New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-02
HOW TO OBSERTE LENT.
THE REV. DR. MORGAN'S SERMON ON
TRr,E REPENTANCE.
EXTERNAL MANIFESTATIONS HAVE THEIR
VALUE. BIT ALONE THEY CANNOT
SAVE A soCI-REA1. CONVERSION
OF HEART THE ONLY MEANS
TO OBTAIN ETERNAL
HAPPINESS.

To OBTAIN EIEfNAl.
HAPPINESS
The Rev John Francis Morgan. pastor o' ~,
Park Reformed Oh irch Of Jersey Ciiy. pr'"'"'"
A sermon yesterday morning appropriate 10 " .
Lenien season. Ills subject was l'ehh''E "
Hcart-Noi the Garment" his text being from '"S
wel-known sentiment found in Joel II. u; ana
rend your heart and no; your garments ana ''' :
unto the Lord your God. FOR He is gracious ann
uerriful slow 90 anger AMI OF great Kindness, ana
repenteth him OF the evil
Israel was guilty OF rebellion ana persistenc! IL
sn Punishment carle, rs II always must "'
although they Invited it by hcig lives. hey wr'hfu
under the results The well-known custom OF f'''N
ing the garments in time Of grief calamity rear
or contrit.on Is not forbidden N the text inc
prophet teaches. 'Rend your hearts and NOT your
garments only"
Outward things have ttcr uses. Forms are goo'
and necessary. our religion must have oXpr'ss''"'
but the danger Hes in manfesting what IL nor
felt Let the onward express the inward, -
Lord Lord" only when We do His Will anu Wv
and men approve. Expression there must De- o"'
the form of it IS unimroriant, If marked nS 81"
cerity. ,,..
We are in the midst Of the Lenten season. Many
hay, laid aside the,r dress suits, denied 'hem-
solves the theatre and bali, and Eve on il"'''''
fare for few weeks. to keep Lent En- the ''"'
Lcntsn idea j. not 10 look p.ous ana repeat ~"
more Ave Marias' "Pater Nosiers' onF ~
ulunre into the gayeies OF the world WIN h''''
yes, than ever afIer Easter. To keep Lent - "o'
wrong II may Prove great good. l'ni Is one
season better than another for holy living VI
will God be satisfied with outward expressions o'
repentance six weeks out of hity-two? To an
formal keepers of this season Of Illumination "ou
saws Beware OF outward religion alone anu rem"
your hearts and not your garments
The text emphasizes sharply the need 81 'n"a''
life All the Church machinery-ritual liturgy
ordinances forms. worship-cannot save one soul
An those things are good and requisite in their
Mace bu; unless they express lfe are worse than
useless
The carna, heart naturally tends toward eX'er-
nal.ties The power OF some religions IS I'D 'h'l
appeal to the aesthetic faculty or the ma'er'a'
senses 1t Is 50 easy 10 ID the outward 50 nor
tfy.rg SO humbns to the natural man 20 submit
entirely to God We are vain. full of conceiS ana
sub,erfuges fruitful in excuses. sei-sA'ish'd'
Victory for the right is no; gained without sirus-
Cling but by Gods help no one struggles I'm N'i"
The shortest way is tie straight path anu VIII "'
found 10 be the easiest, also. No caSulst'\ OF
lodging vii please man or Col. or wipe ON "''
sinful stain. Baaam would die the e'ath OF i''
righteous but be cannl; without living i"e
righteous mans life PLATE washes his hands IN
token Of innocence. bui all ile world knows hr Wa
a coward ana guilty OF judicial murder The "a /
u.s. We are obliged % admit that We have no SPIT
itual life by natuie-Nc are dead ~ SIN. faintc J
fire gives no warmth outward ADDITIONS AMI ocrc-
monials or gifts - the poor. DO matter no" inH-
ninccni. roihius man can a"yise, can warm the
dead INTO lie Without loge-,hc love o. GJd-"e
are nothing
Clothing on a corpse, hot applications r'siora-
tiyes and corlias cannot resusr.tate. Tacrc misi
BE- surface api"l1nc.~ a NE. bat There is no heart
beat. no lo,lrg word no gance % recognition.
God is the le-eiter Ne alone holds III secret the
scientist cannot discover. even Riih R'nis"n ray.
and lie al gave NE a. nTs must ft" u fo every
soul. Or there is no regeneration. Nr nav" some
thing 10 80 In conversion. Conversion is iuruins,
know Ham ana choose is Ndys, lli God only can
rcgen,rair. V" IAN sanrtift 49, f'n-'e rat orr
selves. God puly can make us holy 10" II" does
these thiu-s Vs. know no more 'ian hos II" 80 q
life 20 Adam. bui that lie does 20 $50 millions can
positively testify
Religion means restraint AND - Ike or onn
way To b" "Ids means obedience. ana tnr ',''
OF doing a. plcasc' has rInci muiiiul' s.
True, the Masters yoke is easy. Tho sinner h,-
the hard time. but the world VIII not believe ~ 81.
though every days iistOrt fuin.sh'- induh'iaOlc
proof
The rent heart has sin. makes no comiron'sc.
believes that Div led hear is dead. 's -. salts
nel with something like Christ. bu' with Him
alone. To sich "A NE 10" outward irur ~
his earthly progress such lf- subs SIS ou ttlnr
nourishmcni. II - cons iuus 81 needed s'r"nrfh
which God fr'e,y supplies pnnipoi"n'y IS al"a's
al the command ~ Pie humble AMI lutr We r'l
not bring costly sarrihccs or princ'ly gifts. Col
wants "a living sncr'ncc" ia The person % our-
selves. The eacii'l0 u God a broken spirit
the text Il royal wei ONE assured. God de
lights 10 forgive an save. II Is His nature 10
| love and blcss He is gracious and mercifu
| slow to AMER and OF great kindness Trans
| II lost. the knowledge Of this fact VIII add
! greatly ~ our eternal regret