The New York herald., 1879-02-03
THE CHRISTIAN CODE.
Pastors Laying Down the Laws to
Their Congregations.
MORALITY IN RELIGION.
The World Turned Upside Down
Haste to Grow Rich.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.


SOD 1NcARNArE- SERMON BY THE REV. DIR.
HEPwoRTH
That which God has set for Himself said DR..
Hepworth in the Church of the Disciples yesterday
morning, will be accomplished. If we arc
on the side of Christ, the
side of ultimate victory. There may be
years of conflicts but the end is not doubtful There
may be bloody paths for feet to tread. burdens
to be borne and trials to be undergone but after the
cross, the crownafter the smoke of battle, the VIC
or's laurel wreath. 1t is said by St. Paul
that the world is the body and that Christ
Is the heart the brain. What the heart
and brain to the body that will Christ
eventually become in the government of the world.
We apt to say that man resembles the world
that he is in himself sort of microcosm. Man is a
bundle of possibilities faggot of contradictions.
There qualities of character almost heav-
enly, while others almost beastly. The world
like man. has had its infancy. its youth. it's time Of
romance and it's full maturity. The world like man,
will be perfect when Christ its brain and Christ
rs heart shall give direction to thought and i'm
pulse to emotion
FUIFILMENr OF PROPHECY.
Strange it is, that in such dark days those in
which the New Testament written, it could be
possible to prophesy absolute and complete success
TOR Christianity. Nothing seemed little likely to
llization. But Gods promise is absolute assurance.
When Moses beheld the promised land he
his people should possess all that smiling
iandscape-not by their own might. but with the aid
of God. SO God himself standing some emil
nence looks into the future so dim and clouded to
us but to Him as bright day. and says that the
hour shall come waen s every knee nee snail DOW ana
be instructive to watch the development of this
prophecy. Let us stand for moment under the
shadow of the that Friday when Christ said.
''It is finished" What then seemed so improbable
that that mans teachings should prevail throughout
the world? Nothing was then SO powerful the
Roman Empire, and surely nothing seemed weak
in that hour as the religion OF Him who was nailed
criticisms though acknowledged to be just had
made the pow erful His enemies, paying,
they thought. the penalty Of HI, His temerity; sIqy
wherever He went by crowds of men and
women. seeking health, others novelty
net, though not by His enemies skill. Suppose
while standing under the shadow Of the cross, you
The Se empire w you % rapresens is destined TO-
rrumbe into dust; the hour will be when no
man: n however E low % S NEED 40 ,oaS honor ito to the
rs an imbecile. He would have said, ''There is no
power like that of the spear. Destruction to
Rome is impossible Her soldiers invincble;
her throne is founded on rock. Rather say her
influence shall extend till all the world is compassed
by her bounds" The Pharsee and the Sadducee
would have thought the soldiers argument weighty
one, while hoping 1t to be far otherwise. Suppose
that pointing to the malefactor on the cross His
hands bleeding with fresh wounds. the women ut
His feet bathed in tears, His disciples standing
around utterly disprited and dsconsolatc, believing
that the end had come-suppose you had said to
the soldier and the Pharisees and Sadducees THAT
malefactor is to rule the world; He win sit not on
the throne OF Rome, yet in the courts of Jeru-
salem but will be enthroned and worshipped in
every human heart" Your hearers would have
laughed in derision. Nothing could have seemed
utterly preposterous But all know that
Christianity did not die. 1t entered upon
period OF conflict, but in the end
crowned. See what it has accomplished
in the world at large. Centuries ago IL the bus-
of men to fight; it is their business main
tain peace. Little by little 1t has been determined
that justice shall be done. The arbirament of war
IL giving way by slow degrees TO the arbitramen of
ideas. Christ is encouraging good and crushing out
evil. We are what because Christianity is in
the hearts of men and in the halls of legislation.
CHRIST DONE DOES
want to speak of Christ incarnate in the individ
us of whom the world is composed. You and are
interested in Christianity because of what it can do
for us. 1t can give what is beyond the reach of
philosophy and of science. 1t has showered upon the
present the glory of the future and gives aid.
couragement, peace and joy. There is no time when
Christ will not help experience either of JOY
of sorrow. which cannot be made good Of If
Christ will teach how There is power under
heaven to lit men up but that OF Jesus Christ. He
makes less acute and our Joy u
preme. In the hour of death the Christian wraps
the drapery of his couch about him, and lies down
to pleasant dreams. His mind is disturbed by no un-
certainty fear to the future.