New-York tribune., 1889-12-30
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING
XIV.
THE NEW THING DONE IN THE EARTH.
DIR. W. T., HUNTINGTON, OF GRACE CHURCH,
SHOWS WHAT BENEFITS CAME TO MAN
BY THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOUR.

SHOWS WHAT DENEFlIS CAMb ~ mn"
BY THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOUR.
Grace Church at Broadway and Tenth-st and It's
accomplished rector known far and wlde as "eu
as near at home. Its membership embrace, many OF
the most prominent families in the city and Its con-
tributions aid in many religious and charitable works
at home and abroad On Christmas morning DR.
Huntington preached to a large audience upon The
New Thing" His text Behold l VIII do
new thing" and his sermon was IN part as follows:
Christmas celebrates tie fulflment Of th!s ancient
promise. When Christ was born IN Bethlehem, tiie
new thing waited for through 50 many weary lie
times came TO pass The Angels Hymn OF the NATIVITY
rolled upon the stiffness Ot the night must nave
sounded to the listening shepherds .iko new song
unto the Lord and such assured!y 1t was new
song suited to the new thing now brought TO
sight An air Of freshness breatles through the whole
story Of the birth Of Christ There Is nothing Ike
A solemn wonder seems 10 possess all who have any
never was on sea or land gows from the page where
these things are written for learning. We con.
fess, whether willingly not. that the scenery behts
the event This sudden glory OF the Lord ming Iie
cnnd the new fimg5 God is doing i'm the earth have
accompaniments worthier or more in keeping We
call it an old. old story now. and such. m some
put ourselves back in thought the hour when this
old, old story first began telling itself out we shall
how startling, how entirely out OF the common.
THE IMPOSSIBLE" ACCOMPLISHED.
Observe that this doing "new thing IS the very
achievement which many voices OF high authority
are assuring us, Just now, is impossible with Goa.
The power that carries on the universe, they tell
u.s. never does a new thing" What seems to IL
the new is only the old revealing Itself in an uneX
pected way. Continuity is the law that governs
all things. Do not speak TO US OF Dreak ~ " "
chain. The chain Is endless, ana returns lbtP l7cAi
The insertion OF new INK IS hot Hecg nv ,sc
is simply ncOnceivabie Ihi, i the ia!gua-e Dl 'u ~
who would deny TO the supreme Wiu that very Iree
dom which. within certain range, even our own
limited wills assert for themselves 1t IS me IN
guage Of those whose symbol OF duty Is an htci.'-d
tion mark or the sign for an unknown quantity or
a fetter. they may happen to prefer u Is a P!,c
Of thought by no means modern although soIlcu"cs
imagined to be such. .,...
Nv frends.I suggest that We take mp the ancient
on his own grounds, 1t is task wen benttinE -, a
Christmas morning, the task OF sho"inE tlSI @ d WrgT
that new thing which Ecclesases and the successor
Of Ecclesastes had declared impossibie WW,s W
G9Re: %aTs in W Which mS4lrRa chTst may Ej' be said
to have broken in upon the monotont ana @ umlot Tit
OF all, lie brought new Ikcnes, Of God. rms Is
confne ourselves to the contrast between His teachings
and that OF hcathen seekers after the truul. Idhc
the highest and best achievement Oh Tec m W fh
nd arrnmcnt is senced There IS nothing to be
said. The case Is different, allow. when we take
into account the Hebrew conception OF God' ana Conl-
pare what Christ had TO tell Of the fSteF irQ WON rcr
He came. with what the prophets sent bS uaa VIZ
Father had told before; say the co.e Is 9lietfme EN-
God of our Lord Jesus Christ and is the same
l;cing as the God of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob II
came to tell Not Of any strange. nnheard-oi UNl,
never much named before. Out OIL one PdiIN
known and dmly apprehendcd already. Hence We
dare not contrast Christ with prophets as we contrast
Him with philosophers.
NEW FEATURES BROUGHT INTO PROMINENCE.
