New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-21
PREACHERS WORTH HEARING
XXXvI.
DIR, CHARLES J. LITTLE, OF SYRACUSE

church In It's gifts all benevoences and In It's work
Prom tho timo OF its organization, In 1862 unti MS
DEATH last october. John Cornell was tho president
OF It's Board Of Trustees. and 1t largely through mis-
influence that the church to such prominence IL
enjoys the distinction Of giving more per member TO
the various OF the Church than any other
Methodist church In America. 1t has grown under tho
minstrations OF q number OF the leading men Oh Inc
New York Conference, among them the Rev. Drs mar
rover, Crawford and Vail. and two who have since
died, the Rev. DIS. Abbott and McClelsnd Inc
present pastor is the Rev. T. Triple graduate OF
Syracuse University 1854, and Drcw Theological
Seminary 1887. Among the prominent members OF
the congregation arc S. W. Andrews J. II. Chapman,
william White, J. c. Chamberlain, II. d. Narrower
Orleans Longacre, J. s. slls, c. W. wooster. F. W.
otheman, Abraham Mead, W. Z. Johnson, j. C. Short.
C. A. woodruff, Gcorgs ". Loss, Thsodoro e Lyon, and
T. W. Foster.
Tho preacher IN this church yesterday morning was
The Row. Dr.. Charles j. Little, Professor in Syracuse
University, aad q delegate to the General
Conference OF the Methodist Episcopal Church
Professor Little born in Philadelphia, September
81, 1910 He was graduated from the University OF
Pennsylvania in 1851 and joinsd the Philadelphia
Conference the following year. He was pastor OF
several churches In the city Of his birth previous 10
bis visit to Germany In 1870 where no remained two
years, studying the language and literature Upon
his return he was appointed to Grace Church, Phi1
delphia In 1874 he was elected Professor OF Englisn
Literature and Philosophy in Dickinson College,
Carlisle, Penn, and in 1883 he took charge Of the
chair of Metaphysics and Political Economy In the
same institution. Two years later he was called to
the Professorshp OF History and Logic in the syracuse
University, position no is filling to the satisfaction
of tho students and friends Of that rapidly growing
institution.
The degree of Phi. D. conferred upon Professor
little In 1882 by the Indiana Asbury University, ano
In 1885 Ii. d. given him by Dickinson College
Dr has nj contributions
and religious papers. He has not yet published any
volume, but 1t is expected that one will be printed
soon. AS a writer and speaker he is prominent he
pure, graceful English, which is made doubly
effective In speech by indescrbable plaintlveneSs
of tone that captivatcs the hearcr at In wealth
Of expression In beauty Of dlcon, he has few equals
In the Methodist Church Some of his specimens of
epdlctic eloqueDce hayo produced powerful impress
sons notably his address before the Centennial Con
ference at Baltimore In 1884, and at tho laying ID
the cornerstone of the library building at Drew
theological Seminary In 1886
SATAN's CLAIM TO THE WORLDS SOVEREIGNTY.
