The New York herald., 1874-12-21
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

SERMON BY THE REV. DE-. HEpwoRrH-'arHE
OUTLOOK FROM BETHLEHEM"
The severity OF the snow storm prevented Q
great many OF the regular attendants Of Dr. Hep
worth's church from being present at the morn
ing services yesterday. The reverend gentleman.
however was as eloquent in his discourse as
though he was addressing the vast audience
which, as q RUE. crowds the church every Sab
bath. He took Tor his text the seventh verse OF
the second chapter OF the Gospel according to ST.
Luke :-"And sac brought forth her first born son
and wrapped him In swaddling clothes and laid
him in Q manRer. because there was no room Tor
them IN the tnn." The reverend preacher said that
when person had entered room 6llsd with
delicious perfume the organs OF the senses
seemed to iail to recognize and appreciate
its presence, but that II the person returned
after wniic from the open air he would at once
recognize, With an exquisite sense OF app:ecia-
tion the perfume laden air. He said that he often
thought that the nineteenth century was flied
with an influence that was not appreciated by u.s.
because we had become too accustomed 10 1t; be.
cause We mad been born beneath II, bred and edu.
Gated under It's power and energy. II as bird
dying from south to north and north to south,
now passing over
THE sxow-cLAD MOUNTAIN TOPS.
now over placid iakes In whose depths the moon
ana stars saw their own faces as In . mirror, then
over moorland, plain and forest, VIC, springing
from the midst or our generation suddenly, could
In Imagination wing our way beyond generations
that had passed, through ages and ages
OF centuries, on our return would be better
able TO value the privileges and prerogatives we
enjoy. and which God, In his WISDOM had placed
within our reach. He asked his hearers to leave
behind them Tor the moment the Continent, with
It's railroads and telegraph, and turn their backs
ochsv npa tfo In
schools and all that vast machinery by which the
youth Of our land were able 10 rise 10 cultivated,
yirtuous manhood, and force their way into the
past, until they stood where Jesus stood as q
cnid. Tney could he said, pass from age to
age, as
MAN IN A BALLOON
passed over one scene and landscape to others
that dlnered every hour, only glancing At the
salient points, unt they at last halted at Bethie.
hem. They could 20 back by slow degrees.
First they might ailgnt at a ieudai
knight was surrounded BY CIVILIZATION that would
seem to us utter barDarianism but which was per-
feet civilization totne knight. He was Influenced
by military glory, was TINS knight. Superstition
ruled his every acrion. and he knew not what it
meant that the pure OF heart would see God. In
the court ard were his soldiers with their swords
clasnlng In deadly feud In drunken carOusaIs,
while m his banquet nah at time there were
10000 people who were his absolute slaves, who
had NO Thought, no ambition, no purpose ID lie.
From that castle they might SO 10 England IN the
time OF Alfred and TO France IN the time OF Charlie
magne. What Was England 1000 years agOl
Where was ner literature that nowadays threw
sucn glory over the nation, her religion. ner
general character, that justified her proud boast
that the sun never set on her domlnions and that,
be he who he might. who set loot on her
TO Cnarlemagne. ne was the lord and
master I5 900 to 20 00o OF people, himsel
a giant in muscle. a man WHO had never been
overcome in batting with MS foes. whose sole
ambition ws military glory and spendor whose
only religion was superstition tnat maoe MIN
The reverend gentleman then went on in this
strain mnutely tracing the progress OF the ages.
and showing how step by step, man, through the
blessings oi Christianity, had become more and
SPOKE s Of Rome ana Athens in their paimy Gays,
when the arts nonrished, and contrasted the bar
the osg sgo O. Ssors 9ss
lowed. and which SO distinguished those ancien'
times, even before the advent Of Christ. He
fore the com ng OF the Saviour. had
reached state that even now coul,l not be con.
sldered other than learned and civilized, were
really barbsrlans, as they knew nothing OF the
life IL come that was consolng. They had gods
IN .u par,icuIar ' iney re!erred to Something in
wood or marble that was the work oi man.
When person died they could only speculate
about probaiie lie 10 come. Their latin, IN fact,
was that Of an utter determination TO submit 10 q
fate the after results OF which fhey could assert
Tue reverend gentleman, alter celebrating this
idea, showed row from tue cradle Ia Betuebem
/ tue great COQsOidllCn, tuc SRiiLiuS JUT
eyceiience of mankind, had sprung. He consid.
cred that birth at Bethlehem something tina t
could not be gauged by
THE onDlNAhY Rules or SCIENCE
or human caicuiation. II was miracle. Though
none standing beside tnat cradle could forecast
the future the birth OF the infant was destined to
bring about for the word, IL proved revolution
OF ImmeasuraDle power and energy. 1t scwed a
seed that had brought up golden grain every
where. Mr. IepwoTth closed by saying tnat after
locking back into the ages that had rolled by, and
contrasting the
BEAUTIES AND GLoRlEs or CHRISTIANITY
with The darkness and SUI erstitien ana doubt
aud hopeessness OF the lives led long ago by men
deemed in their timc enlightened no one could
iail to appreciate the benefits oil the Christian re-
iigion.