The New York herald., 1875-02-07

The First Congregational church OF Woodbridge,
the Lee avenue church, Brooklyn, TO preach for
period OF SIX months Tor 81 900.
TEMPLE EMANUEL.
BA1AAM's soPu1sTRY EXPOSED BY DR. aoTT-
HE'LL.
Yesterday the Rev. DR.. Gottheil preached q
practical sermon on the sophistry OF Balaam in
his conversations with the King OF Moab, who
called him to curse Israel when they came out OF
the wilderness toward their own land. The Doc
tor refreshed his hearers minds with brief re.
cital OF the leading events contained in that mar
ratlve. The King OF Moab wanted to prevent the
onward march OF Israel and he sought tie aid Of
Balaam to hinder their progress He reasoned
that, II they persisted as they had done, they
would devour him and his people, as they had
others through whose country they had passed.
Balaam tertalned the messengers who had
come from the Moabitisn King. and God came to
MIN and asked who these men were. Balaam
told Him, and God said, "Thou shalt
not go with them" When this word went
back to the King he thought the re-
wards offered to Balaam were not large enough.
and he increased his gifts and promises by the
second set OF messengers. But Balaam assured
them that II the King OF Moab should give him his
house full OF silver and gold he could not say do
contrary to the word Of the Lord. But neverthe-
less. Balaam coveted the rich gifts offered to him
by Balak and he went with the princes OF Moab,
but was met in the way BY an angel OF the Lord
and was reproved by the ass which he rode, be-
cause his way was perverse before God.
Considered as o record OF events tnat actually
occurred the narrative is interesting, but as
delineation OF q class OF men and or an n1rmlty
which human nature is liable, IL Is the product or
q master hand In Its minuteness or detail. We
take the Scriptures as book OF religion. We IN
cline our cars TO
HEAR THE DIVINE MESSAGE
coming down to us. But the true power OF the
lures reveal TO US our true selves and bring to us
real nature. The Bible puts, as 1t were It's
about and opens the wounds that we would nave
healed. What wicked man Balaam was as we
have known MIN in Our Doyhood days What a
stupid bungllng sort Of man he was to lnvo.ve
himsclfin such disgrace and discontinue But II
he was ANYTHING he wascever and specious, and
he tried TO outwit God by his cleverness. Mark
his efforts 10 stine conscience and at the same
time to get the orioes offered for violating the
seSona ana and hs the a% third e He n ps ns
Of that class who, in the Scriptures, are
Srase sS his oSr
were such as are ascribed to MIN then his sin
was something appalling Man is made bad
this until he to rid himself OF his sinful Eao-
Its. Balaam's lips dropped honey and his mouth
silver also were % ms words. III Ba!ak would give
me his house full OF silver and gold cannot go be-
yOnd the commandment OF the Lord" The Doctor
referred to The dlficuty OF sitting IN legislative
halls and refusing 10 accept cneck for 5000 or
any other sum simply on the ground OF moral
principle. And here
BALAAM TRIED TO COMPROMISE WITH GOD
and with principle. He tried to induce God to say
yes, when He had SAID no. And DO we not try the
same species oil sOphistry with God, and seek 10
persuade Him that that Is innocent which
a. hrst sight appears TO Be guilty
CATION against taking the nrst steps In sucn a
career. Here was man who saw the LORD with
unveiled eyes, and yet he could moi see the things
that were rignt before him. HIS mind rcveed in
the pleasures that awaited hirn, and he saw not
MS own immediate nn danger How marked i.s Is the
man, that He should lie, neither the son OF man,
that He should repent;" aud again declared of him
self that he could not say good or BAD, save as the
Lord gave him the WORD. And yet mere We see
him 60 through process OF mental and moral
sophistry such as we sometimes benold IN men in
our day in commercial social and marital rela.
tons. Trespassers Will be punished similar kind
Of sophistry was brought 70 bear upon our
viii never interfere with the freedom OF man
made in HIS own image. II we could
Said no. but lie Will not. We coax, we beg
we pr&y, anu these efforts being OF avail We
push God and conscience out OF the way ana then
try to gloss over sins that we nave committed
against them. We denounce Tyndan and Darwin
and such men because they would maieriaiize
spiritual things But there Is species OF spirit
uallsm In our midst-not the system vi Jugglery
called by that tern-which Is eating out our spirit
ual lie. 1t Is tnis species OF sopnistry ndulged
IN by Balaam. But TO attempt or hope 10 deceive
by such sonhisiry IL like trying change a Grimm
ais character by substituting gentieman's attire
for his striped prison garD. Men oil marx, OF power
and OF influence found trying to do this tnlng,
and 10 becomes the duty OF religion 10 sweep away
this covering OF hes and show the temptation aud
the tempter IN all their naked nideousness
HOW SOME METHODIST PREACHERS
SUFFER.
Rev. @. De La Watyr, Presiding Elder OF Omaha
district, Nebraska Conference, writes, January 20,
from Fremont:-I attended quarterly meeting
January 16 where the pastor was not able 10 get
to the meeting. lie Is a stirring. energetic godly
man. and surprised all by his absence. A brother
who was present said ne slept with him ten days
before ana found that, though his pant were Tim
and worm he mad no unde rcotBes, no stockings 10
ml items, nothing 10 wrap ABOUT his meek and ears,
and no overshOes. AS ! came home To-day
I lonnd letter stating why he was absent. lie
attended q uncra on Wednesday before Qnarferly
meeting; the day was very cold, and he fr0ze his
ears fingers ana one leg severely, ana It s thought
his ears Will come OF. BE reports an increase OF
IOrty-dve members during tue lass quarter. What
have said OF MIN Is true OF 0ner Inlnlsters-they
have not received above Sl5 Lor the ent con-
ference year one family mas hot had IRE Tor
four weeks, except such AZ thcybtve made out OF