Year: 1870




WASHINGTON, August q, 1870.
Eat the New York Avenue Presbyterian church,
which is under the spiritual direction Of the Rev. Mr.
Mitchell, the attendance to-day was slim, but CON-
prsed several OF the most respectable people OF the
city. The services were marked by that simple
beauty which characterzes churches OF this persua
sion. After several hymns were sung and an I'M
pressve prayer offered up by the pastor the sermon
was delivered the subject being the fourteenth verse
of the third chapter OF ST. John-"And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the desert must the Son
punishment sent by the Almighty In the shape Of


FIERY sERPENrs


to torment and Kill the Jews for their murmurings
against Moses and ingrautude to himself He
alluded TO the cure ordered by God when the Jews
prayed to be delivered from the destructive serpens,
and argued thence from that we are not expected
to understand always why God commands things to
be done, but that when we know they are His VIII,
then we should obey cheerfully. The Lord COM
manded Moses TO have serpent OF brass con
'Whomsoever being struck shall look on IL shall
hve.n The Israees did not seek other modes
the serpents. They believed implicitly that the
mode pointed out by the Lord.-namely looking upon
the brazen serpent OF Moses-was the best and that
1t would be useless to try any other. Notwlthstand
ing their murmurlngs before they bowed down be-
fore the scourGe Of God and eagerly availed them
selves OF his remedy The speaker drew picture
OF the that might be supposed to have occurred
In the great Jewish camp during the scourge and
while the braZen serpent lifted up as the only
cure. He represented them not waiting to argue
or discuss the proprety OF the cure, not hestatng
and doubling its efficacy but rushing to the healing
ground and wrestling and wrangling to get view
OF the serpent Of brass. How dl1erent II Is in our
day. How men now neglect TO the very last moment


THE CURE PREPARED BY THE ALMIGHTY


for all their spiritual weaknesses end ransgressons
HOW they stop TO reason and argue and doubt until
Is too late. The hand OF death Is upon them, and
they pass away to the eternal account before they
nave felt the Dealing influence or Christs atOnement
In their business affairs men do not so act. When
they are sick they send for the doctor ana employ
every precaution to prop up their bodily health.
They are willing to accept the cures prescribed
without insisting upon understanding every
thing. But In the case OF their eternal saliva
tion they are altogether different. When appealed
70 earnestly they argue reason and doubt They
Tell you about predesnat0n ana the uselessness OF
doing anything OF themselves. since God has fore
ordained everything The speaker endeavOred to
shatter these illusions on religious points and to
explain the true Presbyterian doctrine ON the sub.
1ect he explained the crucifxion Of Christ being
prengured in the brazen serpent Of Moses. The son
Of Man was lifted up, the serpent Of brass In
the days or Moses '"rhat whOsoever belleveth in
Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting
II we are to be saved we must look to Christ on
Calvary believe in His atonement for our transgres-
slons, and initiate His divine example.