The New York herald., 1878-11-11
FIFTH Ay PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST SERMON BY


REV. JOHN HALL.
The Rev. John Hall, at the Fifth Avenue Presby-
terian Church. yesterday morning preached from the
well known text, .The grace of Our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you. amen" and expounded the re-
ations between Divine grace and human forgive
ness. In his Introductory remarks he touched
closely upon what his congregation evidently under
stood to allusion to the Stewart grave robbery
for he said there crimes vile, so infamous
desecrating that the of the criminals and their
immunity from punishment was to be looked upon
outrage upon our civilization and shame to
people.
Dr. Hall defined the trne quality OF grace There
was such thing real and abstract justice. wise
ruler for instance would never step between crimi-
nal and his punishment from mere impulse of the
heart, from good nature or amiabe pity, bnt only
when he thought that the dignity OF the law and the
interests of justice could be sustained without the in
fiction Of further punishment. wise ruler would
only interpose for good and sufficient reasons in
telligible to the mass OF reasonable men. 1t was
with God who though He was omnipotent. did not
save men merely from amable pity and good nature
but. like wise ruler. knew how to combine mercy
with justice.
QUALITY OF DIVINE GRACE.
1t therefore that He was called the God Of
Grace and of salvation. and Jesus Christ was His
free and voluntary agent of salvation His was
the impulse, OF the heart, it was not tickle
changeable. He did not take up His work hurriedly;
but He who became incarnate in His love for us
tained His deep aud steadfast affection when those
whom He had loved became His murderers and
exCcutioners. In the text the word grace implied
knowledge of and sympathy with the condition OF
His disciples and ability to give them relief. Sup
pose young man driving past tho churches on
Fifth avenue stopped on Sunday and asked to
step in and receive the grace OF Jesus Christ. He
full Of the buoyancy OF physical enjoyment.
would probably laugh at the idea, for there
were not receptive to this grace, who felt no
need of it. His disciples only felt need of it, But"
said some "though may not be His disciples, we
do dislike Him. and rather reverence Him. Why
should then be excluded from the divine grace 2"
Not because He lacks grace but because you lack
meekness. suppose a man sought church only
from social commercial purposes The Church or the
minister could not search his heart, but God could
He knew everybodys true belief and desire and accord
ing their beliefs and desires IL would be unto them
The reverend preacher quoted many well-known say
ings from the Bible demonstrate the truth Of this
proposition.
SPIRITUAL DISTRESS
But how did the grace operate how did the dis
cpes receive it suppose you are in great trouble
and distress and true friend to you, not to
degrade humiliae YOU but to lift you mp and ele
vate you would you not feel an attachment for him
How cordially You would be appreciatiye of his
servicesl suppose you are III position of ap
parenty inextricable difficulty ard friend comes
and by calmly talking your situation suggests
Of relief and sets your mind to work, how
grateful you would be to him. So il with the
Lord when He close TO the believers heart and
brought His sympathy and love and inspiration with
Him TO confer His grace III the saddest distress, in
sickness. in bereavement, i'll pain and in the
hours of death.