New-York tribune., 1884-03-24
PULPIT THOUGHTS.
EXTRACTS FROM YESTERDAYS SERMONS.
HELP AND HINDRANCE IN CHRISTIAN LIFE.

The Rev. DIR. William NJ. Taylor said yester-
day morning. Pergamus once famous for It's wealth
for its culture and for It's many heather temples This
city was to the god Hsculapius what Ephesus TO
Diana In this cathedral seat OF paganism was O
| Christian church For a time tho church had
| peace, then persecution arose and martyr
| blood was shed. But enemy was stealing into
It. viz. worldlness. The ranks were not broken by
persecution, many led astrsy by the lusts o
this world and the deceitfulness OF riches Thus 1t has
ever been. But Il is possible to be Christian any
where Christianity Ia not thing OF locality, but OF
character 1t live where can live, for any man
can be Christian If he chooses Christianity consists In
| loyalty OF heart. The grace OF God can
| live where neither you nor can The
| lily fs sometimes found blooming among thorns
Character may take cooring from circumstances but IL
can also give them color We ought not to be preudced
against account OF his position or place. Dld
not Christ como out OF NAZARETH Nor ought we TO ex
ourselves by reason OF environment II Is never
necessary do wrong for no external force can conpel
do right II is yOus dead fish that float down stream
live one can h swim in srmsges s sOo. maxi SaS
I'm Others One home promotes pety, another promotes
vice When the English Deist visited Feneon he said
IF should stay here long too would become Christ
IAN The Lord knows where and the kind Of help
need. He will make allowance ana Will give tue ilSht
assistance We should be charitable toward others.
Burns says: WHATS done We partly may compute, But
know not what's resisted The harder the place ia which
our Christianity An avowed antagonist is
not so dangerous as a cunning cum I dec deGeiyeT eT
become amalgamated. The Church is in the world Ike
ship the sca, which is safe only so long as IL n2ats
above the Character not condition. Is the true test
Of manhood. TOO often we hear these queStons What
does he mowl Who IS his grandfather what y 1 ne
it5 own sake, but It steward OF God The greater
the difficulties we overcome the greater Will 6e our
6fs 5SS"If tirous6 cRrst 70 who I strens6sneth u.s.
THE SERMON on THE MOUNT.
Mr. Beecher preached great audience in Plymouth
Church from sentence Of the Sermon on the Mount
He said In the first OF the "NO part of the
Bible Is more praised than the Sermon on the Mount
All agree in regard to this remarkable document
In all the Christian ages 1t has been hold up as model
Yet in its literal Interpretation II Is in direct contradic-
ton to the experience Of the world TO the teachings Of
Scripture to the nature OF the individual and TO Provi
dence interpreted by history 10 s called charming
simple statement OF duty Yet is far from simple
ity az possible Tho whole style Of Christ far from
simple It was mystical and paradoxical 1t Is not
TO be interpreted by the outward sense but contains
marvellous truth in its inward meaning. No part is car
ried far from literal Interpretation as tne sermon on
the Mount Taken literally nothing can be more mis-
leading Take the teachings In regard 70 ponuca econo
cacy to these and 1t would In time destroy human ma
ture after debauching society Yet everybody auds IL
for simplicity If preachers apply ethical rules men cry
out why don't preach the simplicity or tne sermon
on the Mount utterly unconscious or its unfahomaDe
depth Take the direction Give TO bin that asEeth thee,
and from him that would borrow or thee, turn not thOu
away. Taken literally that would sweep away human
nature According to that there could be no accumula~
ton Of property. would Ike to see Wall Street for an
there would be nothing lend Distribution would
the case when the world is perfected when # would be
safe and reasonabe 1t may be meant as an ideal OF
general conduct not imperative literal, and simply
dissuaslon from stingness The language Is imperial
and the application distrlbutiye II IL were acted on
and pauper5 and create that ideness which is the
mother OF al mischief"
INsPIRA TION AND INFALLIBILITY OF THE BIBLE
At the First Presbyterian Church the Rev. Dr. Patton
said The canonciy Scripture tradition. the
witness of the Holy Spirit in the heart and the nterna
