The New York herald., 1877-09-02
HEBREW HOLINESS.

|
HEBREW HOLINESS.
TEMPLE AHAvATH-cHEsED-rHE MORAN OF
| DIsBELIEF-sERMoN By RABBI A.. HUEBscH.
| Rabbi Huebsch delivered a sermon yesterday in the
jewish Temple Anavath -Chesed, Lexington avenue.
He took for his text Psalms ill., 12, 14"Create within
me clean heart, 0 God! and firm spirit renew
those within Cast me away from thy presence,
and thy holy spirit do take from Restore Unto
me the gadness Of thy salvation, and with liberal
spirit do thou support me-"
THE SERMON
1t is pity, said the rabbi. to behold sweet flower
dropping its head and withering away under tho
scorching rays OF burning sun. II Is, the other
hand, gratifying and gladdenIng sight to observe
how the dying blossom revives and raises joyfuy her
fragrant chalce when refreshed by the blessed food Of
Gods mild dew. This picture, in It's double aspect rs
truly reflected in the beautiful chapter from which
have taken my text Wo there the sweetest
flower, the mind OF the divine poet, the
heart OF the sacred bard, languishing, pin
ing dropping, touched by the sulphur broath
OF burning sim the jetting fountain OF sweet mns
has turned into dark abyss from which the groanngs
Of tormened soul ascend The purple that covers
the royal sinner not large enough 10 hide the deep
wound which his OWL decd has inflicted upon him. His
great mind does not forsake him oven while in the
Of ov lie strips himself OF his purple, girds
with sackcloth his oins, bends deep the his
crowned head the oucry, IL have snncd to Lore"
rings from his agonzed SOUL and 10! the burning tear
Of repentance turns into the mild heavenly dew,
which restores tho pure fragrance OF spiritual bloom
TO his mind. Tho most sublime jet Of his loun tain OF
songs IL this his sacred hymn OF repenting SOUL He
s a ia'thiu teacher, trusty guide showing not only
him who mover strayed tho upward path to virtues
height, but mildly and wisely directing also tho one
who has fucn how TO rise again--how 10 work him
self up from the depth OF sin to the height OF Gods
mercy. H. himself was saved transgressor; there
lore he could say:"I Will teach transg ressors thy
ways and sinners shall return unto thee" What W.
learn from him IS that the faded blossoms OF the soul
arc restored and tho gadncss oil salvation ia won Tor
the pining breast through Clean heart. trim mind
and a liberal spirit.
| SPIRITUAL REJUvgyArioS-rHE NEW YEAR
When, my friends, continued the rabbi, could such
teachings DO more welcome TO us than at the present
period, when have to perform In and on ourseves3
| We stand at tho eve OF the expiring year. Tue
Sabbath Will usher US into the new ono Ere we enter
the new cycle oil months u retrospective is 50 very
natural very necessary each OF U.s. and the les
son taught by The sacred bard may bolp Us greatly The
better judge past aud Improve future by
due preparation A year Is long, especially when II
does not count among the propitious ones. In It's
course we SEQ many dcar hope ial many a cherished
expectation witner. At Its conclusion we look upon
the held OF our oed prospects as upon garden over
which The severe storms OF the season have passed
We regret lis decay Cd state tho more We remember the
| brilliant splendor OF ts spring glory.
THE THREE MAIN ERRORS OF LEARNING.
Tho great British philosopher, Bacon, has pointed
out hree main errors, or disempers as he calls them,
ilcarnlng-vain imaginatoos, VAIN aitercamons and
vain afiectations. The most important learning for
man is undoubtedly the knowledge Of his Maker, ana
all the moral consequences that emanato from this
|
draws his happiness time and eternity IRON which
the right nourishlnent flows Tor oil that mans hand
o' aduterae the and de-
privc US OF its blessings. Our vain ima2nings
cause US to seek happiness where misery 10 be
found. Our vain alterations prompt TO doub
everlasting truths and to combat against divine wis.,
dom. Our VAIN aicctations remove from the
straight line OF THAI which s good anu draw us into
The crooked paths OF that which is evil Is 1t TO be
wondered at that by such agencies the blossoms Of our
joys fade and away? But to the morah OF DIS
belief there Psulmst's remedy-the heart,
the firm spirit, the liberal MUD They insure for us
the gladness OF salvation. They leaf through tho
streaming years the port OF charity. They offer
unto us tho never fading blossoms OF joys that never
end.
NINETEENTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.
THE MYSTERY AND THE REVELATION OF THE
| LAw-sERMoN BY THE REV. H. r. MENDES
Since the death Of the Rev. Dr.. Lyons the scr
vices at the Nineteenth Street Synagogue have been
conducted entirely by the Rev. Henry r. Mendcs, the
recently appointed preacher Of the congregation. MI.
Mendes preached yesterday on the hidden and re-
veaed things from the text, Deuteronomy xxix %
srhe things belong unto the Lord God, but
those things which revealed belong unto US and
to our children forever that may do all the words
OF this law" Speaking OF mysteries hidden things
the preacher observed that the most minute insect
offers problems without end that no man can solve.
What, then, shall we say Of all creationf In the
grand and wonderful scheme oil creation what the
positions Of those great planets that roll In distant
otherf
| nIDpRN THINGS.
! What Is earths position? and what is the place OF
mankind ?-mankind III general, our nation In par
ticuar. Ii we gaze high most powerful lnstru
meuts of but reveal new worlds OF w0aders
and orders OF revolving orbs each we feel convinced
playing It's proper role On that and
cold day and night are but the consequence precon-
ceived laws The parchcd fields and thirsting trees
are fed from earths own sources The arr given by
animal creation IL drank up by the vegetable Kingdom
and rcconvcrted for animal uscs-all ahowing the
wondrous management OF the Master hand. All that
ItnE thuti intn n hp IA nj
chain OF creation that 1t Is the SOUL and this soul
goes to another sphere Where this sphere is and
how the soul gets there are OF the hidden things
REVEALED THINGS.
| What is revealed to US? Only the law. AS Moses
declares in tcxt:-"rne revealed things are ours
and our chdrcn's forever do all the words of this
law" Without revelation the human intellect plays
strange freaks. This Moses knew, but we have taken
5000 years, and have not learned yet In all ages 1t
has been Thus many OF tho views OF Thalcs,
Aristotle, Plato aud others oi more modern dale,
considered the quintessonco oil wisdom, are now
laughed al The soul has, Tor instance, been located
diaphragm the back OF the head and the heart
Most natons own included speak OF the heart as
the seat OF feeling
DANGER OF TRUSTING TO IMAGINATION
Similarly the topic that occupies mems minds
changes. Thus, q couple OF centuries ago, the cry
was loud aud the faculty Of Mayence openly demanded
that there should DO u complete revision and correc
Latin edition. Moses, therefore, warned the people
against the freaks OF the imasnation and kens the
one who is laitHless TO tho words OF the law to u
branch that bears gall and wormwood, or plt,
terDess and bliternen. II Is bitterness inaeea
our faces 1t is bitterness when the faith is paren-
the tcay inserted after the name OF Hebrew il police
reports. 1t s bitterness when NJ OF social ostracsm
breaKs forth. All this bitterness is caused BY those
who do not keep all the words OF tho law ''fhey add
kenness to thirst ~ says Moses Tor indulgence oil
leads 10 the Gi&appcarancc o the d.
vine spark OF "They say each, Il Will walk ia
the Imagination Of my hcart,'" declares Moses; but
the leads many 10 strange vagares In the
imagiuation oil the heart one frequently magines him.
sell better legislator than Moses and can show where
the latter rs wrong; and better psychologist and
psychologist, for he show where Moses Is
short-s,gntcd in his laws for tho government OF the
soul or Ia his food and publication laws lie Is bet
ter prophet, too III his estimation, for he orms
! his own views about our uture. thus We 30 astray
| BY investigations IN nature we nnd the more we see
| tho more romans TO be seen, ana the more we Know
the more remains to be known. "Wc cannot penetrate
| the hidden things" said Mr.. Mondes, 'but we can
mind that which Is revealed TO ana our CHILDREN
| TO DO all the words OF TINS Iaw.' ="