The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-25
DR.. McGlynn on the Parable
Of the LabOrerS.
BEECHER ON CONFINEMENT.
Talnnage on the Uprooting and
Devouring Glasses.
The Storm Keeping Worshippers
at Home.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

SERMON By THE REV. GEORGE H HEPwoRTH-
THE BUSINESS VALUE OF RELIGION.
Rev. George II. Hepworth is so attractive and
popular preacher that not even a snow storm
ike that which ragged yesterday morning eau keep
his faithful flock away from his church. The Church
OF the Disciples at the corner OF Forty-afth
street and Madison avenue, over whose congre
cation Mr. Hepvorth presides as PASTOR, was
almost entirely ned by attentive and deyout per-
sons during the services yesterday morning. The
services preceding the reverend gentleman's dis
course were characterized by earrestness and i'm
pfessve ne-s, and ir. hepworth's exhortations IN
regard TO the singing-he lays stress upon the ne
cessity OF every joining In the psalms-seem to
have had the desired eject. The subject OF the
reverend prea cner's sermon was one OF more than
ordinary interest. IL the con rast between
the Joy which rewards life based on faith ana
virtue and the misery that follows in the wake OF
doubt and wickedness.
THE SERMON.
The reverend gentleman took his text from
Psalms. lXxii., 2s-"But II Is good for me to draw
near to God.n Il is almost impossible, he said to
successfully paraphrsse the words OF Scripture,
and yet take it That David means to intimate
that God is the centre or all things, ana that he
who contracts the circle of his life toward the
centre which Is God, finds the path OF lie COM
paratively easy, while he who chooses more re-
mote circuit 1ees the rays of the heavenly sun
less, and experiences greater dIrncultes In keep
ing on the right and sale tracS. The closer
live TO Gods spirit the easier 1t is TO bear the
burden OF this world. The farther live from
God the colder Is The climate Ia which we dwell.
The farther we are from ths sources OF light and
life the more Numerous Will be our disappoin;-
ments. our trials our troubles our sorrows. The
object OF Christian revelation Is to draw all men
In 10 INV rl Cnd,c 1 haya nafad
In my observations OF our society three strong
tendencies IN the opposite direction. which draw
the soul into the rigId zone OF distrust and doubt
and strand IL on the Iceberg or despair and death
CARDINAL ERROR.
In the first place 1 have noticed tendency in
men TO overestlmate the vaue OF worldly pos
sessions OF the comforts and iuxuries which
money can purchase. They pretend that II they
have oil and wine and fuit Ia abundance they
have accom- pshed the success o. their lives. |
think you will agree with me that this feeling
extends through all ram flea tons OF society; that
II undermines the churches. makes us jealous In
pursuit OF wealth ana indifferent to The pursuit
OF moral growth and spiritual happiness. Yes.
bret aren. think you Wall agree with me that tots
feeling produces most disastrous effect for pbilan-
throp.c enterprises UPON charities, upon churches
IS it not true that we i've iorgetlul OF
the one King VINO wil MOI ieaye Us
hour OF supreme necessity How often
1t has seemed 10 me that this wotdine3s Is really
corrodng our bne natures. ms word Is but
garment IN when tue soul IS clothed aud WINCH
tne Angel OF Death osiy Dits and bids tne soul go
forth TO eternity. That Is death. Now L that gar
ment II nn-d with linen II snilts IN Que moment;
but n is lined With pitch IT sticSeih TO US TO the
last day. The soul mas then become wcrioly, and
body and soul hang upon the peg OF humiliation.
There is no nope. no u ure.
sHEzwDNEss VS.. HONESTY.
The next tendency TO which must refer Is that
10
purity and nonesty, Is the best road 10 success
ana greatress Know mat ten thousand Young
men are acting upon this lalss principle, and taaJ
ten thousand Old mea stand ready TO confess their
grevoos error 10 having unfortunately acted upon
II. One impression Is that the word q
reeoy laid table. and while the modest
and shy nave 10 stay aiar, the bold a. mpudent
hustle their ay through the crowd and eat their
I'll and enjoy themselves 70 their hearts content.
