, 1874-11-02
Prof, Swing's Sermen ol the Fourth
Church
The Evil Influence Of ideas on
Christianity.
Robert Co]lyer breaches on
jacobs Dream.
The Lessons to Ga Gathered
Thereffom.
MEN. NOT IDEA9.


Prof. Swing preached yesterday morning III
Tho Fourth Church, taking as l''s texe:
Unto tho ncnalro Of tho stature OF tue 1u'pess OK
oArlst.-EphesiaRs, ~, u. :.
Before the nowor Of theae wofds can DO 1otts IL
Ia neccssary for sou to rccall Tor q momcht tue
speaker aud tho audience. Now often, IN rent
iue aomo extract, arc no thrilled with now
Bonso Of ita value md cloquonce. whom upon
turning page wo suddenly llna that 1t in 1rotl
Dossuok or pAscal, or from MacaulaJ or MI
A!lison.--aon,o brain authorized Of Henvcn to
ling its thoughts cut upon society. THO right
to hurl words out over tho whole wiao world III
not. by any mcaus, universal hit aeems to hayo
bee,, confcrred BY tho Creator upon only
fow In cacll nation or epoch Of history.
To these worda-" Unto tho measure Of tho
stature of tic fullncss Of Chriat additional
reight scoma nd1odby tile remembrance that psul
ntterod thom in liB polmy days OF religion, and
enthusiasm, and olo9nonce, and lcaaorahii.
Paul comcs to ua, not poor unsanght aEhor.
man, but \ powerful orator and thnltcr,-a kind
Of Groat Athcnian. almost after tiso fashion Of
classic orator. That beauty Of Greek scholer-
ship and culture. and that power Of eloquencs
which Ind died away ut Athenv, soem to hnyo
loft a trace behind IN this Paul. In whom wo 500
tho image OF liberty, Of learning, Of breadth,
and Of tue Orators nrt. It twifl aid liz i'll ostimat
lug tho yaluo Of tho text, it we remember nlao
TINT Ephcslla MAS QUO Of tho new centres OF the
world-tha ruter Of tlo thcn con1ury, as Nonao
md Athena had boon tho rtllerH Of a largo pagt.
Tho breadth OF Paul nade him the tit apostle OF
a worldwide religion. in which jaw and Gentile
should bo one. md Ephcsln wes tho city to
whcl, to send letters advocating D new height
and depth aud hrcadth Of Christianity. pliny
called this city ''tho light OF Asia" and thero
Homer was claiucd as 3 son, md from it camo
parrhaaus and Apl'olles tho two greatest paint
orc Of antiquity.
WHOM wo remember theso thinga--tAe paul
and the Ephcstla-wo senm able tho better to
realize thAt the Saint waH not using my empty
words, but words gong to I great metropolitan
city from heart Of still! grnndcr scope and
worth. Both Paul aud tho Dr1lliant oity knew
something Of naauhood. for, though the world
which had produced nothing email, hut had Bops
forth iliuBfrioun companicH Of poets. phioso-
pheIH+ orators, md ntateBncn. Hundreds OF
ulon Ind liysI Int Greece and Rome, boforo
tire greatness Of character many public pereona
III our land and ago Tonld sit doan upon tho
footssoul Of excellence.
but to paula natural idea OF character, idcnes
from his nearncss to Greol standards. VIC
rul,ut nov add tic additional and
extraordinary fact that Christ hea crossed Ills
pathway mud had raised tho ideal aud tho
earnesrness Of thu Apostle up to y now hoght;
and it is from this throne Of observation, and
stature Of Christ in all it's fulluoss. The old,
lofty Cily Of Epheans, tho wido character Of
Paul. mud tue matchless image of Jostls Christ,
oil combine III this text, NJ, though from this
threofold base would rise before us an image Of
manhood worthy Of tho loyo aud imitation Of
this far-oH century.
lu tie namo OF this text, come to you thia
morning with thoughts upon what may DO callod
tho Christan character. Tho Christian rcliglon
Is not Of worship only, not ono OF tuith along.
