National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-19
The CHURCHES YESTERDAY
fCon,iaued from Frat POoe.)

| BY nature, education and habit he has no cspac
| ity. 1t is the act Of the spiritual man. He may
say prayer is easy and natural and becoming, and
softis. But here is a man who cannot pray any
| more than you or i can manipulate chemicals
And this is Just what Jesus means when he invites
us to become his disciples. He is the supernatural
| man: the man who can walk the earth and live
this life; who can be surrounded by earthly CON
ditions and yet hold unoroken communion with
| our natural breath: live on earth and yet have
! bis affections set on things above; thing which
This is tie secret Of the schism which there il
| In MS after regeneration. It is just as though
there were two Municipalities struggling for mas
| terry within US, Jacob and Esau. We have been
educated to mind earthly things. All at once we
begin to mind spiritual things. But the new N an
formed within rs is yet in his infancy-hss e
learn to speak, and walk and act like son OF
| God. And 1t is the young Christian life which
needs the most caring for just as we surround
| young trees with framework, TO keep them from
This divine sonship involves and implies growth
| into the likeness OF Lord Jesus. mans Chris.
tian manhood ought to be as different from his
spiritual infancy as his physical manhood Is from
2 The claim to this divine sonship, on the part
Of believers, is Just one. This sonshIp is fact.
are the sons Of God. The apostle is trying TO
comfort those whom he addresses, and he uses
the same arguments the Saviour had used before
| him. Appearances do not indicate this sonship,
say they. If We are sons Of God, why does not
| you are sons Of GOO. The world does not recog-
niEe your Father did not recognize his Son, our
| Lord Jesus Christ.
The world holds the same relation to Chris
| tians as when this epistle was written. Then IL
tried to hate Christians to DEATH now 1t tries to
WheedIe them out OF all that is destructive in
Christian thought and Christian living. Then it
was important TO insist on this sonship lest Chris
tians should be discouraged; now lest they should
be cajoled. For example, what should . man
who is Christian care for the recognition and
social patronage Of this World2 How should they
Nee NJ lnhp tn horw
can q man, who is q son Of God, adopt the same
principles Of trade Of buying and selling, as one
who is not?
Many of US regard our relation to our Heavenly
Father as q quasi enc; q relation, SO TO speak,
and not actual sonsh1p. You are q man Of the
press, for example; and alas! very few men Of
the press ever show their faces in the sanctuary
except to hear for the public; you are man OF
the press. When you penned that editorial, the
effect Of which, If believed, would be to destroy
good mans character, and to cripple q depart
ment Of public science did you remember that
you are q son Of God? Here Is the great fact. Not
that we are nominal Christians, and must not
lead lives inconsistent with Christian character,
il they are found out; must not offend the cause
OF Christ, If It is found out; must not mislead
actual SONS Of God. The thing which Christians
most need is inWsrdly to believe that they are
now the sons OF God; not that they are going to
be, but are now.
g. What would be the moral effect of this be-
lief that we are now the sons Of God7 1t would
be instantaneous, almost miraculous. There
would be no more habby and uncertain Christian
character, there would be more backbone and
muscle, more spring and elasticity in our re-
liEiOn, we should be more prevalent in prayer,
we should give like the cons Of God, and work
like the CONS Of God; We should endure suffer-
ings and trials like the sons of God. What mat
tiers II though our name be cast out as evil?
though men misunderstand and misrepresent us9
The old serpent always bites the heel Of the
Womau's seed, for that heel 10 on his head. What
matters it that our riches take to themselves
wings? What matters 1t that our best-built
structures tumble down abonL our earsf What
house OF all the living, bearing forms which Will
We are the sons Of God. Our Father know.
how TO purify US and perfect for his uses knows
how to ripen Us of for his glory. And he is doing
1t; doing It wisely and tenderly and faithfully;
doing It 80 that nothing can separate us from his
love. LoOkers-on may call our lives . failure.
But how can they know the children Of God?
They only know the outer man. All! We can ar
sonshp Give this spa tHRs s, o.
and We are hsPpy-Ue are useful. Take this and
our lives are like the ehan which the wind driVeth
away.
EInstsenth-street Baptist, tCelsred.)
