The New York herald., 1876-07-03

last approaching valley d DEATH that question
will come home to us then In all its force.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
| FR1ENDsH1p-REv HENRY WARD BEECHxR's
FAREWELL SERMON YESTERDAY.
Mr. Bcecher yesterday preached mis- closing sermon
for the many persons could be crowded
into Plymouth church 1t was communion Sunday
and large number o, persons remained after the
vices pariake of the elements To-day the reverend
gentleman departs for PceksKilI whore be will be the
Fourth ofJuIy orator to his ncgheors Living quietly
his farm at that place for the next weeks Mr..
Beecher will then proceed 10 the White Mountains to
escape the dreaded hay fever whence he will return in
the latter part Of September TO his pulpit He
announced yesterday that the church would be open
throughout The summer and that the pulpit would be
occupied By many prominent cergymen, including
Rev. DR.. Bray, Of Manchester, England; Professor
HYDE OF Chicago; Rev. Mr.. Noycs, OF Baltimore, and
Rev Mr Julian, OF Ncw Bedford, Conn.
Mr.. Bccchcr's theme yesterday friendship real
and ideal He the of his discourse the fol-
loving passage from the fifteenth chapter OF John
'Henceiorth call not servants, Tor the servant
knoweth not what his lord doeth; but have called
you friends" These arc, lie said, in sense,
words of euuncation, as II there stages de
grces Of familiarity AID honor, aad II the Saviour
had the disciples come to that point OF develop
He recognized this fitness in them and called them
up the rank of friendship. No word is more lightly
used than The word .frcnd," and there is sphere
SO difficult to fl that OF friendship For tho most
friendship is regarded either as matter OF scnti
meut or as matter Of sclashness. There IS no con
scraion of The dignity the scope, the Obligation tho
divinity that is 10 friendship we scarcely are
conscious that friendship Is the very central
snch thing friendship, deep, lasting, benen
cent; and if men fail to come to it The stress OF
their lower nature il they fail to understand It from
lack OF instruction or any other cause It must not be
thought that IL does not exist There such thing
had the power OF song; there is such thing as elo-
| qucncc though all men were blunderng IN their
speech and there is such thing as INGENUITY though
may lack II and not 6nd by culture and there is
such thing friendship honorcd by God, though
men may ovcrny it, miss II or traverse 1t with false
in this connection the love which parents have
children, the love which unl,cs souls in wedock-,here
Clement, " s,rons nsas seness D D'' parental ovs
and strong though. suhdued and sancthed
love without passion II Ma the love Of the better part
of mans nature for the whole Of anothcr's nature.
Mr.. Beechcr instanesd the friendship OF Ruth and
Naomi OF David and Jonathan and more conspicuousy
than all the love OF Christ for His disciples Not only
havo these examples, he said have also charter
l. Coriuthians have, as it the whole function,
genius. disposition aud duties of truc friendship.
Beecher read to and including the seventh, charity
sunereth long and is kind charity cnvieth not;
have in this passage Mr. Beocher said tho most exraor
din Try analysis and the extraordinary nmations
of duv in respect 10 friendship that can be found in hu
| man language The preacher dwcit upon The qualities
enumerated and implied In the passage he had read as
constituting true friendship He who looks, said be,
uLon his friends and asks, How much they worth
TO me ?" does know the first letter Of the divine
alphabet OF friendship. The shepherd not the friend
of the sheep He keeps the sheep TO shear them for
their fleece The gardener botanst because he
tcnacry cares for the succulent leucc he only
for the money he can derive from its sale.
he mi npair
friendship were discussed One very common type of
friend was drawn with a master hand-thc friend who
says .'He is my friend, nobody likes him than
Go; but am not blind TO bis faults and who there
upon proceeds the weaknesses he has learned
OF through the confidence Of the other in his friend
ship.
RELIGION IN PoLITIcs-cENrENNIAL SERMON
by DR. SIMS
At the Simpson Methodist Episcopal church,
| Brooklyn, DR.. Sims preached a Centennial sermon
yesterday morning TO his congregation. Els text was
the seventy seventh psalm and the twentieth verse
s'Thou leddcst thy people like flock by the hand Of
Moses aud Aaron" This text, began the reverend
Doctor has just this much to do with my sermon that
it reveals TO us the hand OF God behind human
agencies As the parisrchs frequently by tho
hand safety the found OF our land led
fathers let out OF the lana Of bondage to
this land, which God has given their children to
possess. Anniversary times great educators. No
nation could long exist without its national songs
| There would be spirit of patriotism without
| them. They quicken life and activity, and
| take occasion this morning 10 talk to
| you concerning the relation of Christianity
to our national life and institutions This country of
all nations this world is peculiarly Christian in its
| organizations. France, Germany Italy and Spain had
the Christian religion grated their barbarisn They
are a congorncrated people. Our nation had its re.
lgion in personal liberty and personal integrity and
honor Our foreiathcrs came seeking freedom to
ship God Their last act tho other sido com
mend themselves TO God; their first act on this side
to bow TO HIM in praise They laid the very foun
da;ion Of the nation in prayer. Now Il Is becoming
| too common to separate Church and State Men
| beginning to think that God has place IN our ma
tiona affairs that they must be conducted though
without God. They undcrtsks to root out the
land was an athcistic land 1t is Chris
tian land and nation. When the Declaration
name in the line and Gods providence In the last
line When You call men to sit in honest judgment
men to give testimony before them they are put under
oath to God to speak and act vii justice and truth
The law understands The power OF Christianity. We
cannot Afford 10 separate judicial and secular
affairs from Christianity, which lies at the foundation
OF all truth aud power What man OF you would stay
here II you knew in vo years the pulpit would be
Gated and the sabbath school abandoned. II is our
Christian religion that has preserved land from
destruction and most Instrumental In accomplishing
reform ia our national government. There Is a future
! opening be ore God Is leading His people like
| flock May He direct our energies sright that the
head OF our government may ccansed from iniuuity
| and strengthened in all that is good and true.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL.
! Although tho oppressive heat debarred many from
attending the last mass at the Cathedral yesterday
was nevertheless. large congregation present The
| officiating clergyman the Rev Maurice Dou gherty
There was no sermon but the services were as usual
solemn and Impressive In the temporary absence OF
Professor Gustavc Schmtz, Mr. Thomas r Mnlany pre-
! sided at the organ At the orcrtory Nine Bredcli
! the ACCOMPLISHED soprano Of the choir ol Nine rnrcr