The New York herald., 1874-12-28
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE PATERNITY

ignoDle hight"
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE PATERNITY.
DREAMS AND REALrTY-A LESSON FOR THE NEW
YrAR-sERMoN BY THE REV. Z. n. CHAPLIN
This well known church looked much as usual
at the services yesterday morning All the avail.
able seats were promptly filled, and Rev. f. II.
Chaplin occupied his accustomed place IN the pull
pit. The music, which has always been one OF the
chief featurcs in this church, came fully up Its
usual standard OF excellence. Mr.. Chaplin an.
nounced as his text, Isaiah xxx, SIT shall be
as when a hungry man dreameth. and behold, he
eateth; but ne waReth ana his soul IL empty"
&c. intend this morning the began to pursue
train Of thought appropriate to the last Sunday in
the year, ana shall dwell upon these points.
am going to speak OF those who are living Ike the
hungry man; those who are trying to live IN q
reality, and those VITO are living though reality
were dreams and dreams reality. Human life Is
not IN any sense dream. The mood Of
mind which would suggest such an idea Is itself
unreal such ideas belong to false philosophy OF
lie. Some people think 1t is especially religious
view. regard 1t as a sceptcal view. those who
believe that Lille Is dream are encompassed by
shadows. How can we believe that the glories OF
hereafter or the features OF much loved face
arc but shadowsa l cannot see any force in
sEE-sAw PHILOSOPHY.
in balancing one thing BY another, and In beliey-
Ing as some people do. that because there is 40
alter; but men nave written whole theolosles
against IL. This dces not sound like logic Does
not God work by unalterabie method and immu.
tab.e laws THIS philosophy shows they know
tnat there is any revelation or goodncss'
There are dreams OF perfect existence though
thus lie Is not perfect; there are segments OF
good although we 40 not see the whole disk OF
goodness. He VINO demonstrates that tnis lie Is
not real cannot demonstrate the reality OF any.
thing The preacher whose argument Is IN iavor
ends. Ne must argue from somethlng TO some.
tang, and not from
NOTHING AS A FOUNDATION,
II we expect to logically arrive at something. GO to
those who have deeply suffered and tell them 1t is
all dream. Kindness is IN the world, ana 1t is
ments whlca imply the world Is unreal are
not true. You never find pure-ncarled
human state Jesus did not preach tue maxim
that lie Is dream. It's simply the state nent OF
lie real. Christ was real beng; HIS Joys and
sorrows were always intensely real. ellie Is zeal!
Lie is earnestP' rut there are many people WAC
dream in lie, aid to them life is a dream. Man
pcssessea immortal powers. and these temporal
thiags are tue scaiioding TO higher things. These
material things and external conditions Go not
satisfy the active and living man. They are them
selves the satisfaction only ior a time. The man
who thinks these temporal things can SATISFY IS
creaming. Man was sent INTO the world 10 hun.
to Ds ssea py nng
some .iug man works out great achieve
ments. Even his ln6ulgences express the
bounalessness Of his nature. He IS always
seeking for some Thing new-he Dreams that he
eats ana DRINKS Even creams OF the night bring
together the realities OF the day, aud weave hem
together as iantastIcaiy as the pieces OF cclored
Satisfy the high aims Of Ills being. This dream
which leads man onward to higher things, which
strengthens him, and Is really the thing he seeks.
When he does attain it maintain he IS not satis.
ned. OR II he does f1nd transient satisfaction for
the moment, fG is only sign he is dreaming. The
point in lne's experience IS that we do not dream
ing man n:s soul Is empty, teSause ne
point Is the awakening. There are many ways
OF awakening. Look at tie awakening OF the
prodigal son Among the swine his soul was
him. Wnen we lose a dear friend we ieel as
though the world were intensely real. Awakening
RELIGIOUS AWAKENING
viii come whenever man teeis the pressure Of
finite tnings upon his soul, or when he iees the
pressure of his own soul. Awakening itself In.
plies some reality. 1t is great conviction when
man fincs thGS ne has been dreaming. and that
the world is real alter eli. II is an Awakening OF
to i've. They live only nall consciously;
and by. Let this be the personal application
from the text. wouic not have people 10 wait till
a sst time to begin 10 1--WE, but an avanenlng now
would be just IN time for the no. year. iis real
ity is not that lllc Is Short but that It is long
enough TO un old us Tor longer one. Death Is u
reality. On. low tue passing year reilerates the
truth OF this Those who were with us and in
these seats last year have passed away. Bat
through all aud in all our Souls are zeal. We can
suner ana I'd reiocs' I. @ there IS ANYTHING mat Is
The chie difficulty reems to pe that men say they
believe ia Christ but they do not use tnat belief
There VIII arise US the conviction tnat our real
being Is more than TINS; That lie Is not in what we
Siction. - " ''' ~'A