not opc Of charity nlono not ono OF Heaven and
he'll, but aiso q religion Of character 1t Inns not
only q cross. not only crown for the future,
individual character, q stature OF Christ aa posi-
two aa its cross al valuable 90 its c5own. While
ample provision is made in the TeRtament for
tho reception into Heaven OF the bosgar II bis
ignorance and poverty, and Of tho little child in
1ta varietl weakness, yet its paEea look boyond,
and unfold Il religion for thopo who arc noither
beggars nor Infants, but who, hinder tho name of
men, walk The pcat-nclda Of life: That thoge arc
Thousands who cherish their religion MS about to
be valuable to them sotno day, whom tho grim
monster stall Suddenly come, and that thorb aro
Is many othoss rho aro resting in q
Christianity That MAS oniy designed Tor tho aal-
4he intellectual powers md privileges Of earth,
is paiufully evident; but it in also evident tElht
ChriBtanty bus apecial form tor thoso who aro
boru denied earti,s advantages, nna that wonid
scorn tho career Of tho inhecio and tho uncon~
sciona salvation Of tha iufnnt.
Christianity is Of many fortns. 1t has form
TINT rnnv bo partially eraspaa by tho dying thief
OIL the cross. Lifo coming to II auddun aud iG-
uomiuionB end, md aneing on q croaa ncnr by n
being who las spoken much OF salvation aud
heaven, tho suffering thief c:ics out, !" Lord. ro-
member mo when Thou oomoat into Thy King
DOM" And tharo il 4 form Of salvation for
tho T1la Indian who can just barely
between his Gront Spirit and the truo God, ant
can shape hia life, though but rudely, nftor the
Sermon on tho Mount; eud thoro Ia Christian
ity for infants, mud m unconscious grace ol
come, they fn}l into tfe arms Of auEois ani nr,
borne to paradiae; antl tllon, lastly and mosi
g1a,la'y, there in d Christianity for mon mi
women. aud il il nothing cise thnn religion tha
lifts their minds aud hearts both up to tho atat
uro OF Jesus Christ. tits ro,igion TINT grain
alv excludes disllonor, and littlenoEa, and Half
1silncSa irom tho soul. aud that gradually ]etS i,
tle light and lfe OF Christ
What hndsrs the apreaa Of Christianity mort
than tho scienco OF Iyndall or tho total depray
ity Of tho wicked world, il tho scarcity Of yrea
souls il the Eanctuary-R0Als that may NOV,
nlong before tho human race, like great beacon
lights revolving rppn thu eoaat. Of the htorm.
Sea. Not having tho timc nor tho taa.o for IN
vostigating tho THEOLOGY Of tho many Reota, TIM
part called tho wicked world coniluoa its Etton
tention to tho worlds puble lilo. and come
Allort in tA administration booauae, tue Churc!
Eomea short in tEings to 10 advanced.
Tho reaBon why tho wotkB Of Shakespeare uni
Of tho uoyo!iHs aro moro loved by tho multi
tnlp, and moro atnhcl, tlan tho works 0
seionco md abstract philosophy is to 10 found II
tho fact TINT, il tho drama aud i'll tho ROMANCE
not llcaa, but human beings, move along bofort
us in aM tue inapgoaaiyenaaA OF living souls
Over tho romance and before tho drama, tn
hctxt viii weep, because there VIC aao Our brotll
ers and sisters n1oyln,, along in grief or Joy
beauty or yreataosa aul sucL il tho union o
hearts IN this woriil that tue joy or norrow D
nlso,hcr in r si.sgo instant becomes o.1r own
Thus tho drama Xnsa tho great ntories Of 70
nuanco overcome ns hocailso they act bofor
MS not idens, but saotta!a in all th
dearuess Of their brothorlond. Oh, tho ion
tho rolnediess loas CAtistianity lua st.,
ta;ned i'll its long pasntli"y before the wor
OF IopH iustead OF grand mon. 10 bellavo, il,
Btuad Of to be, haa boom ilB maxim 10 long lin
the world has ceased to look for remarkable mol
and women in tho Church, hut, thi.sls.nt. ol th
ChurcY. as Of q collectiou OF itleas, looas fo
paeat ncu9s wherever it ean io,,e to i,,.d them
oi.lor among tho old clanEfa rccorls oil moral
lists, or among tho poota atld statesmen frot
Pesioles to ANsko, frou. Virgil to Bryant. Yha
Iyroa. uouY have ripon Jut II tho bosonI Of Ii
Eow Testament, Ia not to bs denied, but tAe
have bpcn w fow that the mighty tAtnng III o,,
strosts saw not those great sou!n III life, NOR i
ti,oy 40 mich as kuow Of tho graves where tho
slaep. Could wo gather together tho gsoat alaFit
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