The New York herald., 1877-03-05
SwEDENBORGIAN CHURCH.

UNION OF SUBSTANCE AND FORM IN RELIGION
SERMON by Rev. cHAUNcEx GILES.
At morning service yesterday in the swcdenborgian
church, Thirty NTH street, between Fourth and Lex
ngton avenues tho sermon was preached by the pas
tor Rev. Chauncoy GiIcs Tho subject "Practi-
cal Religion" the preacher taking hts text from
Matthew vii, 2, 90, 23-.'Not every one that saith
unto me- Lord, Lord, shall entor into tho kingdom Of
heaven but he that doeth the will of my father who
in heaven. Many will say unto mo in that day. Lord
Lord, have wo not prophesied in thy namot ana in
by name havc cast out dovils aud In thy done
many wonderful workss And thcn will profess unto
them, l never know you; depart from me- 20 that
work inquity."
Religion, said the preacher not belief yet
was II profession, nor impulse nor sentiment, nor
emotion. The mind could possess the greatest
amount of spiritual knowledge without any religion
most dcyout observance of worship Religion was a
union OF the affection and understanding, and lovo
and wisdom, motivc and knowledge were It's essential
tactors Law and order, said tho preacher were the
same spiritual in paural AFFAIRS. and truth was
but path, OF use II one did not walk In it. Be-
cause one knew how to build ships II did not follow
that be had hects sea- and perfect knowledge OF
physical laws was quite compatible with most miscra.
bic health. Therefore, he urged that practice and
theory must 20 together. This. said he, common
sense IN natural things, but most uncommon III spir
tual affairs In material concerns men sought ater
spir tua affairs II was not truo hat nere was security
for man IN faith alone. Life. not form-work, not
To he Judged by works done IN his body, and long
prayers had no power with the Lord. Men were apt
10 suppose that when they had gone through pre-
scribed form worship they better than before,
but there warrant for this belief In the nature
of man In the sacred Scriptures. Those only
who did the will 0i the Father would bc
accepted God Himself had set a perfect
Of tho OF precept and practice OF form
and substance. Tho man who worshipped Mammon
was NOT content with knowledge of finance or the
theories OF trade. He put tnoso theories into PRACTICE
an IN fact did heroic work. measured from this stand
point. SO when began 10 think mora Of doing tho
viii of the Father than of Offering Him the mere de-
votlon Of words, We would begin to movo tho world
But SAID the preacher there was another view OF re-
g,on IN which men wero very liable TO err, and that
was in relying altogether on their deeds Now, thorc
was no spiritual aue the door unless spiritual In
tellicencc and love were In his deeds. The man who
abored that he himself might gain admittance into the
heavenly kingdom was not working for the Lord ana
his deeds would avail him to salvation. Tho spirit
ual value Of every deed according to the spiritual
love and intelligence put into It, Without the true
principle OF love God and ones ncghbor therc
Great gulf fixed between the deed and the heavenly
motive In conclusion, said Dr. Giles, the great de-
feet in our work and worship was their incompetence
and iragmonary character. without the proper blend
ing OF dcod and motive truth would bc AS u shining
crystal OF leo and love as blind impulse.