The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-02
ST. PATRICK's CATHEDRAL.
THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER--sERMoN BY THE
REV EArnER n,EARnE11 ON rn,znn1rr

REV. FATHER FARRELL, OF RONDoUT.
As general rule through the summer months
when the attendance at the high mass services at
other Catholic churches in this city is somewhat
less than during the other months Of the year,
there is always large congregation TO be found
at the halfpasr ten O'Clock mass at the Cathedral
But 1t would seem that the regular attendants
who are pewholders have now lett town, for yester-
day there was comparatively small congregation.
No pew was crowded, and those pews which were
comfortably full were, for the most part, occupied
by strangers or members OF the parish who do not
boast the possession of pew the year round.
The sermon was preached by the Rev. Father
O'Farren, of Rondout on the Hudson. The sermon
was brief, the subject oo,ng
THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER.
The reverend father treated the subject in an
eloquent manner, and began by calling the atten-
ton MS hearers to the tact that prayer was alb
soIutely necessary to salvation. In TACT, said he,
person ''may be saved without the sacrament,
but without prayer never.n He enlarged upon
this branch OF his discourse by arguing TO show
that God looked upon prayer as q recognition on
the part OF man OF his utter dependence upon his
creator; Tor the very act OF man begging Of
God-for instance the grace 10 lead good life
was an evidence OF the mans faith that he OF him.
self could do nothing toward gaining heaven !;
that Gods grace was necessity to him, and that
10 obtain that grace ne mad to May forit earnestly
ana devoutly. as became a creature upon whom
God had bestowed life ana all the blessings
that IL entalled. We were taught TO watch ana
pray always When we were IN danger OF falling
into sin We should resort TO prayer, and when in
the mast Of worldly anxiety as to business and
domestic affairs our minds were overwhelmed.
PRAYER should DE our stronghold-prayer, IN
which TO ask God for His help to bear up and suf-
fer for HIS sake. He who prayed uev0utly and
with a heart lifted up to God, no matter what his
trials his temptations on tais earth, he would be
sure TO night the good fight to the end aud tri-
umph glorlousiy. st. Augustine had said that
prayer was not only necessary because it Is com.
m v IN
THE ORDINARY DIsPENSATEoNs OF PROVIDENCE,
without addressing ourselves to Almighty God
ana asking His assistance we could not be saved.
Then, again, what power was prayerl IL turned
aside tie wrath OF God, obtained Tor us the for
glveness OF our sins and opened TO us the gates
OF heaven, conquerng, as 1t were, the Almighty
Himself The 0ld Testament abounded with testl-
nony 10 It's power; 1t was full OF evidence OF its
wonderful effects, OF the numerous blessings God
had granted Hts people through simple, devout
kingdoms had been saved, the dead brought TO
lie, battles gained; through 1t 'even the sun was
made to go from tae west TO the east and the
moon TO stand stul.p And yet prayer was merely
the raising up OF our minds and hearts TO AL
mighty God
Tue reverend father then alluded to the power
OF prayer as manifested when Moses prayed during
the battle between the lsraelites and the ANAL
ekites and when JOSHUA caused the sun 10 stand
still We should, he SAID, feel proud to be al
lowed to speak to God as we really did when we
prayed, and by 1t do all that we could do TO OBTAIN
OUR ETERNAL SALVATION;
Tor we had the assurance OF the Saviour Himself
that God would not turn an unwilling ear to the
soul that prayed TO Him with devoub heart. he
mad said, "Come TO me all ye that are heavily
laden ana Will refresh you; call upon nae IN the
perrin la or der that our prayers Should be ac-
ceptable to 0od they should, the reverend father
remarked, be iervent and devout and humble.
We should in praying pray with all humility OF
Thought and full OF trust In God. The humility OF
the poor publican and the faith OF the centurion
showed what powerful elements ID prayer were
humility and lalth.
The reverend preacher closed by earnestly ex-
horting his hearers to pray with humility con-
fidenee and perseverance,. BY aoing one day,
like ship under iull SAIL they would, after avoid
ing, by Gods guidance, all the rocks and SHOALS
on their trace finally arrive safely at the harbor
Of our desilnaton-hoaven-
CHURCH OF THE TRANSPORTATION.
DALAKs DESIRE FOR RIaHTEoUsNEss-sERMoN
BY REV. G. II. HoUGHToN
The Church OF the Trans1 garatlon was well at
tended yesterday, and 1t was a noticeable fact
that many strangers were among the congrega-
ton. The minister, Mr.. Houghton, took for his
text Micah viz SHE hath showed thee, man,
what is good; and what doth the Lord require of
thee, bat to do justly, and to love mercy, and TO
walk humbiy with thy God2' Micah introduces,
said the preacher, in his writings q conversation,
the Ike OF which cannot be found in any other
part Of the Holy Bible. Il is that one between
Balak, King OF Moab, ana Balaam the prophet.
The conversation was the righteous man Of the
Lord, the righteousness He desired and the righ-
Baiak desired
TO SERVE GOD
and 1t was this strong desire IN his heart that In
duced the prayer from him to God that he might
i've the life OF the righteous man and die the
death OF one He asks OF Balaam, ''Wherewith
shall come before the Lord, and bow myself before
the High G0dY shall | como before Him with burnt
oferin1s, with calves OF year oldY" ana BaIaam
answers him in the beautiful words OF the text.
All men have at some time OF their lives desire
for righteousness and all men have a knowledge
OF the Kind of RICH eousness that acceptable in
the eyes OF God. We can all understand when
God shows us our duty, and He makes HIS show
ing so PLAN that cannot mistake that duty
we know what it is to do Justly, and let US look
TO ourselves tnat we 1ail not to 40 Justly. We
know what it Is TO love mercy, because we know
we need IL at the hands oil our rulers and God,
and let us not fail TO
BE NERCIFUL
to those who may be under us. We know what
walking humbly with God means ana we should
strive TO do so. Balaam walked hunlbly IN His
sight because he wanted to live q righteous Lille
and die the Death OF righteous man, and IL we
desire righteousness we must do as the LORD
commands. The laws oil God were not hard to
obey If we wished TO obey them; not one OF them
was oppressive; they all were pleasant and led to
ways OF pleasantness. And the same fulilment
OF the promises That GOD had made to those who
should induce US to cast OF our evil WAYS ana
walk humbly before Him. Gle hath showed thee.
man, what Is good; and what doth the Lord re-
quIre of thee but TO do Justly, and TO love mercy
aud to walk humblY with thy GodGn
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
WHAT CONSTITUTES TRUE REL1GIoN-sERMoN
BY THE REV. Mr.. DICKSON.
congregation, pretty fair in regard to num-
bers, attended divine service at the Fourth Pres