The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-30
SYNAGOGUE WORSHIP.

THE MINISTRY OF AFFLICTION AND DIsxAsE-
SERMON BY REV. DIR. DE SOFA MENDEs
Before engaging directly In he sermon yesterday
morning DR.. Mendcs called the attention Of the
gregaton in Forty fourth street synagogue TO an in
vidious report that had been published in provincial
Jewish paper concerning tho standing OF the congrega
ton This congregation has recently decided to
shorten il Sabbath services and TO allow boys nd
mittcd bnr-mtzvah to rccitc prayers and portions
OF tho law In English instead OF making pcremptory,
MS heretofore. for them TO do so in Hebrew. In the
correspondence referred 70 those changes treated
reforms and tho writer states that tho progress Of
form Is such that orthodox congregation cannot
exist here. And this congregation Is connected with
that statement II is a matter about which Shanray
Tena is very sensitive and Dr. Mendes deemed II proper
make public protest this manner though he had
bsen personally complmented by the writer.
But passing 10 the lesson OF the day and 10 the sub
ject OF his remarks, he said 1t seemed strange to
great many that tho Jewish law should have much
TO say about diseases and health But the Roman ad-
age "A sound mind in sound BODY was known be-
fore II gained currency there And it became
sary the people Of Israel should observe the
mandmenis and statutes OF the Lord and do them in
the Of health in anything else That ieprosy
should be prevalent among them any conversant
with the climatic changes and the dietary or
special why such sanitary precautions should
be taken against the plague Of eprosy An Egyptian
historian says the Israetcs driven out OF Egypt
because they leprous This differs from
the Scriptura statement of the and manner OF
thc. exodus. But DIR. Mcndes showed that the hard
labor they endured and the
APPLICATIONS AND oPPREssIoNs
that they subjected to must have tended TO dis
ease and then the sudden change OF air. Of living aor
thor exodus, developed it. Modern observation and
science he remarked have pointed out the wisdom OF
tho mind that directed Moses in his decisions this
general subject Moses does not attempt TO give
OF the disease Of icprosy but he sets forth cer
tain laws for those who are afflicted with It, The sep
araton OF lepers from the familiar intercourse OF
social life observed In all ages and countries Tho
designation Of It's victims the sight OF lepcrs with
logs rottng of, eyes falling out, &c, must have in
splred supreme horror and disgust. But the impress
sion prevails very largely that this disease is super
human stroke for sins committed. II u be a common
means Of punishment why are portions OF Asia
exempt tY And yet there Is color OF truth in
this view The contumacy Of Miriam aud ,nc temeriiy
Of Uzxah were With this dread affection And
Amer Joab's children should never DO tree from
leprosy. But the Persians and the Greeks werc
China at tho present day 1t IS spoken OF as punish
for But more civilized nations take differ
ent Wow OF t. We should take broader view OF ~
and OF all afctions and diseases and then wo shall
nd that God does sometimes send these things as pun
ishments OF correcsives TO- men. though c does not
willingly afct or grievc the children Of men. Many
good take refuge from the logic Of ailicon In tho
goodness and love Of God and. viewing IL calmly,
il Is found TO DO administered love, sFor whom tho
Lord loveth be chastencth, and scourgcth every
whom he ieceive,h." Affections profit in more
ways than apt TO believe. In times OF aiIiic-
ton the mind troubled about the past fc and this
sclfinspection leads 10 seli-improvemcnt without
suffering would be atheists. They would ask and
ask in vain for proof OF Gods justice In tho punish
ment OF evil and not seeing The evidence. they would
there is no God But now they see the evidence all
around them Men go home and
STUMBLE OVER yEw MADE GRAVES;
old age and feebeness stagger before them, starvation
and beggary are on every side, and II man thinks
that those things all for sin he Will AJAX
himself Why then do babes cry and perish out OF
sight like the agcdy No, these Affections instruct
u.s. and those whom the Lord would prepare for
HIS love He chastens aud tries in the furnace Of ac
Sion
Then, again. Affections like antidotcs to certain
posons Pride Ii plant which grows IN prosperity
and which only adversely can destroy. Pharaoh In
his pride and haughtness presents different picture
to the same monarch standing and weeping over his
dead. Affections show our dependence on God In
prosperity arc all mighty men, but In adversely we
are ready 10 confess that knew what prayer
was until lost such things and objects Of
affection Happy, indeed, are thoy who can draw les
sons Of love aud devotion TO God from the Affections OF
life. Sorrow brings out the highest clements human
character, and makes blessings 10 toterng human
ity In Affections God showers his choicest blessings
upon u.s. and you should consider what Is the true logic
~ aAl ,ctions I'm mforted thercby