Year: 1879

times "The sabbath said he. "has not only an
abstract and spiritual meaning. but is also a
natural physical necessity. What would our
modern civilization be without the Sab
bath. With their present desire for gain, their
activity and enterprise men might wear themselves
out from dearth OF relaxation. Everything in nature
needs rest aud recreation And the mind and body
of man must be released from active participation
in the strife and turmoil of everyday life for few
hours of calm contemplation and divine worship
There Is something grand in the fact that the
Creator planned the Sabbath for the benet of those
whom business absorb and rack. The spiritual
side OF the question is. however. the highest Sab
bath comes to us on the one chosen day; the time
set apart on which God permits His people to gather
together and listen to the words of divine
truth. The most earnest and Jealous Chris
refreshment. lost in his human weakness he
may become negectful OF the divine precepts. The
commandments are specific in their character. and
TO the devout must always appear as q standing ad
monition to abstain from all labor worldly pur-
suits for the enjoyment Of that activity of the soul
which Is the present sum OF spiritual happiness
The Sabbath is the highest of symbols SO in nature
the forest trees, the tinted autumn leaves are
symbols which affect the heart more or less power
fully. How much more should the Sabbath af-
feet the heart as it is symbol direct OF the Creator
and His bounty! The speaker then exhorted his
hearers to be obedient to the commandments OF
God. and to attend the house OF worship the Sab
BATH to spend the sacred seventh day in some ap-
propriate occupation.


THE FOURTH UNIvERSALIST CHURCH.
THE AUTHOR AND F1NIsHER OF OUR FAITH


SERMON BY KEW. j. SMITH DODGE.


''When it given to man to begin and finish
anything?" said the Rev. J. Smith Dodge, Of Stam-
ford. in DR.. Chapin's pulpit. yesterday. He had
chosen for his text. Looking unto Jesus the
thor and fnisher of our faith" and he began his
sermon with the question quoted. Every system of
philosophy that is originated. he continued. needs
change in the next generation Nowhere is any work
begun and finished by single hand. Then, If the
text true. Jesus is unique in this respect Let
try to how true It is It abates nothing of the
glory of Christ that single utterances scattered here
and there in OF His gospels made in the pre-
vious ages He took all the fruits Of human wisdom.
supplemented the vast gaps IN 1t and rounded the
whole into the Christian faith. Docs not this
stitute Him its author But it is true in deeper
sense. He made His faith live in the world. 1t has
been buried deeply, again and again. under human


inventions, but when has it ceased to live He has
had the skill to keep alive the truth He brought into
the world 1t is remarkable fact that each believ.
ing soul in all the churches takes its faith first
hand It is drawn from personal intercourse with
Jesus. We can learn ethics any human knowledge
from teachers but faith comes from Christ alone.
In what sense is He the fnisher? The faith
claims to be complete may study medicine
under the greatest expert in the world. but
I leave him to learn more. But no goes
ah a. e ss
be complete. Either Christ is nothing aud gone.
then or He is the hnisher Of o perfect faith. The
Church is undergoing change. The husks crack
ing and opening Another generation two will
see. not the Gospel, but mems acceptation OF it,
vastly mOQlneO anu CQauBeu 1ue OuSWOrkS OF the
Church are crumbling away. Where shall we take
refuge from an ungodly generation? Fly to the
citadel which is Christ The has gone down again
and again in the last two thousand years. This has
ailed faith that can cite no verifcation in
the past is at best somewhat infantle and uncertain
but the Christian faith points triumphantly to the
past and finds its verihcation there


ADVANCED TO THE PRIESTHOOD.


A large congregation attended st. Timothy's Epis.
copal Church in West Fftyseventh street yesterday
morning to witness the impressive service attending
the ordination to the priesthood Of the Rev. William
Montague Geer rector Of st. Johns Church, North
Adams, Mass. The father Of the candidate is the
pastor Of the church in which the services took
place. and he took part in the ceremoniss. assisted
by the Rev. Dr. Van Buren,. of the Union Theological
Seminary. The ordination sermon. well as the
succeeding services. by Bishop Potter. The
altar and chancel were profusely decorated with
order Of merit The morning service was con.
Quoted by the Rev. Mr.. Geer. the candidate
meanwhile occupying a chair at the head OF the
centre aisle, immediately In front OF the chancel.
Bishop Potter took for his text from st. John l.,
tx. ''rhe good shepherd giveth his life for his
sheep" He said that everything q Christian was
called upon to do earth sort Of shadow Of
what our Lord did when on earth. Our duties and
trials in this life are transformed into things divine
and heavenly. The life OF Christian pastor must
be sequestered from al the rest of the world, and
he. too, must be a good shepherd. willing to give
MS llIe ZOE sueeP, eLAPioyinB uis IN the
spiritual feeding and guiding Of his flock. In ono
single congregation ts to be found every
pect of life-youth and age, JOY and sorrow,
mental dsquiet and mental alteration. Ono congre-
cation contains all the clements in the world, and
the minister must treat them his Master treated
them when on earth. He passes from the marriage
feast to the deathbed and there is no possible con-
dition OF mind which he is not called upon to meet.
There are times when he must defend his flock
against teachers of false DOCTRINES thieves
bers as our Saviour calls them. They must not
carp at the follies and foibles men, but hold UP
to them the image of true Christian goodness and
virtue. Let this image rise up. and we are fred
been. The speaker then admonished the candidate
to be Q tender, loving and compassionate shepherd
and ready to give his whole life for the good of
souls.


The impressive ordination service followed. ac-
cording the Episcopal ritual Bishop Potter clos.
ing with the investiture of the candidate with the
ecclesiastical robes. The long services finally
brought to an end by the administration Of tho
holy communion.