The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-29
THE BRICK CHURCH.


THE BRICK CHURCH.
THE RELIGION or cHARAcrER-sEEmoH M THE
REV. DIR. MORRIS.
Yesterday morning the congregation OF Brick church
fPrcsbvtcranl on Fifth avenue, at Thirty eighth
street. listened TO sermon preached by the Rev.
Edward d Morris, D. d.. Professor Of Theology in tho
Lane Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. Alter
the reading Of the Scriptures the Rev. 5 lrcn1us
Prime, d. d., announced that the Presbyterian Assem-
bly, will hold centennial service in the Tabernacle
Talmage's church, brooklyn, on Monday, NJ three
r. NJ. Tho Rev. Dr. Morris then read from the
Epstle Of So. Paul to tho sEphesians the thirteenth
Of the fourth chaptcr-Till wo all come in the
unity OF the faith and OF the knowledge OF the Son Of
God unto perfect man, unto the measure Of tho
Of the fulness OF Christ-and then delivered
sermon on Christian religion the religion OF charnc
ter. He said that among tho perplexng questions OF
the age vital than that respecting the true
direction and method Of growth the individual man,
the limo OF progress and development for the
adequate consummaton OF our humanity in the present
life Matoralistic the age and absorbed IN tho in
crease VI external resources and comforts and
full OF theories ~ 70 The possibility OF making
our earth Eden and mankind entirely happy by
simple changes IN human condition men
are still pausing IN their work TO inquire whether The
real change which our humanity needs does not
the circumstances Of men will not be futile unless
GREAT TRANSFORMATIONS
Is wrought In himself. The world, both In Its
periencc and in IT'S speculatons, certifying 10 the
generic lesson OF The text that the human ats
tain It's real end and blcssedncss only IN manhood
the perfect manhood Christ There rise 10 The
statue OF HIS iulncss When tho race shall grow mp
AMI whom = the Christian ' Character ,s' ' saai
then take It's place historically in tho earth
az the acme OF all human attainment tho
divine coronation or human nature, then the per-
feet man viii appear aud the lost paradise OF humanity
will be rcganed- Here Christianity differs from all
merely human religions however classified from re-
gions OF nature which render the brute slave of
the material world In which he lives; religions Of
fear, which PROSTATE him at the feet OF wild
dcmoniac forces in earth or sky from religions OF in.
tellcct whose highest issue lies In the absorption OF
human intelligence IN some pantheistic deity; from
ligions Of will, in which resignation TO
faieiul providence. the surrender of self to the
sway OF powers void OF love and OF fellowship,
In emphasizing the relations Of Christianity cnarac-
ter the preacher said that he did not ignore under
tionships OF the Gospel or desire 10 turn away tho
thoughts Of his hearers from the
.cHRIsTus N0BIs,"
whose advent into the world first made salvation
sibe whose obedient life and aoning death brought
redemption for man. In Christian manhood there
four divine elements The FIRST the Bibic, book
ordained and fitted to nurture in such divine
hood The Holy Scripture was given to man as a dis
and purpose, tho august personality OF the
Godhcad, 10 set God before in forms such
rs our minds may approhend and such
may draw our sinful nature back 10 Him penitental
love. The second OF these divine forces is the person
atty OF Christ rs tho incarnation OF all that is thus
perfect manhood which invited IN the Scripture
To seek. Examined the human side merely tho
character of Christ lifts into conceptions OF rcal
maniiness such as no other biography philosophu
ANALYSIS, no high poetic ldeazaoD has supplied
To behold Him, the fawlcss and the immaculate Jesus
OF Nazareth Is TO see what the race In all preceding
succeeding time saw. II we scok for defects or
blemishes each bcmsh becomes the shadow
OF some undiscovered grace; each apparent
defect Is found to be a beauty IN reserve
rhe third divine element is the Office and ministry Of
tho Holy Spirit as set forth in Scripture and revealed
in experience or the human character. To that office
and ministry the Christian doctrine OF the supcfnatu-
raj must either lind its grandest confirmation
after overthrow. II the restorative work OF &C
human character 10 limited TO tho disclosure OF the ex-
ternal word and tho presentation In history Of the
perfect Christ as our examples II there no interior
process upon the blinded dead nature OF pre-
pairing hm to receive and appropriate these exterior
circumstances, chen tho restoration OF our lost
character becomes impossible. and Christianity
itself is only sweet dream OF The night
But how clear and precious confirmation OF truth
discover in that inward SILENT gracious work Of the
Spirit which eliminates SINS represscs unhoy incna-
tons, wipes away bemshcs disposes the soul toward
goodness, sows the seeds OF superhuman virtues,
arcs each tender plant OF grace and out Of the old dead
manhood OF sin brings into lie and glory tho
OF Christ The fourth divine element Is the
PROvlDENTfAL ORDERING
toward humanity, and especially toward those who
ccvc Christ and His Gospel He must indeed be super
fetal student Of and the world In relation 70 each
other who does that IN the divine plan world
IL only made subscrvient man. but Is dcsgn and
ordered school OF training and culture Tor man
place in which his best powers may DO evoked and
how much higher sense Is this true Of the Christian
man. TO whom this world becomes not merely scene
Of personal culture for earthly ends but place where
the germs OF an external manhood are developed aud
where all within him that Is most like God dearest
TO God may begin unfolding that shall be immortal
The preacher dwct at length upon the points
noted briefly above and closed by urging the exen.
sion OF Christianity as the great moral power on EARTH