New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-20

time and patience and the injuries will be repaired,
wounds will be healed the national honor yindcaed,
and the whole country length heartily reunited, WILL
with valor and virtue, address itself to the compile
ton OF the work which was begun so long ago by
o o%d the BLESSING Wo have felt in reunited
church. These are halcyon days, Ike those OF
secntion in the Acts of the Apostles Then had the
Church rest and edied and walking IN tne rear OF
the Lord, aud I'm the comfort OF the Holy GnOst was
multiplied" That which has thus been accomplished III
the church-a complete and happy rcnnion-is only
como TO pass among ourselves not done in corner
It has fainlrized to the minds of Christians through;
ont the world the possibility OF more and more OF
union The memorable scenes which occurred In this
city the last Autumn were something more than pleas
Of progress in the Christian Church. They were
MANIFESTATION Of real unity t6 In cAF Gisiin
guished by manifold subordinate preferences. THOSE
have not yet lost their power Every mai from
abroad their Teverberat0n amid the lnsttuOns
OF the Old World. Narrow-mnded ana pufDlnd bisory
not perceive IT. but the tendency OF taese h new
scholarship or the Church is pledged to IT, Prophecy
points 1t. The heart OF the Church yearns for ~ Inc
the world has moved very far in forty years out OF
bitterness and strife toward the ultimate result IL
mention the advance which has been made In practical
philanthropy Tue power OF association IA good work
century, But this s q power which mas had rapid
sceumaaton hss econ pSo Sp Teib he 1vaad
Capable of perversiOn for mischief a. wen as or gooa
In support Of nexpedlen projects as Wen as iHsT os
change the face OF the world Active, anointed phan-
thropy the feature of our times; Recall the toP,Gs
and philanthrOpsts already referred TO- IL you Wouiu
have index of the manifold objects TO wnlen inns
force has been already applied LOOK at the influence
OF christianity literature science, ana all tne inter
ests of the world and then tell me II IL Is
the dead thing 1t Is sometimes represented to De.
We should say that II was the most potent agent
abroad in the world just now IL IL no longer entonDed
everything which is vital TO man: There Is no other
power which is so magnetic and mighty. many are
ial and Unlt ftpgI
going on, without acknowledging the real power by
which they have been wrought This day 40 years ago
fine in1ustOn operation in spain, and the slaves
of the British colonies not yet emancipaed How
different was that time from the present And the fact
0 he noticed with gratitude il that the changes unlike
many OF their predecessors have been brought TO pass
not 5y violent conclusions and bloody revolutions, but
by the silent power OF thoughts and sentiments.
We see old ideas and habits disappearing, not so
much by the rush OF ayaancnei as ny t6 of
Spring in which the thickrbbed ice of the Winter is
melted away by insensbe degrees. tricking down Into
the valleys and covering them with verdure.
Some may hide themselves In h0les, ana Keep then-
selves uniformed of the changes which are taking place
suits already accomplished by Christian missions put
II Is eanSr o, 6e eaucatiSn OF children by
millions all the world In our rengoi, ana the gen
eral expectation of future good which amounts al,
Christianizing of the world is to-day an easier
her magnificent vision and Christ gave his communion
to his disciples Nor must fail TO sDeak-lest silence
sh0nd be nisnterpretedOf the effect produced on the
Christian faith by the latest forms OF skeplcIsm. As
Chnstiauity emerged from all former conflicts espe-
cIily from the Deism OF che last century. with new
ygoT 40 we expect with unqualified confidence that all
the more recent assauts-lke that OF lnhdellty-
whether ayowed or 9Sg have resulted IN gyng
extinguishes small flame blows the larger fire into in
ens the IT, * PS4 a @&9 sT nous p SSsGa
bbdef review HIS " Life OF Jesus" was published in
the 1885, when the author was years ears o., 1d
Webrew my tbs Their author died in February of this
hafor ne a
another impulse to progress ne published another
volume, Confession" when Is DlanR ana brutal
and in what direc0nl Progress OF the man himself
from fancy and fiction to logical atheism But what has
been tle effect Of all this Christianity itself Like
that OF the mist and the blast driving aglnst the Alps
To make the verdict more distinct the result of all mod
ern skeptcism especially that winch has approached
the name OF science, has been and Will be to
bring about more thorough investigating
ana settling faith on firm basis Chris
tanity does not flee from science or philosophy for
philosophy The facts OF historical revelation form
scientific arrangement of those facts il giving the
central place, not to abstract will or cold sovereignty
but to the living Christ The form which appears in the
heart of all modern thought and discussion made man
usrOus by the very debates in which reform has now
made IL the same which was seen by John in his
vision OF Patmos walking amid the golden candlesticks
the son OF Man. We define our religious system
Chrstoogy, aud It's central figure Is very unlike that
which passed before the patriarch-cold, silent.
and misty; it Is a living form m Of t flesh and
ths is head and front or what we call practical
the union or the human and divine,
sympathy and power, in the person OF the world
Redeemer the only regeneratng force adequate 10 the
necessities OF our race, ohder the influences OF TINS
peculiar power the philosophy OF CHARITY has become
better understood II has passed from an instinct into
an educated principle and essential habit. Less than
40 wears ago tho entire population of this city de-
pendent for water 10 drink upon the few pumps at the
corners of the streets and the precarious showers of
heaven but skill and science have brought the lakes
and the rivers among the hills by aqueducts spanning
the valleys and distributing the precious element in in
exbalstble supply into every mans dwelling. Even
the charity which alta former time was mere instructive
jet giving occasional relief to OBJECTS OF pity has in the
better teaching tot living evangelism Deen more ana
more systemazed into permanent anu seperpetuating
Hopefulness has high pedigree andcheerful faith In
things better to come is justified by reason and religion
look upon the faces OF young children before and
wonder what Will be the scenes in which they Will take
active part 10 years hence. Ny thoughts forward
TO greet the who shall then minister In the churches
and take part in all which pertains 70 the public welfare
Not the shadow OF doubt have that from the point
greater changes and than any which have
been by us. Not that L would predict
smooth and qSs accomplishment men of al
through many uncouth and repusive signs Of the
apparently the promised land were turned back
more than and led far down into the wilderness
but they were never taken back into Egyptian bondage
The wheels OF providence never roll backward. The
purposes OF God are never interrupted or defeated
charge those who IN their youth 10 look forward
with faith and hope TO the good aud great things which
God Will do in their time, congratulating them
on the eyerncreasng value attached 10 human NE, as
the ways of God unfold more aud more entreat them
TO have the Word OF God dwell in them richly, enlarg
ing and Illuminating their souls Oy the promises WHICH
pertain to his imperial Kingdom.
It's psychological fact arresting my daily attention.
for mentioning which may be pardoned, that much
IS present to my mind OF what remains to be done
which ought to be done, and must and will be done,
it seems TO II were just beginning and
NOT ending my professional life IL could but give TO
those lust now entering Christian labor glimpse OF
those visions which swim before my eyes Of
the future condition OF the church and the
world, in the last and largest illusions OF
the Spirit, and the universal reign OF truth,
righteous ness and love, that testimony might aid the
decision OF devote themselves heartily 10 that
kingdom which gives TO our personal life all its value
and dignity. What rescue our personal lives from
living chment 10 CHRIST and HIS king