New-York tribune., 1874-04-27
RESTORATION TO SPIRITUAL LIFE.
T. ev Ho1A Hunt Sehenek D. d. at 81 hEH's R e. Church
BrOOkyH.


The Rev. Noah Hunt Schenck, ID. d., preached
Yesterday morning, at 3D. AIMS Protestant Epiacop"
Church. his topic being the Parable OF the Prodg Don
I'm its relations OF the Christian life. The especai thee
was Restoration and the text was taken from Psalms
xxiii a. He restoreth my soul" The sermon was IN
grea measure addressed TO those who were To DC CON
ArIned In the evening by the Bishop. Before beginning
bis address Dr. Schenck referred to tho dlmnutoh III
tho average attendance OF communicates at church
services in Brooklyn and NewYork which he said was
increasing alarmngly as had discovered by careful
inoury Not over one-tenth OF the commuDlcahts at
tend church than once week. ana they atehu OIL
Sunday mornings when the weather is fine.
DR. Schenck said the timelong battle 0f man IL ior
BY that meant not the restoration To heat
unoY the part of him who invalid he did not mean
e restoration character ana lunucnce on t" part Vi
bio, VINO has suffered defamation ana who lies under
tha worlds eontnmey and scorn He meant not such
restoration restoration TO that position OF pros
oripv and m ,ence which some have pos I'd aud lost
through folly or misfortune although there are thou
sand episodes In fe all OF whlcn Ough 10 tedch
lesson tue day of the na restoration OF an things,
every one restored 70 everything that has been
forfeited through Adams sin or mans lOlly: lHo
speaker here abandoning his theme. spoke OF the ide
OF restoration put forward "a church 9aiag itself
Broad" which Ignores the ldea OF hora
IL does not however. reason according 10 Tue lhspeu
Word and its one single idea OF Restoration Is rs Od as
the errors of the Roman Catholic Church, ana mus
souDly associated with the idea OF PurglJoiy. Goa
word stands Restoration is the reiGstltul9h o
the soul to the things forfeited In looHi
raSurnino TO his fathers house to be welcomed. His
elder broher however, stood aloOf from the festivities
designed 10 welcome nis return, and was enYlOuS Oe-
cause lie, who had always stayed at home aud Deen
righteous had fcas5 in nis honor. Thls elder
brother was designed to depict the Christian OF long
standing and to snow his Dlirnity. nave seen such
elder brothers, said tue preacher nave sometimes lelt
IKE one OF thel The parable would not have been
faithful portraiture If IL had not elder brother The
father parable rells the elder brother all nave
IA thine" II we look with candle aud broom all over
rho house for the stray pcc II look from nm VINO
ia the standard ard manstIy Of the house TO him VINO
ha brou ghC upOn IT'S deSOlatOn ana sorfOW
do not lei us for think that III TINS there is any
impartaity OF injustice, but ascrlDe where II peOng,,
70 tue ffaity OF hum nature and humanJ ldgment
So in the doctrine and wOrH OF redemption winch the
parable illustrates, God calls the wdnderer ana wei
the scar Is there; though no more sn Is Committed,
the temptation there, ever rccurrent, aud II VIII
take months years, perhaps decades to oOneIate the
traces sn and to bring MIN 10 sOuethlhR oh
his former and purity Those VINO via DC a-
mirted TO the communion OF the Church TINS evening
will he on the same level those whO have D5en c0h
municants for fifty years. But after the confirmation,
begins the restoration, which may take months, per-
haps wears There Il difference between Restoration
10 favor and restoration to purity III the spiritual ne.
YOu M y coudone an andyet not torgeI II; may DC
ON good terms with and not take MIN into your con
fdence The PrOdIga son was restored TO favOr wheh
he came nome suspect IL took hlm years To be re-
stored 10 purity those who Will be confirmed VIII De
welcomed this evening but their restoration To purify
OF spritual life will be their Te-work. HOW fAsOme IL
musl have been PrOdigal on the day atter tue
weIcomel How distasteful the calm delsGts OF nome
and the iDys of society from which ne had estfahged
himself Yet we are infer that the restoration OF tue
Prodgal was complete, for ne never went away