, 1876-01-03

over many lulpgu; outer thou into tho joy OF
thy Lord.
C0NTRhSTED THEORIES OF LIFE.
aEl1Mos III n;snor u LtHEH.
Tho 1T. Rev. B,ehop AlcLsrcu preached tho
following sermon yesterday morning In St.
james Church TO , very largo congregation,
taking 10: llls toxt:
But Nary kept all thcsr things lnd porie1ed them
In her heatt-LuEt, H., ~.
1t in plepeaut 30 l,nRer amid tho gospels that
tell tho uondiuus story Of Christmas. It scems
to mo that tueso words suggest q very docp les
aon. They present picture Of the Holy VIZ
gin, as beautiful as blcrsetl. sitting wit4 the
1Iol.cr Child urou her boaons. hcr countenaoco
eolemnized With no oppression OF aNe aud deep-
cat thoue4tfulncss. 65o silently pondets the
mysterious events which lad recently lifted her
humble life into tho company Of angels
oycr1owing with song, and winch lad evoked
from her own lIps the melody OF the
Mnsnificat. That mystic oyeEshadowing Of tho
noly Ghost aud thut Huperuaturai maternity
which bestowed tue gift OF the 1ncarnase Gud
upon her,--thouah tho hne significance Of tile
bessowing did not. s. yet, dawn upon her mind,
-wero themes Of deep and anx!ous thought.
sho "k kep. all these th,nga and pondcsod tlom
in her hcart."
Tho haot Of acsutiniziug the evonts Of our
daily life With thoughtful Bclictuds Is not to bo
REGARDED among our minor dut,es. Tho uecdIe
OF the compass IL only little tongue VI Dagnc-
tizcd irou hut the mariner ht sea u:udiea its vi
bsatious by aay md by night With n vigilance
t!lat tcstlfles its Importance. No individual has
any icaaon for tho presumption that the largest
results may not bs incosed germinaIiy 10
tie least dramatic and least appaten:ly
critsen! passaRea OF his experience Since all Of
fects imply cauaes. -oince all endings, uhother
they be gi1ded NTH light or shroudsA in etorn,
imply begiuninBs,-we muut no. deem anything
ia our lives to insignificant to be poodorel,
The ooueoquontlal relation Of our future to our
pro.ont raay DO vario.1sly estimated. There IL
oue view Of human lilo which eleyatos natural
Law to Huch tyranny that tho factor Of ,utetll-
gence, Divine and human, has little or no play in
tho evolution OF our destiny. 1icnce we arc
over pl, eical forces carry uH. Clrcunr.anca is
tho name Of tho god who created us and the
providence who rtesides over lis. Tho w,lful
vinds OF destiny may wait us TO tbs
tsres or hurl US into the froez,ng watezs Ut rho
dismal lake. W0 canuuL tell which. There Is
another ysnw OF husua. hfo wlscl, discourages
wlse and thoughtful atudy OF ovents, according
ns that wo are bound. hand mud foot by chat:,s
OF docrecs and preordll,nsIone, aud eyon when
we Hecm to exercise the attribute Of frecdotn
are only fulfilling tLo Predetermined will Of GoI
bands. cJgs. and shafts Of a machine uhich acts
only Wien acted upon, aud then only within the
limited bphcro designed By tho constructor. Tho
effect Of Hlch q theory ID fataiatie aud blind
surrender to the inevitable. Tho con-
temptation Of events Under such u Wow Of
things is uBeioss aud wpraa. It Is easier and
It is wiser to lot tho impetuous tor
rent bear us wheEo it will II we have
H..
asAnss another sacory Of hia which esaggerasoB
our own powers, sud to,lds to olituluato tho D-
vine fActor aItoBethor. Wo ara NOT machtncs
| but nsAchine.busldets. OF the caifco Of debti-
tlaso bra.ns aud arms arc tic salf-sullicent ccu
ttes out at which wo may eYolye any future that
our FREQ choice may elect, and hence events A.
they follow in historical succession ars no moro
eau creato to-day caa destroy tomorrow, aud
snbst'sute another creation Ia ats place.
| Now, shcso different theories are evidently
falae; and yrt they are not wholly fasso. II,
speah'ne OF the tatnoow. should aT my eys
aud you should usge tho e1clu.
evs olstm OF the indigo ray, and you Of tie
| trasa the uatrowuess with which men III all agos
! haye liant thdnaeSes to the partissnshlp OF
those theo1,os. The truth is, they a7o all true.
| II IL true that We a1e under tho dominion OF
/ phtuf4l law, put Jew iuHlltt 4 IAT.blFfF, 1nl
that Iaw-giver IL uod. 1t IL true that Almighty
| God sits abso!uto sovereign OH tho thEoue of
! His Own uniyetne. bus tie has eudpwaa Us With
tho godilks facuIty Of freedom. and gososus lla
aB froe agents. 1t Is true that wo hayo tho
power OF choice and the faculty Of creatiun, but
thoao are ueitbor lndopoudpnt Of natural Law. nor
eunAaclpsted FROM tho copttol aud Jurisdiction
| OF Deity. Aoy Gus OF these correlated truths,
| emphAslzed 1t tho cxpousc OF tho otherH, ba.
coues lalse. Taken toBethof they u.o
truth Itself. It Ia not to be doniod
thls their hAEmontzation Ia difficult, for 1t this
point these sruths, which arc also facts Of OK.
| perlenoo, pasa beyond the reach Of experience
| aud run up into tho region Of tho iutinito. ln-
| deed. tue attempt Of feason to mount TO ttoaa
attitudes where only God dHelIs has Siyon r.ss
| to The partial theories which NO l!aye enIulu-
rated. Eotter. far better, ia II that 10 ahou d
! We n:co,}t the Geven-hla4 GoW that g!orinsB tho
| distant atoT!n.cloul With its beauty. although
x,th iii khp Wondrous acutauess VI the human
| eys We eau uesot determine exactly tho poor At
which tho blue ray coanes aod lhe violet hogtns.
| Tho DtsaBea Virgin eeta Tho noila a. ex<l-
| ple. Her thankful soul maynitied tho lEd,
"fog uo that IL mighty lath done &ns
Rrust things, and holy 10 Ills Name.
| hut she wAa conscious Also that tue p.lsEosp OF
sne A!mtEhtYfn In making her the naather ct tho
Messiah tad been submitted to the cAo1co af har
will foaly y,elIed herself 10 tile unbklnle masrr-
uity. saving; behold tho haudu'aido of tho LQrl;
b. il uuto me accardiug to Ihy word" -,
Her silent Poodat,uy upon tho things which
! had thfo~u such supernatural halo esuunl her
maiden llte. however, bad special 1ofeienoo, 70
tho evidence they gave Of tho hand Of God
| reached down Ia lake part III hee history, 9nd
this ia AftSF Ill tAe gt&udess thought aud dehp-