The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-29
THE KEYS TO HUMAN NATURE.

The burning sun did not prevent very fair
attendance at Lyric Hall yesterday morning on the
occasion OF the last meeting OF the Independe mt
congregation for the season. AS usual, music
opened the service, the choir singing with spirit
and expression portion or the Psalm COM
mencng, 80 be joyful in the Lord all ye lands"
This contained solo, which was finely rendered
in Mrs. Gregory's thrilling soprano, and a duet
between the sweet, ringing tenor OF Mr. Everett
and the pure, sympathetic alto OF Mrs. Gardner.
After prayer, in the course OF which Mr. Frothing-
ham besought God "to bless the wicked, for the
good were blessed enough in being good" and to
help us realize that 1--WE all here In ths world
to suffer and enjoy. to plant and SOW and reap, to
live and die together" and after the reading OF
Scripture, chiefly Hebrew-a portion OF which
correspondent in all material points to the nine
teenth Psalm In our Bible. Mr.. rockingham gave
the last Of series OF three dscourses the "Keys
to human Nature" in which he said:-I take as a
motto to my discussion the words OF Paul in the
great chapter on spiritual evolution, the sth
Romans in which he says, ''rhs earnest expecta-
ton OF the creature wateth Tor the manifestation
OF the sons Of God (the same text as that Oh ,sen
by MIR. Beecher recently as the ground OF q similar
discourse). In my first discourse | spoke OF the
doctrine OF total dcprayity as doctrine intended
to explain human nature. | claimed that
that doctrine had no foundation in fact
that 1t was theory use sul in a theological! sphere
but not in the least in the practical sphere OF hu
man affairs; doctrine that explained nothing as
it was-not the goodness that Is freely dispersed
all through misunderstanding not the EVIL with
which humanity abounds. The doctrine OF deprav.
ity does not even explain the wretched deeI of
that poor negro girl who, but two days ago, at.
tempted TO poison Whole family without appar-
ent cause. Last Sunday spoke OF the doctrine of
mans dignty-the essential dignity of human ma
ture that Ispoka OF, also, as theory, vision an
assumption which explains many things but left
many things unexplained, which did as exor-
bitant justice to man as the doctrine OF
depravity did an injusiice that overwrought
human goodness, and offered no explanatio
Whatever OF human turpitude or guilt.
There remains one doctrine more, but one
the doctrine that man Is q developed creature,
that human nature Is product, result OF ex-
perience, a growth, an increase. Each OF the
other two were theories. This is no theory, but
fact There are but three explanations OF human
naturc-the explanation that says mans nature is
dendish the explanat ton that says mans nature is
angelic and the doctrine which explains nature as
feeling after something beyond. This doctrine
OF development is, as have hinted, alluded to,
Swallowed forth by Paul In the eighth chapter OF
the Epistle to the Romans in these words that
have quoted and In others. "Thc earnest expec-
tation OF the creature that is OF man, "waiieth
TIL the Son OF God" that Is the perfect man,
'sshall be revealed Tor the creature" that Is man.
"was made subject to vanity" that Is to trouble
toll, care, vice, turpitlde mot willingly, but
in the providence OF Him VINO subjected
him to the same In hope. The whole creation
groaneth and travalleth in pain together untn
now, waiting for the adoption TO wit: the redemp-
tion or the body" There shadowed forth Is the
whole OF this superb conception. Paul had In view
only limited reach OF humanity He was not
historical student; he knew nothing OF other races
OF men but his own. HIS theory was that The nrst
man was perfect being, that his TALL had pros
trated all his and that the regeneration
OF men was manifestation OF the grace who was
the Son OF God and man-the perfect man living to
be the aspiration Of all the rest And In the whole
history OF the Old Testament, which is all the his
tory that Paul had read, he saw the on-ooklng,
the foreshadowing OF this the striving towards 1t
In the tolls and struggles and alls saw the cross
ing OF the Red sea. saw the bondage in Egypt, the
wandering In the desert all the strange STORES OF
miracle and prophecy that were read. All through
Paul saw the working towards this contamination,
buf the working OF q subject, discontinued race
tormented dreaming OF something better, aiming
al, working toward something better, but never
reaching 1t. The Old Testament was made only
the emblem OF this great coming man. The rock
out OF winch Moses, In the time OF the peoples
oife thirst brought water, embemcd the coming
VI tne wrist the brazen serpent which was lited
up ~ the wilderness as sign OF hope when the
PeoPie were perishing ifom disease was also a
5ympoi oi this coming Son OF Man and hts deliver
anco. everything, every word aud narrative and
f0rm oil speech symbozed to Paul the restless
er0antng ana struggling or this human nature to
recover us hlrthright. Read the eleventh He
Drcws, which has been commonly attributed to
PnWs although errOneously 80. How touChinliy
there u described the nist setting forth OF Abra-