Dearborn aud White
streets, to witnesa tho dedication Of tho chapel
to sacrod uses. A full description OF tho new
structure WAS published in The TRIBUNE yeato1-
day. Flowers and eyergroens, tastofully dis
trbutod decorated the edliice Tho services
wore conducted by the Rev. l.. 7. Chamberlain.
The congregation Hang the eavonty-thlrd hymn,
beginning:
My sou1 repeat His praiso
Whoao mercics ARE 30 great;
Wlloae npger is SO slow to ris0,
So ready to abate.
The pastor offered 3 touching prayer. thank
Ing Providence for the mercies youcllsafed tho
Church. and invoking the Divine blessing on 'ts
future efforts.
Then was sung Tho hymn beginning:
Tho Lord jehovah rogust
uA throne Is placel OIL high.
Tho text was. "Tor 10y cometh In tho,morn-