The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-16
ST. JOHNS METHODIST CHURCH.

Heart PoWer-The Death OF sumner
Sermon by Rev. Z. .. Haven. ID. d..
LII. ID.
Yesterday morning the pulpit OF the st. Johns
Methodist Episcopal church. Bedford avenue was
occupied by Rev. Z. o. Haven, d. D., L. d. the sec.
rotary OF the Board of Education of that denomina-
ton. His text was the fourth verse OF the second
chapter OF Second Corinthtans-"For out OF much
a1lictiOn and anguish of heart wrote unto you
with many tears, not that We should be grieved,
but that We might know the love which have
more abundantly unto YOU" His theme was the
nature of Paul's power over his fellow men. The
words which he had read were kind OF window
through which one could look into the heart OF
Paul. Some men who had written much about
weeping very seldom shed tears themselves.
Sterne, the author OF the sentimental Jour-
ney" (and the speaker blushed to say that
Sterne was clergyman, wrote such an
affecting description Of the death OF poor brute
in stable as to have drawn tears from many eyes,
while at the very same hour his Door wife was
dying far away on account Of his neglect. 1t was
said that Howard, the Christian philanthropist,
whose name is synonymous with charity, erred In
the treatment OF his own and only son. He (the
Doctor did not think that any charge Of moral de-
linquency could be brought against Howard but it
was true that when he was lar away from home,
and his son was released from the rather severe
plunged into destruction and rapidly fell into q
drunkard's doom. There is such thing as senti.
nesh that looked something like life but
was productive only OF useless pain. But
though wrote S ana saG he Believed and ne acted
according to his profession. What was the secret
OF his powerS For he was as shakespeare called
julius Caesar, "the foremost man OF all this world"
tuality and practical wisdom OF the great Apostle.
who, when on board OF ship in time OF danger,
was actually the captain. though prisoner. But
other men were as strong In mind and as prac-
Would it be said that the secret OF Panls power
was In the fact that he was inspiredS But the H.
as ri enc IN a eSsr 70
they could say-"Follow me as follow Christn
One great secret OF Pauls power, aside from the
man Of intense sympathy. A man Of weak body
and weak intellect, If possessed OF true heart
the world than a man of mighty mental power and
good health If he were guided only by selfshness.
intellect was simply the rine anu passion was the
make strong men. The speaker dwelt at length
upon feeling as the source of moral character, Illus
tratng this part oil the discourse with an apprOpri
ate par able and remarking that the Bible taught
that man was responsible for the nature of his
affections. For ordinary life nothing more was
needed than our animal and social passions; but
Tor the nobler work OF lie required regard for
right ana reverence for and CONSIDERATION TO cod
The culture Of man was more seen in the nature
OF his heart than anywhere else; and the heart
was cultivated, not when the affections were
allowed to evapOrate in dumb show, but when the
emotions were TRANSMITTED into lile Paul changed
his emotion into action, which made him the grand
and heroic CHARACTER OF his time.
SENATOR SUMNER.
l cannot conclude. said DR.. Haven, without @
mere casual remark that in the hle OF that states
man whose remains now lie In state in the ezra
die of Liberty" at Boston, we see y practical ex-
empliicatiOn OF converting what we may believe
to be an emotion, principle, into will power and
lie. In some respects he was very extraordinary
man. In intellectual power he stood in the very
front rank; but Others, perhaps, have equalled
him in that even In our own country In culture
and IN acquaintance with the works OF the past
ana with the men Of the past he stood perhaps
without peer in this country; but his great char
acteristic was fidelity TO what he believed to be
right. Early he came to the conclusion that his
great nation possessed pure healthy constitution
and that the greatest evil under which the nation
suffered was exceptional; tnat 1t was not an IN
tegral part OF our political economy, and that,
properly worked, our nation could cast out that
evil without revolution and without any radical
change in its organic character; and he resolved
that his life should be devoted to that work. and
he was successful. Had there not been some men
to do the work Of Charles sumner there never
would have been the call for such man as
Abraham Lincoln, and never would this great
work have been wrought out. Though he was not
seemingly endowed with that wondrOus, strange
magnetic power that calls out the love OF indlvid
uals for himself in an extraordinary degree, he
will be followed to his grave especially with the
tears OF that race which he was the instrument in
the hands OF God so " eatly OF blessing