The New York herald., 1873-11-17
MADISON AVENUE REFORMED CHURCH.
How to secure the Higher Good-sermon

How to Secure the Higher Good-Sermon
by Professor n. ID. Hitchcock, ID. ID.
The attendance at the elegant and spacious
Madison avenue Reformed church, corner OF Fifty
seventh street, was very large yesterday morning.
Professor r. ID. Hitchcock, d. d. filed the pulpit,
and selected as his text Matthew, K, S9-"He that
fndeh his life shall lose it, and lie that loseth his
life Tor my sake shall find IT," IL was during the
second year OF the Lords ministry when the occur
renee narrated in this tenth chapter Of Matthew
took place. John the Baptist was in prison on the
east side Of the Dead Sea. Southern Palestine
would have nothing more to do with
the new doctrine. The Master had gone
up to Northern Palestine, and had been
twice around the circuit OF Galilee, and now He
was about 70 send the disciples of again, this
time without HIS accompanying them. His assist
ance was TO be Withdrawn and they were about
being left to help themselves. He had thoroughly
advised them and was now giving them their
charge. One voice pervaded it throughout. The
esy was then comparatively clear, put storm was
brewing 1t was not TO go smoothly with them.
The Gospel brought peace at last, but before that
was attained there would be war; man gets the
best OF everything by treading out what Is bad.
In history at large, the truth is sure TO come by
blood, by the lighted faggot and the iron fetter.
To get OF with our lives is to lose our lives;
anu did this seem hard to the dis
clpleSY Does IL uSf There Were two
GREAT LAWS OF LIFE
TO be drawn from the text The first Is that 1t Is
commonly required of US to sacrifice lower good
TO gain higher good. This is not always SO, but
nearly SO. There are except. Ions; but nearly all
men in their daily life take their choice OF things
and ching TO such choice. SO the world after ALL is
but vast plaza, where everything is ticketed and
every thing has Its price, II we cannot have God
and mammon we certainly cannot have mammon
and God. A young man with health and vlgor can
have a good time, as 1t is styled, II he wants to;
but II he thinks only OF tins he WIN nor
out OF the question with the higher
good; but pleasure supreme Is fatal with
men and women too. Money Is OF account,
but in the hands OF unscrupulous men 1t Is dan
gerous. Almost every man could become rich
some time by making the wish to get money SUI
preme above all else. To accomplish It, however,
he must be persistent and temperate and cool.
Many man will lie IN obscurity who might have
become author, artist savant because he
would not go INTO training. Persuasive speech
lies sumberlng on every up because II must be got
at. But the scholar, artist and author must never
be an idler nor mean and sordid Learning
and eloquence Will never tolerate coarse
stern sentinel at the gate, and all that attempt
to enter get challenged with such questions as
bread and wa,er Are YOU Wiling to be be poerY
Ii not, then be gone. only those can come IN here
who are willing 10 work Ike galley slaves and
finally die heroes and martyrs such are the estab-
lshed methods OF our lie. We must make sacri-
nces, and thus can only attain'a higher end. What
is true IN this lie is the same regarding the eter-
nal lite. To obtain the latter sacrilces must needs
be made. This is hard, you may say, but it is
human lie. The preacher then eoquently re-
ferfed to the army OF sell-denyIng and
SUFFERING SAINTS
who are sowing the seeds OF Christianity all over
the world and gave them that praise due their
noble efforts The second law OF lie, the text
teaches US is that py first securing the higher good
we prepared To enjoy the Christian state and
obtain IT. NO worldly good can be really enjoyed
IL 1t IS pursued Tor It's own good and purpose Men
become tired OF pleasure, aud the enjoyment
OF the business man who takes two or three hours
a day Tor the purpose Oh relaxation has infinitely
more enjoyment tnan he who pursues pleasure
a profession. Activity Is what Is really appreci-
ated GIrard could have been a great man
and done much good, but he did not pos
sess the intelligence TO lift him above
the pursuit OF wealth 1or its accumulation
only. The preacher tnen adverted to the sort OF
faith which we should have, and said tnat he who
loved God with all his heart-was willing to make
sacrifices and iorego pleasures-such an one may
be poor, out ne would nave enough; he might not
secure vulgar applause, but ne would tnaG
spiritual nelptulness that is above everything else
Thus in all directions we get but little permanently
by gong directly Tor it. BY trying TO obtain the
higher get as much of the lower as Is best for
That Is base who wants wealth TO the
peril of his manhood that man Ii base VINO wants
applause to the peril OF his simplicity The ex.
perlencing OF religion is nothing else but absolute
sci -renunciatlon OF everything TO God, This done,
it Will be better than all other pleasures