Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-11-23
Rev DIR. McKim's First Sermon II,
New York

Rev Dr.. McKm, late rector of Christ
Churc'i, 10 this city, preached his first sermon
to his new congregation, in New York, last
Sunday. The Tribune, Of that city gives the
following account of it
The Rev. DR.. Il. II. Nick u, the new rec
tor OF the Holy lruity Chufch protestant
Episcopal, at One bundred-and twenty first
:treel aud Flftn Avenue, preached yesterday
mornlug his hrst sermon. He selected MS
text from |. Corinthians, IL, Ia And |,
Dr. thren, when came t. you. came not witt,
excellcncy OF speech or of wisdom, decl irng
uhto you the testimony of God, Tor [ deter
mined Dot to know anything among you save
Jesus Christ and Him cruci6ed. Aud | was
WIN you 10 weak0ess aud tear aud much trenb-
Hug And my speech aud my preaching was
n'C with entlclng words of man' ) wisdom, but
10 DEMONSTRATION OF the spirit of power" The
sermon Was substantially as follows:
MY subject Tor to-day is that of the cha:ac
terlSllcs oil apostolic preaching. There are two
the negative aud positive 81 came to you
nct IN excellency OF speech" This was ad-
dressed to the Corinthians. Remember that
these men we're Greeks aud We're accustomed
t. near eiCquence OF speech, and it is not up
natural that they should expect the new re.
iglon t be presented 10 them 10 au attractive
form: But Paul S: aside all those means by
which orators sought to tickle the fancy ofthose
they address Paul was not waiting in ora
torical ability. H. had studied at the feet Of
Gamalel, was well verSed 10 Greek lit ,raturc
aud philosophy, aud had wonderful bower of
eloquence aud argument. Why then did he
say tins I He knew very we'll that mere exter.
nal means could not make any lastog impress
sion upon the bearers aud 30 he determine d to
take his staod behind the Cross, and declared
that the impression he intended to make upon
his hearers was by the power of Christ. He
knew eIcqueuce would not convert and sancity
the human hearr. But are We then to under
stand that Paul was net eloquent, and that bis
speech did not have power On the contrary;
Tor from reading his epistles We know that bis
words had wonderful rover over those to
whom they We're addressed But it was the
eloquelce OF earnestness that proceeds spon-
taneeusly from the fountain OF truth. And the
oldest OF tn latters has LEI on record s.. Pauls
preaching "Whep heard him seemed to
hear uot words but thunder" So mnch for
nrgativh preaching.
Ii was not 10 wisdom. [; may seem sur
prisug thai Paul should negll ct wise words 10
speak king tp Greeks who were passona,ely fond
OF philosophy. The fac that Paul had lust
com@ from Athens would have led them to ex
pect This. The wisdom he PREACHED was rep.
re>eLt 4 in Christ Jesus, the wisdom Of God
Paul stood upon the native soil Of poetry and
wlstnE aEd oratory, and yet he did not see fit
to folio" the example OF the Inhabitants The
preaching OF the Apostle was the ,stimouy of
GOD. In other parts of his writings he tells
Us how THIS Is TO b. understood He SAYS he
Is the messenger OF the Cross, and may MT
swergc 10 the right or left, but faithfully de.
liver the message Of God. In another place
he describes himself as one who has sowel, but
that SEED was Divine seed, given by God. Now
a sOwer sows what is given him and where and
how he is ordered So Paul SOW. d what God
had given him, Mt Knowing what would be
good aud what evil 10 another place be- com
pares himself to builder. Now, we knnw that
a builder CAMPO, do as he peas:s, tut must
follow the instructions gl"eu him By he archi
tect 50 Pan had no p wrr to build cxce,t
by he ilne and pummtt Of the Word of God.
Positive preachlI g Is accomplished BY the DOW
er OF the Spirit How Was it that man of
such great eI0quence an argument. vino could
wlrid his hearers as a potter yields his CLAW.
who stood boldly before Nero and before his
enemies c1ntass himself IN weak uess and fear
and tremDhnei Because he teit his OWL W, akue.
aud lnahllity to preach the Gospel without the
help OF the power OF God. l. is a great re-
spoDslblhty to a man who kuows that he is 10
render an account before the bar of God ard
II he does n faithfully fulfill his mission, the
blood OF souls is laid to his charge Paul says
II desired to know uothiug but the power of
God. lie was not an iguoratt person Not
hat ne despised learning or did tend to
bring his learning to bear upon his wo k, but
he desired that the power Of Christ should 50
p 'ssess bis soul th.t for the momeDt h. should
forget everything save Christ crucifed.
Paul did DOT always use ho same test. He
dlscoursed also on she duties of Christian life.
But Jesus Was the centre Of his thought, and
all rays went out trom that center Il he dc.
sired to Impress pareots aud children with their
duties, he Taught them to follow The example
OF CHRIST. He looked at truth 10 Christ Did
he speak of the jus ice of God, his theme was
the atonine sacrifice Of Christ. Did he speak
oflove, it was the love of God manifested ia
Jesus Christ. There was power displayed ia
the preaching Of Saul Of Tarsus. 1t came not
from excellence ofspcech, but from God, de-
monstratlog the truth to the hearts aud minds
OF men. Paul knew that the Increase could
only come from Cod that the building must
be Gods building, or the stones could not stay
IN their places, aud that the message would be
void unless the Spirit accompanied it. | need
not explain why | have selected this text on
the day OF assuming charge of this church. 1t
Is because L desire TO take this model for my
ministry. desire to say with Paul, Il come
not 10 excellence OF speech, but in he power
OF God" | stand here as the herald of God
to deliver His message. How solemn is the
charge of souls; how awful is the accountability
10 the last days
1t Is observed that suce 1856 the grain trade
OF New York has increased but 81 per cent,
while that OF Philadelphia has augmented 232
per cent, and that Of Montreal 263 per cent,
with the prospect of an enormous increase on
the completion Of the Weaud canal enlarge
ment.
The Wheeling Register announces the sud-
den death of L. S. Hail, OF Wetze county, w.
Va, on the ll;h Of November. He was
member Of the Virginia Secession Conyan |