The New York herald., 1874-08-31
ST. GEORGES PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL
CHURCH

Sermon by the Rev. DIR. Tyng-The
Great mpanion of Our Saviour.
There was very slender attendance yesterday
At the great Church OF st. George, IN Stuyvesant
square. The worshippers Of nature on the green
sward unoer the outrageous foliage and amid
the sparkling fountains outside the church, In
fnitely 0utnumbered the orthodox people inside.
DR.. stephen H. 1yng, as might be supposed from
his well known conservative tendencies, let scan
dal and sensations severely alone, and preached
a good, short and orthodox sermon.
The reverend gentleman chose 1or his text the
thirteenth verse OF the seventh chapter Of st.
LuEe-.And when the Lord saw her. he had CON-
passion on her, and said unto her, Weep not"
This was the Savour's expression when He raised
the only son OF the widow. The incident is men
toned only in ST. Luke, as the death and raising
OF Lazarus is mentioned only IN st. John, and that
of Jairus' daughter IN ST. Matthew, st. Mark and
St. Luke. The incident Is no fiction. 1t Is repeated
daily. How often docs the LORD hear the lamenta-
tions OF despairing widowhood and spare the only
children! This has happened, is happening, and
will happen thousands OF times, as long as the
door OF the. sepulchIe is not closed against
the family Of man. 1t is hard TO realize the
death OF our loved ones, the child who has
twlned round our hearts. AS she presses
the clay cold corpse the mother cannot be
convinced that the spirit has fed. Only after
severe and repeated trials do begin to feel that
the day may come when we shall De lett desolate
and alone SO 1t IS with honors and wealth. we
know how uncertain they are, but IN prosperity
we are very apt to say or think we shall not be
moved. How light circumstance may strip US OF
all our strongest prop iails, the gfeenest leaf
fades the strongest friends Ial away, our most
loved are removed from US. The purer our anecuou
the more bitter the loss. Our deepest anectlOns
are nursed in the bosom OF our warmest atlictions
THIS Is not Gods fault. BY no means. 1t Is IN the
world, in our hearts. in our iorgetulness OF God.
To go back to the village OF Naim, here on bier,
pale, motonless, the dead was borne by
strong men. Benind came the widowed mother,
bereiL OF ner only son. She would have toiled
through sleepess nights or gone to the grave her
sell to save her son. Who needed her 7 The rich
cared not for the poor procession. But one drew
near. One always. at this moment, too, touched
with human sorrow. She was no stranger to Hum.
Heavenly tenderness beamed from HIS lace.
wellsprlng Of divine sympathy surged IN HIS
heart. Young man, say unto thee, arse P' His
power to raise from the dead Was only exercised
ior an only brother, an only daughter and an only
son. He could not pass by misery without tear
or suffering without relief Touched oy our
suffered even the humiliation OF the cross to save
u.s. he preached The Gospel TO the poor. and His
last injunction to His disciples was 10 proclaim
salvation to all In every land. He has gone to pre-
pare a place lor US In the heavenly man
sions, and He will come again TO welcome
us tnither. "weep not" Those accents Of
Godhke benevolence made way TO the Widows
heart ana checked her binding tears, and then
the miracle was accomplished. What scene was
this The same tenderness was shown by Him at
the grave OF Lazarus; but there was no mother
there. The multitude was awed Greater than
the prophets He exercised independent power.
The prophets. as did Elisha with the Summarizes
son, prayed when they sought TO restore life.
Christ, the arblter OF the quick and dead, reted
on Himself. go He Will relieve our souls from
DEATH and say to US W no believe, "Thy sins be for
gwen"
Lastly, this is an instructive lesson to us who
are grieved oy losses. Would we disturb the dust
OF our loved ones Would we restore them, II we
could, to the sorrows OF this transltory life ?
Christ has promised us reunion when our lew days
on earth are spent sweep notW