The herald., 1895-07-15
First n. e. Church

The pulpit of the First Methodist Epis-
copal church on Broadway between Third
and Fourth streets was occupied yester-
day morning by Bishop Cyrus N. Foss of
Philadelphia, and the large auditorium
was packed to the doors. During the reg
ular service which preceded the sermon
Mr.. G. S. Cornell sang solo in particu-
larly good voice and an augmented choir
rendered music which had been especial
ly prepared Tor the occasion.
Rev. ]. W. Campbell, the pastor of the
church, introduced the bishop, who took
his text from the third chapter of St.
PauPs Epistle to the PHILIPPIANS. the
8th, 10th and 11th verses. In the dis
course which followed lasting about an
hour, Bishop Foss elucidated his text with
illustration and a simplicity that was cal
culated to appeal to the most limited in
telllgence. He commenced by referring to
those men who ask if the moon is inhab-
tied, and if SO how, and in what the peo-
pie are interested. Moreover, what rela-
tions these questions have to Christiani-
ty. The bisnop said he did not wish to
be held responsible for such questions.
He spoke of the moons beauty and use
IN the planetary system. but contended
that it was only lunatics that inquired
into the politics of the moon, when
learned astronomers say that there is
neither water nor air upon that luminous
body. and he preferred to turn his atten
tion and that Of his hearers to four great
religious certainti s. The bishop then
spoke of this as an age of question, in
which one fact existed that had been set
tied ages ago and for all time. and that
fact is the Christian religion. He llkened
the questioneIs of this age to a man who.
because he was born and had been bred
in Minnesota, where there are no mount.
aims. declared there were no mountains
n y1nr nV,d Df Ht..t ,l,nh la sv,,v.
sions of such man If he we're to find
himself in Denver. Just so said the bish-
op. above all error and mischief and sin.
there rise the jeweled. sunht peaks of
The eternal God. Then. turning his atten-
ton to the four great religious certain
ties, he said the first of these truths was
personal God, the God that is the fun
damentai concept of all religion. The nor
NAL nature of man demands his renuer-
ing an account to personal God. The
brain wants God. the thought of man is
restless until he finds God, and the great
need of the heart of man is Goa. The
awestruck man Of sceince and philosophy
shows this need. Ii is only fool who
says there is no God. The revelation of
the Book is God.
The second mountain peak. which may
seem lower than the first. but which is of
equal height, is Christ an omnipresent,
everything Christ. tsass
Livery tulIlB auu every event is part
of all things and all events; and the bish-
or illustrated with an acorn. which i'm
Flies the oak. earth, sun, sunshine, the
whole solar system, and, in fact. all the
visible earth. He then referred to the
historical characters Of Washington, Bo-
naparte and the SILLY" Voltaire, with
their several influences on the times in
which they liveu and after times and
then the everything Christ and His effect
OIL the past and present of the world.
The third mountain peak of religious
certainty. the bishop neld to be salvation
salvation by Christ. through Christ,
with Christ. To cllnch his argument he
referred to the great man who hated
Christianity and prosecuted the Chris.
tians: who got bloody commission and
started for Damascus. but who never got
there. that is until he was a changed
man, who for thirty years after MAS
chained to the chariot wheels, the Apos-
tie Paul.
The bishop then held an imaginary
conversation with st. Paul, asking il he
believed in salvation by osewater?''