The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-05-24
s E r M O N.
Delivered by the Moderator, Rev. DR.. Moses
d. Hoge, at the opening Of the General
Assembly, on the 18th of May, at Savan'
nah, Georgia.

man, georgia.
"Other men abored, and ys are entered into their
labors. JOHN iv: IS.
In world of unfallen men, the discipline Of Ia
Dor would neither be known nor needed. There
would be activity without toll, and the develop
ment of every virtue without the training which
comes from conflict with opposing powers. But
in world whose physical arrangement reveals IT.
self in thorns and briers, and sterile waste and
wrathful tempests, if the decree which dooms man
to toll is part of the curse, it is one which bears
blessing in its bosom. for the industry required
to subdue the earth, involves also the subjugatiOn
of slOth and selt.indulgence, and while he is re-
deeming the stubborn soil from barrenness, he is
developing his own higher nature and securing the
fruits of patience and perseverance and tOrtitude
and resolute endeavor. So too, it is because the
world is full Of moral evil because there Is so much
Of temptation to overcome and oppression to re-
sist, and suffering to relieve, that men acquire the
selfmastery, and sense of right, and regard for
Justice, and the generous affections and sweet char
tiles and tender sympathies, which make life at
once heroic and beautiful.
That unpretending saying Of our Lord, LET him
that is greatest among you be the servant OF all,
never could have been comprehended in its divine
beauty had not the wants and woes of humanity
furnished the field for disinterested and seldeny-
ing labors for the good Of others, making service
ableness the standard of true honor, and hkenjng
redeemed man to his Maker, not only in knowledge
and righteousness. but in that capacity for benei-
cent activity by which his own nature IS ennobled
and the world benefited and blest.
The crown was placed on the head of labor. when
the Apostle, speaking Of the builders one Of whom
laid the foundation, and the other reared the su-
perstructure, associated mans work with Gods
grace, and said, ave are laborers together with
God"
Such service implies both obligation and priv
lege, and when our Lord uttered the simple words,
"other men labored,' He pronounced a panegyric
on the faithful tOilers Of all past ages; when He
said, "and ye are entered into their la5ors, He
gave encouragement to all who should su9ceed
them to the end of time
l. This saying of our Lord is the announcement
of one great law in the life Of the Church. viz:
its perpetuation through the labors of the pious
workers of all ages and the enrichment of each
succeeding generation by the accumulated treasures
of all the generations which preceded it, through
the manifold wisdom and grace of Him, ''ot whom
and through whom and by whom are all things, to
whom be glory forever"
The law of all progress whether in art, or in
morals, in government or in religion, is condition
ed upon the gradual evolution of the principles
involved in it. Every advance has been made
through a series of successive steps, the last of
which could not have been possible, had not the
first step been made, aud had not that step been
preceded BY all that came between the two
These stages of progress are not ike separate
stones placed in a row, but are like stairway, one
landing resting on another, aud one rising above
another.
1. In every art there are certain fundamental
ideas, and all progress is based upon their reeog
milton. The production of one artist Is copied by
another, not literally or serVilely but with such
new lines Of grace and beauty as cultured taste
combined with industry create. A third, by a
careful study of the two, derives suggestions from
both, and in the combination Of what is best in
each, achieves 3 success which neither OF the
others attained Thus art grows through eeleoti-
cism. In the course of time some one artist Of
transcendent talent arises, who seems to represent
whatever is admirable in the works of bis prede
cessors, while he stamps his own original genius on
every masterpiece Of bis hands. Says Ruskin,
1.-THE old Greek gave the shaft |; the Roman gave
the arch; and the Arab pointed and fOliated the
arch. The framework of architecture came from
Japhet; and the spirituality and sanctity of it
came from the race of Shem;" or still better, as
was said by one who was no artist, but theolo |
gian. the imperfect sculpture of savage never
suddenly developed itself into the work of Phid-
las, still less have the first tentative Efforts of
painter succeeded 10 producing the masterpieces of
a Raphael. | do not forget the distinction which |
has been made between inspiration and education |
in art but all the inspiration Of genius can never
divest itself from reliance on the facts and prnci
pies which underie every art, and which can only
be ascertained By study and utilized by practice
Against this necessary training genius " struggles
as vaiuly as the ocean does against the shore"
2. Similar too has been the Development Of
morals All the schools of philosophy have in
herited the truths of their predecessors. No one
man ever created an original and independent
ethical system. Those who are called founders of
schools never were such, in any literal sense. The
great lights and landmarks on the shores of thought
never would have existed but for the speoulations of
earlier thinkers whose names, in all probability,
have persisted. But for the Sophists there would
have been no Socrates, but for Ramus and the re-
formers who rejected the empty theories Of the
scholastic philosophy, and who taught that prac-
teal fruit was better than airy speculstions Bacon
would not have written the N0vUm OrGqaam.
5. So too, the noble profession of Law is the
product of the enquiries of earnest Investigators in
the domain of abstract right and justice in all gen.
erations. The original elements Of all Law are few
and simple-so few indeed that in the history Of
many nations they were never formulated, but pre- {
served alone in the memories of men, These terse,
automatic maxims, deriving their force and author
ity more from universal consent than from egisla
tive or imperial sanction generally survived both
revolution and conqueet. But how amazing has {
been the growth from these germinal principles i
From them have sprung all the laws Of nations, the
Institutes, the Pandeets, the Constitutions, the =
great bodies of Civil, Common Military, Ecclesas-
teal, and international Law, By which society has