The New York herald., 1875-09-27
ST. THOMAS CHURCH.

DISCOURSE BY THE REV. DIR. MAURY
New York can boast of but few church edi1ces moro
commodious and at the same time more complete and
superb in all its appointments than is the Church of St
Thomas, at the corner of Fifth avenue and Fifty third
street. Rev. Dr. Morgan, the wellknown and eminen
divine is the regular pastor Of this parish but during
his absence in Europe, where he has been for some
time recruiting his health the fold guarded and has
its spiritual wants minstered TO by DR.. NJ. Maury.
St Thomas church has been noted for the ex-
celleht quality OF the music produced by its choir,
der the management and leadership of that well known
organist pianist and composer Mr. George William
Warren. The choir consists of quartet and chorus
OF forty male and female voices with organ and harp
accompaniment This choir is quite as excellent in
quality as in quantity Mr.. Warren having taken the ut
most to have 1t attain
A DEGREE OF PERFECTION
In the rendition of the various anthems, hymns and
solos rarely gained by church choirs nowadays The
personnel Of the quartet is made up by Mrs p D. Gula
ger soprano; Miss Lehman, contralto; Mr. wnkie
tenor, and Mr. Morawski. basso Mr.. A. F. Toulmin,
well known artist is the harpst.
The musical programme of yesterday mornings SER
vice was as follows
Professional hymn-"This is the Day of Light"
Te Deum, Benedictus-Anthem in E fiat by q. w. War
Introit-"Thy Presence, Lord" by @. W. Warren
Kyrie, Gloria Tibi, in fiat.
observation-disclosures Pstrn GregoIa
Ofertory-Trio from ELI" BY 6usta Sung by Mrs Gull
IT foann I-'"'H '"0 ' "NA'' WIN Hp 00's''0 O'
To say this entire programme was interpreted in
mastery manner Is but 10 do justice TO the excellent
corps Of artists.
THE SERMON.
The text from which Mr. Maury preached his sermon
selected from Psalm xxxviL, 6-"I 60 mourn
ing all the day long" 1t will be observed said the
speaker, that these words taken from Of the
psalms chosen especially for Ash Wednesday. They
employed by penent of olden times TO describe
his repentance and is intended by the Church that they
shall be used by every pentent Of the present day to
describe his repentance 1t is therefore in the highest
degree important TO know what their exact meaning is.
To certain extent they may, perhaps be understood
literally Oriental nations have character far more
demonstrative than our own. Their feelings may be
compared TO the extraordinary fountain source of the
Jordan at Casarda Phippi The waters there burst
suddenly from the heart OF massive rock, dashng and
bounding tumultuously with ungovernabe torrent-ke
violence To such passionately expressive emotions
our own present
A STRIKING CONTRAST.
They may be kened to the well Of Father Jacob hard
by the city Sychem which, as the woman OF Samaria
explained to our Lord, was "deep" and needed some
thing TO draw with.
Feeling ever finds among Eastern nations some mode
of showing itself So natural is this and so prone
they carry it to excess that actually ind among
the laws of Moses certain sumptuary laws for the feel
ings which intended in the case OF mourning TO
check extravagant display Rendng Of the garments
was tolerated The body might be robed IN sackcloh,
but cutting Of the flesh strictly prohibited. As it
in seasons OF grief so HI OF joy-feelng
ever took shape. 1t was never allowed to be spent
show itself And the parties Immediately concerned
did not feel themselves able to do justice to an OCCASION
either Of sorrow or joy they were persons who made
their
DAILY BREAD BY PROFESSIONAL LAUGHTER
or grief 1t may be remembered that the prophet
jeremiah describing the woe Of Jerusalem, ex
claimed;-"Consider ye and call for the mourning
women, that they may come and send
for cunning women that they may
come. And let them make haste and take up wall
ing for us, that eyes may over with tears and
eyeids push out with waters. No doubt you will
recall the that when Jesus reached the house
of Jarus whose dead daughter he aiterward restored
TO life, he found the mnstres, or
MOURNING wOMEN
engaged, as the evangelist graphically states, Gin max
ing noise" So demonstatve, then, were and are the
0rentas that they not only give free expression to
their feelings when they have any but they can with
entire make all the signs Of having them in an
extraordinary degree, when they really have none at
all
Certainly very few persons ought to require being
told that David did TO state that he had wept
whole nights long roared all the day. and as to the
wasting away of his bones, no one certainly for one
moment supposes that these words at all Imply that the
Psalmsts health suffering from the excess OF grief
And # any still desires a literal explanation OF
and fears that his repentance is not sincere
complete unless there be some great emotional out
ward sign of inward pan--if he employ the figure
already suggested he believe that there may be
water and good in the deep well as in the gush
ing, tumultuous torrent or If he thinks hgurative
amss he will do we'll to turn for moment to the
account which tells how David repented when he had
been guilty OF adultery and murder We hnd there no
record of any LENGTHY O painful mourning.