The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-11-15
SUNDAY SERMON.
An Interesting Discourse Before the NJ. e.
Congregation.

An Interesting Discourse Before the NJ. e.
Congregation.
The sermon in the NJ. E. church on Sun
day evening was from jeremiah 9-2324
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom;
neither let the mighty man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his
riches; but let him that glorieth glory in
this, that he unders andeth and knoweth Me,
that am the Lord which exercise loving
kindness judgment and righteousness in the
earth: for in these things l delight, saith the
Lord" These words were spoken by the
prophet in view of the impending doom of
Jerusalem. In them he cautious the mighty,
the wise, the rich-the men of influence and
power-against the supposition that they
may be able to avert it by their own efforts.
But the words are good for all time and con-
ditons. We are a nation of boasters He
who knows little more than hia neighbOr
often begins to brag about it, And when
will men of might get through singing the
praises of their own valor? But what shall
be said of the supercillious arrogance which
often characterizes the men of collosal for
tunes?
The text is not an exhortation either to
become or remain ignorant or dependent but
to seek higher and nobler objects of exulta-
tion. The folly of boasting in such things is
apparent from the fact that they can never
satisfy the deepest cravings of the soul.
There is an element in our nature which
cannot be fed upon such husks. Some of
the unhappiest people in the world are to be
found among the wise, mighty and wealthy
These things often make men proud and
naughty and destroy their character, in
fuence and soul. Such things do not last
forever. Nun does. They take wings and
fy-man remains. The political revolution
of the past week is an object lesson concern
ing the uncertainty and vanity Of earthly
calculations and dependencies If one
possessed the world it could afford no ground
for boasting. For the world passeth away,
and the lusts thereof'-with all that is allied
thereto-Faith, hope and charity are all that
survive the wreck of time.
Let men glory in the Lord and they have
whereof to glory. The devout Psalmist
said "My soul shall make her boast in the
Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be
glad" Such boasting is edifying. The great
Apostle to the Gentiles said God forbid that
should glory save in the cross of our Lord
knowledge that God is the Lord and in their
of his ways. Not that we can
by searching find out God and know him to |
perfection" The limitations of our nature |
forbid such a thought. The agnostic bor
rowed this truth from the scriptures, it was
not original with him. But he refused to
listen to the counterpart Of this truth. The /
whole truth is eye hath not seen nor ear
heard, neither hath it entered into the heart |
of man the things that God hath prepared
for them that love him. But God hath re-
Ueaicd them unto as By His spirit
We ought never to quote the first without
quoting the last. And because our know
ledge of God is not perfect shall we reject
what we have? Is this what men do with
scientific mattersP What branch of know
ledge is there that men know to perfection ?
Have we learned all there is to know about
Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Astronomy
As well might men discard their knowledge
of the sciences because it is so meagre, or
throw away their money because it is so
scant as to reject their knowledge of God
because it is not complete. Even though we
cannot by searching find out God and know
the almighty to perfection we may by
searching know him unto salvation-a and this
is much better.
We may apprehend the loving kindness of
God which bears with our follies, soothes our
pains, relieves our wants, comforts us in our
trouble, strengthens us in our weakness and
this is worth infinitely more than the pro-
foundest philosophy of the divine existence
could possibly be. And when Christian faith
looks beyond the present strife with its deeds
of violence and blood its exhibitions of in
justice and oppression and remembers that,
however much man may grow discouraged,
"He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he
hath set righteousness in the earth and the
isles shall wait for his law" it finds pillow
upon which to lean its head.
THY saints in all this glorious war
shall conquer, thou IN they die,
They see the triumph from afar,
BY faith they bring it nigh"
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