New-York tribune., 1874-05-18
GODS MIRACLES.
The Rec ,ph r. Dsrysa ta> C1ssoEdUe Presbytda CAGr
BrOOkyH.


In the Classon-ave. Presbyterian Church,
Brooklyn. yesterday morning, the PASTOR the Rev 10
seph T. Duryea, explained the considerations "hicn
prompted number OF the Greek philosophers TO hasten
among the Hebrews soon as they learned taat the
heralded Messiah had 10 that nation aud was per-
forming wonderful miracles.
The preacher chose his text from John xii, 90 o. 21.
%, a. 25 And there certain Greeks among them
that came up worship at the feast. The cams
therefore Phillip which OF Behslidl OF Gilee.
and desired him, saying Sir, would see Jesus Philip
cometh and teeth Andrew: and again Andrew and
Phillip tell Jesus. and Jesus answered them, isayug.
The hour Is come that the SON OF Man should be eori.
fed Verify, verify say unto you, except n corn OF
fall INTO the ground aud die, abideth alone but
if 1t die. it brngeth forth much fruit lie that loyeth
his life shall lose and he that hateth his lie IN this
world snail seek unto life eternal Mr Duryea SAID
among other things:
Of this inglug of the Greeks with the Hebrews,
and their request OF the disciples 10 be permitted TO SEQ
Jesus; and also 10 aid you TO understand the meaning
those who do not reflect there s very little intelligence
in the event. to those who careful to study aud
Is in IT, represented by IT, aud uufoded by IT, There arc
two lines OF history, and only two Along one line we
tho events pertaining TO that body OF persons
whom taught TO call the Church OF God; along
the other line trace those connected with that body
persons who outside OF the Church OF Cod Tho
explanation OF the separation Of the Church from tho
world is given US by tue Apostle. God IN times past
suffered all nations to walk in.ner T TSn Way way e1sep,
left TO feel after God though he be not far from
them. The question may occur 10 some OF you AT Oucc-
Was this justi Was this benevolent Tue answer
this: God has never forsaken man uhu mar
and hid himself before God ran away from Adam aud
hd himself. Man from the beginning has, ike ADAM
of Intellect Not only has he been unwilling to submit
to God when God would direct him what IT would be
best him to do but lie has been equally unwilling 10
TO Him when He dictated what II would be bess
for him 10 know He has sought by the use Of his own
inform himself He has sat down IN chili-
like spirit learn. The grand difficulty IN lncuictns
the gospel is found In the pride OF mans intellect u
fhTnu oh nrl
religion, philosophy against the gospel R1tonalsm IS
simply the expression Of human nature IN ITS
says: God. we will not have you to reika over u Gs
our will, character. or our NE" Man requests
God TO leave him alone II he thinks at al about H. he
asks God 10 preserve hlIn physlcaIIy ana sIc h!m
Thus il s true that whether God had left men alone by
the OF their understanding TO nnd Himself GUS
or not they would have chosen TO pick their own way;
Whenever God has come TO a nation and attempted
teach IT, u has rebelled against MS authority. Ihs
Hebrews themselves. at the very foot OF sini coped
from the Egy ptans and worshped God IN caI oi sod
God manifested himself physically TO one naton Put
forth His power In miracles SO t9at tey ms' SEC n
command nature; put forth HIS power ia war over
every nation under heaven that they msRt kno" 'ns.
He was supreme on the earth lie taught ls Vtlts, ms
character, His law, His plans and The Issue ol 'heu
accomplishment Outside ms nation, uoe s"o"o 49, W.
sell In f2rm 70 none wrought miracles iVI souS'
have then IN the midst OF the earth nation az s'hoo a
the feet OF their teacher There is shown the power of
the human mind to learn uuder tho very pest eIrca
We have outside OF this nation men t1er,
themselves. Studying the body, know how o. pre-
their health studying the heart that they may
Of family family, OF family 10 community oi com
munity TO the state. and OF states 10 The ndtOu
We may learn from them how much meu may Ano" uI
God without instructions; how much man eau 10 70
bring himself up 10 the likeness OF the DIVINE ana ier
lowsnp with the DIVINE without Instruction. q.
At the summit or the attaiuments OF NATIONS in ~.
these particulars, tue creek people lucy
are the nuo summit flower OF human nalufo
In the soil which is purely natural, the aino
sphere which IL purely natural. the hght Which ~
purely natural You may run through the whOlo Tram
OF German ratonalists, and from them down 10 Encr
son. and you Will hear nothing but the battling OF DaDy
hood az compared with Socrates aud Plato. We nexin
at school BY learning all that tine Greeks knew Ihey
began by learning everything. IL Is not ths Arstoto
knew so much more than Newton but thit Alstoto
learned So much without a master ino i.on"us per,
haps exempllted better the idea OF eihpnvi put All
they knew they learned from the Greeks: Iue uicekS
whole did know very inue aoout spiltuai suu-
few, however, stood OUT l.Ac Hount.In ptaAa
aboye the earth The we're Tar down IN the hollow
some in the cayerns total dtrkhess elgned lno
first poetry was "A hymD, aud hymn 10 God-O pos
sbly We should say 10 god Man never took tho wngs
OF pOesy until endeayored 10 soar to"aiu Iou 1T
wa study Homer we shall nd these facts: that there
WAS no clear conception OF personal God There
"A fe.Inp after God There sometimes q dream thss
almost stood like Of II but IL faded into dim
ness ard at length darkness There belief IN
a future life. for there Is description OF spirits after
death retaining thor consciousness. There
thug ike reward for good deeds; there punishment
for wrong acts The Greek drama Intended
amusement but TO inculcato religious truth. In IL
have this idea OF God brought OUT that Il IL doubt
ful whether ho Is person not; and that. In
the nature OF things, whatsoever 10 10 I'D
viii ha saerlas would seeya had AZ IDA "a l--1>