The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-06
going to the Post Once at all, thereby saving
much valuable time to the Department and to
the newspaper publishers.


The first Sabbath in this new year was sig
halized yesterday by ministers and people
with new departure. Grand purposes for
the future were outlined and the progress OF
the past served as motives to inspire greater
faith and more diligent labor in the year to
come. Sermons especially appropriate to the
new year were preached in st. Pauls Prot
estant Episcopal church, Yorkville, by Rev.
w. R. Carroll; in Seventh avenue Presby-
terrain church by Rev. s. Fl. Graham; in
Trinity Baptist church by Rev. DR.. Holme;
in Twenty-fifth street Presbyterian church by
Rev. J. s. Stewart; in the Church of the Dis
ciples by Rev. George H. Hepworth, and in
the Catholic churches, wherein the festival Of
the Epiphany is to be celebrated to-day
MIR. Hepworth's sermon was o Thanksgiving
to God for the progress of his congregation
during the year past, and pledge of greater
prospect through greater devotion to Jesus
Christ during the year to come. He would
have his people keep step with Old Time in
his march, and let every year carry them nearer
to God. Time should be measured by expe-
rience and by duty well performed. No man,
said Mr.. Hepworth, is sure of Heaven who is
simply passing pure. He must save others.
He must go forth into the world, lifting the
down-trodden and speaking to the erring and
the hayward with the authority of God to win
them to Christ, without whom our lives would
be spiritual Saharas without an oasis. How
strangely these truths fell upon many ears and
many hearts year ago How sweetly and
comfortingly they come now from a heart
made green and beauteous by the overfowings
of the pure river of water Of life beside which
this minister of Christ has sat now for year.
May not 1874 bring with it richer and holier
experience in the things of God to both pastor
and people? It will if the conservation is per-
feet and complete.
MIR. Stewart recited some of the strange
things which the world had witnessed during
the years past, such as the progress of civiliza-
ton and Christianity in China; the emancipa-
ton of serfs in Russia and of slaves in the
United States the position which woman is
taking, not only in this country but in every
other the creation of public sentiment in
favor of mercy to our dumb friends, and the
death Of eminent representatives Of the pro-
fessions of journalism, art, the drama, his
torians, sacred and secular, and ministers of
the Gospel While Mr.. Stewart gave its need
of praise to this progressive age he feared that
the Church is drifting too much towards lib
eralism. But he preferred liberalism to
bigotry and so do we. Better, far better, to
live in an age like the present than in any
that has preceded it since God made man
upon the earth.
Mr.. Carroll considered man physiologically
and spiritually and intellectually, and pre-
sented his case to invite his hearers to con-
slider the destiny to which they are hurrying.
The past is constantly teaching the future,
and the congregation were directed to the
mortuary statistics of the year, 70 the facts
which indicate an increase Of crime, and, in
view of these things, they were asked to
remember the days of old, and to exert them
selves still more than they had in Gods SER,
vice in the time to come; y.
Mr. Graham believed that the past year vas
one fraught with events as marvellous as any
that he could remember, and yet it had
brought many blessings with it. Looking
over the past he saw great deal to be done
in the future. The great evil Of the times he
conceived to be o lack Of faith and morality
based on the true principles of Christian doc
trine without which religion is only myth
and morality an imaginary thing
Dr. Holme saw life as q railroad and men
as engines running along it and driven by the
force of habit and character on the road to
heaven or to perdition according to the direc-
ton given to their character, and with an ever
increasing momentum. But even engines
have stopping places, where they take in fuel
and water so have men stopping places,
and the New Year is one of them. The young
were, therefore, warned and urged to consider
their ways and to cease to do evil and learn to
do we'll.
DR.. McGlynn preached an admirable SER
mon on the Epiphany and its lessons, and
urged this as On excellent time for the mil
lions to come and worship their God. He re-
gretted that, as in the days of DID, too few avail
themselves of the guiding star which leads to
the manger and to the cross, and too many,
while they know where the Saviour is, tarry in
coming to PROSTATE themselves before Him.
Too many there are who would stifle the
heavenly infant for the sake of retaining the
poor perishable things of this world. Dr.
STAIRS also preached ON Epiphany sermon. He
looked upon Christs manifestation of His
divinity as one of the most important bene-
fits conferred upon man. Creation itself can
not be compared with it. The Doctor elabo-
rated this thought, and showed the impor-
lance of this fact in its relation to Others and
then called upon his hearers to examine them
selves and to follow the Saviour more closely
this year than they had followed him in the
past
In philosophical examination of the facul-
ties of the human mind Mr.. Beecher yester-
1av an daovorod to ;lIuotrota and To damon