New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-07
PULPIT THOUGHTS.
ABSTRACTS OF YESTERDAYS SERMONS.
THE REV. DIR. TAYLORs ADVICE TO YOUNG


to keep you from giving this heed to your way. soca
duties may absorb all your leisure. DO to decry
social peasuref by means; but they do not deserved
10 be the chief part of life 1t pleasure to spend few
hours and then in social cOnversc spend days
thu and weeks aud years leaves opportunity for the
mediation out OF which the true life springs Fiction in
excess lindrance 1t has ts place in literature, hut
subordinate place There some young people who
! i've only in the unreal realm OF the Imagination.
More than 6ir one career p OF crime begins
quency OF divorce due IN degree to fiction
that has painted vice heroic and modGsty vulgar
ana commonplace. And too many OF these books am
ashamed TO say have been written by women The pursuit
business But mako it serve you beware you be its
save One of the most distressing things OF my life here
duties rs their wealth increased Make time to answer
the ques tons that arise in your mind, What am what
am dong Where am going Is there future ana II
! there Is, what lSlny relation tOUi"
THE DOUBT OF THE PRESENT DAY.
The Rev. DR.. Patton OF Princeton the First Presby
crian Church said: Religion must be a subject in
which It possible to doubt else there would be ETH
cal significance in the command, Believe and thou shalt
he saved Evidence is important in it than In
law, and individual bias Is powerful In the pew az IN
the jurybOX Men doubt religion for religion the rea-
tonshp between God and the finite soul, and
the philosophy Of the present day tends to
deny the finite soul. Men doubt Christianity;
for the essence OF Christianity Is belief in
an incamato God, and His existence proved by the
resurrection; but the resurrection is miracle, and the
philosophy Of to-day denies all miracles Men doubt the
Bible and point to It's inaccuracies even If these existed
should still hold fast To God and Christ. But modern
research il only confirming the accuracy Of the Bible
We are reading deeper meaning into the first chapter
Genesis and every gcOlOgiSt aud astronomer IS really
studying theology and adding to the worlds knowledge OF
ITO the respondent mind the doubt Of to-day may
TO show weakness and decay OF faith but TO the
hopeful il indicates ca activity and interest in religious
matters Men are learning the prospects or belief are
Frightening. We have touched bottom In this matter OF
unbeief aud the age OF faith is setting in Thinkers lei
the region OF truth and vOyaced to eTeams Of material
ism and agnOstlcsm they tarrying in the trOp
en- Island OF panthes bIt presently they VIII hnl' me
with fresh joy TO the land from whence they sailed"
MOTTO FOR THE NEW YEAR.
In compliance with his fixed custom the Rev. r. s.
Macarthur preached from text which he desired should
be the motto OF his congregation for the year. His
text "As thy day, shall thy strength be-" He
said in part "What every needs is strength But
not every man knows his need. Others lmOwngit know
not where to find IT, There Is Of strength which
when found mparts strength and energy the
Said the Apostle when am weak then am strong
This apparent paradox is easily explained by the
who has found the true fountain of all strength which is
Jesus Christ I'm regard to the year that we
have entered shall walk in weakness If we
walk alone. But il we make Christ companion, we
shall be strong for the fight of life In regard to the
year that has past let its mistakes and failures admonish
but not discourage We told to let the dead past
bury its dead but the past refuses be buried. The
spcctre Of the past haun us Men may change houses
circumstances and companions but no man can get
before Us ia undiscovered continent. We know not
what day may bring forth Not man nor lofues anse'
c1n answer us What win happen tomorrow mcrci-
ful mystery wells the future. How much, then. do we
HIM, for without His direction the way is |
dark Experience cannot help us. Experience
f. NeSsrl-t illumiHeS the be-
hind but the way in front Lean on God for support
aud remember that whatever The coming year may nave
I'm II re l things work together for good to them that
AT thc close Of the service the Doctor stated graft
hs appeal for 100000, which he made two weeks ago
This sum cancels the entire Indebtedness Of the nc"
church, which has cost upward Of 100000.
THE LIGHT OF CHRIST.
The Row Dr. Henry Y. sattcrlec at Calvary Church,
said in part: "Thcrc is prejudice to-day against all
symbolism. The Imagination may claim al sorts Of cor
responsiveness where exists II the Christian be-
levers Of the past something in the words Of
the Jewish prophet than those Of the present day
say that those believers believed too much What If they
were thus laying hold Of the inner meaning of prophecy
The same force which produces the type, when II
reaches its elimination produces the ant-type And 50
the literal Interpretation has become the symboca and
the symbocal the real The universally o. Zion will ar
pear when IL becomes illuminated by Christ A He
was the light OF the world His disciples are
to he the light of men. Human nature
has slow receive this light Of Christ. 1t has been
shining in the darkness and the darkness comprehcnds it
not. Tcachiu-s very clear to ncOmprchensibc
to those who received them first Yet the Church has
made SLOW progress because has so dimy reelected the
H. human element TO he elm'natd 50 that we can
see that God God OF love. This knowledge brings
increase love, of wisdom and OF power and thus can
De brought about the universally OF Ion The power OF
the Church is IN lis spirituality Therei spell like the
spell of Christian Iie Many fear they observe the
changes that now taking place BON m and out OF the
ChuIch,and yet that fear forroi We felr be
the construction we put upon Chrss words is too
feeble"
LOOK AHEAD AND KEEP MOVING.
Atthe West Presbyterian Church, the Rev. John r.
Paxton took as the OF his morning DISCOURSE Re
member Lots wife," and set forth to his people the folly
of looking back with vain regrets at the year that has
past. Thank God and take courage he said should be
the watchwOrd for every man. Romorso only cramps
and clogs and clogs the energies Regret the past
dismal fog through which Hope, bright star not
penetrate. Don't look back. Tie people VINO forever
looking back never forward. II Is law |
whose workings You discover everywhere. In |
science men who cling the past never map out any
discoveries. In art men who are satisfied with past en-
dcayors become great artists. In commerce and in
craftsmanship the progressive men are the men who |
look ahead not back Retrospect stagnates but prospect
stimulates We must not tOJt Lac We must ioot dhedd
and ke,p morag Even the pulpit must advance, and |
tecnth century distinctive trait OF the Romans was
that they were always looking back Hence their de-
cline. They were forever talking ana Writing ABOUT the
age that had past-the Golden Age. They never spoke
Of the good time coming, But hoy different with the
Bible pcoplcl Israel Is always looking forward Her |
prophets were ever pointing to the future The Golden
Age felt TO be ahead and not behind And there
Golden Age ahead. All others place it IN the past"
THE TEACHINGS OF JACOBS DREAM.
The Rev. George Alexander pastOrelcct Of the Unjyer
sity Place Presbyterian Church. said in his afternoon
sermon: Jacobs dream more than mere fancy
The story reality much that OF his dream
OF his conversion marked epoch IN bis life. II
the first time he had ever looked up into Gods face and
called Him Father. Yet Jacob had been rengiousy
brought up Ills history exactly analogous TO many
men and women who have been trained and nurturcd In
religious families. But jacobs lie became alb
sorbed in his sheep and his goats His pos
scs, ons had drawn his attention from spiritual
concerns. And with to-day nothing tends to choke
religious yearuiDgs much occupation in secular
affairs Jacob, vision was not SO wonderful Have you
all had the kel Oh, yes, there times when the