Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-04
BACK In HIS PULPIT,
LARGE, SYMPATHETIC CONGRE
CATION GREETs DIR. HoGE.
HIS SERMON A BRILLIANT ONE.
touching Tributes 90 Drs. barnett
and Hall and Hon. Thomas Il.
Bayard-Expression of Love for
His People.

Dis congregation Sunday morning for the
trst time In many months. He also con
Quoted the entire service In the absence
G. Rev. Mr.. Guthrie. who had been in
attendance upon the session Of synod.
Ihe occasion was a notable one in the
history OF the Second Presbyterian
church and its remarkable pastor. There
was great outpouring of the people, in
Guiding many from other churches. ana
the service was impressive and significant.
seldom in his ministry of over half
century has this distinguished divine
preached sermons that awakened such
great and widespread interest The
music was especially sweet and pathetic
and in perfect unison with the spirit Of
the occasion.
Or. Hoge was looking rather thinner
and more pale than usual as a result of
his long and critical Illness. through
which the prayers Of so many people in
al parts of the country went up in his
behalf but he spoke with his accustomed
VigOr earnestness, and beauty OF diction.
a touching feature Of the discourse was
his reference 10 the recent deaths of Dr.
Barnett DR. Hall, and Mr. Bayard. After
the sermon hundreds of people crowded
around the beloved minister and con-
graduated him upon his return TO the
pulpit. the evident improvement In his
health, and the fine, cheerful sermon he
had preached.
BOTH SADNESS AND JOY.
Dr. Hoge based his sermon on Pslams,
viii. il:
why art thou cast down, o my soul;
and why art thou disquleted within me?
Hope thou in God, for l shan yet praise
Him, who IS the health OF my counte-
"This psalm is not wholly. Joyous
throughout" said the speaker. 1t ends
triumphantly. but in its progress there
are notes Of deepest sadness. 1t reminds
us Of the turbulence OF storm. when
the wind shakes the forest until tne
trees groan and smite one another, whlle
clouds hide the sun and cast a porteh-
tous gloom over the scene, until Dy ana
bv there Is "A pause in the tempest, a
hush IN the uproar a rift In the SKY, ana
as the light returns the carol OF the Ut
lie bird is heard as II sings in the Tree
top and nature smiles and rejoices IN
the new glory that gilds the earth; 80
In this psalm David Iecalls 10 nlhu thS
painful passages in his NE. he mao
fraversed a waterless desert, In which ne
was parched with thirst. He had come
10 desolate period In his life, when ne
thought God had forgotten MIN. re
was in an abyss where deep calle0 unto
deep He was on sea where all the
waves and pillows went over him. and as
he went down into those prof nd depths
from which he never expected 10 emerge
we hear the faint, far-on voice OF the
man sinking deeper and still deeper IN the
unfathomable gloom. .,
ssRut these were not his only remem-
berances; some notes Of gladness mingled
with his plaintive song. he c9ul9 reeu.l
gracious provdences at the JORDAN In
the land Of the Hermonltes, ana on a i ne
nm Mar He could speak OF loving
Kindness in the daytime and songs III ihs
night. He could turn from the clouueu
past 10 radiant future re Sou nl,ini.
cations. He could declare, i shail yel
pra,se him who is the health OF ny
cOuntenance, and my God. DuilnB nv
time of his deepest dependency ne vn'
tnred into searching inquiries as 70 the
cause OF his disquietude. his seii-eA-
animation was faithful and thorough
There must be a reason Tor ms usspo,l PUN,
ence. and he would ascertain IL, cos
What il might why art thou cast down
q my soul; and why art thou dl sHut',5
within me-? David's detection 1eilant =,
III an exclamation. 1t was not owing u
inviting external; It was soul trouble
scr,ctbine within him. And therefore th'
inauisition must be personal ana Pehe
u SHe5e we see that the soul had 9
etronge mower Of going out OF itselI an
conversing with itself as with ean'O'i tues
IL can reason with It's own I'D await
Question its own conscience, anu aVWe,,'
xfrdict OF condemnation or acqulll"
Tor its own conduct
THE QUESTION OF THE SOUL
"ryhv art thou cast down, o my soui /;
Who asks that question! 10 out" -,,,
voice from earth or Heaven; II Is thV sV ~.
talking with itself Wen wouiu ~ III ~
49, as If we would cultivate this hapil
~ going out OF ourselves 70 couilsel, y,
eVamine 10 rebuke, or TO cheer our oMi
he.rfs God has given US memory o az.
-ttcn and Imagination for this pur'
I.1ee we exercise our memory ana GU
reason more frequently than ouI me -
nation and fail to make a Ptopti pS U,iI
10 baoauge we cOnfOund Imagination WIZ
fancy or fiction. overlooking the lact INA m
Imagination Is a cOnceptlon-t ioiid d- ~, ~,
of the unseen. IL pictures 10 us q" an,
e.rn Saviour an unseen heaven ot n
ME- faith n enables us 20 apprehehu ~
things hoped for as present posS Ssaao ~.
We do not make enough III sM ~. 10,
nation III was a Scriptural imasIlstio
tbet conp0scd the Pilgrims Progress,
e8nctided Imagination that wrote "a q,
disc Regained. Since Coz mas ~, fo'
those faculties let us employ tilchi - -
the purnosa for which they were ~
sf9ved we live I'm an executive rethy
Than a contemplative age; As al ,i,, On 4,
dote TO this, let us spehu o niIy0 wise IL
taW With our past hours and ASK t ., 4
what report they bore 20 Heaven, :,
greatly wise 20 catechlse Vui -. III !,
exhort. TO scrutinize, TO chlde' 70 s'e ~ ~
Judgment on our own characters ""'
Ives"
OUR TWO NATURES
Continuing his brilliant discourse, Whi ~,
the Dispatch Is unable TO print In iul 10
want OF space. DIR. Hoge said IL was possi
bIe for us TO look into our own iVeS am
Characters because man mas TWO ~,
tures-a higher because conscience, VIM.
has been called Gods yicegerent. was vi
dalned 10 sit like an impartial Juoso,
condemn or acquit according 10 'he en-"
racter Of our conduct; lower natuIe
dominated by evil principles or passions
The speaker discussed these two natui =
~ some length. pointed out the causes o
our despondency, all traceable 20 sin ah'
declared that in the yicissitudes coH'no'
10 human life in all generations we nav
our disouietudes and heart sinhnss ~
David had. caused chiefly by our own ~
dwelling corruption He continued
'.Rut n is not always the case ina
spiritual detection Is due TO toreottel
Vows or 10 any special transgres ION 90
Ilfe Is not ali one long day OF sunshin s'.
even 10 the deyout believer: ISlnlu
proyldences often perpleA MN. neaa.
cares Cypress him, crushing bereayrh,s,,t,
oyerwheimn him; there are insoiupn,
Mysteries even In revelation itself. wniel
eeem 10 battle all investigation anu y
elude All exclamation. -,