The New York herald., 1878-12-30
CENTRAL NJ L. CHURCH.
THE EREvIry AND GRANDEUR OF HUMAN LIFE

SERMON gY REV. Dr. NEWMAN.
Rev. DR.. Newman preached on the brevity and
grandeur Of human life taking his text from Job VIII.
C-"hy days swif;er than wcaver's shuttle"
1t is grand thing to live said the Doctor.
Whether in the ephemera OF an hour the eagle Of
accntury. whether in the flower OF day or the yew
tree OF 5000 years whether in the infant of week
the OF three years and ten. life glorious
fact life il everywhere: it is the only thing OF which
God seems prod!gal. TAerc is life ;hc earth and
on the earth. in the and the sea. and in the
vast expanse Of atmosphere. Where there is motion
there is life. and motion cocxtensive with creation.
The man does not live who give satisfactory
definition of life. The heart OF Natures mystery has
ba.ied all research. Bchet may say. Life is the
Of the functions by which death is resisted;
Herbert spencer may say. Life Is the continuous
juatnent OF internal relations external relations"
Aristotle may say Life H. the cause Of form in organ
ism; but still inquire what Il life? Eiciict tells
that life is not DEATH spencer simply gives the
signs of life, while Aristotle gives Us tact and
not . definition.
THERE rs bur osE LrFR.
All know IL that lite attsts its presence by certain
signs. He alone hath lite III himself I'm him
live, and have being" Tyndall has justly
said IAN life comes from anteceaent life" Mans
lie the breath of Cod its value be estimated
by its purposes. which are twofold. personal and
relative The personal object of life is the formation
OF character the condition and source OF immortal
joys. Life s weD. time is shuttle. man is -
The principe of human action ~ the thread
the web or life That which goes into the web will
with the web. and nothing Will out
with the web which you DO not put in.
ALWAYS WEAVING
Into yonr tapestry oi life you may weave forms of
Justice trut and holiness OF faith hope and charity:
saints. angels and God. and your life tapestry may
the walls Of your mansion or blessed-
ness. to excite the wonder and admiration
OF the good Of all ages; in that tapes
try OF life you may the form of silli-
with the OF ass. surrounded with laugh
ing satyrs and dancing girs OF Bacchus holding in
his hand the wine cup, with swollen checks and
bloated body, accompanied by Bacchantes. freiiz,cd
and disordcred, chanting the song of the
drunkard and followed by the tiger Of de-
structjon: Mars. reekiny with tine blood of
his fellows, attended with horrid retinue,
clauor. dlscord. fame and DEATH The web viii be
what you make il. The most solemn thought sug
gested by human life is the changelessness OF the
characters formed la this world. They ARE forever,
and related 10 our fellow men that after
gone shall s live ia the virtues aud vices o,
the generations - come. Yet how brief liz stay
upon the earth The cypress lives 800 years. the
cedar 1000 the ycw tree 5000: the that croaks
his coming lives 700 years the whale and the elephant
scentury and half; bat our days swifscr than
Q aweavcrs shuttle. Tho snortness of time is tlle
ghost the banquet OF human thought, but the web
will soon be and the shuttle stopped forever
Lost wealth may Restored by industry; inJurei
health may bo r,gained ~ the phy ysicians skill and
blasted reputation back by pcntence and yirtne
but lost time Is irreyocabiy gone. We're an artist
would paint picture VI y fawning dog, stirring
lion biting welt to represent time ~ come, time
present and time past