National Republican., 1873-12-08
TIE PULPIT.
METROPOLITAN NJ. Y. CHURCH,

METROPOLITAN NJ. y. CHURCH.
Yesterday morning, at II O'Clock, tho spacious
sudlcneo room Of this church was we'll nlle,h by
Intelligent and interested worshipcrs. Tho
familiar noes Of very many Of the Senators and
Representatives Of tho Forty.third Congress, who
were accustomed to worship hero during previous
winters, were to be seen throughout tho audience,
and an unusually large attendance Of visiting
strangers was noticeable. This church makes q
speciality Of welcoming strangers and making
those from various sections Of tho country feel at
home, special invitations being extended to such
20 larry for mutual acquaintance aftcr each Sab
After announcing the commcndable organi,a-
tion q the ladies Of tho church 70 care Tor the
poor during the hardshps Of the winter, the pas.
The church ofhciaIs OF lady members any worthy
order that such may be speedily and bOuntifaliy
D.. TiiIany then announced as hl, tex. for the
sat tho flesh Of tho Son Of Man and drink his
blood 70 have no life in you"
The following Is an abstract OF the pastors re-
marks These words have awakened In the mind
pf almost every class OF readers feeling oivague
Tns ehS ,S.P PsrSsSns them TSpasE m
tween him and Christ, while The bOidest Chris re-
tan pauses in the discharge OF duty to reflect lest
II has therefore appeared wise and pertinent to
ne occasion to inquire Into the matter as far as
nry 20 this inquiry Is the remembrance Of the
hct and idea Of sacrifice, which has In n certain
ense has gained prominence BY the isolation
sbieh IL has gained irom materiaiism In this long
The important Inquiry is as to what meaning
Christ intended TO convey by the expressions,
scatinE his nesh" and drinking his blood Our
tlaimcd 10 be, could nourish men. Among many
bxpressions he said, II am the bread OF lie, he
Ssssa 70 down S%
These, we sec, arc the statements and explapa-
lions that this 'bread Of lifen can nourish man.
aiins Il. The muster was not speaking Of The
Sacrament Of the Lords Supper but expressing
literal eating and drinking for he said "the iesS
han" When he said, athls 6 my body which was
jhowing undoubtedly lis spIritai sIgnlncation and
lhat the language was hgurativc and accolnmo.
latiye Faith In the erueihcd body WAS conveyed
~ the context where this bread Of life is compared
% the mama sent down from God In the wilder
pees TO sustain physical life.
This mama had no power Of conservation, but
berishcd by its own corruption; " was but small
shl,e thing ,ke unto ,he hear i,os, mn,,e ,.,r ,n
BOD who rules In the elements OF nature, controls
lhc actions Of men, and infuses spiritual life to all
These words dumb founded the Jews, how could
Christ give them Of his nesh to cat and his blood
drink; the statement len in their minds an I'm.
preston Of n great fact beyond their conprehen.
lion. He addressed well.bchaved Jews who were
tevoted to all the propretics Of religion, and yet
there Is no real life, unless they ate Of his flesh
md drank OF his blood; but doing this, they
lhould possess an eternal liie widening In its
The provision Of this Saviour must be received
md embraced to impart spiritual life Just Ne
bread must be eaten and assimilated, In order TO
hmpart physical strength and nourishment. Thus |
the atonement became tho link between human. |
ny and God by which spiritual life is conveyed.
Who Who @ desires % Spiritual liz Within him to control
his actions, inspire his hopes and become the aim
q h can 'sssry ss s s
Christ s IN our spiritual nature By faith for noup
is,Ss i;aSsn''s " 'sss q l'0d Z s,sglL:ss, g@ ma
:. ,.earness in our apprehension Of Christ in his
relation to us, and an entire disregard Of self
lhe only way Of personally appropriating the
The body Of Christ, It's nesh and blood, was
pecessary TO tho atonement This is to be appre- |
sended By faith tili II comes in actual % con; |
b 70 the body. He instituted q service to memo |
rialiie the fact Of his atonement. The symbols
dits IDEAS; bread made from crushed and bruised
grain, wine from the mangled srsPes.irom The
tread Of ,hs vine SsT came g
ieryice n means OF grace In It's constant recnr-
renee declaratiye act Of the acceptance Of the
'lhe bread sent down from heaven, to be broken
md distributed In its benefaetlons that the thou
lands may gather II as spread BY Ms servants:
Itantiai eating OF ChrIst's body. What we see
ID hut the expression Of the substance entering
sa, I,S "rc wnse BsIases, ohll Ssh Sna SSos
substantially, not lterally-iust as the woman
touched the hem Of his garment, though some
20 we can come into contact with Christ aud take
bold Of his divine vitalIring power, by which We
are lIftsd into the eommuniOn Of Identification, to
The reeurrcnce Of this memorial service is more
Than passing event; 1t represents Gods eternal
10 our eyer.needy souls, and in It We recognize the
hct that he lives and will come again, and by him
table. II Is a giaddening, encouraging means Of
grace, an assurance Of the constant presence OF
God, as the pillars Of cloud and hre were to the
children Of Israel In their sclouming.