Dr. Little took for his text yesterday these verses
from ST. Luke's Gospel: And the devil said unto
Him. all this power will give Thee. and the glory OF
them; for that is delivered unto me; and to whom
soever 1 will / give It, If Thou wilt therefore
swered and said unto him Get thee behind me, Satan,
for 1t is written, ,tnu shalt worship the hSnd my
S are the sT main 'p parts H Of tho discourse
The three great temptations which faced Lord in tie
beginning Of His career make the scene and struggle IN
the wilderness ftng prelude the life which ended
Gethsemane and Calvary These temptations cover inc
entire range Of human desire and human ambitions they
appeal every by which evil hope to make the
conquest a soul anchored to the throne Of God The
cravings appetite the longing for recognition the love
power the hunger for dominion over man and society,"
each in turn assaled; and finally the spiritual nature
itself at very attacked with subtle and start
ling ingenuity and daring attempt is made to turn I'M
falterng trust IN God into stranging snare
the second temptation which forms the basis on our
thoughts devil up his mpuden claim to the
eregnty this wsrd Impudent but generally allowed
For In every sphere of Life we see constantly conceded
In satscra in and In literature among poll
clms and poets preachers and lawyers doctors and
ehsnts the man who dsswns it Is called impractical and
deasuc so COED for his epoch too good for the world
in which he lives propose to an,y'e this claim Of the
devil 10 find out, II Just how much there is OF
substance in It, and IL false and impudent pretenee
to discover can. why men are as rule so easily do
| luded by It,
FIRST Let us conceds many OF apparent
give color and significance to this Satanic declaration
Men 90 ao au1 ns Ued Soh ~, n The -
OF powor which they WELD only for mischief and for sor
schemes Of selnshness psn often In an atmosphere
by tradition csnsecated TO the plans and purpose
secondly coneede that apparent defeat and fail
ure often oyerake the noblest natures and that enter
pses Of angelic scope and divine nobility often bury be-
meath the brains and hearts from which they
sprung Out OF this apparent success and apparent de-
feat Of carnal mind to conclusions that satisfy
tho nesh drawn its dogma of devil worship; has CON
nrmed with specious reasoning this preposterous claim
and by constant Federation oisted 1t into the creed OF
common Life.
| DOES 1T PAY TO SERVE GoDi
Now let me point out you that this is a doctrine
which however ropusve to intellect Is In full accord
with human passion. To be vrtuous requires enort; 10
serve Almighty God involves strain upon the Will AL.
though His service perfect liberty IL is not abandonment
to impulse or wild desire Hence men with their ten
denotes to depraty what the new philosophy calls
reyerson" Il Just more for facts than names
seze greedily doctrine which 70 make all struggle
useless advance and answer every appeal to rise above
satanic service with sharp and bitter query What is
|
whomsoever he VIII he gives IT. 10 serve God does not
| payp Now. common and braren as this oelicf n sup
norted a. t is by selfshness and human PASSION
vared az are the In which 1t appears, dcult nay
impossible It is Of destruction, join issue on the fact
The devil Is not the King OF thls wora ana 10 nos m nus
power give tho glory and the sweetness Of 1t unto whom
he will.
anrm this nrst because the really successful human
beings are not the devils worshppera Let take the
eighteenth century and ask ourselves calmly who the
two successful human beings OF all that hundred years
Voltairef Frederic the Greati Thomas PaInel Cath
arins the Seconds Oh mol OF all the conspicuous ng
OF the epoch can single out easily John Wesley
and George Washington as tho two men whose lives wero
crowned splendid funlmsnt Eor their work adde's
The one created nation and established liberty vast
domain. The other created Church broke the barriers
creed ceremony and grded the earth with the music
OF FREQ grace and full salvation Both wore reviled and
hatsd. opposed and spst upon But both outhved the
obOquy h.aped them with brazen persistence and
passed into the history OF all time as trainers
Of eternal habitseienA History abouDds with
Instances similar and common life is full of
them to every honest seeker virtue is busy
spend time In seitadyertissment and sslflsrdaton.
FAILURE OF woRsHIPPERs Oh SATAN.
afnrm this. secondly beeaBss the stupendous fall
ures OF men who set out TO Worship the devil and the
often forgotten or explained away
Take for instance, the Of Aaron Burr very
wizard personal attraction fascinating men and women
by the glitter Of his skilled In peiucs manpua-
ton so that the marks OF his influence can be traced In
every page OF history OF the Empire state swift TO
ascend hs stseps OF popularity and power; all things
seemed given 10 him surely And what Of It all
Disgrace ntamy brand OF CAIN the curses OF ruined
women, consumed with inward fame the seorn
| wrath NJ cd
cal history and find the men who have accepted the
soyersspty of Satan Find them all and start them In
gbastly displaying ruin and the torture
Of th.lr lives The cry OF wosty is on their Lips; the
agony OF wolsey Is In their hesrts
| Take Napoleon tho First Oolossal mind, eolossa
.r.rgv coo.sa nassien He took the devil at his worst
At Corsica at Paris In Egypt II seemed as II the devil
owned France az least n he ala not own the planet
What came OF Is sHf Wsterioe, OF no,ehS, scum