The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-30
CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS.
THE CENTRAL THOUGHT OF THE UNIVERSE


SERMON BY REV. DIR. DEEMS
Rev Dr. Deems preached in the Church OF tho
Strangers yesterday morning, taking his text from
CoIossians, H. 16"All things were created for him.
The Doctor opened his discourse with the remark that
1t DO wondered at that the intellect OF man
should have always been striving to lind the centre OF
tho material universe aud tho central thought OF all
human and divine intellection. The schoolboy. he
said, who has studied geometry knows that the
centre Of circle is easily found, If segment be
gwen Tho trouble in this is that the circle Of
the universe Is immense-apparently made by an
infinite radus--and that man SO limited in time and
power that he cannot mako points on tho arc, and.
therefore, can never calculate whore the centre H.
In this Text that revelation Is made We are car
RED directly to tho centre. Tho universe was made
for Lord Jesus Christ, aud not In the sense OF
selfish Indulgence OF His own power and wisdom, but
that thus revelation OF the heart OF tho ndnto God
might be made TO men,
Tho Doctor called the attention OF his auditors the
distinction between the visible and the invisible All
men, he said, felt tho power OF the Invisible world
the power Of intellect which cannot be ana the
power OF spirit which cannot be All men are re-
lgous or supcrstitious Scientific devoutly read
Gods limos OF thought In matter and force I'm
scientific people feel somehow, they know not how
that there Is peoped spiritual world about
DO savage civilized. The Biblo makes distinct reve-
latOn Of spiritual pcrsons-chcrubim, scraphim,
angels, archauscs-a these seom to have been created
10 udorn the Court OF our Lord Jesus Christ They are
ministers standing IN ranks with different cnd0w nents
to carry out His plans II was shown that nowhere
they except to shout the
world they camo in tho spIendor Of consummaie
creation, or In the germ possibilities OF Cots lrst
creative acts but they concerned closely IN the
works Of the adornment Of Chrisrs medatoria efforts
The Doctor next quoted the ninth and eleventh verses
OF tho third chapter OF Ephcsnns show that to these
angels and priuclpalites in heavenly places Gods
greatest revelation to BIO made in Jesus Christ
In Him was TO be opened up sight OF the heart Of
God. This shown ut length In many forms OF Illus
tration during tne remainder OF the discourse. For
instance the Doctor took the ground that the angels
sitting their uDstained robes In their celes
tia homes could know very little Of the love Of God
Their very consciousness, the Doctor then went
say oil their own superior excellence would make
Gods love for them seem most natural; but when
th,y stood by and saw whole in butter rebellion
against God und then beheld I'm going down into their
Must taxing The r flesh upon HIM, making Himself
with Thorn, there revelation or love such
had been seen before. Then again, they could
the effect Of that love upon humanity Not much
could angels learn from angels OF endurance but when
angel came down INFO the humble heart OF aborer
and him manlully standing Tor his rights, yet
more daring 10 lay bis hand upon tho property OF
another than TO attempt 10 take the sceptre oil God
anu when they saw his wife standing by HIM patient
endurance, suffering rathCr than do wrong and whom
he how oil this had come to pass through love OF
Him for whom all things were created, such lessons
oil tho worth OF Gods love and Gods 10
them as they could get nowhere else In all the uni