The New York herald., 1876-09-11
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.
THn uNsELyIsHNxss OF RELIoIoN--sERMoN Bz

RKv. DR. DEEMS.
Every available seat occupied a the morning
service in this church yesterday The Rev. Dr. Deems
selected hts text from the sixtyseventh psam-"God
be mercful unite and bless u, and hs face
TO shine upon u.s." There were two shings, said the
reverend gentleman, which every man desired 10 do
well-one how talk to man, the other how
talk 10 God Always when are talking to men
wc arc talking Cod this conversation which we
have with God Is the communion which cali prayer.
And whoever helped another In improving himself In
his mode OF addressing his fellow increased tho
l0it Of his powor. Whoever told him how to
improve his method Of addressing God the
power Of his right whenever he drew
influence from tho heavenly world The psalm
uttered by David WAS prayer TO Almighty
God out OF ,he human heart The first thing that
struck total unseltshness, and this the
ture Of all true religion The religions that drew
true religion must be like God, who always giving.
God " the type Of everything unselhsh. When wc
como pray wo should endeavor 10 be unselash.
Men asked n they could not worship God as home as
we'll IS IN church. For ones own spiritual benefit
closet praying undoubtedly advantageous, but II
stopped a. cosss worn ne v wo0u os o
blessings OF praying IN church was that people were
taught TO say ''ws instead Of ~ When we worship
toycther We say .sOur Father" This the begin
ning Of unschshness OF religion II man could In
woke blessings for himself, without thinking Of his
ueighbor as well, twas mean prayer. BY coming
together We are taught unsenshness There
things necessary Tor every Christian church. FIRST
that IL should havo she mercy OF God. All mon
feel that tha plca they mako IN prayer Is plea
for mercy. The reverend gentleman commented on
the fppAnt manner III which the phrase, 'God bless
u.s. was oftcn used because people did not pause 10
Inquire It's moaning The blessing OF God WAS the
request asked in the psalm, and the third was
10 cause His to shine upon These threo things
are necessary Tor nan-divne mercy the divine bless
ing and she divine favorable presence Another grand
aspect usefulness OF true religion was that we
constantly taught TO pray for others ~ well as
Tor ourselves the object that the way Of God
may be known upon earth, and His saving health
among all nations. THIS saving hoaith meant saliva
lun And what would be the grand result! An ac-
Knowlsdgment Gods goodness by the scientific
world az well as by tho poor bushmen shat crawl
In Africa Our scientific men must come
10 know that the reign OF law does not
mean the despotism of force but the power OF the
great lawgver. Men must como 70 see Gods provi-
dcnce and that religion Intended to m up nations,
not to encourage them to seek what was known as
balance OF powcr-for behold tho atrocities OF the
Turks at the present timc-bu she balance Of love.
There was much talk about hard times suppose every
man had Gods mercy, Gods blessing and Gods pres
ence would not tho earth yield her increasey There
were only things the matter with us One 10 lnzi
ness aud tho other IL siniuincss In bis own opinion,
he did not think they could be we'll separated Laxi
ness was u crime against man and sin against God
But religion had the effect OF quicKenng mankind.
How many people IN almshopscs snd in prisons
who need not bc there Tho reverend preacher con-
cded by earnestly sxhortug the congregation 20 con-
tuue path OF righteousness 10 the end that sui
vat.on might be obtaincl for all mankind