, 1873-12-22

Sermon of tho lsev. Dr. Rytier, OF y
pntll7p Church.


cd at st. Paul'a Church Oh 'Tho Life aud Ser
vices OF Prof. Agassix." HiB sermon was as
follows:
Wisdom In tho principal th]ng therefore oct wiz
dom dom: md with al thy getting get undarstanding.-
Woll.sounded lives arc not common, Thoy
aro exceptional IN the history OF any people.
Most pornons aro not only imperfect rs oxam-
plos, but incomplete In development. Wo are,
80 to Say, fragments Of humanity: not perfected
specimens. We have eyes, but VIC sec not, saye
In 4 certain direction; ears. but thoy lear only
TINT which tal1ica with our interests. Natures
that aro uolthor dwarfod nor biased aro excood-
ingly rare.
This comes, in part, of organization, and
In part Of education. Most gifted, mon
arc gifted In special directions. They .can do
certain things better than 1noat others, but
other things possibly not as weA. Tho culti-
vntion Of this gift" londa In spccinl fold to
startling results but ordinarily tile moro tho
"gift" Is employed tho moro commanding 1t
becomes in its control ovqr all the other faeultioH
OF the mind. Tho 1niser Is simply q man ruled
by what phrcnologstB call aequisitivenesa, until
the love OF money guides all Ills actions. 1u
like manner ono may yield himself to tho COL
lection Of facts, acknowledge. 30 called, which
ho puts to no use, and which, from the frag-
mentary nature of them, impart to him no prac-
tica1 wisdom, neither do they develop UNDER
standing in others.
Our first Wow Of lifo is necessarily partial
and incomplete. Childhood regards everything
III au unnatural light mid-life tInds most Of us
ln our chosen cmploymontP, and tho large share
Of our time and strength turned in ono direction,
SO that oven thcu. when our mental powers arc
most vigorous, md wo may be supposed to DO
~
Of life la usually exceedingly imperfect and preju
diced,
What We cali public sontiment is very potent
| In shaping our opinionn. Eyery ago has itB pe-
| cularities-its tidal waves Of thought. There
was time when Faith ruled civilized humanity.
| We wondor TINT the Crueadcs over could have
| 1oaa undertaken; tlat 40 1nauy millions
| Of people 30 untbinkingy abandoned
ss noof naa Heafa anal, 0ny 1o,no the
Of tho actual history Of the meaimval ago reads
| iko tho Dreams Of romance. In this day, suo1
incidents, on any largo scale, would be impossi-
| blo.-bocauso now the order Of things is re-
! vorscd. The watcll-cry Of the hour ia reason,
| md not faith. Tho pendulum llas swung to The
opposite aldo. scie1ice is tho lead OF tic age
Intelligence is almost deitiea: And il not this
| ~ obviously an extreme as tho other? IL intel
| education. Instruction should make us better
| ~ we'll us wiser. The moro accumulation of
| knowledge caunot be the end of life. The study
| Of the ancient 1aneuageB in the higher schools
| IN hold to 10 valuable, for tho mental discipline
| thoy impnrt; III themselves they communicate
| very little information of any Immediate in-
| portance.
The study Of tho sciences, the culture OF tho
| mind i'll ita relation to nature and human life,
eiiricheH tho intellect, mud III many ways beuetta
the world but does this kind oil study develop
tho whole Of n1an IL there nothing III man but
| his reason ? Educate him nj fur as you may in
on rf
great neod-possibly greater ono-to bo Taught
Of God 10 open his soul to Fnith and his heart
| to Love?
Our toxt tolls US TINT " Wisdom, is tho princi-
wisdom is not information. hut quality Of the
mind. 1t may result from study or
one may possesa it who kaowy but
equitable view of whatever co,nos before tho tho
mind. 1t also includes the fear and knowledge
of God, as tho psalmist EXPRESSES it: $50 teach
US to number o1lr dayB TINT We may apply our
With al thy getting got understanding. +" that
is mcguire the ability to ostilnate life correctly
to Judge impartally, md to Sustain proper re-
lat'on both to your Makcr aud your fcllow-nen.
and tho inspiration Of tie Almighty givoth linn
understanding"
This discussion Las been suggested by the
death, during tho past week, of tho nost illus
n
Americ" ,,ot nnlv ,no,,rn ,,;s Ioss int ta ,rI,oc
clyiiize1 world ioins in tic rer,nt tint M safnj
mud mobile Iifo has thus suddonly closed.
Tonis Tol,n 1,,dnlnh Arnsaiz woa ~ Tronc,,
descent. his fauiIy l,uynr heen esnoIlcd from
Irauca hy tn crnOl nd;rt of Nautss ;ss,,a,1
aeainst tIo Hue1eots ia waa tl'e non .sstGq ns sq
ceueratiouH Of clereymen. Born II, 1s07 he
9a"o,na t,intinvuahnfi T., N,tnrn1 Ec;auroa, o.
oarlw M ' 1a3a when ~ 1'a vac 'o annn;n. o,l
Trofoaaor Of Natural I5istnrv in tha
coIere of Nouchate1. In 1si7 .he
ro,noTed to Amorea. mud in tic fo|1owiip yenr
Lscnn,e profosanr Of Tho now sciemiifin scIoo nl
IN cn.,noction With 11nrva,1l f,alienc near noaIo,
or lnta yeurs. nl,uost eyery intellirons NM, i,
Aner,ca Inns beco1no famiar With Lis na,nc md ~.
low persons Of any ago havo onjoycl moro
hv nirtb. Amariron l,y n1ont;on lie Wns II c;t;ze,
of lho Vide. wide world. and q frieud to hulnar.
itv eyorywhoro. The i,nmod,uto canso ff IiA death
was naralva1s: tho re,note cn,,Eo Saa nroimhtu
over.wori1 for ho was inIcfat;r"h,a IN III. ioi,or:
anl Ind nireody anromnl;.I.n;' Tia taalr of snv1