The daily gazette., 1878-05-20
sunday with the Bishops.
SERMON IN THE MORNING AT THE NJ. II
CHURCHEs-THE MEETING IN THE
Neutrality-suspicious. by BISHOPS
MERRILL, ANDREWS
AND WILEY.


MERRILL, ANDREWS
AND WILEY.
] In view of the presence of the Metho-
dist Bishops in this city, the pulpits of
the NJ. Il. Churches, yesterday morning,
were flied by the distinguished visitors.
A short synopsis of the sermon preached
at each church Is given below:
AT GRACE CHURCH.
Bishop Foster preached. tahing for his
text the Sd and 4th verses of the 8th
| Psalm, viz:
"When l consider thy heavens, the
work of thy fingers; the moon and the
stars which thou hast ordained:
"W hat is man. that thou art mindful of
him? and the son, of man that thou visi-
| test himY"
1t is assumed for some reason. that
God in His infinite wisdom has some
particular and especial care of man; and
this is a great and conspicuous thought
of the christian religion. 1t magnifies
man, and lifts him into q position of
rand importance.
Judged by external view man liz an
ephemeral and insig gnificant being; and
1t seems incredible that he should be
taken under Gods special protecting
care. The very opposite would seem to
be the case, as 1t looks like presumption
| W etes oOo ohOuld give any dL-
| tention to man.
The problem for consideration, then is.
Why 1t is that God should think of man
! as he stands in the great scheme of exis-
| tence. In order to elucidate more fully
| this interesting problem, and to impress
more forcibly its sublime and sug ggestive
| lessons, the sermon proceeded to desert be
the beauty and grandeur OF the heavens,
the almost incomprehensibl extent OF
the solar system, the vastness of space 1t
occupies, and the immensity of the orbit
in which it moves. The speaker said it
was necessary to realize the extent of
Gods universe, before the mind could
| fully comprehend the wonder of the fact
| that man, puny and Insignificant, stand
ing on the smallest and feeblest planet, is
| somehow and for some reason, the deep
est object of divine thought.
He next proceeded to analyze the
work Of God in the construction of the
world, to show that the divine object
was not simply to produce a land dotted
with rivers, lakes and oceans, and oc-
cupled with beasts, birds and fishes, but
hat earth was made for man, and every
| thing necessary for his comfort and exis-
tence was found within its limits; as de-
manded by necessity and discovered by
advancing civilization.
He then reviewed the probable pur-
pose of God, in thus placing man in his
exalted position on earth. If man was
like other animals, his life bounded by
his birth and his death, if there was no
reason tor his being created in the mould
OF a superior order, II he was gwen an
existence simply to afford an interesting
personal observation to the great creator,
| then indeed, was the creation an injusti-
| liable mistake, an unworthy exercise of
power.
But the real application of the text is
found in the fact that thus world is
peopled by a race Of spirits, made for
companionship, with God in the eternal
ages, They are entirely different from
the earthly form and being they take
upon themselves, and are endowed with
the power of becoming more and more
like God, yea, even, as God.
In conclusion, the Bishop eloquently
traced the existence of this spiritual be-
Ing, as shown by human life from the
birth of the babe to the death of the man
and the flight of the spirit to the realms
OF immortality He closed by making an
earnest appeal to all to give such heed I'd
themselves as would cultivate and en-
large this inner spiritual being, and thus
insure their eternal welfare in the life I'd
| come. Tine sermon was deeply interest
ing, and though its delivery consumed
over an hour, II was listened to with un+
hagging attention by the large congrega-
ton.
AT SCOTT CHURCH.
The services at the above church, yes
terday morning, were well attended, tho
church being comfortably flied. The
services Were conducted throughout by
Bishop Merrill, who preached from Ro-
mans, Sth chapter, 3rd and 4th verses -
"For what the law could not do, it was
weak through the flesh, God sending his
| own son in the likeness of sinful flesh,
and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
THAT the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the spirit"
The reverend gentleman called the at
tenuon or the congregation to tho word
law in the verses just read, and said ii
was the standard of moral acLion, and
obedience to the law, is obedience to
God. The term of the law was first laid
upon our first parents in the form of d
prohibition, but after they had sinned il
took the form of precepts. Behind all
these precepts there is divine law, that
has not been entirely revealed to us. A
divine law which is the standard of NOR
al action to all people, not only of the
people, but it is the law of the Deity
himself. 1t is as eternal as God, and as
unchangeable as time, and If we wish to
understand it we must study it through
God. Is God holy? So is his law holy /;
Is God just? SO is his law just. In a
pre-eminent sense, God is love, and his
law is love. Take the two first command
ments, and on them hang all the law Of
God. Love is the very essence Of Di-
vine law, and he that dwelieth in love,
also dwelleth in God, because God Is
love. The design OF the law is to bring
all within the law of love. 1t contenl-
plates bringing every thought of the
mind into the love of Jesus Christ; all
human kind are bound in allegiance Of
God, and his law of love. There is no
defect in the word of God, it is perfect,
because it is like God.
Continuing he spoke of the weakness
or the human mind to the law of God,
and wished to impress upon his hearers
the necessity of obeyiug the law, in or
der that they might be saved. He also
spoke of the great suferings of Jesus
Christ, upon this earth in order that the
law of God might be entirely fulfilled.
In closing he desired that those present
would return home and ask themselves
the question: cam 1 obeying the law of
GodY" At the conclusion Of his dis
course, Bishop Scott made a short but
fervent prayer and pronounced the bene-
diction.
AT UNION CHURCH.
Bishop WyGe preached, taking for lis
n al sNf 81. 20