Tie Ninetesnth-street Baptist church was re-
opened yesterday with impressive services. The
Rev. Mr.. A. Binga, jr., Of Manchester, Va,
preached Q sermon from Exodus xIxVii:l: "And
BeTaleel built the ark Of shittim wood; two subts
and half was the length OF it. and cubit and .
half the breadth Of 1t, and . eubit and half the
height oft"
He began his remarks BY sonEratuIatIng the
members Of the congregation on their success in
repairing and identifying their church. He con-
tinued by saying that as the house was not to be
rededicated but only reoPensd, he knew Of no
subject more appropriate than Jesus, the rock on
which the Church was built The ark represents
Christ in its composition. 1t represents Christ in
what It contained, and Jesus In its victorious
leadership. Its eOmpoSition was . compound Of
wood and gold.
Christ possessed humane and divine nature.
He here referred to the miracles performed BY
him n a DFOof of Chrfltig divinity. IN
human nature few doubted. The gold crown
about the top OF the ark represented Christ
scented him IS king. He shall rule with . rod Of
iron. He iG King Of Kings, Lord Of Lords. In his
hand he held
THE LAW OF GOD.
He came not 10 destroy the law, but to fulhIl It,
Christ is The bread Of life. He il the Christians
support. As to victory, the ark was taken By the
Pbilistines at Ebenezer, but the Dagon, their
god, was Frustrated before the ark, and they
walls Of Jericho fell before il. The wicked Jews
captured Christ, but they could not hold hin.
He was the victor on the cross, and he VAnQuished
them. The worms did not touch him or corrup-
ton invade. David sang Thou will not leave my
soul in hell" &C. The river Jordan parted before
the ark, and the river Of death will part. He
being deposited in the Temple, and the Jews
looking that way when they prayed ~ Daniel
The church, which was so seriously damaged
by IRE on Sunday, February !, has been re-
paired, handsomely freseoed, painted, &c. The
Testibule has been changed, and instead Of the
winding stairs straight ones have been erected
The repairs made cost in the neIghborhood OF
u 800 Alter the nre the congregation Worshiped
allowed them the use OF their hall and church.
On March they moved into the lecture-room Of
their own church, where services were held until
yesterday. A handsome new carpet has been
presented TO the church by the Mite Society. who
yesterday beautihed the church with flowers
The attendance was very large, and among those
OF the three services held, morning. afternoon and
night, collections were taken up, which realized
handsome sum to hquidAte the debt Of the
church.
Fourth Presbyterian Church.
There is uniformly large attendance At this
church at the morning service. The pastor, Rev.
]. @. Smith, preached from John Vi:4o.
The mission Of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ was rejected for many reasons by the
SGndbedrein and elders among the Jews, and
particularly because they saw that the teachings
Of this young man would weaken their authority.
The multituees heard him with interest and
gladly, because bis teachings were not those Of
the ScIibes and PhArifees, but adapted to them
in their necessities. They found In this young
pieasapt. and had In them Kindness and the the
glorious prospect Of life eternal The divine
will and purposes secure TO all who believe IN the
words may now be UNDERWOOD and accepted by
every one present aB we have read them.
In many cases these statements, 50 simple, 60
clear and so adapted to all. are overlooked or
missread. The neglect induces carelessness and
cGrelessness is followed by darkness Of mind and
hardship OF heart. With many the ouly atten-
ton given to these things divine is IN the Sab
bath services and without the impressions. The
great the divine correction Is on this record, and
BY the words Of Jesus Christ "Search the Scrip
lures sc. Careful, powerful reading OF these
Scriptures will lead TO all truth and guide US into
the light Of the gospel, and thus We have eternal
life.
The Doctor introduced many beautiful thoughts
in illustration Of duty through his lengthy dis
course. In conclusion he said yG1 may believe in
him that you may have eternal life. The duty
performed secures all promises, for they are made
Tor all who believe In Christ Jesus
New Jerusalem (svedenborRian) Church.
The Washington Society Of the New Jerus4-
lem Church (SWedenborgian) worship ct present
in their reading-rooms, Ut the corner Of Ninth
and G streets northwest. The audience room
was much crowded yesterday morning, though
the congregation is not large. The worship was
liturRical, and the forms Of It were drawn en-
tirely from the Bible, which the SWedenborKians
hold in the highest misunderstanding. the Word
of God is the visible presence Of the Divine Being
with Christians. And they worship the Lord
Jesus Christ only, declaring that "in him all the
fuIluess Of the Gsdhesd" (that is Of the Divine
Trinity "dWells bodily;" and that the only true
The Lords Prayer only was used; lessons were
read from the Old and New TestamentS and
there was much responsive reading and chanting
~