National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-04-26
The CHURCHES YESTERDAY


much Of what now seems to US quAekery as the
early practice Of medicine, when the whole sub
technology Of some Of the catechisms, and It ia
almost as abstTuse as the Latin prescriptions OF
q ply stefan. The same truths are taught to-day
once in the Language Of the schools, and men were
obliged to take prescriptions instead Of medicine
for the diseases OF the soul.
Compare the probable result OF the natural OBJ
servation Of Gods works, as he has left them 10
their lonely grandeur, mute richnesses, to testify
Of himself; the ocean, with Its unceasing hymuai
Of praise; his footprints in the far back, demE
urEic periOdsi the harmony Of the system upon
system Of worlds in the heavens; the minute per-
lection Of the least flower that blooms-of the
most microscopic insect that has oeingi you
would say that any single department Of Gsd's
works would preach better sermon than ever
iell from the lips OF mortals-than could ever De
voiced by the voice Of angels. But do you md
scientific men reverent, prayerful meuf There
are such men among them-men who seem 70
themselves to hear the rustHng OF the creators
from chamber TO chamber Of his wonders; men
who employ the telescope and the microscope
with as reVerent hand % though they handed "a
imprint as they do. But the multitude Of them
fnd no father-heart, no father-love in the Gre
TOEE wdTs esnor os
encouragement from the lips Of the comforter in
caTnate,
BROUGHT TO MEMORY
by the comforter sensible; these are mightier to
reach the human eplr1L tnan IDrar1ee OF DOCKS
piled up by the industry OF modern science.
"For after that in (or amid) the wisdom Of God,
the world by wisdom knew not God" The idea
is this: that the Inhabitants Of this world, living
1t were in the laboratory OF the Creators works
where he is carrying on bis eternal processes under
their very eyes, walking in cabinet Of his works
where be has stored all around them specimens OF
his power and godhead; and yet failing. through
their own wisdom, to Rpprehend the wisdom OF
their Creator, he now undertakes to reach them
through the foOlishness Of preaching, through the
story Of the cross!
THE POWER OF THE PULPIT
is not its natural power is not in any element
which you can anslyZe and say, "Here 1t is ~ 1t
is its supernatural power its connection with the
living God The Saviour made clay heal the
heal men of spiritual blindness. When Sydney
Smith ridiculed brother Carey" as he termed
him, he did not estimate this supernatural power
which, in a few years, was to make him the in
stIumentality Of reaching millions Of human
beings through forty different Oriental dialects.
Charles Dickens has his Mrs. Jellyby and the
natives Of Borrioboola-gha, and we accept the
ridicule not always undeserVed. So the
natural never can understand the power OF super
natural things.
Tbe cause Of modern missions is scarcely more
than half century old. This half q century has
been it's formative period. Until 1872 missionaries
all foreign approaches; and before the Orimean
war no MohRmmedan could become Christian
without exposure to the penalty Of death; and 1t
is but few years since Japan has become acGessi-
bic TO the Truth. The missionaries have, there
fore, been mostly confined to the most bar5arous
and degraded specimens Of humanity, and then
neW lnn n se making 9ietionarss and r teRt
books. Much Of this is work not deVOlved upon
the apostles and early Christians. Besides, they
were endowed with especial spiritual and
MIRACULOUS GIFTS.
And, yet, there are to-day 27s, 900 communicates
in missionary churches eommunIcapts, many of
whom have stood the IRE of persecution, and
some OF whom have exhibited higher type Of
deity than that in the pulpit or few Of our home
and began to learn these heather nations, is the
fOolishness Of preaching.
1.-TWO things" said Kant, ''are awful to me-
the starry armament and the sense of RESPONSE
bility OF man." There are two things more awful
to me-the countless millions who are living and
dying without hope and without God, the unceas-
ing flow Of fallen humanity toward the realities
Of eternity, and the sense Of responsibility 10
man; the fact that We can live as we live: that
VIC are content 10 spend more in luxury and ornA-
into the treasury Of the Lord for the conversion
of those for whom he died. Let us rise up to
some proper appreciation Of what foreign mis-
tined to do. in our own Generation. We have not
to count the cost. The Msster-bullder has done
this. Let us build. We have not TO ask If with
comes With his tTenty tSoussn We b n M19
to follow our leader. This building will 20 up,
this battle will be won. Shall we have part In
them2
Western Presbyterian.
At the Western Presbyterian Church, Rev D.
