The New York herald., 1878-03-11
SACRED LESSONS.
Truly Religious Men Are
Truly Wise Men.
PREACHERS FUNCTIONS.
Lenten and Mission Services
in Several Churches.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.

BxL1EY IN aoD-sxRMoN BIZ REV. De. HEP
WORTH.
DR.. Hepworth preached yesterday morning in the
Church Of the Disciples, Madison avenue. to very
large congregation on belief In God Lie selected for
his text the first verse of the first chapter OF the book
OF Gcnesis;-s.ln the beginning Cod" When the
great philosopher Epcurus u boy he stayed at
little village near Athena One day he heard his
teacher reading passage to this effect, "Ai things
are from chaos" The boy looked into the face OF his
Sescner and puzzled him by saying, "whence comeIh
ShaosS" The question Is asked in every genera
lon. We have struggled with that difficult problem,
said the preacher Is seldom more than half solved
Nv US because we are soon distracted by the
magnetic fasc nations of pracIical liie and then we
let 1t slip from intellectual hold. There arc su-
preme moments, however, IN every mans life when
he looks at the earth beneath his feet In myst1ed
wonder aud then gazes into inhnito space TO catch
q sight OF the golden dust that God has sprinked IN
the sphere OF the heavens. and IS then startled with
these three terrible qucstions-W hencer whyY and
HowS
WHENCE CAME THE woRLDY
Physical sciehcs has attempted 10 answer tho first
luesii0n--Wbence camc the words But its results
Up 10 the present momont are not wholly satisfactory
Il tho scientist has tho question he answers ut
Snco that IL came from God H. on The other
hand, the materiallst is asked tho question,
&c points to the changes that have occurred
In matter through all geological ages, and then he
gazes at the fiery nebuD in The sky bounded with an
inhntude Of creation that u is i'm possible for hun 10
tion-Why does the Garth exist P-is not prob
lem Of science, but OF philosophy That is ques-
impossible to settle on the ground OF
materislism. Why this earth, with lis clouds above
head brought into existence neither you nor
| can over toll rne third qucstion-How the world
came into existence Y-is still more subtle, and
towers away beyond our reach IL IL one OF those
locked mysteries the golden Key OIL winch nus not yet
beeu discovered.
CAN WE KNOW ANYTHING OF GOD?
There Is u certaiu Class Of men who would persuade
you that know nothing OF God. They are not
original in this remark. II you have read your Oid
rertament with you Will recollect the fact that
Zophur said 10 Job -'Cans't thou by searching find
Dut Gody" 1t is utterly impossible, OF course, for
iuIte to I'LL the circumference OF tho Infinite. Yet
VIC should be very caren not 70 exaggerate our IN.
ability in this direction When Herbert Spencer said
that cannot even know God Is, and that ~ the
best We cannot know anything about Coo except IN
lar OH way, then mans heart rebels against the
and tho testimony vi the bears evi-
dencc that is not truth There have been moments
iu your lie and mine when through the mists we
have the nger tips oi the hand lar reached out
TO help U.S. IN our better moments bavo seen tho arm,
and behina the arm tho person, ana within that
person he heart OF love. IL Is that glimpse that has
enaDicd TO bear burdens more patiently.
want to say to you that the easiest way and tue waO
count Tor the existence OF the universe by way OF
aeslgn TOR That always proves designer. That ~ the
pnly thing ask you TO concede aud II you concede
me that then may kneel before the same altar aud
bcr some years ago that great contention
Ss to the antiquity Of man; this was greatly en-.
eouraged by the discovery oil stones with arrow
heads and IL was argued that man was here bo-
proof that exists because OF these arrow heads
ask you TO concede to the proof that God exists
because creation uniolds plan
DR.. Hepworth elaborated this thought BY number
closed with very eloquent description OF the Joy
ana blsssedness OF the hope oil immortal nfa