New-York tribune., 1874-11-23
OPEN DOORS IN NATURE AND GRACE.

OPEN DOORS IN NATURE AND GRACE.
The Wm r. Alor at The Church Of the Messiah tUn'ara"'
| At the Church of the Messiah. at Park-ave'
and Thirty-fourth-st yesterday morning. the Rev. Wm
r. Ager of Boston preached on "The Open Door" he
took as his text verse from the Apocalypse, nave
set before me an open door, and man can shut IT,"
Ole of the earliest examples OF monopoly ne sau,
Of Joseph, who during the seven years OF plenty
bought up all the bread and corn OF Egypt ana when
the years of famine sold them to the people, re.
ceiving their money cattle, persons, aud Lands uhIii
Pharaoh became absolute ruler 30 in Athens thcre
were such abuses of the liberty Of trade that law was
passed that moro than specific amount OF corn
should be bought. There hundreds OF examples OF
the same kind in Spain and France and Engiahd'
So the Jesuits have claimed o monopoly OF re-
ligon, and have never given up this porten-
tous power without O struggle. The three evils
OF monopolies are that they increase the cost.
deprcciate the quality and limit the distribution Inc
true desiderata TO lower the price, to raise the quar-
ity and to "unversalze the supply II the TRACE III
carpets hats rs thrown open to all competitors We
shall better and cheaper article and they Will DO
put extensively before the people than II the raae
was held by exclusive corporations. II there were ln
religion sect enclosures and no bgotry. II men would
should reap far crop of truth than We have In
the dry and dusty dogmas minded bown by the mouths
tradition should ro AN through fresh nelds anu
feed the savory grass OF reality To every creature
its self is naturally closer and dearer than any
nOpoy OF privileges and powers But u we turn IRON
the artificial life OF men to the divide PAN h,ow We
nent freedom and unlverSaity. Tnere Is no Toh3p
oily Of Gods gifts HIS fayors are fTee 20 a oae 1 mat
thrsteth, and drink" The agreements OF men are
open door of material nature. All of Natures gifts are
freely accessible, and not required 10 count our
breaths or limit our gances Inc gooa G1a Is IN IN
His gifts and comes us in every pnlseoea anu W
every thrill Of our being. IL is practical Athelsm-tne
only Atheism have to fear-not to see God 10 the
common things the leaf, tho dew drop the cloud me
sky the falling tear the touch Of pity God is either
eoS.s works o Of fsr Ss a
shut in parlors. and hung on private walls ana
is CHARGED to sSe then I'M Ie @ Unyers
exhibition to every one Wnatls picture OF a tempest
TO real storm among the hills Wna IS Paint,dg OF
pastoral Landscape complred to the valley ana tne
meadow spauned by Gods own rainbow! Wm!e rare
traverse earths Alps and Himalayas. her Niles ana
Amazons, and behold every where an endless wilderness
gorgeous bloom and graceful form Tue fjrests the
suns the ocean. the sky monopoze, but they
are free to open studio OF the Infinite Artist
use N1n ali its treasures The entire clements and
possibilities OF humanity arc contained i IN
the lowest bosom. All the glow OF Imagination, the
wealth OF reason the fruon OF affection, are walting
for through tho open door OF our own natures with
limits save our capacities WIN no price ous 10 gasp
them They offered TO ali Dy the exercise or wna Is
kindred 10 them III own hearts We may climb the
nights OF genius traverse the abyrinths OF mystery.
cend OF history and sail over the seas OF PM
osophy, until the geography OF the soul lies plainly
Tnrdy, there is the open door of civilized society
generations gone. Here we see monopoly IN every d-
Tecion In ali the mOnarches from Hndostan to SPAN,
from Egypt to Ensand We see ~ III & W. & ha
tate God, aud all barriers are swept away: In our
God we are fulflIns our duty. Our country has
walls but the ocean and the sky In our civil war th9
not be shut" Tho result sure as that God never
marches backward OR nag - tne nls Of stainless
typical OF the open heaveus, and lis red memorial OF
the blood OF humanity. u, A., , ., ,,,
and piety least OF all should be Enclosures. pre-
scrption. and dogmatism; yet nowhere 90 we nnd 80
sence of narrowncss. Faith and charity forbid this
There should be ecclesiastical manacie5 on the grace
are a blaspheIoer and an enemy Of Cod" Tns
Is the tTy 9aay ssos OF that nna the
I''I IS all truth and beauty. and safety, and that
all reject them heretcs. subjects of deluson
Church airms that it Is the sole depository OF saving
faith, and that only through, It's fold aud sacra-
tue hand Of God. This /, only selfish coneeit
aud Neither Catholic Protestant. neither
orthodox heterOdOx, neither Christian pagan,
contains all the truth and grace OF God In none Is h1
power Of God exclusively contained: Taere Is no
common to all is essential The agreements are divine
the discussions are dIabolical. Not until yield to
Christ ana sincerely repent and long for yriu9 ana
conde in the allforgiying Cod am cleansed by the
Spirit and know tnat my burden is gone There Is no
monopoly or grace IN sect or party priest or institution,
dogma sacrament Everywhere and always God ac-
Still further there Is the open door OF death. Death
formerly considered as the horrd climax and pen
atty of sin But 1t part OF nature from the first,
Is shown by the countless animals that lved anu
died ages before man existed The sin OF ADAM then
the OF death. Superstition has considered
death an evil appalling and porentous. Not so ~
brings US near TO God Death IS restrest from o3nas
tolls and pains; 1t Is rcef-reiief from regrets and mis-
givIngs. When msfOrtuDes have done their siu
work. who would not gladly go through % thG IN oPSs Sa
present. We lift the vail OF time aud behold the
divine IN the human. terrible aflilction has Deen
Wro uphI
cxpedents they have been kept awake until eA-
haustI0n and they sank away to die. what
decOusness Of luxury would they have felt they Du
been allowed moment OF sleep-sweet sleep, Tue
death Of each days life !" so IN life, when pains ana n
frmtes oppress the weary frame, what an ecstasy OF
delight y r., w Se to % death eS'e to me the sne
repOse beyond To de is no curse but o Des-
sed privilege. and grateful should be that there
no po shut the open door Of our eternal denyei
Jerusalo Is free ali. In our Fathers hoIse
are many mansons," and the doors are all open. NJ
creeds shut tue door when God has set VIDE ope'
from the clogs and bars the hate ana tolls OF
shall piss through the open door into the peace a
blessedDess and glory OF our parddsacai nome as 'o
s the earth continues 10 circulate about tnc sun uu
the generations flourish and fade on us surface e.
groans and tears: there happiness ana bliss neIo
and toll there freedom, light aDd JOY, MaIo
are blowing the breeZ.s, and shining tue epicnoos,
aud sounding the Invitations OF the ulDounuou
Creator. Let thank God that we have Irec 'ipsi
do2ma,c herarchies, this avenue to our perIectioh 20
us bvo worthy Of our high vocation. The srsat NOUS
keeper OF the universe, God. lives with open uoo.r a
he can well afford such style for In his mansion nom
lost Let Us think OF ID as our dtnoi
who has the doors His house ever opsh. w.
for His only. but also for the pr0digni' anu Wn
all other open doors grow narrow AM smut ls '..
fragments we sual know the good In Its faiiness of
ever.
THE CASE OF FATHER GERDEuAN