Wills, D. D., pastor, the services were OF q very
instructive and highly interesting character
The learned Doctor preached q most excellent
sermon from part Of the sth verse 4th chapter OF
the first Epistle OF John, "God is love-" We all
delight to contemplate what is lovely,
whether 1t he Q broad landscape Of nature,
beautiful exhibition Of art, or the sweet and en-
dearing expression Of human countenance, or the
excellence Of the divine character.
We tremble before the amazing approaches Of
Almighty Power, and we stand in awe Of the in
Fiction OF Vindtcatory justice; but when God
manifests himself in the infinite loneliness OF
his nature, the Warmest emotions Of gratitude
and love are excited in the breast. The most
vigorous processes Of logic and the most splendid
from the world to the ways Of righteousness and
peace, apart from
THE oVKRPowERING CHARMS
of eternal mercy. And when it is declared that
God is love, the declaration would seem to over
shadow and Well-nigh extinguish all the other
shall succC ed this morning in demonstrating this
proposition, IL will throw g new light and glory
in every household, and cause every heart to leap
for Joy. Let us, then, proceed to illustrate and
develop the grand and comprehensive teaching
of the text, and our first remark is that the mere
Of God is only another form and ex-
preston Of his love. That Wondrous goodness
which permitted us to emerge from nonentity into
III,
has followed as q guardian angel from the feeble
Of infancy the folies Of youth and the perlIS
and lahOrs Of manhood. This love dWelt In the
bosom OF God lar back in the
DEPTHS OF ETERNITY,
dwell there before the morning stars sang to-
getheT, and all the SONS Of God shouted together.
The second remark, That the wisdom Of God in
its ultimate design and effect is but modified
form Of love-" Wisdom is that attribute which So
lects the best means TO accomplish the most deslr-
able ends. What is the end OF the wisdom Of
God which is SO conspicuously displayed in the
family7 If the glorious Creator did not care for
his creatures be would not have made such an
elaborate and brilliant preparation fer their we'll
being. All nature Is adopted 70 the phyScal, in
tellCctual and moral constitution OF man. The
gree en- carpetfng Of the earth afford pleasure and
protection to the eye. The chirp Of the insect,
the everlasting roar of the ocean pour out each
its melody in the human ear. The sublime and
beautiful scenes Of river,
MOUNTAIN, FIELD AND SKY
contribute greatly to the pleasures Of the Imagi-
atmosphere Of which we have just eaten enough
and just felt enough; the curious phenomena Of
SUMMER and winter, seed time and harvest. Do
what? All do What2 Why,speak Of the love Of God.
The slightest change in the constitution of nature
would cause the rays Of light to pierce our eyes
like grains OF sand shot from the csnnon's mouth.
But my brethren there is one other expression of
Gods love with which shall close these services,
and It is that expression before which all others
sink into fneiEnincance. God gave his only be-
gotten Son that whomsoever believed in him
should not perish, but have everlasting lie. The
discourse throughout was listened to with marked
attention BY the congregation. The music of the
choir also added to the devotional exercises Of the
morning.
First Unitarian Church, willard Hall.
Services were held at the usual hours yesterday
in Willard hall, the pastor, Rev. Russell N. Bel
lows, ofciating. The preacher took his text from
1 Corinthians, xii:l2 His subject was "The Chris
tian Limits Of IndividualIsm." The difference
between the selfish ambition OF Q mere notoriety
seeker and the prsiseWorthy desire Of every true
man for q generous and catholic culture was
dWeIled upon and FULLY portrayed. An indL
vidualism which 81 oks merely is own advance
ment finds no warrant in the Gospel Christian
indlyidualism is not without praiseNerthy de-
sire fer excellence, but It welcomes no hORors
which are the fruit Of selhshness. The Christian
specialist whether devoted to the study Of science
or religion, never forgets his obligations to his
felloW-men- bis
DUTIES TO SOCIETY,
his indebtedness to his felIoElabOrers
At the conclusion Of the services a statement
read, from which 1t appeared that the society is
in q very prosperous condition. Besides holdlAg
morning and evening services, Q Sunday school
has been organized, which now numbers thirty
scholars, not intending Bible class, which meets
Immediately after morning servics A school for
the instruction OF girls in sewing meets every
Saturday, at IL o'clock, in the Montgomery-street
called the tSt. Cecilia Club" meets TOR practice
every Thursday evening, under the direction OF
the pastor. SocIables are held once q fortnight
at the residences OF members, and a truly social