The New York herald., 1874-08-31
ST. PAUL'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH


Gods House-SermOn by Rev. DIR. Hurst.
The chapel attached to st. Paul's Methodist
Episcopal church was well filed yesterday morn
ing. DR.. Hurst preached the sermon. The discourse
had for It's theme the tenth Of elghty-fourth
psam:-"For day in thy courts is better than
q thousand. l had rather be doorkeeper in the
house OF my God than to dwell in the tents OF
wickedness.r Nowhere from the distant past,
said the preacher, has there come more touch
ing and eloquent description Of the excellence OF
public worship than is to be found in these words.
one can travel the Old World and see beautiful
runs with historic associations; yet they
90 not testify to the supreme excellence
and fitness OF these words. The text Is
sublimey beautiful, because in connection with
Its language there is no statement OF reason. 1t
is simply asserted that the place OF worship IS de-
lightful, and no reason is assigned for it-"A day
in thy house is better than thousand" The
absence OF argument is one Of the prominent fea-
lures OF Gods Word A striking proposition or
command is uttered, and in the warm, devout
heart it finds sympathetic response. The deca.
logue gives no reasons for Its commands. "Thus
saith the Lordn is the characteristic OF she Scrip
lures from the first verse OF Genesis to tae last
verse OF the Apocalypse. There Is an entire
absence OF logic In Gods Book. II is only the
theologians who microscopicaIy discover syllo-
gisms, theories ana wordy conclusions Gods
children are content to rely on their Father, are
content to know that Gods hand protects and
provides for them, and that an hour IN His
house, praying, singing and communing with
Him, has an upward and heavenly direc-
tion. In the plastic period OF Christianity
the followers OF Jesus had all things IN
common. rney sold their possessions and goods
and parted them to all men as every man nad
need. In the martyr period the slave ana tne
noDleman Won't to the prison or the naming pie
together Whether they were burned to cndcr
torn to pieces by wild beasts IN the ampnltnea-
tre, they went to heaven hand in hand. IN tne
Reformation period the German prince ana the
German peasant fought Tor the faith with Dattle
axe side by side. This equality Tor faltn ana
tory OF Christianity. Among Christians there mas
been enc Lord one faith one baptism. NO human
pan can tear down or destroy Chrlsts Gospel III
Gods Church there Is neither Jew nor Greek-
bond nor Tree. This Is equalization, and the lee-
ing IS fostered by meeting together In HIS mousse
Ior purposes OF prayer and praise. truth Is tne
great support OF public worship. Take the truth
OF Christ away and the Church Is no better tnan
any other edihce OF wood and stone. IL Is the
truth that eevates the church above everything
else. The Church and the Gospel are adapted
70 every land. " every human condition. IL Is In
destructsble. IL Is filed WIFE the vitality God mas
given to It,. Our faith never goes begging in the
broad world for any one to nelp 1t. II superstition,
ignorance and persecution assail 1t the Cnurch
goes to It's closet and Gods spirit lights
the batte OF grace. To-day the Churcn
lies between two tondencies-the rituals.
tic tendency, that would exalt everything con-
nected with the Church ana Its ceremonies
into sacred SIGNIFICANCE; and the other tendency