The morning call., 1895-01-07
THE BALTIMORE CATHEDRAL
Works of God Have Striking
characteristics.
EACH A SEPARATE CREATION.
Sins Are Punished Alone and Each
Good Deed Rewarded
Alone.

crowded to-day. 1t was known tnat Gar
dinal Gibbons would preach at high mass
and many who heard the sermon In speak
ing of it agreed that his eminence must
have in his mind the eloquent and attrac-
tive and unnamed Colonel 1ngersoll.
The text Of the day was from Isaiah *,
arise, shine. for thy light is come and
the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
1T is fashionable as we'll as profitable
to cast odium as we'll as ridicule upon
Christianity and on the Scriptures, which
are the basis CT the Christian religion.
said he. "a man Of limited capacity, but
of fueDcy of speech and shafts of wit may
propose objections and difficulties In
halt hour which may take a learned man a
month to answer"
would ask you, my brethren. to have
three answers ready in your mind when
you are confronted by any difficulties
against Christianity. First-Ten thols-
and difficulties do not destroy single fact
OF revelation; ten thousand layers of fog
and cloud do not blot out the sun Of the
heavens nor diminish his splendor.
SecoDd-The Christian relig on has been
In possession for 200O years, and has been
cherished by the wlsest and best Of men
In every age and country, and it Is stronger
to-day than it was ever before.
Third-All of the civilizations of the
past and all existing civlZatioDs to-day
worthy of The name have been based on
the doctrnal moral principles of the Bible.
1t is time enough to surrender our Chris
tianity when some better system is brought
forward to supplant it. When we contrast
the weakness of the Apostles with the
formidable work marked out for them,
truly we may eXclaim with the apostle of
the gentiles: THE foolish things of the
world hath God chosen that he might
coniound the wise. and weak things of
the world hath chosen that he might con-
found the strong, and the things that are
contemplate and the things that are not
that be might bring to naught the things
that are, that no flesh should glory in his
sight,"
1t may be interesting and instructive to
us to consider some of the principal
causes which operated so powerfully in the
rapid diffusion OF the Christian religion.
First, the Christian religion gave the
Pagan world rational idea of God. 1t
proclaimed God essentially one and self
existing, of a God existing from eternity
unto eternity. This idea OF a supreme
being so consonant TO our in tellectual con-
ception was in striking contrast with the
low and sensual notions which the pagan
world ascriDed to their divin tiles.
Second, the Christian religion not only
gave man sublime idea Of his creator but
gave him also rational idea about him
self. Heretofore man was mystery and
riddle to himself. He knew not whence
be came nor whittier he was going. 1t
rescued him from the frightful labyrinth
of error in which paganism had involved
him. The Christian religion gave not
only light to his understanding but peace
as we'll to his heart. 1t brought him that
peace of God which surpassed all under
standing, and which springs from the
conscious possession of the truth.
the Christian religion has now, as it
ever had, message for the capitalist and
workman. 1t admonishes the employer TO
compensate the laborer by fair and just
wages and, what Is more. to bestow upon
him kind and con sderate treatment, and
to keep in view the golden maxim of
Christ: whatsoever you would that man
should do 10 you. do We to him."
All the works OF God have one striking
Characteristic; they all bear the divine
stamp of individuality. There are no two
stars alike in magnitude and splendor.
Each of you were created alone; you had
separate growth, 6 separate SAINT fcation,
and will have a separate death. You
are judged alone. You are rewarded
alone. lou are punished alone. Each
one stands on his own ground. "What a
MAJ sowath that shall he rpap also -
But above all God loves each one of you
personally. He does not contemplate the
human family in the mass, as we regard
heap of sand. He has loved each of you
with an eternal love. Lei us ask him to
come and reign over our soul, intellect,
will and memory.