National Republican., 1883-08-06
As Exemplifed in Some Of the Washington
Churches Yesterday.
Rev. JW Ray, Of Rochester, illustrates
1.-The Vision Of the Prophets"
"The Anglican Church Explained by Rev. James
w. Clark at st. Jamess Chapel.
Sermons OF Rev. y. It. Judd and Rev.
DIR. w. w. Hicks.
THE PROPHETS VISION

AS ELoQUENTLY EXPLAINED BY REV. j.
WAINWRIGHT RAY AT THE ASCENSION
CHURCH.
At the Church of the Ascension yesterday
morning the pulpit was occupied by the Rev.
j. Wainwright Ray, of Rochester, N Y, who
preached an eloquent discourse to largo and
attentive congregation. The reverend speaker
took his text from Eek. i, IL, "And their
wings were stretched upward"
This suggestive text is from the vision of
the Prophet Ezekiel, on the banks of the river
Chebar, among the captives and has a singu-
lar resemblance to much that was seen by st.
John in his Punishment on the isle of Patmos.
In particular were they alike in their vision
of the four living creatures-many winged
and many faced-yet each and all having a
certain likeness of man in the hands and
faces.
Now, the hands, do they not denote the in-
dustry and the faces the intelligence nee
essary to guide the hands in this low thcater
of life. where bread must be eaten in the
sweat of the face?
But those living creatures were winged as
well, and their wings were stretched upward
and does not this symbolize the fact that man I,
though condemned to labor and anxiety on
these low grounds, like bird that must here
alight to get its food, yet has superior nature
and his home in the skies
There are intimations of immortality left
us since the fall of man. "The crea ture is
made subject to vanity, not willingly" says
ST. Paul. AT all time the earnest expecta-
tion of the creature waiteth for the manifes-
tation of the sons of God"
We go further and say that most men do
try to move upward-do try to be good more
than they try to be bad-especially what time
the good spirit comes upon them-for
He comes upon all-and they hear the voice
from above, rs well as from within, bidding
thom to rise from these low grounds-intended
not as their appropriate realm, intended for
cattle and creeping things but never for
beings made in the image of God.
Yes, men have the lineaments of sublime
life, though they grovel oftentmes very low
in these netherlands" But not always do
they feel content, and never are they really
contented, unless they are trying at least to
rise.
When God touches the heart and ones
good angel is felt tanning the ashes from the
fire of the soul, and the rustling of the plum
age is heard, and the shadow is caught of the
spiritual forms above us, then the soul is not
at home here, and the better mood in us cries
out Nearer my God to Thee" We are then
sorry that the tips of the wings" even when
we would come near the Holy, must, like those
of the cherubim, touch the plaster of the
wall" Sometimes this elevating of the soul
comes to young man. He reflects anew and
better on his condition and prospects, if for
no moro than this present world. He is nei.
ther q cynic nor a misanthrope but as he
muses. he becomes disgusted with the low and
sordid conduct and conversation, the selfish
aims, or the want of aim, the rather what he
detcsts in himself and sees in so, many
youth and men about him. He asks himself,
what shall the end, the outcome Of these
things be, and is this all that was created
for? If men are nothing more than they SO
generally seem, he asks with David, "Where-
fore hast Thou made all men in vain ?" Per-
haps it is when he is attached to some book
or good newspaper say not now the bible
but book or paper-containing the higher
thoughts, the longings and the life of
scholar, philanthropist, statesman, or
Oh ristian. He. says to himself,
as he reads, "Here is man who has lived to
some good purpose, and has made the world
some better for his having lived in it," He
closes the book, and asks himself, why may
not too, why may not Others about mc, at
tain to some eminence, and write our names
elsewhere than in the sand, or in any of the
haunts of wickedness an vice, to perish as
dream when one awakethY" Who would not
say of such, or rather to such, "Noble youth
andn noble thought?' Noble in you, oh, young
man, ii thai thought leads you to become u
scholar or benelactor of your race. YOuI
very frieuds, and parents, if they live, Will
be new born by your endeaVor, and your
swinging to get your wings out of their sail
ing Will make those who love you stretch
upWuTuJ anu W CATCH inc Inspiration
of II better life and better deed and better
memory.
Low many young people have thus arisen
from career low and vicious in their former
life, when they had but fow iGoas or modols
oi anything good or great aud by ana by,
under more iacoring circumstances rs have
set ihemselyCS to u truer life and u loticr am
bitonI Your young men shall sec visions -
Happy if it shall he the vision of being some
body, and oil doing something, and Excel
sior the cry, as he stretches upward.
How many man in middle life Is there
who has bvthOught himself that he is not
making his lie or his family all that he
might or should? He says to himself, "
will shake OFF my incidence or my evil asso-
cates, hard AS this is-though they twine
about me as the serpent on Loocoon-and l
will be man among men, and make my
mark in the world, among or above those who
have cast mo OFF and mocked me-"
There may be touch of "sweet revenge"
in such cases, which we forgive; but there is
u CLEAN of a true manhood which we cannot
but admire.
- | care not how low a man has fallen. what
shame>he has incurred, or what sun has shone
on his c6inplcSion If we see such man rise
again land all the more if we lend him help
ing hand) we do him honor in our heart of
hearts. and put him among the heroic.
How many young lady or young or
middle aged woman is there who has awaked
" bho lhOuBhp bIhJ IulS lllo IL something
more serious and sacred than to he woman
OF fashion and society; merely, / say, merely
for both fashionable aud in society she NAV
and should be- If able, but not these merely
And now she is determined to be more than
this, and has shaken of the thick clay that
ladened her wings, and stretched them upward
to more serviceable and happy life.
If you, young woman-may | say il, n
stranger'-attempt this better and holier
living, you will not essay it in vain or alone.
There are some of your own sex beside your
mother and sisters who will pray for you
rs bad as this pride aud envy are which too
often stain the beneyolence of woman toward
her sister sex, There are many good men
who will help and pray for you, however
many, who would keep or cast you down.
And sure we are of the loving God who made
you "a little lower than the angels" He
will help and sustain and cheer you, and you
will cast an attraction before the eyes of
many Others who will admire and try TO fol-
low you in your rising Especially if you
are mother and have some birdlings at home
in the nest-your stretching your wings up
ward will be as when the eagle stirreth up
her nest, taketh her young, spreadeth abroad
her wings taketh them on her wings" and
tempts them to the skies.
Brethren, these things being so, oven in
matters of this present life chiefly, what shall
be said of stretching the wings upward for a
ptOus aud Christian life, for Christ and His