National Republican., 1875-11-08
FOUNDRY CHURCH.
"0ur Hearts will not Remain Empty

Uur hearS Wall not hemaln Emply."
The Foundry church was, as usual of late, we'll
filled yesterday morning. The singing was partly
by the Sunday school in the gallery, and partly
by the choir and congregation. Rev H A. CIeve-
land. the pastor, preached an evangelical dis
course from Eph. iii:17: ''Thst Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith" He said the language
here used implies the idea Of an actual residence
OF Christ with US. Our hearts will not remain
empty. If the spirit of Christ does not dwell in
them the spirit Of evil will We have ali of us had
friends who were so dear to us, Of whom we
thought so highly, that they might be said to
fulness in allotted tasks that the friends whom
We priced so highly would have us do for them
Dissgreeable duties were made less so, and pleas
were thus aided to bear our burdens, to withstand
temptation, and to do the best of which we were
was by no means necessary to produce this effect.
Many young man has been restrained from evil
and led to Christ blythe remembrance of mothers
prayers and entreaties after she had passed
away, she being thus more truly present with
him than when on earth. If persons may thus
dwell with us 80 may things.
WHAT DO YOU CARE. MOST ABOUT?
What do you think about oftenest and most natu-
rally? Is It ease, honor, wealth, some low indul-
gence. pride, envy or jealousy? Every heart
must have some occupant; let us strive to en-
carry abont with US a consciousness of Christ's
presence; learn to love him with all our
best. friend. But Christ has MANY riyals lSke wSo
are elamorous and persistent, and force them
selves on our attention, and If We don't watch
against and resist them, they will crowd Christ
out.
THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE
is drowned by that Of appetite, of passion of am
bition, Of love of the world. Paul understood
this, and hence his prayer that the Ephesians
might ''be strengthened with might by his spirit
in the inner man, that Christ might dwell in
their hearts by faith.". We are conscious that we
possess a dual nature, the flesh and the spirit:
that the inner the sDirftual
ture, is the highest, nobest portion OF our being
and feeling how the flesh drags us down, we eT.
the body of this death ?"
The means by which we can draw near to Christ
are. FIRST devotional & and faithful al study Of the
prayer. We need to study the gospels to learn
what sort Of person Christ was, and then we need
to pray that we may come into communion with
him. Christ wants and is trying to
DWELL IN OUR HEARTS
or course, there are some other things which will
naturally accompany this study and prayer the
chief of which is obedience. aft any will do his
commandments he shall know of the doctrine
whether It be of God" But this We will not
dwell upon at present.
critical study of tie Scriptures. speak Of
prayer in the sense Of fellowship. Is PRAYER the
cry Of an orphan that can never reach fathers
has no response? we know thai the men who
have been most powerful in prayer are uniformly
those who have been most faithful in the
DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES.
[Striking instances OF special answers to prayer
that had come to the speakers knowledge within
few weeks were here giyen.l
We cannot leave Christ out of our system of
philosophy or life. Tho great truths he enun-
ciated permeate all our great and noble enter
prises The peculiarity Of Christ's teaching is
that it inculcates, not SO much new truths as
broader, deeper and higher views oflife. Are you
in any degree living Christ's life; thinking his
thoughts and striving to initiate his works?
CHRIST is KNOCKING
at the door OF hearts, and If we will open II he
Will come in and take up his abode with us.
do not preach to you to-day the Christ of phil
losophy, Of polemics of theology, OF fierce conten.
tion, which has so often divided and embittered
his followers; but preach the Christ who took
little children in his arms and blessed them;
whose feet fingered on the threshold of the be-
reaved household; who went about doing good
and who died praying for his enemies This Is the
Christ ask you to admit into your hearts-the
Christ OF the sacrament which we are about to
celebrate. believe in the s'real presence" of
Christ in this ordinance, but in the heart of the
believer who partakes Of #; for we have his prom
Use. ''Lo am with you always, even unto the end
of the world"
at the conclusion of the sermon five new men,
bers were received into the church, and the Lords
Supper was then administered. Rev. Mr.. Cleve-
land preached again in the evening on "The Prod
igal Son."