The New York herald., 1874-09-14
NORTH BAPTIST CHURCH.
Human Weakness and the Need or Df-
vine Help.

vine Help.
The North Baptist Church, corner of Christopher
and Bedford streets, has large and respectable
congregation. Yesterday morning the atten dance
was fuller than has been usual during the hot
months, the pastor taking for his text the ninth
verse o. the third chapter of the first book Of
Kings :-"G1ve, therefore Thy servant an under
standing heart to Judge tiny people, that may
discern between good and bad; for who IS able to
judge this Thy so great peopleS"
Tue reverend gentleman commenced by
saying king David slept with his father
and Solomon sat on the throne judging Israel,
and thus LOT the first time in the nations history
In the place of the father was the son. Just before
David laid down his sceptre at the feet of Death
that king to whom all other kings surrender-he
gave his dying counsel In these solemn and
pathetic words:-'1 90 the way of all the earth.
Be thou strong, therefore, my son, and show Thy
self a man, and keep the charge OF the Lord thy
God to walk in his ways, to keep his statute, his
commandments, his judgment and his testi-
monies as 1t is written IN the law Of Moses,
that thou mayest prosper in all that
thou doest." And thus did the dying father
MS s son M TO God Deepy @ SEQ
solemn responsibility o. his exalted position and
humbiy conscious OF his own insuflc1ency, Israe's
young man was IN just that mental and spiritual
condition when taught him to court continually
the best gilt and to seek the wisdom that cOmeth
from above. II we compare our text TINS morn
ing to our own lives we snail mud out our weak.
ness. Human life Is made up In large measure
OF sin and suffering. The first shows US our guilt,
the second our neplessness. Cunt leads us to
view God with dlstrust and suffering
makes it neediul tnat we should have
friend VINO can show US how to
suffer, and give us at the same time an assurance
OF sympathy and relief No religious system that
tails provide IOr these necessities OF our cOnd.
tion can have permanent hold upon the human
heart Conscious OF our guilt, and Judging God by
ourselves, it Is nard to believe that He is ready
be pacified toward us for all our aDominations
TIL this is believed we cannot love HIM. IL Is con-
hdence only that
BRINGS MAN BACE TO GOD.
This is the true principle OF our recovery. But
what IS so adapted to produce this confidence as
the death OF Christ He appears as the way and
mendeth His love to US, that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly,D The
reasoning irresistible :"ne that spared not his
son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not
still, though God IS thus shown to be love, He Is
felt TO be infinitely above US. We shrink from tell.
ing Him oil our cares and weakness. II we knew
OF one who had experienced human life, and had
yet the almighty power Of God IN him, we might
trust his personal recollectiOns OF our condition
would encourage our application and de-
pendence. Whether, therefore, we look
at ttf, tse 70 deata acs n,tr OF O1rst as adapted
religious feelings as guilty and miserable, to In
struct and quicken our conscience IN relation to
ourselves TO religion and morality, to God 1t is
clearly the power Of God to every one that
robbed OF It's significance. must believe that He
is the gift OF the Fathers love; that in dying He
does homage to law; that deserve what He suf-
fers, and that, In earnestly pleading His death,
acknowledge my own guilt and desire to be freed
from IT, or these truths are powerless. Believing
taem forgiveness Is inseparabe from holiness.