The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-08-26
"A NEW ORDER OF THINGS" "
4 BRILLIANT DISC USsION AT TRIN-
 ITY M. E. CHURCH

Dr, Harcourt Is pastor of the largest Methodist church in Baltimore and a gifted speaker, and well met the high anticipations entertained; and a large congregation was present to hear him despite the absence of so many of the attendants of the church on their sum- mer vacations. Dr, Harcourt is a fine appearing gentleman of about forty-fve years, He is spending the month of August at Asbury Park, N. J. This was his first visit to the City of Films and the doctor was enthusiastic in praise of our beautiful city. He preached both morning and evening.
 The subject of his morning ser mon was: "A New Order of Things" The text was taken from John 18th chapter, 34th verse. "A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another" The doctor said in part: There was no lack of theology in the world when Christ came. The very air was full of it. Priest and Le- vite, scribe and Pharisee did little but chatter over doctrines from morning until night The thing was lost in the theory; religion was smothered in ritu- al. Little things grew into greatness, and the mint, annis and cumin, ab- sorbed the thought of men to the ex- clusion of weightier and more import ant matters. Differing in their theolo- gy men became estranged, and this feeling often grew into intense hatred,
 The Jew had no dealings with Sama- ritans. They considered themselves made of better stuff-more highly fa- vored by heaven-a chosen people, They loved their own race and hated all other races. The law of Moses had little in 1t to cure this sore in the human race. The Hebrew looked upon this code of morals as particularly their own, and never meant for the vulgar herd of mankind.
 They took it for granted that its promises meant them and their child ren forever-and they had not a little authority for believing this. No won der race hatred grew and theological differences made walls of separation high as heaven and deep as hell.
 "A new order of things was a neces- sity. A new interpretation of the Scrip tures A new exposition of the deca- logue. In a word, a new law; a new commandment! Hence Jesus came, and came with a message for the sons of men. "A new commandment give un- | to you Strange words these-what right had this man to make new com mandment? Was not the old law good enough? Could He improve upon what | Moses had given? Whence obtained He gathered around Jesus had just as It. | tie prestige and just as little influence upon society as the Coxeyites of to-day | Yet with all authority Jesus pro- l claims a new law and new life, which | the law of Moses could not promise l John gives this thought a beautiful set l ting. He says: The law was given by l Moses but grace (power) and truth 1 came by Jesus Christ. The law is a fence to keep in or out. Its a prohibi. | ton; a proclamation. 1t does not give a man power to do or not to do. Ii leaves him helpless after he hears il as before it's knowledge came to him Now grace and knowledge supply both l knowledge and ability to do. The be- stowment of power to do the right thing is greater than the proclamation o1 the right thing to be done. Hence Jesus is greater than Moses, as doing is greater than saying.
 This is the church's greatest need 1 4O 1av- ,;11yn ft,.. from the dead and defunct theories tt active vital service in this world Theory is a body practice is life; unite
 the two and you have a living being
 Religion, if anything, is practical,
 "A theory which is too high for prac tice is of no earthly good. If not prac tical, religion is good for nothing. Oh I've saints of a goodness to be done some where else. of a heaven to be in tn.
 swee bye-and-bye.
 Don't you think it is time for Chris ;ian common sense to think of a heave, here as well as a heaven there, and tha
 the here is as precious as the there az,
 now is as important as then, and tna
 there is every material in the here ou
 of which to make a heaven? That tn
 wisdom and love which would make y.
 so sweet in the sunny land would mak
 you equally wholesome here? And th
 place most needing angels is here. an, T here is to-day and there is tomorrow
 and that tomorrow never comes and c
 its nature never can. Grace and tru
 have come and they are not for the af
 ter this life, but for the now.
 'The reign of truth would make
 heaven anywhere and what is the us
 of dying to get to heaven if we can ge
 it by living it? There is no other tim
 but now. Truth is life, and we canno
 get the truth by lying or by dying Tn
 We have got to go the other way
 What, then, is this new command
 ment? Not an old law covered over b
 the dust of the ages and brought ou
 into the light, but new commandment
 new law for a new age; a new ordi
 nance for new order of things. Lov
 one another. This is the law, the ney
 law, the law of the new kingdom-th
 law by which earth becomes an Elder
 Jesus Christ was the most progressiv
 man of His age. He was weary of tn
 solemn mockery of the priests, wear
 of their mumblings, called prayers, wea
 ry of their worship of scrolls, parcf
 ments and sacred books. Hence tn
 frequency of the word new upon Hi Hips. They said His doctrine was new
 He told them it was folly to put new