New-York tribune., 1875-10-11
NATURE OF CnRISTS PERSON.

bpteTtGnL
The Church OF the Covenant at Park-ave.
and Thiry-hftlst OF which the Rev. Dr. Marvin l. Vim
cent is pastor was opened for the first time yesterday to
nm audience which crowded every part Of IT, During the
summer the interior has been rcmOdeled from the de
SIGNS and under the supervision ~ Cleveland Cady the
architect Tic church formerly i'll lighted and un
satisfactory rs internal effect Which detects induced
the recent canSoe TIE large organ which closed up
roup Of niue windows the east has been removed
and these wen all the windows Of the church fitted
with beautiful translucent cathedral glass place of
the onary stained glass. The greater portion OF toe
woodwork has .ChaJged from black walnut to y
light hard wood, and the church has been entirely re
decorated IN light, soft tints and patterns The most
striking change however is the erection of the organ
,rcluit aud greatly cnlarge the pulpit, ana snscrs
gallery al the west Of the church. The whole forms
lofty structure some G5 feet in hight varied and grace
ful in onilirc and richly hut soberly decorated.
The various organs all exposed 90 view and treated
IN harmony with their character well As with regard
70 the general eject The choir and solo organ the cen
tra feature the group is the brightest in its gold and
o The great organ rising above and back Of u rather
more sonber beis its massive pipes The lines o. the
medal organ on either side OF the great converge
10 tie center and all the swell organ III deep rich
colors and gold TN its upper portion is nearly lost
m The shadows of the roof The decoration and treat
rent OF the several portions have been subordhaod
10 the general effect Much OF the interior wood
work and painting has been devised with view
of rcgaiuing ito the eye) the space lost by the
erection of the work lust described, and with
suc success that there gain instead Of loss OF
sracc Tile pulpit and communion table arc richly COW
cred with ebcmatic flowers and designs, and the whole
work has been very carefully and beautifully executed
The organ now of the largest IN the city embraces
many rtops OF novel character and sweetness
The pastor conducted the services, preaching from the
text Mathew xii verses Al and 49, "Whe TIE Phari-
secs were gathered together Jesus asked them saying
What think ye Of Christi Whose son Is Hcf"
There is familiar saying the effect that fools can
easily questions which wise men cannot answer As
naked statement true Cnough but so far as II inn
rn,s that al the difficulty all the wisdom involved IN
question and answer is the side OF the ausWerlt -
cutie false II is doubtless the mark of wise man TO be
able to answer the questions wci but II Is the mark OF
higher wisdnm t. he able 10 ask them lcrtmcnty his
sa dstL cushing trait of every great teacher Socrates
owes hs c,ninencc among hc ancient sagcs largely to
tiis power snd Jesus Christ is DISTINGUISHED by il above
AN other hers volume might bc Wlltiti upon tlG
oucsCus oi the son of Nam If we study them We slall
ind them adopted Ia mos cases l9' 'le 10 S'iis ot ~
an app pirate answer, nut 10 Hl iGc huu q! EI. 20
ET ET''1 icYnGcr r,ltions when Christ asked qucs
tiou 1t usuaiy drew not only upon ones memory ana
knowledge, uut also upon Ms ia lhs l'JHtI. s If
C,n Sc. Oh lo', n ~ 1reasoncr his own s9phisr or
rtrncl new ana starting view Of All old tfntl to the
uu,hmsiuc. some OF MS most instructive IaTabcs arc
inns ru i'm .hc form Of question. What think yc! II
man hay an hundred shct and one Of them be gone
gtfay VIII De- ~, leave the ninety ana mn, anu -ofh Ihe
; vii, n"t sweep Tor the onel What think ye which Of
thc two sons VINO sent into Tie vineyard o" 'He
W., % ,s it duecs question OF this character Not
rrGGana % ,a iemcd an ,,ird question; Whose
thc Christ Art thou jew a!i asht, th' "a
sial's cnrniug through any other line tnan Davdst
Ana the question waS ~ Sed only tt tniougn m
tne answer which, - Jesus knew, was 80 Ieau!, on
tICr lips, they might he brought 10 CONTEMPLATE
t the Nessiah-to acsnOwied the son OF God III the
Son ~ Man. Dayids divine Lord ~ DaNiG son. e..
