The New York herald., 1878-11-18
ST. LUKE's M. E. CHURCH.

from strength to strength. and from glory to glory.
through ages to come.
ST. LUKE'S M. E. CHURCH.
THE MILLENNIUM SERMON BY THE REV. DIR. 9.
H. FOWLER
The Rev. DR.. Fowler preached in st. Lukes Meth
odist Episcopal Church. Forty-rst street. last
ing, taking his text from Revelation Xxx. 2-"And he
took hold of the dragon, that old serpent which is
the devil and Satan, and buried him thousand
years"
The millennium said the Doctor, as indicating
thousand years of the reign of Christ earth has
many attractive elements. Just at this time the pub
lie attention has been turned toward the subject in
special manner by the prophetic conference in which
able and learned and devou men have presented their
views for their own purpose-that of emphasizing
this to them great doctrine This of itself indicates
unusual interest in the theme. The subject touches
almost every side of human nature
The idea is older than the Christian Many of
the Jews looked upon the six days Of creation
containing great lessons about the divine administra
tions of world so created They believed that these
days represented each 1000 years that the Church
had continued 1000 years before the giving OF the
law and 1000 under the law before the coming of the
Messiah. it would continue under the Messiah in its
gospel dspensaton 1000 years. then it would rise up
into the glory of the eternal Sabbath or as some
thought, into Sabbatca day, or 900 years OF rest
from fears and foes Christ to reign in Jerusalem
All nations were to bow to the jews
The early Jewish Christians, such as Barnabas and
Hermes adopted this view. The Epistles Of Clement
Of Rome and Ignatus of Antioch, and the great
Epistles of Diagnetus are all silent the subject
The idea was confined in the first century to the
Jewish side OF the Church.
THE SECOND COMING.
II must be borne in mind that the doctrine of the
millennium is entirely distinct from the doctrine of
the second coming of Christ. When the second
coming is made to precede the millennium then it's
advocates the millenniumites. If the second COM
ing follows the millennium with no temporal reign
but with Judgment then the doctrine loses loses al Its
Church. The question understood and held by its
modern teachers involves the personal physical
reign Of Christ In Jerusalem for 1000 years the
millennium, and it involves many difficulties.
SOME SIMPLE TRUTHS.
few simple truths may safely be applied to the
Interpretation of the prophecies concerning the fu
ture of the Church. We may expect Christ TO make
the salvation Of all men possible This He has long
ago accomplished. We may expect Christ to adjust
accountability to the light Of each individual. This
He has always done. 1t must continue We may
tanty shall conquer all forms Of dolatry and Of false
religion The Gospel shall be preached to all nations
all shall hear Society will be delivered from organ
lied wrongs. Injustice shall cease The habits and
economies and industries of the Bible shall make life
manifest blessing for all Men will continue to toll
and acquire but not for selfish purposes The sick
and weak will be thus cared for.
To-day said the Doctor in conclusion, the world is
full Of Inventions and Of Bibles These shall multi
ply. The world is open before MS. The triumphs Of
church. What Is called the millennium will como
when we introduce or bring it. 1t waits our action.
FIFTH Av. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE WORK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL BE
PEAcE-sERMoN BY REV. JOHN HALL.
The Rev. John Hall took his text from Isaiah xxxi.
II. 1S-"And the work Of righteousness shall be
peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and
assurance forever. And my people shall dwell in a
peaceable habtation, and in sure dwellings, and in
quiet resting places. After aluding to the danger
Of war now threatening in the East Indian pos
sessions of Great Britain, and the peace con-
cuded between Russia and Turkey, the reverend
gentleman said he would address himself more
especially to-day the peace Of the family and the
peace of the spirit What great blessing peace was
In the Middle Ages. when might right and war
and bloodshed rife everywhere, there
were many gentle and mild spirits which,
to secure peace, even sought secluson from
the entire outer world. Peace was to the
human soul the Of the future store for the
people Of God it the consciousness of the pres
encc Of the Lord Jesus Christ and he who possessed
it could bear the pain Of illness and suffering and the
weight of grief and Distress Since the world began
the great disturbing cause the barrier between God
and man. was Satan, was sin Hence 1t was only
righteousness that could remove this barrier. Men
all felt this sometimes and tried to attain this right
cousness.
This righteousness came to the flock Of Jesus by
the Divine grace In the first chapter OF the Epstle TO
the Romans the character Of this righteousness was
expressly proclaimed and identified with the
Gospel as the power and wisdom Of God.
"For therein In the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith 1t s written The Just shall
live by faith The process of acceptance of this
righteousness that regeneration which was the
announcement of Satan and the reconciliation with
God. He that believes Is born Of God" &c. His
Of IN would have tho "a nsna
into the soul peace and rest forever This was the
salvation and glory OF the Gospel This was the safe
resting place from which they could say to every sin
ner, "Comc to God and you shall be SAFE And now,
continued DIR. Hail. when there many churches
who still do not bring their flock TO dod let every one
here beseech you, do his work earnestly In order
that this church at least may become agency of
salvation; You cannot have this Righteousness ac-
plo without efecting a great salutary change
In the community. People when they look at the
say that the Church after all Is only slender thread
IN the framework of society But people do not know
for no such experiment had ever been tried II the
world s ~ bad IL IL, and with all that done by
the Church. what would be without any church at
all?
CRITICISMS ON NEW YORK LIFE
Referring to the various manifestations Of Satan,
the reverend preacher took up. by way of example.
the love of money, whose evils he depicted by many
striking illustrations. The inor,linate desire for
money led to rccklessness defalcations dishonesty
rcstessncss In the community, the feeling
that everything was unstable and insccure
aud church life and family life must
ambiton-what great disturbing cause that was
All the sweet OF life nothing to the man
whose spirit burned for greater power and position
These were manifestations of evil prevalent even
among Christian men who claimed to live under the
influence of the Gospel; But give us men truly i'm
bucd with the faith in Jesus and shall them In
pcaceable habtatons, and In their career, be 10 brill
liant or humble, shall spiritual rest and peace
and hsppiness OF the soul. such, my brethren.
would like to see my own and your Nothing
is said to me so often that there is rcpose In
the lfe Of New York and there cannot be
until there IL more rghtcousncssthat is rectitude
that is, doing right. What is success worth
down town. what are possessions in money and land
worth II there is no pt ace love at home no SYM
pnthy or kipdncss In the family circle J.? Keep down
and curb all your evil and unholy passions. Let the
whole weight OF Gods word press down upon them
80 that you may be able to do Gods work in peace
What 10y it should be to man, after weeks
ton suspicion and warfare, to come to this temple
of God ON the Sabbath No need of looking at every
neghbor with suspicion rivalry or ennity. but only