The New York herald., 1874-08-24
The Rev. =. Robert Love. OF Georgia, On
the Mtxssou Of Christ.

the Mission OF Christ.
Yesterday tue churcn OF the Transnguranon.
better known a. The Lltue Church Around the
Corner" ON 1wenty-ninth street. near Madison
avenue, seemed 10 be the great centre Of afirsc-
iion for uptown church RoerA FMS vas OWING 'o
the sect tnat the Rev. J. Robert Love. OF - Angus
tines Mission. Georgia. was 10 preach there. the
Rev. Dr. George n. Houghfon. rector % me CHURCH
offciated, assisted by the Rev. Dr. George D. sey-
more, Of the General theological seminary. Al
the close OF the morning prayer. the Rev MI
Love assembled the puplt--the nrsl time "a has ever
been filled py colored clergyman. lie selected
his text and spoke a. i0liows;-"fhe oiha
receive their sight and the lame wax
the lepers are cleansed and the dear
hear. the dead raised up and tne
poor have the Gospel preached unto them-H phe
text, he said, Is iuli and substantial reply 10 one
OF the most important, a not absolutely the most
important questions ever propoalded directly 10
our blessed Lord The circumstances which gave
rise 10 both question and answer are br'enF
thesc;-from the very earliest tunes. al along the
line OF ages down through the fairiarchate,
through the passage Of the desert, the residence
In Palestine, the Basyionlsh captivity aud the
wnoe period OF prophetic inspiration. predictions
nad been uttered concerning the appearance and
lie of one In whom AL the families 0i tbe cafth
were 10 be blessed These prophetic decia'
u Secame mSre Ume"Sa ana dsas moSs dsIne, % as um:
rolled on and the revolution OF anaiis
brought nearer aud nearer toe perfect lulhlment
OF these wonderful announcements. John, al ine
time OF our Lord's appearance, was confined an
the prison OF Machnrus because he had rebnked
the wickedness OF the incestuous nerod. lie
therefore despatched two oi his disciples 10 our
Lord with TINS question Art thou ne that
should come, or do We look ior another ~ Is
frequently repeated assertions OF the baptst place
his own faith In the divine nature. character and
ministry OF Christ IN the clearest light IL
aud infrmities OF ms disciples that he directed
them 10 make personal Application TO thrisi,
Hoy One Himself these DOUBTS woula nkely vanish
before the irreiufable evidence of HIS DIVINITY
which He wonid produce. Just at the time when
these messengers arrived Christ, according to an-
cient prophecy, was engaged m HIS many
works OF love. Al His bidding innrmitiss
sUrs healed pssass Tre s ~
this text strikes the mind most forcDy s the class
OF persons for whose benefit the sayIour's wonder
working power was eXerted. True va Ills deelafa-
tiOn that dis mission was Ito the lost sheep oi the
house OF Israeli while lie avoided no man lie was
always attentive to both the temporal aud spiritual
gave comparatively little concern TO Him, the
strong and lusty were not the objects OF iiis
special care; the gay and happy received from
Him no approving smile. IL was the lame,
not the whole; the deaf, not those OF acute hear
ing the blind, not those blessed with tue powers
OF vision; they that were SICK, not tney tnat were
whole; the Magdaene and the samaritan adul-
teress not the SELL satised Pharlsee nor the rich
young man-it was these who were singled out as
recipients OF the great Benelactor's merclul dis
pensatiOn Among these dispensauons, these IN
fallibie evidences OF the ministry OF the son Of
God. that which prominently distinguished His
mission from all the relgnlDg systems OF the day
was tnat 1.-THE poor had the Gospel preached TO
them" The faithful IN Christ must follow In the
wake OF their divine Master They must, as HIS
witnesses, bear the image 0i their great Original.
The evangelzatlon oI the poor and the outcast,
being the peculiar feature OF the Christian re-
ligion commenced by Christ Himself and constantly
incuicated by His precept and example. should
be the high aim OF every Christian man SO long
as there remains one wretched sinner unre.
claimed from vice and error Its teachings should
be broad and general like the Gospel OF Christ, not
the utterances OF some school OF this cnangeiul
age but comfortable words such as all dying men
might hear with gladness to their souls health.
TO be like Him 1t must embody q religion TO whicn
no mans name was ever fastened and which has
more in 1t than any one brain or heart can mold: q
religion essentially the same in any age, In the
first, the TENTH the nineteenth and the ninety
and-nlnth; religion which can last grand and
enduring not to he readily defaced and evlscer-
ated by Luther, . Calvin or Wesley nor un-
complainlngly stuffed and padded with new dog
mas by sO-called infallible Pope, but like the
Lord Himself "the same yesterday, to-day and
iorever.n
The religion which the Church Of Christ IN cor.
sstence with His spirit must prefer and practice is
not class religion, nor school religion, nor
ligiOn, but WIDE, warm and all embracing sys-
tenn; religion fOr pilgrim man, the tOiler, tine
sinner who has heart Tor love- an ear for har-
monies, voice for prayer aud praise.