New-York tribune., 1880-02-16
a BOSTON PASToR IN NEB. YORK.

DIP. MANNING, OF THE OLD SOUTH OF boston.
BREACHES IN THE SOUTH REFORMED CHURCH
IN THIS CITY,
The Rev. DR.. J. NJ. Manning, pastor of the Old
South Church, Boston, preached at the South Re-
formed Church. Eifth-ave. and Twenty-frst-st.,
yesterday morning. The text was found in Luke
xiii %: But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters Of Jerusalem, weep not for me. but weep
for yourselves and for your children"
The painful sight OF Christ carrying His eress TO
Calvary said the preacher. was, after all. in one
view Of it. but shadow of the condition of the
people who followed and beheld it. The real cause
for weeping was not in the itself, but in the
people of Jerusalem. whose sad state and pros
poets it ftly pictured forth. The spiritual
condition of mankind in all times and places. is
that to which the religion of the cross exactly. cor
responds Temptation and sin and worldljness
have cruciied us-have crucifed not the flesh. but
the spirit in us the image of God In which we were
made Every human soul is in its estrangement
from God Calvary. You often wonder just what
sort of being you are; what is your real condi-
ton in this great universe what are your prospects
in the unknown future before you. There are many
mirrors into which you can look and see something
reflected back upon yOu which you are told Is your
true self but you know that many of them deceive
YOU They dstort the features of what you know
to be your character and condition. know that
there are many standards among men to which
il you carry your questions you will not
get the right answer. That which you will
get will be hatterlng to your self-esteem
or indulgent to your love OF pleasure. Taking men
in the mass and far as they have not learned TO
live after the Divine pattern the young give you
their life of gayety to measure yourself by; those
In the midst Of their years bid you lind out what
you are by looking upon their struggle for weaitn.
f4f..r, fl.a tall A
way OF hylng what they regard as your true WISDOM
and worth.
But are Won satisfied With these answers to your
questionsf Are you content while you take thus
general life Of worldly community as an index or
what you are and what you 0ught to become Ger
tainly you are not. Even ii you part OF this
surrounding life. there come at times pauses OF
| earnest thought in which you feel that you are
very different from it. This which you see on the
surface does not reflect your true self back 60 you
Ii is most supeFficaI-not the key to the real
manhood wOmanhOod IN us. This outward me
is largely deylce 10 when you oetHe yOoimsem ~ nr III
own consciousness You have but TO break through
it's surface and go down into the hidden tragedies
of human lives all about you, to learn bow painfully
true this is. You ind your portrait nowhere cor
recty painted. In city or country whether travel
ling abroad or looking upon the changes
which are always passing over the face OK
| the world of matter, you stln reallso
| that you do not know yourself. The true
key 10 the mystery Within MS Is found III the cross
of Christ 1t Is Gods Interpretation OF us and our
real inward life. Chrsts life and suherings, give
| us true image of what we are. He hungered ana
| thirsted and was weary he went about I'D sorrow
and pain doing good, ever entering more deeply
| into the shadow winch so awfuily closed down
| upon Him at last. Thus he was painting portrait
| which should interpret Won and me TO ourselves
| And now that you have the picture OF yourselves
/ my friends. what will you do with ltf WIZ you
| conform to 1t, or Will you 30 racing ana stumbling
| and plunging aloug III q merely outside, snowy and
frivolous llfe do not say that there should De no
| elements OF pleasure and gladness IN our prest nt
| life. There should be many. The religion or
Jesus CHRIST is religion OF JOY in view OF tho
| bright c0nsummaton 10 which 1t points. lie
| life SO should we do. But in the midst of it ALL IL
| we listen to our own inner whispering. or lay our
ear close to the door of other hearts, shall hear
| the solemn undertone of sorrow throbbng all
through The auxhter is incidental; for down be.
meath 1t there is the something in the soul
which is ever calling for tears. fh re is
monuments in fiction aud philosophy. which
paints human life as only calamity Into
this profound and In some respects correct view OF
all human life, the alone comes with ull ana
tender sympathy. This explains 20 us the DEVOTION
tie missionary ZEAL the amazing self-deuial and
selfsacrfce sometimes seen in the lives OF modern
Christians.
Dear friends, let lis thank God for any blows or
cbastisements by which tie wakes up our dull
thoughts as to- make US see our inner lie.
Why should there be IN this same house VI worship
two sets of persons, one OF which we call tho
congregation" and the other " me chufch arc
deepest and sOreSt need o want which Is COM
mon to all : The cross or Christ is the
same thing to us all: 1t , is the accurate accurate
without. which interprets the tragedy within.
Whatever OF business or pleasure in this world you
engage in your HE Is not really noble or worthy OF
you, save as you are in the company OF Christian
discples-bearlng that cross which,t you faithfully
bear 1t, will at length bear you through sorrow.
through temptation. through death, out into tho
light of Gods presence and throne