National Republican., 1883-08-13
PULPIT PREACHING.
Some Excellent DSCOurses Delivered in the
Various Churches Yesterday Morning.
Rev. T. B. Ponds Sermon on Agnosti-
cism and Christianity
Rev, Father 0'Sullvan's Exposition Of the Cure Of
the Ten Lepers,
The Sermons OF Rev. w. II. l.. weech and
Rev. John A. Mulligsn.
AeNosrIcIsM AND CHRISTIANITY.

AGNOSTICISM AND CHRISTIANITY.
ELOQUENT SERMON AT ST. PAUL's EPISCOPAL
CHURCH ny REV. T. b. POND.
At ST. Paul's Episcopal church, OH Twenty
third street, the congregation was quite large
and the sermon preached by the assistant
pastor, Rev. T. b. Pond, was attentively
listened to. The reverend speaker took his
text from Mark vii, "a and 35:
And looking up to heaven he sighed, and
saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, be
opened.
And straight way his ears were opened and
the string of his tongue was loosed, and he
spoke plain.
He referred at first to the philosophy of the
present day, the agnostcsm of the ninet cnth
century, which denies all that refers TO the
supernatural, and accepts only that which
can be comprehendcd by the ordinary senses
So wide spread has this become that even the
air We breath seems infected with the noxiOus
vapor. Tho arguments of modern material
ism are subtle, but their falaces are so APP
parent that it seems impossible that any one
could he influenced by them. How refresh
ing and full of consolation and comfort 1t is
TO turn from the vague and dreary spccula
tions of this worlds wisdom to the pure
light Of the glorious gospel of the blessed God
In tho pages of Holy Scripture voice
Catholic church. which is the divinely APP
pointed keeper and iniallible interpreter of
scriptures, has gathered up and formulated
for us the truths which God the Holy Ghost
has revealed through the inspired writers.
He spoke eloquontly of the lessons of the
cross and tho service, of the church, without
which services all efforts at true faith and
holiness were VAN, saying that to stay away
from the services of the church without suf
fcicnt cause is nothing less than to deny
Christ. We cannot expect to obtain tho
benefits of the redemption which
has been procured for us by the
passion and death of Christ unless we
meet together, as He has commanded, and
pie I'D that redemption which lie has wrought
for us upon the cross. 1t is true that every
prayer we utter, whether in the sDclusion of
our homes or in the public service of the
church, is in some sense n pleading of Cbrists
sacrifice But such prayer is incomplete un-
less it is united with the prayers of the
church IL is in the church, aud the church
only, that God has appointed the means
whereby we can obtain the benefits of the
atonement. The great act of worship in which
the church by the special command of Christ
pleads before the Father tho atonement made
by His dear Son, is the eucharistic sacrifice.
And as the resurrection was the consumma-
tion of the work which was wrought upon
the cross, so Sunday, which is our weekly
Easter day, has oeen specially appointed ly
the church rs the day when her children are
expected to assemble together to offer the sac
rifice Of the altar. No Christian spends Sun
day as he ought unless he is present either to
assist in the eucharistic worship or to receive
the blessed sacrament if he is duly pre-
pared. During our rector's absence
we cannot have the privilege Of a celebration
on Sundays. But through the kindness of
one of the clergy of Washington we are to
have q celebration every Tuesday and Thurs
day. / hope that not single member of the
parish who is ia town during the summer
will allow the week to pass without being
present at one of these celebrations For in
this way, as in no other way, can we plead
the redemption, which was effected by the
dread work of Calvary, by assisting at that wor-
Ship, which was specially appointed by Christ
to show forth the Lords death till He come.
1t is more important to attend that servi
than all the other services put together. OF
course in some cases such attendance will be
impossible, but God will accept the will for
the deed and He never requires us to do that
which we are unable to do. But if we estimate
Alright the great privilege which we receive
in confessing our faith in Jesus Christ by
offering up the holy sacrifice, persuasion will
be needed rather to keep us away from this
worship than to induce us to come. The day
of miracles, rs We ordinarily understand
them, has passed away. But moral
miracles far greater than the signs and Won
ders like those recorded in Scripture, are be-
ing continually wrought IN the lives aud
hearts of sinful men. What miracle is so
great, what work is so mighty, as the conver-
sion of the human will from its bondage to
sin to the worship and service of God Dear
brethren, a great miracle of grace has been
wrought in us. jesus has taken us in the
arms Of His mercy and love; He has washed
us in the purifying waters Of baptism; He
feeds US with His own inCarnate life in the
san pf a Hn
us to make some return for this undeserved
and uumcrited blessing. The very least we
can do is to confess him before men and be-
fore the great company of heaven which is
gathered before the heavenly altar to worship
the lamb rs he had been slain, and with which
we unite in our worship before this earthly
altar. And rs we are constant and steadlast
in this duty, grace will be poured down in
abundance upon us from heaven, and we will
realize more and more the meaning of our
petition 80 Lord, open Thou our lips, and
our mouth shall show forth Thy praise"