New-York tribune., 1884-01-28
Pulpit THOUGHTS.
ryrRACrs FROM YESTERDAYS SERMONS
x.N,s OPPORTUNITIES AND OBLIGATIONS.

~as ta be ped; he had devil 10 direct hin' "AaA'
US have little mps- But Judas was monA'vns@
governed by one devil don't throw stones at MN irom lno
n,t For see in Judas the possibilities OF my own SOUL
must have been motiyng TO the refined Mary 70 near
this gross protest What could she dof MOI many way"
we're omen to her. She couldnt follow the Aoru ss '0
Dciples did, for she woman. She dd not nave inc
hance IA watch with him even TO die with nm but
be d what she could; she performed one loving deed
Tho secret OF content lies in the fact OF doing what we
are fitted to do Discomfort comes from doing what VIC
can't do and in bunglng at what God Almighty never
meant for us to do Such as Mary are rare Inc
hins we can do don't to do. John Bunyan, VINO
ote the hest prose in the English language wasted
most OF his life writing the poorest poetry In
the world There few sadder sights
than 70 see men doing uncongenial work,
ard there is no necessity for It, Every one can do some
,ns Well let us initiate Mary who did not Martha
SId nor a. the Disciples wished her to do but what sne
conld People Ike her like the shadow OF rock IN
desert Contact with them is like benedict1on ms
isn't bad world II is full Of opportunity 10 people %nS
the World cOnentedy not gumong at our condition OF
longing for .hTg are dong What they cant Those who
give according their means and WORK wnetc % oney & e
& % m yonT home as father mother, making the world
better making Christ & nearer eToae ohu anu
THE SPIRIT OF MISSIONS ENJOINED.
The Rev. Dr. Day OF st. Pau's NJ. E., spoke upon
some of the phases OF missions He sad "When goa
gave bis Son. He gave him to all the world IDe "ospe
was first for the Jews then for all mankind JUDAISM va"
"N''
needed 10 be invgoated with life or else heWn down.
Christ WAS the health giving sap which caused the with
cred buds 20 blossom forth into sustenance for all nations
There was to be no wroughtirOn wall OF CASTE Chrlst
hroke down the barriers, and planned and taught a
religion for all The truth to be the light IN DARK
ness The ciyiser in every land In the physical world
iicht is confined TO one star SO one s0ui & G0 to
not receive all the spiritual light II Is mans work 70
carry the Gospel TO his fellow man. Imagination can u
more powerful messengers in the angels pul zoo S ~
man the command and he must fui1l u IL ms mo- DSu
left 10 man to his obligation The viii OF oa Is
conpee in the Bible and 10 its correct pc
longs All our life work The desire for the good OF neshpO
is put In common humanity The same nope tla' & 1aAo
rom others man who has a grain Of brOhery love IN
his heart will desire to & give "a Gunarep be him VI ~
THE TRUE METHOD OF RELIGIOUS INQUIRY.
In his morning sermon the Rev. Dr. Patton SAID;
''Nicodemus is in some respects model Ior rensous
nurers He recognized the necessity OF evidence Tor
religious belief and the proper value OF miracles as evil
deuee Some persons to-day hold that the position OF
miracles has changed that instead Of supporting Chris
tany they supported by it, and that our faith would
be less open TO attack II there had never been
any miracles But II you eliminate miracles you destroy
the distinguishing characteristic of Christianity and put
It on the same with other religions differing from
them ethicay and intellectually may be, but intrinsic
ally the same The mrces prove Christs divinity, for
they stamp with authority His teachings, and He taught
lis that He was divine. But when Nicodemus had
tested and accepted Christs authority he erred In
doubling the things stated by that authority 1t was
right for him. and it is right for any inquirer to care
fully and test the authority OF Chrlst ana ne
Scriptures; but when that has been satisfactorily
done their teachings must be un0uesonngy accepted
though these may aud naturally will De IN some re-
three questions settles viz Is there GOdi Has de
spoken TO menl and what does he sayf"
CIRCUMSTANCES AND MORAL CHARACTER
The Rev r. Heber Newton preached at All Souls
fAuthon MemoriaD Church. "The Influence OF Circum-
stances upon the Moral Character" He considered first
the extent which character was liable to be shaped ny
circumstances and then how far the human will could
49, s,rAtsa nd rnn1ffN
prss which they would otherwseleave the character
He said There is undOubted truth in this new gospel
of oursthat circumstances are well-ngh omn1potent
Man in his physical nature is as much the creature OF
circumstances the tree of the forest witness the
different types Of manhood which are produced Dy dI
ferent climates. Local surroundings are also we,nngn
omnipOtent In shaping character yam IGr Pe4RPi PRPi1 R ~
place themselves among social environments which bear
shond cease merely preach virtue where every CON
dton engendeTing vice Take the reverse OF Jhg PIC
mysterious power which we are yet unable 10 anayze
argh-the God-lke man. Character is wortR us what
" costs to make It. II is made by and through resistance
The measure of character tie measure of It's resist
+co - CircInstanccs There is almost infinite power Of
resistance in human will. our own desires can DO much
10 shape circumstances. We can exercise real power
over the formation Of characters by the exercise OF
viii"
THE FLEvATING POWER OF GREAT THOUGHTS.
The Rev Dr. j. II. Ryance, after an absence Of several
weeks rreached az ST. Marks Church. He said; Many
evangelical Christians profess to dcspse natural religion
asif there religions OF two sets OF religious
feelings one coming through words and the other through
forms They should rather despsc such theological dex
terity The tendency OF all is to live at the level
OF their social status and surroundings The moral
tone Of their lives IS pitched upon the Key Of
their thoughts Thus the lives Of many Chris
we come church and hear about the great things III re
hOn. they seem foreign 10 US Neeel tat we nave NOT
been living in hahtua ympathy with hem we are borne
;bcTe i wonderfn rower in the habit Of taking broad
eyv n INA
n thoughts and feelings TO eleve 0fhe present hor
that they are by the shadows Of petty and
tangible interests Under any sort OF pressure however
much he may be haTssed man Is cOmIOIed ana slrcg
by the grace Of God He less subject 10 gusts OF
sly steadily and submit to the Inevitable with serene
gnauOn. Religion is not an external thing nor thing
can say, Il know whom l believe has conviction
that no learning argument can shake have spent as
much time in profession IN studying the
oUd raber t at the feet Of simple pety to learn what
writer"
BIBLE MYTHS AND HIGHER CRITICISM
The Rev Dr. BENJAMIN F. De Costa preached at the
Church OF ST. John the Evangelist I'VE have not
followed cunningly devised fables" DR. De Costa said in
part The object of this mornings discourse is to
bring before you plain the essential difference
between cunningy devised fables and the Word OF God
We have heard a great deal of late about fables and
myths and possibly not a few entertain som ewhat
vague conception OF their true character fable is
something that is true and yet il may be very true
Wemus be careful how speak against fables In the
fable of and the north wind cOntendng know
that such contest took place. and that therefore
the fable is untrue but the lesson which IL
teaches is perfectly true 10 w.t. That soft and gent
often effect what force and fury cannot do
One OF the oldest fables IN the literature world
recorded in the Bible In chapter of the Book OF
Judges aud is in regard 10 the attempt to anoint king
the trees. The honor offered the olive ana re-
fused also by the gtree and the vine Finally
the trees elected brambe bush rule over them Here
was nothing than the vile Abineech whom the people
had made King 1t is story Of Jewish history, and the