evidence Of the Bible itself The believer may be fully
persuaded by the testimony Of tho Holy Spirit but 1t Is
evidence which he cannot with effect in arguing with
others. Tradition may be uncertain and unsatisfactory
Hence the strongest argument must be found in the Bible
itself The Bible consists OF series of documents which,
in respect to authorship, am etc. are as amenable to
literary criticism the letters Of Junus or the dramas Of
Shakespeare. It s safe 10 say that the bistocty or
the first three Gospels at least is proven and we may
We need quarrel about the inspiration OF them But
we are bound to answer the question Who Is Christi
And we will be compelled to answer with NcOdemus,
teacher sent from God. Grant his history and all
follows His resurrection and ascension prove his divinity
aud therefore he has the authority To speak. Read
Christs words about the Old Testament and you will find
who made IT, Whoever wrote II tits all put IN connec
tiOn with the life or Christ II you have historic belief
in Christ you must necessarily relate this fact to Other
facts and you find the Bible is whole mosaic all the
parts OF which harmonious. 1t Is impossible ration
ally believe that the various authors wrote with only
the ordinary Incentives 10 cOmpoat9n ne iemton OF
the books shows that God superintendent their production
rest here on inspiration but we go further The
lnfabity OF Scripture quite Christ cites the
five books OF Moses and the Prophets He says the
Scriptures cannot be broken Paul declares he preached
by divine revelation and the miraculous character OF his
conversion entities him 10 hearing. The suppressed
absolute infaibty OF the Old Testament Inspiration
and nqbty attach to to the aa{QgaPh @ 81 GGeS % Gay
They were not Omniscient or sinless.
The principal objection to Inspiration Is from the voice
OF the world. This is one Of naturallsm, denying
personal God, and .hence can not accept inspiration
which is miraculous"
THE NATURE OF CHRIST.
The Rev Dr. Ferris. OF AsbuTy Methodist Episcopal
Church. said: christianity invites scrutiny 1t has moth
ing TO conceal and no apology make Christ invites
to examine His fe Therefore with this invitation let
look at few things about this Nezarene that striking
and pterestinga life strange character unique,
and death striking that it will never lose its interest
TO u.s. is not true that Christianity asks belief without
evidence for the Christian faith is built firm fOunda
ton-the life and works of Christ Old institutions and
empires have passed away, Kingdoms and thrones have
crumbled. but the Man OF Nazareth lives never be-
fore. He is loved, has more followers and more
wealth than ever before In the first place His coming
here was the first Of Him, for lie before the time
Of Abraham. He is the Alpha and the Omega He was
before all things, and has priority Of being. 8 In
beginning was the Word. Then He the
creator OF all things, and without Him nothing
made that madel We also notice His humanity His
strict, complete literal humanity. He was made like His
angels but He had whatever pertained to
humanity lie an lnIauJi lie Ditu
died. He my brother and yours and was touched
with the feeling OfOur nilrmeS. 1t was not His divine
nature that struggled with poverty and weariness but
His human side On the other hand He was divine. Faith
staggers a this when IL looks at the infant In the manger
and wonders II that can be God. But II we take the
Bible cannot escape from this thought that not only
the child bOrn but the government or the world was
upon His shoulders. He detected mems thoughts He
wrought miracles. and must have been God You may
say that the Prophets and Apostles wrought miracles but
there a difference He wrought In His own strength
and name while they acknowledged their power
from Him His divinity Ia asserted in His predictions,
pecally the concerning the fall OF Jerusalem His
resurrection and ascension. Again he was fulfilling
prophecy The prophets largely prOphesed Christ.
There has been one Of our race on whom these
productions could centre. but Him. We are told what
line He would come Of and that He would be like Moses.
No man has lvled near like Moses Christ
lawsyer. Even his place of birth Is stated
enough she was at Bethlehem when Jesus
was born. He was cruclhed and the Pr0phets knew