That TINS philosophy nae gained very strong
1ootnolc nobody Can douot. But nothing Is more
false, DO statement is lartneI from the truth nor
more injurious ia It's effects. Exacny the reverse
TO my mind rs the uDdOUDted and incontrOyertIOle
verify. believe that In the oag ruu not
snrewdness, Dut Christian hdelty carries the
dsy-not once but always nave no doubt that
ere many days the brliiancy OF tue speedy sue
cess Of must crumble into tue Dust, leaving Dat
shame and remorse behind. Deileve that there
Is nothing In tlis word quito SO strong simple
CASE IN po1yY
Wrong may surround Itself by coup dStut. ana
even seat ltseif upon the gI,tering throne OF "a
nation. the nation Itself may say :-Justlce Is
nothing behold the Emperor upon bis throne IN
the fullcss oil power aud triump hs. But the end
has yet 10 come, and &c will come. Gods mills
grind slowly bot they grind exceedingly small
Ere many days you wiil nnd the throne empty,
deserted. aDo the great particular star Of the
generauon seeking safety in HETEROGENEOUS.
Shameful fgDt. That Is out an apt Illustration OF
what occurs every DAY. Truth will stand, but
1asehOod cannot pear the test OF time. There IS
no power 10 TIE world like the power OF truth, ana
there Is no weakness IN the world like mat OF
wrong ana iaisenVod and deception. Brethren,
bid you then, beware OF the philosophy. Let the
logic by which are gudei today stretcn Itself
Tar to the tUrole OF the Eternal God not be
blinded by tue glitter OF today's or tO-morrow's
success
UNBELIEP.
But there IL another tendency TO which must
reIer For the carnai reason oil nah TO i0sist that
God has left the world and no longer guides It's
nes,lnIes is presunptiovs indeed, more especi-
ally wnen great scnolar makes such an ssser-
tion, and one IN whose judgment mauk kind should
be able 10 conGde. Great responsibility rests
upon the worlds mighty men. II they speak in
nd-nty they throw d saaaow over the word
ADD tlelf influence percOlates down through all
grades OF society. inlurIug them ALL Again H. on
the other hand the world's great men are iuiIof
iaitn and trust IN Curist, they turn he tide OF
beie anc do ncalculabe good. am sorry 10 say
that now we have iallen upon times wnen some
OF the worlds BEST thinkers have gone astray
'rney ten us that what ages nave accented ss
Truth IS but leisehood; that there is no Cod no
prayer. no future lie. lacy leave God out q, the
universe a, t1ouEG the maker Of tue clock could
Ihey leave nothing TOT the future. no
misis OF hope to oe penetrated by iaith,ul
lives nor sunshine OF a better lie.
THE EFFECT.
Such belief has malsrlous eject upon our
hoeTts. ~ uhlls tutes VI IL IAkee the
sweetness out or our souls, II separates
US by deep abyss from the luture, to-
ward which nave been looking with the con-
fdence OF cnicren II rs Impossible Tor any one
70 be q true man as long Is he - not linked TO
Christ he IL but slave but. linked to Christ,
his chains fall away and be goes iortn a Tree man.
With al my strength VI mind Tor my part, con-
hde IN that beliel which has led tho world safely
through 30 many centuries 10 progress ana ctyiSa-
ron. The dearest thing of le to me IL that when
grants the nope OF another lie, and tue warmest
spot OF my heart Is the Que on which Coos ray
falls God watches you as you wax out and as
YOU 90 home and that Tic Dlesscs you In all the
plans OF your lie, though you may not think II
that lie tn~arts you, but, perhaps, only Tor your
own good, YOU know IN your hearts. IL ID wnen
you appreciate ali tins that tie lIts you up ana you
are paTtaker OF Chrisrs spirit You bear on you
advance, you struggle, you resist-in one word,
yours IL a CHRISTIAN HE. Let us, then, draw near
20 him. That we may ioei The Inspiration Of His
glorious presence.
TEE TEST OF RELIGION.
The nearness 10 God OF which David speaks Is
Of nrn nIllity Il MI