, 1874-01-26

Sillnt Congregation.
Satrrlny morning tho Rev. Dr.. Il. Kohler, OF
tho jewish Reform Congregation Sinai, proacl-
cd worry elegant sermon in tho German language
on tho "Wondor-working Religion at Marsino's
Hall, oornor OF Twenty atroot aud 1ndl-
ana avonue. uo took for bis text tho namo Of
tho hroaat-plate worn by tho Jowish High Priest
Uri1n ve Tumia (Light and Tr1tfl)
Thts broaat-plato, ho satd, was named nftor tho
ono worn by tho Egyptian High Priest, aud
which uaod to DO IN tho form Of aun. Tho
Jessh breast-plato existed no longer,
but thore WAS another tnstoad, tho
one which Abraham woro on his mock,
according to rabbinical parable, and
when ho died, ho hangTon tho sky,
TINT tho sick, tho destitute, aud tho distressed,
happy. This jewel WAS tho religion Of Israel,
shedding light ahd warmth upon tho spiritual
lives Of men rs tho sun sustained life and vege-
tatiou by its rays Of light, and az tho aun not
tho impurities OF tho air and tho wator aud drew
I'LL the yapors Of tho ocean to como down again
as rain, md thus give lifo to all vegetation on
oarth, 1t might safolY bo aald that men are tho
earth could oxiat. Every plant bont towards it,
and without 1t man would have no
conception OF things, and no oloarnesB Of thought.
Il Was light that created clcarnoss Of conception,
as woll as tho comprehension Of tho beautiful
and divine: And. as tho sun vas tho fountain OF
oil physical 1ifo 30 was religion necessarily tie
fountain Of all spiritual life.
Bcionco WAS born by religion, aud nuraed on
its breast. Astronomy, music, chemistry, anu
all sciences and fine arts. were but tue cliildron
tionB, Whence, Why, md wherefore, aud tho re-
liEion OF today onlghtouod tho mind for tho
ideal. Tho history of all groat men proved
| this. Humboldt, Schiller, Goethe, and other
by true ind pions nlothcra. Ono spring day
alone did not mako tho summer, but from tile
depths of tho Garth tho sun Ind to draw the storo
| Of warmth deposited thero and from that hid
warmth t life sd vGor @ Of s tSsspops spFns ina ind
possible to say what WAS from tue Garth anu what
| from tho sun, since tho lifo-giying warmth was
contributed by both in equal proportions.
SO the aocia1 atmosphere in which they lived
| was 4 combined mixture Of religion aud tho
| IDEAL Many claimed that religion was tho only
thing necessary for anloral ife but religion alone
| could not edacuto tho human mtnd. and would bo
| like the polar regions where no vegetation was
possible. Morality alone was too cold and d, did
not warm tho heart any moro than reason. Re-
ligion lad uB to tho central fountain OF lfo and
SLOWED us tho world aa unit aud 1nado man o
co-workor with God, inspiring him With divine
bliss and happinoHs in a!l his undertakings. :,
must DO o Great Spirit who WAS tho croator Of
MI things, and thus ut last they como to recog-
nizo a true God. Although tho aavagca be.
loved that the dead would bo rosurrectod and
nppoar to them OIL cerrtin occasions and III
| their drea,ns it was Just that belief which OK
teudcd their knowledge Of future lite
until thoy rcachod the noble idea Of q true iu,.
mortality Of tho Houl. So it was with the super:
Btitious belief TINT there WIS real heaven and
hell it taught people ultimately that there WIZ
| heaven aud hell III each mans breast, and odl'
| Gated them in true lnselishuess aud morality.
Rc1igion also showed tho destination and the
aims Of mankinl;. aud, as religion might bt
callcd tho SIM OF Spiritualism, 30 might tho Jew'
gions, having nnraod on her breast all othc'
grcat creedB, and particularly Christianity ant
1Hlamisn. Tue inscription On her standard hat
over boon Truth and Light" According
mediator bctwcen mon and God waB tho mind
and the prophets in tbor struggles against idol
atry appealed to reason III weil NJ to tho etorna
laws OF morality. They put no value Oh aacri
man waB to do good, practico, love toward bill
fellow-beings, and walk uprlghtly heforo him
their maker.
Int as tic sun sometimes became obscurod b.
fogs aud clouds, and aa the day was always pre-
ccdod by night, 80 was religion sometimes oh
ucurod 6y superstition aud bolef In empty forms
God did not creats tho world ut oncc, but brough
it to perfection by degrees ana periods, thu
man might learn from 1t that It was lis duty t
moral perfection. And as tho sun said to caol
living boing. ''rio light giyo you, mpart agaai
to others III warmth and in brightness Of colo
and beauty" so the Jewlsh religion said to erer
ono who bad received from It light and life "im
part it again mud shine by thy good works. M
strive for tho great and tho beautiful It mn
often forgotten That 1t was the enn that gave Y
light and life, bccnuso it had diffused ts warlnt
everywhere and tho time would also com
when religion would be loat sight o
not because it did not impart light and life, bl
because it had pormealed the whole huma
lie thon It would not DO aaia, "Lools up t
Heaven for God," or "Do and meet God be
you'd tho grave" but tho human and divin
would dwell in evory heart.