The New York herald., 1873-11-24
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

Christ's Mission on Earth and Its Les
sons-Sermon by the Rev. George H.
Hcpworth.
At the services yesterday morning at the Church
OF the Disciples corner or Madison avenue and
Forty-nlth street. there was the usual large and
fashionable attendance. More than usual fervor,
however, seemed to infuse itself into the preimi
nary exercises, and particularly in the singing, IN
which the entire congregation participated, and
which had a sort OF Old fashioned camp-meeting
ike ring OF enthusiasm in 1t. The Rev. Mr.. Hep.
worth preached the sermon. His subject was, 'srhe
Lille OF Christ and Its Teachings;n and his text
John, xii, 25-"And he tnat hateth his lie in
this world shall keep 1t unto life eternaln
We have here, he began, one Of those paradoxes
OF which the New Testament Is so iulL II certainly
contradcts the logical expediency OF the time, and
the fruit OF such course would have been exceed
ingly undesirable to most men. II Jesus had been
only worldly wise, and had at first unrolded the
course He was to pursue, 1t would have received an
immediate denounclation from the learned
Hebrew. II one wanted to take
cRoss-CUT ROAD TO OBLIVION,
tnat was the way. But II he wanted TO be regarded
by posterty as mighty ruler, he must be backed
by power and prestige. To contradict the innu.
entail would be death; to oppose them, immediate
annihilation. Christ consulted none. His course
only one path. Jesus lived then for purpose.
Even II He should spend His hie in its purchase it
would be cheap. And so we find life not only OF
singular but OF divine conservation, life of OPP
posite extremes yet in all He did or said with that
one purpose in view. Men might threaten or hate,
but He would not swerve. When Judas in the night
kissed Him, instead OF calling down the wrath OF
heaven He submitted without sigh. he yielded
without q word to the bitter hatred OF men and to
the bitter VIII OF God That afternoon as
the iron crushed through His flesh He prayed
Heaven tor nothing save Tor forgiveness
to his tormentors. When all was done He said, It
is completed. He meant His labor on earth. That
labor was to answer the spiritual necessities OF
mankind-tO become balm OF Gilead to every
wounded life-tO become glimpse OF heaven to
those who we're walking down to eternal gloom
were dying No wonder that the great heart OF
the nation thrObbed with anxiety for a solution Of
tne problem of their sprituaI nature. We know
that the storms OF this life are pitiess indeed.
without faith and hope life Is
LONG WINTER OF DIsCoNTENT.
After charging quite extensively on this topic
he went on to state that all men must come,
sooner or later, face to face with death. What
light shall be our guide to the future world ?
What mind here knows more than US : Who shall
tell u.s. can lead you to the land OF the hereafter
1t is Christ who has been there and who will
lead us there. We look at the life OF Christ and
ask ourselves, What is Its significance : II seems
to me that without Him we would be like men
bties not fulfilled and a thousand longngs not
needed q SHELTER and He gave what
needed. The noor OF the house IS
SERMON ON THE MOUNT,
every stone OF Its mosaic beattude the walls
succeed and frescoed to illustrate the loving faith
OF Christ and His disciples Tue roof shall be
studded with what seemed to be stars, like the
vaulted night; but the father looking through his
tears, shall the dim face OF his dead child, and
the child shall see the face OF his dead parent,
though those who went before watched over US
and stood ready when our time came to give us a
helping hand. This is what Christ has done, and
what was the motiyes The pyramids were built
as monument to the name OF ofPharaoh; but Chris
tanlty, the building OF the LORD, was built not TO
crafty any personal ambition, but all Tor love
for us.