The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-12-24
4 SERMON IN NEW YORK
REV. WILLIAM R. ALGER IN HIS NEW
CHURCH.

Sunday morning, the 18th inst, in his
new church, corner P.rk avenue and
Thirty-fourth street, on The Three
Conditions of Contentment and Happi-
ness" illustrating, in his usual careful
and brilliant style, the foundations of
rest and ease. AT the conclusion of the
discourse he was congratulated by
large number of ladies and gentlemen
members of the congregation, who ex-
pressed to him their feelings of cordial
greeting as a New York pastor, and
their approval of his efforts to fill their
pulpit with honor and merit. 1t is in
tended to have a series Of inaugural and
installation exercises, religious, social
and otherwise. but, pending Mr., Algers
removal from Boston, they will come
off later in the winter. In his sermon
yesterday morning Mr., Alger said:
Few men can sincerely say, with the
Apostle Paul, 81 have learned, in what.
ever state am, Herewith to be content"
1t is related that an ancient ruler of Per
sia once scattered a hundred heralds
throughout his empire, with the procla-
nation that whoever could be found who
was perfectly content and happy should.
on applying to him, be crowned with
the highest honors within the gift of the
throne. Days, weeks, monthss passed.
AT length a solitary pilgrim approached
the Sultan, and claimed the promised
prize, but was rebuffed with this unan-
swerable question: why, if you are
perfectly contented and happy, have
you taken the pains to journey hither
and demand this reward p Yes, very
small is the number on the earth of
those who are perfectly satisfied with
their lot. Yet no one would willingly
be unhappy and repining, All human
beings desire to be joyous and peaceful
The question which propose to discuss
is therefore one of universal interest |
How can we learn to be uniformly con-
tented and happy2 What are the chief
| conditions of that enviable experience? ? !
The first condition is fellowship with |
God, life of loving communion with
the Creator and Governor of the uni
verse. The divinest voice ever heard |
among men said, blessed are the pure |
in heart, for they shall see God. God |
is the cause of all things, the overrule
of all events. The rewarding life and |
force Of the universe, between whom |
and his children there is always an un-
speakable nearness if they will but be-
| come conscious of it. Torecognize this, |
to behold the divine wisdom working in |
all the ways Of the world, and divine |
affection waiting in all the recesses Of |
the soul, is to have the hrmest founda- !
ton of intellectual rest, and the fullest |
fountain of spiritual gladness possible to
the human heart. The perception of |
a perfect providence on every hand, the |
sense of union with the Infinite Father
through the interior signals Of His will, |
and the universal glorles of His outward |
attributes, must bathe the soul { the |
obedent believer with angelic Joy. To
be the favored child of God, to receive |
His visits every moment, to enjoy more
and more of His manifestations through |
out eternity 1t is enough. He cannot
murmur; and while he feels the mystic
presence of his trouble grow insignif
cant and disappear, his petty repinngs
are swallowed up in the greatness Of his
privileges, and his superficial griefs are
lost in the depth of his gratitude. He |
who knows this experience, though per-
haps few of us know it, yet there are |
such persons, has the surest basis of con-
tentmcnt. As ravenous beasts only |
come forth for their prey in the absence |
of light, and as the rising sun drives the |
monsters back to their dens, so when |
God lifts the light of his countenance
upon us our cares and wretchedness flee |
away, and we are content with the Joy |
of the embosomng presence. If, in
deed, we believe in God, and import in
to real experience the possibility of piety,
we shall cease to complain. Our an
noyanCes will be lost in the lruitlons Of a |
knowledge S; consollng, love so en-
rapturng. If any one wishes to win the.
surest contentment, then let him Learnt
that it is to be obtained through con.
scious recognition and embrace of the |
Holy Spirit the spirit of self-surrender, |
the spirit of truth. By personal commu-
Mon with God let Him make the old ira
ditions fresh realities. Then, really |
knowing whatit is to believe in the un-
failing presence of the divine power, wis
dom and love, behol ding the inconceiv-
able glories of the divine attributes, |
through the blue sweep Of space, and the |
dazzling glitter of worlds, feeling the |
ineffable sweetness and eternity of the |
divine goodness and truth in his heart |
and brain, he shall be able to exclaim, |
from the fervor of experimental certain
ty, Father, thou art my all in all, my
rest in toll, my ease in suffering, in storms |
my peace, in loss my gain, my Joy be- |
meath the frown of the world, in shame |
my glory, in want my plentiful supply, |
in weakness my almighty power, in |
bonds my perfect liberty, in death my
endless life
The next condition Of contentment and
happiness, after the sight and love of
God, is the belief that everything is or
dered for the best 1t is because we
doubt the promise that these present af-
flictions, enduring but for moment,
shall work out for us far more exceed |
ing and eternal weight of glory, that 81
m nv Of IL, find flult with our fortune
and are filled with restless pam. five
really held that, in view OF the collective
whole of destiny, the circumstances of
our lot, and the events of our life could
not be altere except for the worse. We
should bear our fate without a murmur
be it what it may. The adventurer will
lingly engages in toilsome enterprises,
in search of wealth, and contentedly en-
dures all the hardships to which he is
exposed, so long as he believes they will
yield him the object of his pursuit. But
the moment he begins to think they will
eventuate in disappointment he com
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