, 1874-11-27

Sermon By tho Rev. A. j. Frost.
Tho First Baptist and University Place Church
is united With tho Michigan Avenuo Baptist
Church, md held seruces yesterday morning in
tho house OF worship Of the last named church.
Tho services wero opened BY voluntary from
Wagner and tho Ute Deum" from "El." by
@. 4. Havens, aud, after prayer by Mr. Bush
Of the Twenty-hfth Street Church and tho sing
ing Of the National Hymn, lily country, 'tis Of
thee" the pastor announced that the
Rev. l. ]. Frost, Of tho University
Place Church, would deliver tho discourse OF tho
morning. Tho houao was we'll filled, but no
floral decorations we're arranged. h1r. Frost
took his toxt from the sixteenth chapter Of Mat
thew, tho third verse, "Ye Gun discern the face
# The say,, but can se not dis'orn tho sena of
i vii be remembered that there we're three
sects OF the Jews, tho phassaees. who we1e tho
1itualiats tho Sadducoes. tho rationalists and
the Essences, tho ascetics. The Phariaees kept
themselves noof from all othera like all ritual
ia.a they relied on tradition. they worq p9daatio,
| philosophy. The sadducees zero Eptcuroan3
! in their thstes, and held that God
had Withdrawn Himself from. Nature.
They did not give up the Hebrew Gospel 6ut
ratonaiizea it; their religion was nesative. The
| Eaaenes wororopreBontatlYea OF Jewish ascotclsm
! and wele tho 1nyBtica Of their time. Thoy re-
tred from the ctic8 to tho foregte It la in1pOr-
tanE tn koop in mind these distinct scots to show
thc m,nds on Which Jesus had to work, Both
tho ratioualista and rituslats tondod toward ma.
| tnrialfsm. Hence thoy asked for 1nateriatlst1o
ejrns. They were not eatiBaed with natural
| si9na Christ said: "Ye can discern tho faco
Of the sky. but can 80 not discern tho signs Of
the timoB; !"
They could road natural signals. but could not
discern spiritual eigus. The sun Of tho Old
Testament Ind just get in glory: and John had
lust come, The old day was closing, tile sun Of
tha nav disnaneatinn yaa lust rising There worc
mutterings in the aAy, but these could not discern
their danger, because they could not dlscetu the
siena Of tho tines. But thoY we're material !;
tGay would not see spiritual things which woro1
to 6o enritnaliy discerncd, The men OF to-day
nre living in emilar timoa in an aeo OF material
lam. Only a few dfacoru thn signs OF the times
It ia not ptesumrtuous to try to read. the signs
at tho timog: they uto the signs OF Gods rcYoia.
ton and arc digcernod In passing events,--in The
| nhnracter Of tho psspiuR are. IN tho Bible Coo
speaks In Els Providence; He acts, ard Hlf
nctiouB ate sometimes loudor than His woydo
God drowned tho world and sonj
p1arues on Egypt because they did no.
disceru the signa of tho times. They will, thore.
fore, OF present be considered in rufereuco tc
ibis day Of Thanksgiving. Other agns may bf
loft for a day Of fasting and prayer
Frak, can the Bigus ct tho times not DO dis.
ccrned In the gciontifo world7 This ID tendiur
toward matoriajiam, Atheism Ia too absurd 10
the general mind OF man to accent, There ar
man who &ct aud liyo as il thero mas no God
mnt II ie doubtful il there is living theorotica
athoiet. He nav bo 30 IN heart, in his dosroa
hit not in boiat. True eciencais tho Star In th