The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-27
CENTRAL M. E. CHURCH.


THE MoRALIsT-sERMoN BY REV. DIR. NEWMAN.
Rev. DIR. Newman preached and took as his sub
ject "The Moralist" drawing his text from Matthew,
XIX, 20-"What lack yet?' Morality said the rev.
erend Doctor is the conformity of actions to the
relations in which we stand to each other in
civilized life 1t implies good citizenship. commercial
integrity. temperance in all things. friendship do
mestic fidelity the civiltes Of social life, culture
virtue and charity. Such is fair statement of the
nature and exceences of morality. The standard is
not too high and it were we'll If all who claim
morality measured up to it; but not one in hun
dred do. Yet high this standard is, there is
higher up to which we must measure If would
obtain heaven Wherein consists the insuficiency of
morality for the final purposes of salvation The
for morality is not the divine will Some
men are moral on the principle that other men
immoral-because they pleased SO to be. Selfish
ness may underlie the severest morality.
Ask that man why he is patriotic. honest.
temperate. He replies. because am there
by happy" But other think themselves so
by being and doing otherwise A man should be
right and do right because God commands it. Where
no such law is recognized morality is regulated by
taste and circumstances eff ye love keep my
commandments" Love is always positive and
demonstratve its highest expression is in spiritual
communion with the Father of our spirits. The sins
OF the moralist those of omission. The moralist
assumes that he can no difference between his
daily life and the daily life of the Christian but he is
looking for difference where no difference exists
The moralist eschews religious duties he dsregards
the of the Church his is prayerless le
he offers devotions to his Creator. The moralist
may claim that he is not as bad as other and
does not therefore, feel his necessity for salvaton
but the tendency of serighteousness is to stupefy
the moral sensibilities. He may be better than
other men, yet not fit for heaven. / have
seen in Greece the ruins of once magnificent
temple wherein remained some perfect columns,
arch lateral DOME needing only the slight retouch
ing by the sculptor's hand to restore its pristine
beauty. So there arches, columns and domes
amid the ruins of nature which need retouching
by the Master Builder. The moralist argues that as
God rewards him now for many good acts, and that
as the Lord loves the good principles from which
such acts spring, therefore his salvation is But
he should remember that men are rewarded only so
far they go. Moraties are independent and their
rewards distinct Physical morality has its reward
in health, but that does not imply either patriotism
honesty. careful cultivation of the intellect will
rewarded with mental vigor and extensive learning;
so shall morality have its reward in commercial
credit and high position in society. The morality of
domestic life is rewarded by all that is beautiful
in happy home. The due restraint of the passions
brings to the soul o sweet repose; but you cannot
judge the social character of man from his busi-
ness habits, his intellectual culture from his
health, nor his domestic virtue from his public
politeness. Morality is good far it goes; but it
does not go far enough. Here two telescopes,
one of which reveals to the moon, tho other the
in all its glory-morality is moonshine, piety is
sunlight.