The New York herald., 1877-12-17
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
CHB1yT's LARGE CoMPAssIoN-sERMoN BY THE

REV. DR. PEDDIE, OF PHILADELPHIA.
The Rev. Dr.. Peddie, OF Philadelphia, changed pull.
pits with the Rev. Dr. Armitagc, OF tho Fifth Avenue
Baptist Church, yesterday. Dr.. Pcdde chose for his
text from Luke, xiii, 36-"How often would have
gathered thy children together" The reverend gen.
teman said that all real poetry is truth, and that
books OF fiction all dcad tho world which do not
correspond with fact Whether we work with brush
or pen, he say real persons must stand be-
fore u.s. There are Two reasons for Jesus as word
painter filing the highest place in the annals OF iame
We find in His sayings loyalty to real lite, and real lie
viewed from It's saddest side All art S ueeiiug tnat
deals only fancful and frivolous colors The p0pu-
iarity OF tho Rembrandt. pictures Is found IN their
till around 1t We the shadows fall 1t was well for
Christ and humanity that lie changed HIS ministry
from tho mount oil beatitudes and carried on and
completed It in the valley Of broken hearts, But this
VISION OF humanity scattered and sheltcrless, would
be gloomy to contemplate It not Tor the strong
sympathzing figure standing upon the foreground
The central reality Of eighteen centuries is compass
sionate Christine resorer OF the scattered IN lie
and refuge OF the oppressed shelterless Tho
foremost idea OF the text is gathering souls TO
God. As whcn tho sky darkens the mother bird
ut,ors tho cry which brings nor brood beneath her
ana do the WORKS which IN all lies
sSsss CT cause Dvos
and false ideas OF God drive away from Him.
Jesus draws to Him. rho language ol all revelation
est voices OF the Old AID New Tcstaments arc Gods
home calls OF love. The cross was erected that moth
ing need stand IN the way OF mans coming. even IL
he brought all his sin along with his sorrow. This
truth Is proclaimed by nature wherever we sec par
cntage protecting It's young. Tho tcxt includes the
cure Tor all human separations. The nestiings are
crowded closer together beneath the same shetering
wings The Son OF God rs the great gathering centre
OF humanity. He alone teaches truths which
arc worldwide in their grasp We are liv.
ing in ago OF great principles. Men are
showing the underlying cvenness OF all forms OF life
and the unity the No wonder Jesus spoke
OF the day when there should be one fold and shep
herd. The small thought or mean and little word had
no home In his heart He answered the narrow ques-
toD this the placer is this ho personf by the wide
words "wherevcr - whatsoever To the unity OF tho
race from a common origin he added the grander
unity Of a com mon destiny 10 the redeemed We can
bind men together haf so much by a memory as
by mighty hope He taught us, too, tnat man needed
we'll as God Tor the souls true developments
Indiv lduality ana independence may only be the
eaten words Of small SOULS philosophy Christ
teaches that character completed in the relations
Of church and society. Unity, organization, family,
brotherhood, are the watcnwOrds OF HIS great
and gathering Gospel The Is the
grandest and widest tree ever planted in the
world. No soul need perish outside the shadow oil
It's sheerIng arms. The pinons which protect the
young brood from The petsng rains but the fantest
symbol oil the shelter Christ souls from The dread
iul storms OF evil which gather around them. Think
OF all the tempests OF divine wrath and mans wrong
doing which broke his head: the curse and claims
violated law the iurcs oil avengiDg conscience. lie
stands between and ten thousand troubles which
would crush despair. lie gives us not only u COW
cring, but "A depth OF compassion we sorely need.
There Il cold chiIl coming up from the ground which
would soon kill the brood were II not Tor The warmth
OF the motncr's wings and breast And In a world
where the damp dcws are often ailing on US We need
sympathy well as shelter A friendship must bo
ours which only full ana uniailng heart can furnish.
We must hide and rest weary and wounded
spirits the bosom that the inhabitants oil Jerusalem
knew how TO measure but IN which all iulncss
for mans every want Will forever dwell.