The New York herald., 1874-08-10
DlscOurses by Shepherds Who Have
W. Not Left Their FlOekS.
SEA CLIFF CAMP MEETING
Kr. Adams on Human Helplessness
and Divine Competence.
The Rev. 81. O. Brigham and the
Beauty of Revelation.
PLYMOUTH cHuRca MORNING SERVICE
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.

CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS
Jesus, the Flrst and the Last-a Sermon
by Rev. DIR. Deems.
beating rain at church time thinued the
churches out. In the Church OF the Strangers one
Of the attractions Is the hundred orphan children,
whose singing ADDS 80 much to the service They
were kent by the rain. There we're few ladies pres
aent, but perhaps the largest congregation OF men
present In tue churches. 1t was striking sight
tb see so many men,
the text was Revelations l., IT, ls-"Fear NOT.
J am the frss and the last; am he that iveth and
was dead: and behold am alive forever amen,
AND have the keys OF hell and DEATH" First OF all
attention was called to the fact that "iear not"
occurs thirty times In the Bible Pear is the or
spring OF superstition. The more men know OF
Christ aud Els oflces the less fear they nave Of
lvmg or Of dying. And knowledge is founded on
Iaith. We never can know the good that is In o
man unless we believe in him. SO OF God. Those
who acquaint themselves with God are at peace.
When Jesus appeared TO John on the lonely
lPatmos, in the softened splendor OF the Apoca-
lypse, it was great as TO have effect
ON his senses. Jesus reassured him By
the "Fear not" He claimed to be God.
This distinct claim Is very manifest II
we compare the text with Revelation L., s-11, ana
with the forty fourth cnapter OF Isaiah, sixth verse;
and twelfth verse OF forty-eighth chapter rrhese
were read and commented on to show that in
every instance He who uttered them claimed to be
God, that they all uttered by the same person
and that Jesus Christ manirestly was the speaker
IN the case in nand.l Jesus then assigned three
reasons why John should not fear; lrst, that He,
Jesus Includes all things in Himself; second, that
He kept in memory His humiliation unto death;
and third. that He had power ana dominion over the
fO Ha In nd oil
things in Himself. This Is true OF the natural
world. He made the matter and forces Of the
physical world, and they all work for Him. This is
the key to the mysteries Of physical science.
Leave Jesus, the Christ, out, and the creation Of
che world Is purpeseless. That is the reason why
Christless philosophers Of splendid talents and
unduestloned erudition 60 seeking what the
French cab ra,son dstre Of the universe, or be-
aeve that 1t came OF chance or that is eternal. A
And WORKING for heart OF infinite love has reason
20 be; the reason OF Its existence is compre-
last Of the intellectual and moral world.
Men must be reached through their under
masses ef men @ have not the inteectuai ability t 70
20 through the lnductions necessary to establish
premises, nor even the deductions necessary 70
and 1 msn 20 e sn n Sher
true because 1t viii bear to be used In practice.
They do not know why. There may be more super
%ntion in science than in religion. because in the
5nan may have suf1cient internal evidence to sat-
asly hlmself, although he could not prove the ex-
tstence Of his special CONSEQUENCES to another.
We believe that the claim OF Jesus TO be the first
and the last Is seen in this, that both the highest
cesses lead to Jesus CnristNthat IL, to COD Then
the preacher took what be called ''the funda-
mental proposition Of religion" God is," and
somehow thus showed how sound heads and hearts
reach the truth. "God ls." The moral sense says
I cannot believe that there is not God, while the
1Aux Al lfnn 1tnn lnh m hn
lIeve that there is q God. Again, the moral sense
says II have any certain consciousness 1t Is that
EN- the subject OF moral treatmenJ, which cannot
nave come OF ITSELF but must have some one who
administers 1t; While the understanding says, II
can certainly rely it is that all second causes are
due to some drst cause which Is OF necessity God.
s the sas A All % ns tSs begin IN G
derstanding says. All my thoughts end in God. In
other words. the Lord Is the Alpha OF the heart,
the Lord Is the omega OF the head. He Is the be-
ginning and the ending OF the whole moral and In
teilectual constitution OF man. SO Jesus Christ is
the rst and the last The Bible. Take from this po-
tential book all that means divine Saviour and
to what barreDness you reduce Iti 1t then has no
tne the cs aSg the
tional writings, all fall away. The Evangey drops
to par with Xenopnons memoranda, we nave no
first verse OF the Bioe records His power and the
last verse records His praise. He is the Alpha
Of creation and the omega or redemption. Then
It was shown that Jesus Christ is the first
and the last IN the Church, In al Its services
enCe, IN conviction, in regeneration, IN sanc.1fca
tion, and In heaven, as preparing 1t for His
people, preparing them for 1t and in making 1t all
IL is to holy souis The second reason for not fear
forget HIS humiliation and death. What a blessed
thing to US is the mere fact that Jesus Christ died
We might bear iIfe, and yet death might be 80
frghtfu. But now we cannot say, Death Is so
fearful that Jesus Christ came into the world by
birth, but refused to 60 ou: OF 1t BY death, and
went some otner way. No. Jesus says, Il am he
that hveth and was dead.n Mark that. Was
dead. One who has been dead may be alive to
live forevermore. And our great saviour does
not forget the fact he mentions 1t Tor our COM
fort The last reason is that Jesus has power over
nell and earth. sKeys" He calls 1t. That reminds
us OF something. The grave seems like black
Casket into which our treasures have been gath
cred. The Older we grow the less we have QUO
OF the grave and the more In it, Children have
often nothing, seldom much there but the Oldest
man living has nearly all there. Shall we fear as
they are put away there-tnose beautiful loved
things, the desire OF our eyes ami the JOY OF our
heartss They are sale. Fear not for your wife or
husband or child or lover. Jesus holds the key OF
the vault OF your treasures. Nor need we fear to
enter there. We cannot 60 TOO soon. Christ has
the "keys OF the place OF departed spirits and OF
Death" He OPENS and no man shuts; BE shuts
and no man opens. We cannot be reached by sor-
row there; we shall be safe In Hades and death,
because safe In the arms OF Jesus. Fear not,
brethren, If you live, for He Is the beginning ana
hovah, Jesus, has the keys OF death and Of para
disc. He viii open TO His beloved and we shall be
forever with the Lord. wao ls the rst begotten OF
the dead the prince OF the kings Of the EARTH VINO
own blood and made as kings and priests unto
God. To Him be glory and dominion ior ever and
ever. Amen.
ALL SOULS CHURCH
The Reau,v ~ ReveIatfon-sermou by