The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-02

went. any extraordinary things within the last
Il wears Another one Is drawing upon us
IL % tins impulse OF religion IN the direc.
Of men, in 'em 1hs personal appeals Of WOMEN
and In the prayer unto God. This ID worthy OF our
best study and admiration. II Is worthy tue STUDY
human mind, Its aspiration and inspiration, with
that or Christ and especially by those VINO oeneve
IN working lor the good OF manxind LOOK upon ana
10 learn to hope that by these instrumentalltles
God WIN work out not any new and original
systems but deeply grounded work IN the
OF the men and women engaged in It, whatever
may be our IDEAS IS to the working oas .. 'a as
modes OF operation fitted for the Eastern states US
compared with the Western, the best way VIII
doubtless be found out Let us crtticise with gfeas
man should rejoice In pluckIng his fellow man as a
brand from the burning.
THE SERMON.
Mr.. Beecher selected for his text the 30th verse
oil the 9th chapter OF Matthew :-"Whereiofe,
II God so clothe the grass OF the field, which To-Day
not much more clOthe you, We OF little faithf"
Different periods, said Mr.. Beecner, deveiope the
necessity OF explaining the range and reach OF uii
generally received truths that is so much assalled
and 81 slightly slipped from under our formula OF
truth as the doctrine OF Gods particular pru,
dence. The study and advance OF science, the
knowledge OF material things the laws that gov
ern up 70 certain point, lessen mans oeiei IN
done it, and done it well. But be-
vond certain points science itself viii
come back to this great truth. 1t is not worm
while for Christians to deeply trouble themselves
with the causes teat underlle all this or to seek
only the foundations OF the record ID this particl
to the teachings Of christ that II we take it away
we pull away the string out from the necklace OF
pearls only to scatter them. You destroy the CO.
hcsive element In His teaching dissolve II dlsn,
tegrate 1t OF all tue truths, and by which you can
rid yourself OF all belief in that which are explicit
statements as to Divine Providence. can under
doctrine Of responsibility. can understand why
he should try to rid himself OF the restrictions
placed upon his habits. But why should man try
to disabuse himself OF iaith in one of the
BENIGN DOCTRINES
OF the Bible, and desire that the order or things
should be 30 changed that We should have world
with to care for it, should desire 70 carry us
back to world with nothing out late IN IT, bind us
down to nothing but ultimate forces. Why man
should desire to do this cannot understand Ifyou
remit the view OF the divine IN nature you substan
italy teach mans anreaIty, and tnat that Il the
ultimate Iact The only reason have ever heard
for depriving man OF this hope IN special PrOvi-
dence, the only objection indeed, that have ever
are they against it ? II there be such q
discovery with regard to natural law that
man can say that science and revelation are
fairly pitted against each other on the doctrine
OF particular and personal divine Providence In
the affairs OF man, let US see what 1t has to say
MIR. Beecner then set forth summarily the claims Of
science IN this regard. He then sketched the
position Vi the world, with every thing gone out Of
1t in the shape of intelligence, nothing left but
NATURAL FORCE,
every man away from 1t. He claimed that this
done you take away mans intelligence, and the
world goes back to a bundle OF forces Natural
law without man, Is mere barbara brute force.
That winch lructlhes natural laws was the power
oil mans mind. Mr.. Beechef elaborated this view
by a variety OF Illustrations, in wnlcn he claimed
that in tracing the working out o! the laws Of
nature man must be counted In as one OF the chief
In that sense 1t was true that all things worked
together Tor good to them that love the Lord.
SEVENTH AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH
Rev. DIR. Wild on Faith and Comics.
sion.'
At the Seventh avenue Methodist chapel, Brook
Ign, yesterday morning, Rev. DR.. wa preached
upon the subject Of Faith and Confession, taking
for his text the tenth verse of the tenth chapter
of Romans -"FOr with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth con-
fession is made unto salvation" In the course Of
his remark the Doctor sad:-It IS true that
every effort has cause; but 1t is not true that
every effort Is reasonable or the only result which
that cause could produce. What is to be will be,
and yet that which Is need not always be. Man is
a Tree moral agent, and as such Is competent to
WELD his freedom, as two-edged sword, both
ways, for good or for evil. Even some men might
do better than they do. Human freedom is the
source Of moral good or evil-of rewards
and punishments. The Gospel assumes that
we are free, and calls upon us to be
true to ourselves, to our neghbors AMI to God.
We have only 80 stretch forth our HANDS and par
take freely of salvation "beievlng unto righteous
ness and confessing unto salvation" We need
not go down into the deep nor travel aar to find
II. Thousands there are who take unto themselves
the first part Of the text, and 'believe with the
heart unto righteousness" but stop just there
and that Is the reason so many
FAIL OF FINDING HAPPINESS HERE,
and may expect u fail much more hereafter We
have all seen men and women who believe ia God
with their whole hearts, and are either afraid or
ashamed to confess Him. They believe in His
righteousness, and live lives OF honor honesty ana
practical Christianity IN all things save ''coniessing
unto SALVATION" which is absolutely essential II
we would enjoy perfect happiness Or eternal
bliss We prove mans faith by his works; God
Judges OF his works by his faith. Hence, though
we may deceive man. we cannot deceive God. lie
knows our thoughts and the motives which prompt
our works.
The Doctor closed by urging upon his hearers the
absolute necessity OF not only believing but con-
tossing Christ The sign must be In the forehead
where 1t can be seen and read OF all men. There
was no such thing as silent partnership with
Jesus. Ii was the duty OF every man to belong to
some church organization and to seek for one that
best suited his tastes an0 ideas; and If he could
not find such one, to 60 to work and start one
that did suit him. Individual effort could no more
accomplish good results In this respect than 1t
could render enectdal the efforts Of an army. There
must be cooperation, organization, faith and
ABOVE all, confession OF faith-ree, voluntary at all