The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-18
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

THE CONDITIONS OF PEACE OF MIND-sERMoN
BY REV. WILLIAM r. ALGER.
The Rev. William r. Alger, at the Church OF the
Messiah, corner OF Thirty fourth street and Park
avenue, preached yesterday morning from the
following text:-"Peace l leave with you, my
peace give unto you"-John xiv. a. The thing
OF chief importance, began the reverend preacher,
TO every man. was the state OF his own soul. This
decided his happiness or his misery. This con-
stituted his heaven or his hell. 1t was the result
OF his past life and the idea OF his future fate. Is
the mind which carry strong. rich and calm, fur
nishing the inner condition Tor deriving the Ut
most profit and Joy from all outward affairs
Or Is my mind poor, sour, wretched and restless,
adding from Itself q new misery to every outer Ill
it meetsY This question must possess, for a wise
man. deeper interest than any other he can ask
himself For the scenery OF our destiny In all
time and all worlds Is radiated about US from the
qualities OF our Utmost being. The deepest vearn-
ing OF the soul OF men IS or peace. Wander through
the fields in the pleasant summer time. gaze On
the shifting hues OF the panorama pictured before
you and wile you wander low voice seems to
WHISPER TO THE SOUL "PEAcRl,
Look up by night to the heavens as they beud
majesticaily over our Little earth, 50 still 50
and silent shores and how Intensely the soul
crowd OF busy men lose yourself In
the hum OF the mutitude-ysl the mo.
menu you pause anu meultdte the BouiS ucSlTe
for peace becomes oppressive. Turn your thoughts
inward when alone. Let tie solitary soul reveal
the past and look into the future, and you VIII
find It's remorse and JOY, Its DIM memories and
vague asplrings, It's fears and its hopes all blend
Ing In one sign for peace. such is the constttu-
ton OF human nature, the universal language OF
man. Oh, how many prayers for peace nave gone
up to heaven from crowded city and lonely desert!
How many hearts, saddened by disappointment
CONFUSED by passion, torn by remorse or wrung
by bereavement have turned to God In an agony
oil supplicati0n for
PITY, AND PARDON, AND PKACEl
large portion OF mankind msapprehend the
basis on which peace should rest, and attempt TO
based on something II 1t Is to endure. We must
have something to depend on. Independence IS
but another name for selldclence. The question
Is, What shall this something be, the world, sell,
or Codi Let us examine these supp0sable sup
ports OF peaceful soul Some SUPPOSE the true
basis OF peace IS outward prosperity, the enjoy
ment OF exterior luxury. All their efforts accord.
1ngly are directed TO the aquirement o. these.
This notion IS entertained by the mass OF every
civilized community and Is the cause OF that vio-
lent strife OF rivalry fraud and oppression which
fills the world. What a hooking deceit it is
Have not thousands spent the best years OF their
lives Ia the pursuit o. worldly good only to nnd
the angel OF peace farther or than ever when they
strove at length to WOO her to their weary
bosomsp Many imagine the sure foundation OF
peace to be laid In q life OF culture,
INTERNAL AFFLuENCE AND DELIGHT
They labor TO understand the mysteries OF being,
the truths OF science, the principles OF art. This
Is well far as goes but TO stop here IL to fan
OF all reliance on those resources OF religious trust
and SUBMISSION In when unfailing security aud
blessedness exclusively reside: others think
I0ftiest lessons OF pagan antiquity de.
cisred this Independence from the petty
pains and pleasures OF the world. But this
Independence Of the soul ives more surely ~