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.
At this new Episcopal church, In the Y. NJ. O..
A. building, the rector, Rev. ]. p. Hubbard, de-
livercd u discourse appropriate to the Advent
reason, from Nal. iv:is: "Then shall yc return,
and discern between the righteous and the
wicked between him that seryeth God and
him that serveth him not" He said that
under the present dispensation Of trial and discp
iinc things seem sometimes very mixed up-the
wicked in prosperity and the righteous In afne.
lion; and TO careless observers II may seem that
Bod is Indifferent to these things, and that
AFTER all the best way is for . man to enjoy him
self and get the utmost good possible out OF liic
And even Gods children are sometimes tempted
10 think that they are overlooked by God; and ~
lherc is tendency to relax their diligence and
become content with a general sort Of good.
bess and morality. So Il has ever beep. Gods
Song suffering toward the wicked has been mis-.
Understood and presumed upon, aud 80 II will con-
Snue to be untilthe day Of hnal Judgment when
Bod shall yindieatc all his dealings with the
Jhiidren Of men. Doubtless there are many things
lbat are nscrutable TO us now In these dealings,
br Gods ways and thoughts are fnr above our
poor, finite conprehensiOns But, however con.
used they may seem TO US, they are all plain to
him; and by;and.byi It will be made manifest to
as also that God relgns and tudgeth righteously,
In part, the present order Of things IL designed
rial Of our character and Of our faith In God. He
purposcly abstans from compulsion, that our own
ihoice may be free and unhindcredi and even all
ibis confusion Of rival teachings, all alike claim
ng to set forth, has Its use n testing our sincere
Tast freedom and latitude; among protesting
Christians there are all shades Of liberty and
practice. In regard to duties, also, what large
freedom there Is! A man may do much littlc
sber way his standing In the church is good; his
condemnation or approval Is beyond human seIu.
shurch and the wOrld9 Who can authoritatively
pronounce where worldly conformity begins and
his own wise purposes God allows all the freedom
aud latitude. But not because he 10 indifferent;
Tor amid all TINS seeming confusion, this mixing
sud to the plummet. And though, amid the gene
raj worldlihess, while the love Of many is waxing
Eecl themselves isolated and alone, they can look
lorward with joyful hope to the coming Of their
lord and master and the manifestation OF the
iels 0f God
Oh, what a day Of revelation will that be when
the Book Of Remembrance, now being written be-
tore him, shall be opened and Its whole record
spread out. Now the wheat and tares grow
Ing side by side but then the lines Of separation
will be distinctly and mistakably drawn. Then,
put Of the many protesting to be his, will the Lord
make up his Jewels; out OF the "many called y
will be taken the few that are chosen" And
Tou, dear friends who scout the Idea Of a future
Judgment; and you, also who deny that there are
hny such fundamental distinctions Of character
among men-who believe, In the words OF the
cynical walpole, that every man has his price, "
then you, also, shall plainly discern between the
righteous and the wicked. As the ylstas Of ctcrn.
ny open before you, on the one hand SO full Of M
ntterable woe and anguish, on the other, so full
Of nevcr.ending glory and blessedness; MS you
hear the wailngs Of the lost and the rejOcings oi
the saved you will discern the infinite gulf oi dis
tinction and separation between those who serve
God and those who serve him not,
And what shall say 10 you, my beloved peo
plef long to have the day Of Chrlsrs coming a
Hay Of Joy TO you. Let US not be tempted to sup
pose that because our Lord Is In a far country