The newness Of Clrists picture Of God Law in the
bringing forward into prominence features that
before had been obScured Inc conue
sccnson of the Almighty, how small place that had
had ,euss min
deyout and most cear-siehted, az compared with lls
majesty and His supremacy. IhcH own KINGS htu
been their models OF kngHhesS anu II, II M W. h olh
natural that IN thinking Of the King OF an the earn
they should invest Him with the chaatteStc' OF thc
kings they knew and had dealings with. But a king
in those days was nothing II not Warhhc ne HiSht
ftll short of high standard OF royalty IN hundred
ways but If he shrank from leading his alNues to
battle when occasion called that WaS lhc eilu Cl
things the Of loyalty snapped, his subjects
were quit OF their allegiance Hence the conception
Of cod the Lord God Of sabaoth or Hosts "a riSht
and true conception Of Him, 80 FAR a. II vent so
overtopped and belttled every other thought of Him
that when the prophets spoke oi the MoSi HlSh,, as
now and then they did, under the smlItudc OF
father or Of a shepherd. the nat strain was lost
like delicate note Of music over" hcImed ana smOth
cred a clash Of instruments
our saviour reversed ali this. What had been
in the background lie took pains 10 bring out into
distinct light and what before had almost filed thd
shadow There is nothing the Gospels 70 contradict
the Old Testament representation OF Gods boundless
strength but there is everything there To persuade MS
than the Almighty. The high esteem III "mcb
direct result OF the thing God did on the earth
when lie sent among u, one who could surely say OF
Himself. lie that hath seen Me hath seen the Father
II for i'm these DAYS more natural to worship the
supreme King Of Peace than a. the cod oi Ibates
and this changed direction of our prayers We have
TO thank Him who at at this time was born Of pure
Another new thing Christ brought to light was
the truth about the forglvrne,, OF sns All aIons
the cry had been, How shall bc nd ~ mV gun
How make my peace with the offended DclN no"
appcasc lae wrath Of HIM whose law nave uaU9
gressedf The universally Of the religious custom
known sacrifice bears touching te,tHm9lN 'V lWI
inbred consciousness on the part Of the human soul
OF alienation from God. Nay, more than tIl>, ihe
Institution Of sacrifice witnessed 70 feeling o man,
part that the means. the medium OF recon- 'lhatph'
must be found somewhere. somehow outside oi MN
self. 30 he falls back ON tmngs a hi' "'oil ne
will come 10 the altar with victims ard glit-. and hy
parting with that which Is precious. VIII seek % pio
pitiatc the angercd cod AGAIN CONSIDER now ,H.-t
reycr,es things. changes utterly the point OF view
He does not for moment discrcdit thr doGtrine OF
sacrifice. but lie let, ms into the inner me'mn- oi IL
a. no priest or proT het did before God a, pro
vided Himself a lamb. The stream OF reconciliation
!. seen flowing from the fountain at The foot OF the
thing external 10 the soul. but Il j. british some
given % because God so loved the world to be
ready even for th, This identification Of b9th priest
eltv in religion II took time for the worlds eyes
to be opened to It. No wonder 'he mon Who stood
word Should have said what is th- y teach
ing'7 It was new teaching. Need Tor II was
ba,ed upon that "new thing" which cod at the lp,
OF Ills prophet had bound Himself 10 do. Behold,
| ! will do a new thing
NEW HOPE GIVEN TO THE WORLD.
Again. the birth We celebrate today brought with it
into the world hope In the beautiful language
OF one Of the Church prayers, Christ hath opened
unto us the gates Of everla sting lfe' Eternity and
the thing, Of eternity took new look for man in
the light of what this son Of Mary had to tell.
Contemplative minds among the more cultivated
heather had had their dim surni-e> OF life future
Israclitcs not few had taken comfort in 80 far spirit
uaIzing the promises made 10 Gods chosen people aa
to under stand the land very far OF to mean region
t9c pgS Gnu d uea'n' mae ,u of the better city Vet
to come This was not faith every
where received, by no means hope sure
and steadfast But Christ comes forward win
such Startling words these upon liz lips, Whose
liveth and believeth in Ne shall never ule; -
am the pread Of LIFE He that eateth Of this brcdH
shall live forcvcr' We wonder that words Ike
these tbrov-n suddenly into the current OF human
Thought sboulG have had. IN fact they did have,
an prcct .ncb ~ is said sometimes to follow from