The New York herald., 1878-09-15
FORTY-FoURTH STREET SYNAGOGUE.

RITUAL WOESH1P-THE JEWISH MINISTRY
SERMON BY THE REV. +. DE soLA MENDEs.
The Rev DR.. do Sola Msudes delivered sermon
yesterday 10 the Forty fourth Street synagogue upon
the twenty sixth chapter OF Dsuteronomy:-"And 1t
shall be, when thou IN unto the land which
the Lord Thy Goa givoth thee for inheritance ana
posssssest and dweliest therein thou shalt take OF
the arst oi all the fruit OF the earth"
DR.. Mendes quoted this chapter as containing two
remarkable ritual ordinances. Complete In every de-
tail One tho form Of bringing tho first fruits TO
tho priest, In which fun directions are given from
the laying OF the fruit In basket to the very words
OF tho profession to be uttered by the onereE This
contained eptomo OF the national history from the
time whom "my iather was wandering Syrian" TO the
tmo when tho sraelitcs should possess the land OF
Canaan. The second formula oil prayer Is to be used
on the OCCASION Of giving the tiihe tenth part OF
years. income, to the poor and the stranger upon
which every lsraelite had 10 declare, 'l have done
all the Lord hath commanded me, aud I'm
aud bless ii and lis seed" These regulations,
appropriate enough TO the agricultural season
period the devotional caleudar. "a fortnight ago."
said DR.. AenGes, 'the weird, lnrillng notes OF
Suoier called .Prepare 10 meet tiny Cod q Israel:
fortnight more and the days OF penitence would be
here ana all lsraetes are seeking places OF worship
TO attend the devotional exercises they IN many
neglect during tho year IL Is htting oppori unity
few words on ritual SERVICE suggested by the
text. When year ends ana another oegins It Is
joyed, the trials undergone, aud as ws wonder how
OF each the new shall bring VIC pray TO God
lot the balance be Tor pleasure rather imam pain
abundance rather than pcnury. Many may have been
disappointed on looking into the ritual service ap
pointed Tor these prayeriul days AID nnding there
much that Is not prayer; mere historical incubation
or rnapsodic praise Some may have asked. should
such not be removedP
PROGRESS THE AGE.
81 have often neId up to you admonishngly," said
DR.. Mendcs, Vho fatal error OF the age which leads
II 10 Claim inelablo superiority over antiquity. We
have made wonderful progress science, In in-
genous application OF It's Teaching in discovery but
are we, then, SO unspeakaply beyond ard upov. our
ancestors? Take arl-wncre the equals TO- day of
the oloen sculptors OF Greece, OF the painters oil
ItaiyP lake IiLerslure-where are the ntneteenth
century Homer, Shakespeare or Verulam; where inc
equal OF the ametoucned eoquence OF ISAIAH Tins
you may take AS an additional topic 10 consider. In
uli that concerns tue normal human mind object
the anciens were Ms skilled AS ourselves. Naturally
SO; human nature IL tho same n ali ages Our appi-
for its study have not been iproved there
mental microscopes or prismaLic analyzers
condsnsers oil human thought SO when our Ia hers
inserted historical "reminiscences and poetic illusions
IN the prayer book they ala SO 10 lead VI 20 something
more thaO solhsh pctitons Tor happiness and pros.
perity-to remind us OF our nationality, the causes
that gave us prosperity or exile They knew (excs-
lent prophets there might come age wnsD vii inc
time lsraslites would devote 10 the study OF their
past history would DO the lew hours on those solemn
days when their conscience drove them to the house
OF God and their prayer book. What lsraeits that
OF the tsrvor, Tho inpr sssiveEcss and magnh
Of The olden temple service but iess proud
a. the American reads the revoIu tonary times
and longs nave been tnere2 Well says the poet
Happy tho eye that saw these things; verify, TO
read ot them only must erieve our inmost SOUL!
POSITIVE JUDAISM.
"You," SAID DR.. Mepdes, ''are orthodox; you be-
leve Ia positive Judaism and hope your children Will
adhere TO It. Whence snail tney take tneir teachers
and ninistersf ask every parent VINO has child OF
capacity and giits 10 send him. ike samuel, the
sanctuary. Other professions are ovsrhllsd; tue
Jewish miastry Is not. No profession Is noblcr or
more usei al; better way parents show graf
iude 10 Coo Tor His giits TO hom than by dsv0tng
young Samuel TO HIS ssrvice.'
Dr. Mendss h,s wiiiine eness advise and
even instruct those lads who should come forward,
being amply repaid then by the Knowledge that men
were growing up who should preserve aud help him
" preserve, trxditiona al positive Judaism.