The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-03
TRINITY CHURCH.

THE MAGNITUDE OF CHRIST SACRIFICE FOR
sIxNEns-sERMoS BY THE REV. DIR. DIX.
Al Trinity church, yesterday, tho Rev. DR.. DIX
preached At the forenoon services from tho 9TH chap
Of Paul to the Romans, seventh and eighth
"For scarcely for righteous man will ono die; YET
pcradventure for good man some would even dare to
die But God commandeth his love toward us in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for u.s.
II was clear, the preacher said, from the language
here used that tho apostle desired TO distinguish be-
tween righteous and good men, and tho natural
cuson must be that the good man ranked as tho
higher character Tho righteous man may be strictly
Just orderly and CONSCIENTIOUS iaulcss 10 all outward
seeming the finished ideal oil polished excellence and
yet be quite ENJOYABLE character. The block OF ice
may pure and symmc rica but its symmetry is cold
ana rigid, more nkcy TO repc than attract. Such IS
the character OF the righteous man. Every one &C.
knowlcdgcs its excellence. but no ono goes iuriher
than the cold acknowledgment. the profound esteem
No enc would die for such charac.
ter, though peradvcnturc Tor the good man
some would even dare TO die. The good man may
the polished completeness OF the other, but he Is
much more likely TO attract our love. We recognize
IN HIM a warmth that attracts US lie holds our
hearts When the righteous man dies We surround
his bier with all the formal obscrvanccs betting a
solemn OCCASION yet no one wccps. The tribute may
be IN appearance complete, while is cold IN reality.
But
WHEN rmE GOOD KAN DIEs
there real mourncrs. In parting with such man
selves These two characters, the iishteous and tho
good man. selected by the apostle when he would
cstimste possible powcrs OF sacrifice For the
the good handsome would even dare 10 die. No
wound sacrifice himself for righteous man. We may
admire his statucsuc virtue aud calm perfection but
why uic HIM who has certainty Of bliss In the
hereafter observe tho force OF irony under all this
How few there among W all that either right
cous good Ana II Tor these only the possibility OF
one ci us sacrificing himself IS mere pcradventurc
how much less probable u Is that one OF should
de Tor those who are neither good nor
rghtcousl What, then, must be thought or dying
Tor the iricndlcss, the unknown? What OF dying tor
the obscure the ungratcu the narrow, grvss and
iuly such sacrifice Is not demanded Of any man.
hut u was heaven This text was uttered by
the apostle prepare the minds OF men Tor the proper
oil that great event. the death OF the
Lord Jesus Christ lie suffered not for the righteous
and the good. lie bore HIS crosses and cares Hts
atoms and sorrows Tor sinnerA What q contrast with
the apostles estimate OF our possibilities OF sacrifice
In the rsg place the terms righteous and good used
relatively not In absolute scnse. According our
mortal VISION may be TO all appearances righteous
and good men, before tho ell searching Of God
who shall 10 called either good rignteous IL was
Tor us an sinners that Christ died. aud TO His eye all
we're included under that name.
The preacher dwcn impressvcly upon the great love
which gave birth such sacrlncca sacrifice Tor the
lowiy, tho obscure and ungrateiul OF earth. After
drawing from the text aud his treatment Of II the
vious lessons which u inculcatcd, the preacher con.
cuded by implorng the Lamb OF God, who taketh
away tho sins OF the world to have mercy upon u.s.
miserable Sinners