The New York herald., 1877-03-05
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE PATER-
NIFTY.

CaOhOn OC 1hG 04v1NG AA4SAs
NIFTY.
LOVE THE PRINcIPLE OF LIFE, CHARITY TIE
ATTRIBUTE OF ooD-sEHMoN BIZ nxv. DE.
CHAPLIN.
ssThat ye may be the children Of father which
Is In heavon Tor he maketh his rise ON the evil
and the good and sendeth ON the just and on
the upjust'-Matthew w., l5-was the toxt chosen oy
Dr. Chaplin for his discourse yesterday, and IN consid-
crng the words tho selection he said the passage
lifts up to tho highest truth and carries us
the very heart OF religion. The great principle Of
charity given tho gospel Of Matthew nculcated by
Saviour, peculiarly in the New Testament senso
its largest and tenderest sense meaning Kindness
long suffering forgiveness for persecution, and, In
one word love, even for enemies and prosecutors
In tho before US Jesus presents the
ground or sanction upon which the divine principle OF
law that we strive to initiate Heavenly Father by
assmiiating that principle, mainly rests II is tho
very nature OF God; It is God hmself It is the su
preme sanction OF human lilo and conduct, "that 20
may be the children OF your Father which Is IN
Heavcn-the standard OF human perfection 30 far a.
man may It, Striving under this direct pjunc
ton IN trying to be perfect God himself Is periec
our aspirations are not limited any single character.
isttc OF the Divine Being II we may not really know
anythng OF God He IS, far tho nitc and inh-
nito conditions are conditions beyond which
we may not 60; may, In small degree know
what God is; He gives us dod IN nature anu IN ss
abundant blessings, ana shows us HIS goodness
In Ihe words, .He Inaketh his sun 70 rse
on the evil and tho good, and sendctn
rain on tho Just and on the unjust" We have
TO become ike Him, to be HIS Children IN spirit
arc In reality; God, but Ike God; anu the prin
ciple Of The text is setting forth OF the consunma
OF oil efforts, OF The true STANDARD OF human per-
lection. SO far a. attain IT, SO lar aS hnito
being may hope 10 approach the Infinite
PURPOSE or LIFE.
Love- as shown IN Gods goodness and in his char
ty IS the spirit Of all lie; pervadcs all condons
ana all things As We love 80 we truly iive ana YET
In the swift revolution OF the events OF ic but tow
stop consider what It really is-what It's purpose
actually Lie Is not the mere record or the mere
10 be measured by the abundance OF what we pos
sess IL Is not tho nero show OF dress or
drapery, nor does Il consist IN loud professions Many
well before their ncighbors anxious ABOUT neir socia
standing, the proper appreciation oil their accomplish
ments always behave up 10 the iashionace barometer,
and Judging OF their lives merely as they would have
them estimated by others, from what they seem to be-
hypoori.es. Real, downright, shameless hypocrisy Is
rarely seen; but such men adopt standard OF lie
which false. They do not grasp at It's rcaiities
everything has, to them, fictitious valuation, anu
they set correspondingly fictitious valuation upon
themselves The one thing which causes their heart
strings pulsai0ps appearance aud IN this they con-
found reputation with character The man who knows
what knowledge rs, and seeks or u, 10 not
content unless ho strives with his whole heart.
Life IN It's noblest state, docs not consist in mere
action. What man does 10 not q test OF what no Ia
Many contend tnat the proper judgment OF man Is
by what he does; but this Is not so. A man may at
heart, be moved by truly selfish motives, yet mis- ac-
lions may not show IT, and in this instance such ac-
lions are py no means fair test of what hc really is
Life IL great factory. II is OF the utmost Importance
what It out what It produces We take the fruit
from tree ani often judge the tree by the fruit
but great must be with the tree itself and ts
real condition. Judging mankind by the standard OF
their actions alone, men do not know what they
Ss ,so ana when He spoke Of Of hoss who
mockcd. insul,ed and cruchcd Him, and SAID.
Father, forgive them, Tor they Know now. mo. mot
into depths, who tramplc upon their higher
natures and crush It into the dust, know not what
they do, aud tho love Of GOO, the charity and the
The impulses behind actions oil mon arc the stand
ard TOR judgment; aud when wo md men impatient
Tor action. wanting everything at once measuring ac
tlons only by quick results, tncy arc unfair SO with
nations; men may contend that republic founded
upon the blood Of patriots should In their quick, i'm
patient Judgment even after a hundred years OF
tionul existence. reach perfcction But they err In
this estimate. Not In thousand years IS perfection
TO bc reached; and because OF errors committed At
times tho republic formed Is not failure. lmpa.
t,ent judgment In the national estimate Is
life merely as 30 much time allotted 70 tho
pursuit OF happiness but that estimate depends upon
the kind OF happiness II II De merely IN 'ne sensual
are mon who 10 1.-Two according 10 this principle
Men live con nt:nusiy satisfied. out they do
men, OF cnarty OF heart aud purpose, as given by God
himself does into their routine OF existence,
and II were better to bo human being dissatisfied
than to become animal satished-better TO be q
Socrates dissatisfied than TOOL contencd Tho miscr,
scacd up his money bags, Is not contented his life
is Swallowed by suspcion he casts out all ovo but the
loyo of shining god and yet Gods charity and love
show Itself upon him, for he gives him tho rain and
tho sunshine, even though hc does not thank
God Tor it. The charity and love of God
come IN the brightness Of the sunshine, which
calls being, bids the buds como iorlh. gids
the tops OF the mountains, brghtcns up the Valleys
shines out upon the sails OF vessels far at and
turns the cresls of tho waves with molten gold 1t
shines alike upon tho just and upon tho unjust; 1t Is
His charity 10 men, shown IN the nature which sur
rounds hem and the children 0l God. While We
are tempted, when We SIN and when lie seeks to
draw US back from It's commission, He Is with In
His aud In His charity everywhere, at all times.
in all places and in every condition OF lilo; and the
great principle Of charity, which comes TO us with
GoLs blessing the lessons drawn from the Saviour's
c is that OF love, which Is God himself. that We may
be n reality HIS children in the spirit and ike unto
the .sFather which Is In Heaven"
ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL.
THE WORD OF ooD-sERMoN BY REV. FATHER
KANE,