The New York herald., 1873-12-29
FIFTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.


Or. Halls Earnest Appeal TO His Com
grsgatIon as to New Year Dutiee.
Dr.. Hall preached yesterday morning IN his
church, at the corner OF Filth avenue and Nine.
teenth street, to very full congregation which
not only occupied all the pews but the aisies as
WELL
Dr.. Hall said that now as in the time OF Moses,
God was ever present with us. and took the same
interest in Us he did in the Israelites then
He was not as dsmonstrabe, perhaps, and did not
come down 10 us as he did to Moses then. But His
blessings, His merties, His constant gifts, His mani
fold indugences were as great. He was the same
God as He ever was and loved Us as truly as He
ever did. But in these latter days. said the
Doctor, there is in matters OF religion vast deal
OF digging around at the root. l wonder
how much fruit all this VIII produce We are
much too apt at present to cut down the tree.
There are some here to-day who, during the past
year, have sat here Sunday after Sunday, but they
have not yet tasted OF the joys OF religion and yet
what has not God done for themY What joys have we
had within the year which is about to closer Some
perhaps, have been visited but with the consola-
lions OF CHRIST. joJ has GENE out OF grief and
row and tears here II nigh. ne;e heen supposed
", we should succqmb OF all this give Him the sorry
Magnify Him. Let there be an incense going up az
ali times IL is this We ought to think OF. Jehovah
himself is the dwelling place OF His people. God
has an eternal, an interchangeable character. We
do not think enough OF this unaltefable character
OF God. DID you ever stand by the sea and
ua,en lne waves as lii5y "..ccc beating Up
against the shores Of rock bound coast. They
bidding walls OF rocks and only fan back
fESr nour alter N hour hour, day alter DAY and month
after month this goes on. Did you ever
think how many generations have gaGed upon thisy
You pass away, you are forgotten, but the eartn
snl remains When you walk the street OF great
city and see the houses on each side OF you do
you ever think OF how many have been there before
you, OF many who have passed OF nom this eartil
not TO return There they are faliing like the
drops OF rain, and In all this God alone
remains and remains for ever. When you see
q little cemetery In the country IN the
it Is fun or tomhs unnuInbered and unknown, few
with the stone slab at the top OF the grass grown
mound, do you ever think that all these nave once
less generations before tnern and all are now gone
and yet one day e'-en the eartn will 90 and God
alone will remain AJd DO we think what poor evan
escent, transient weak creatures we are While
God Is from everlasting to everlasting But we
need not despair. There Is Z way OF making our
hope, our home and our dwelling in the Lord. This
relieves US from cur own nothingress and brings
up to Him. Ii S because man Sins that He leads
them TO destruction Beware Of the sin OF procras-
tination a.oye others. DO not put of your sal
walton Tor every day you live You become buser
and more occupied and while the allotted age OF
man Is three score and ten, ii may be much
| shorter. IL may terminate at 10 and may end at
| 90. Remember this, That you should always be
ready TO go. There were good reasons in the olden
| time why mao lived longer than he now does. The
world needed knowledge ana civilization and to
! commence new generation or men every 80 or
| 40 years would have put the world back. But this
is changed. DO not put of the time when you viii
| change for cares increase with increasing years.
| You may be cut down at any ttTne ana you do not
| hearken TO Gods voice calling you.
The Doctor closed with short exhortaton for
| the unthinking TO change now that new year was
| beginning.