Modcrl, criticism womb leave the matter Just here as
an inc dent in life Of Christ having NJ significance
beyond tIc immediate matte, IA Land II was an III
lies ana il succeeded 1t raised question CONCERNING
prominent character In jewish lToph9el ana led d tLe
which in 10 way concerns ti9 piesen, H. that ootior
IA merely local aud historical enot Certainly u CErst
was o:y a Jewish Mc.sah Certainly. II Gh.lft tT Tds
age Ent If Christ he claims, has relation to every
,,rc in a the world; If his pIeoepfs given for all
tnd If il be truc thai ne nas liiicd Gp TO draw
ali men unto him. then the question does nov sto WIN
the confusion Of the Pharisees 1t moves Oh; de.
maud.ng an answer from eNety agr' IL Is as uay
niIiug question to-day as the DAY 1T wac a,kc gliS
tou touching alike our thinking and our living what
ink ye of Christ e. However regard II, whether 1s
local universal whether as ,fiPCf%y ol 9t'GHn.' % @
there ~ one assumption ulanl " utgl W a., IL,
on NiZ that relates 20 subject of common interest
ana one therefore about which every man may be ex-
cie TO have KIND OF ana opinion Their are some
iue, lions which man would be iolI 70 4Sk Ou'shle o
crowd in the cabin Of Brooklyn ferryboat Miat do
yoa tGink OF the transit q Ncnis. pICbaoy hhe 1ScS
tL, ca vi would wonder what he Wa Taking H'tVU
81 he shonld ask the people What do y0n thnk OF
,;atnrn to specie payment ~ oUinions would be offered
NJ ~ etlnsmce. There are, in short subjects on wnich
rv man Is presumed IA think and 10 &c without an
opinion atye sDge' Was the Messianic question in
tbrst's -tine. Christ, In speaking OF the Messiah,
~ ~ the ChIist The subject - the most glowing pIoph
ecies the center OF expecatOnto proud bat DEGRADED
peope his coming loOkea Tor Win che most iStnl nope
and prayed FOR witt iastiallinS te"Is-"hat jewish
child could be ignorant OF tie Christi =,
Now, when say that lnist occupies TO-DAY pIeclSey
tc same position with reference to current Thought do
NOT mel els state opinion that the SUBJECTS az import
AMI now as then state fac-!et be accounted lor as
- t,nlv-fhai mau VINO thinks AT all eau hardly be In
onact with nineteenth century civilization, ana not be
,ouuelCd to think OF thist. All attempts 70 Danish MN
nto ihc reiOB of remote history arc III vain Inc age
ras gotten past other Plato Socrates, Ce' Alex
and-r Homer and Virgil all cOnfessediy great men, are
frrtiXrly felt to belong the past. But the age
40 not gC past Christ lie Il as dslhcty yea iioI 'lI.
tnctlv fact 81 the nneteenh century than o he hIst
IN hundred different ways he appears Ia the philosophy,
the politics, the social science the s'aiehnlanshlIP,
tc eiagc the ordinary customs OF the present He
- 6istoricII but he l. than historical He Is II
,,cmorv hut He is also power and growing power;
cri IL ycr well represented by Pilates dilemma when
Ice savior was brought before MN lie codd nnt put
,7oct Him he wanted 90 avoid the responsibility OF
~ siiI Him lie sent Him to Her0d, and Herod
.cnt Htu back and he had to dispose OF MN III sOue
way aud PLATE never had harder question 10 Setu9 %
EI . do an with Jesus OF Nazareth, who is called
t c1r,st IL IN The Way OF the nineteenth century.
lie cannot be waved Of the way, nor argued out oi
The WV nor patrouzed out Of the way, Eor drVe ou,
of the way nor Ignored lie mnss oe eoIonteo @ S aaS
Their hands BIN He was Troublesome iact IA hls
own tiuo but The trouble has taken on '%oSu % Wt mTG
Him az last and thought It had gotten
Him safely out OF the way but she esnrtse rljNe6
from the dead been proving To every succeeding age
that more; aud an age thtt ls ~ DE- Dl
forced 10 near with chagrn the words 50 deaf 10 S US
clcs 81, with you always, even unto the emu oi
say these are not opinions; they are facts-faeis
patent 10 any judciOus observer Remand tat 10 lls
heu seeing how the stream OF Christian history keeps
breaking ell along the Dns INTO inc @ @oiieht -, ac