The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-09
FIFTH AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN
(BRICK) CHURCH.

There was a very small congregation at the Fifth
brck Presbyterian church yesterday morning but
such did attend service treated not only to an
eloquent but able discourse. The pulpit was occu-
pied by the Rev j. o. Murray the former pastor, but
now professor at Princeton College The text was
taken from Matthew, ", IL city that is set on a
hill cannot be hid"
When bold Hugh Latimer breast high with faggots,
faced martyrdom at Oxford more than three centuries
ago he said TO his fellow martyr, BE Of good comfort,
Master Ridley We shall this day light such candle
by Gods grace in England trust shall never be put
out By Gods grace it was even So The prophecy has
been fulfilled That candle has never been put out
Tho funlment of Latimers prophecy how
ever depended upon principles which Christ
had announced long before. That portion
of the Sermon on the Mount from which the
text is taken the ndestructbity of the Chris
tian element in human life Ye tho light of the
world "a city that is set hill cannot DO hid" This
image of city set upon hill is Of fertile sugges-
tvcncss The Palestinan cities often built the
brow of some rocky emnence where they were seen
afar by day and by night They could not DO hid from
the gaze Of travellers the plains below Christ meant
teach that the power OF high moral and spiritual
position is commanding that His
RELIGION ENTHRoNEs ALL WHO EMBRACE 1T
and embody in their lives in the summit OF exist
majestic object in itself placed on an eminent
sphere This Is Christian character when it is city set
on hill II cannot DO hid Christian character will
its power irrepressiby galvanic currents
or gravitating forces Hence it was that the candle
lighted on October 49, 1855 in the flames around the
stake Of Latimcr and Ridley has never been put out
In proceeding, then, TO discourse Of the Pc
cular moral power resident in Christian char
acter it may be we'll to direct attention for
held by moral forces Ever Christ the great
events of history have all been shaped and controlled in
the interest Of His Kingdom or before His coming they
were ordained in view of and in order to His glorious adj
The epochs of history the great moral crises
where the higher interests Of nations mankind hang
in the balance Much is said in our day about the all
dominating power of materalism 1t should be remem
bcrcd always that this set parades its forces in full view
wh0 the moral agents in life have much Of their energy
as q latent energy II Is not much, alter all, tho
power of numbers armament that snaches victory
from defeat it what Is called the morale of the
fighting hosts. On all principles Of mere historic
chronicle there should be such thing American
independence, but the causes secured IT, The moral
order the world demanded and the morale of that hand
full Of American patriots has never been equaed even
by the Covenanters of Scotland the Nethernders under
the Prince OF Orange. the IrOnsdes of Oliver CTom-
well The forms Of moral powers are various. They
organized into institutions from the Christian Church
and the Christian college into Bblo societies and Sunday
schools but organized or unorganlzcd they were never
teaching the great interests Of mankind more deeply
more sensbly than they are to-day They were not
by that omnscicnt glance OF Christ 1t Is sig
ni1cant that among them all He gives such rank TO
Christian character that He recognized IN IL such power
that He said TO His disciples To not societies or IN
stutons, ''aro the light Of the world" ''Ye are the
salt Of the earth. "
The preacher then went on to speak of the formation
OF Christian character in which connection he said that
il not thing made In day but completed out OF
mighty struggles. Sharp trbulations were the fails
that thrashed out the wheat from the chaii 1t is a
spiritual formation which may have had feeble begin
hng but which through the power OF divine grace be-
comes at length consolidated into moral whole, having
unity symmetry, attractyeness from one source
slone-tho cross Of Christ, | can do all
things through Christ which strengthencth mo,
is not an outburst or enthusiasm, but the
words of truth and sOberness. In conclusion
Mr.. Murray said that the admiration of virtue
was not Of necessity vrtuous but the age tho is
ward Christian virtues rules either Of them And If to-
day my voice reaches the Of any young man of gen
impulses and spTngng ambitions waiting TO hear
some voice calling him forth TO duty, let that voice be
character to its foremost position in the rank OF spirit
ual powers. "a city that Is set hill cannot be hid
Throncd on those heights by the essential royalty of
Christian attainment; established there by the arrange
Christ's kingdom, 1t Is well TO remember that such
heights gained only by prayer and struggle. Re-
member the words Of John Milton-nobler he never
spoke-I cannot praise fugitive and clustered virtue,
socks her adversary but hrnks out Of the race where
THAT IMMORTAL GARLAND ~ TO BE Run
for, but not without dust and heat Is this the type
OF Christian character for which strvingf Il IL
with low place. We may have this and yet not
utterly lose heaven. We may have all this and yet
our aainments in this life hardly rise above its de-
cencics, but the sad thing will then be that being
called 70 high estates, settle down upon the low.
No matter what may be your station abilities, II
the character is intensely and deeply Christian II is
thereby put a moral height, which ovelooks all our
noisy and snowy wordliness "a city that is set on
bill cannot he hid" Many lone waylarcr struggling In
darkness will il from aar, its lights CLEAN out,
and will take courage Many a wandoror will catch
sight Of its shetcrmg walls, and turn his footsteps to
the home Of our sous-Christ Jesus "Ye are the light
q world .