Year: 1872

Nature-SermOn by Rev. DIR. Huebsch.


The new and beautiful synagogue on Lexington
avenue and Ffty-ffth street was well filed yester-
day witha worshpping congregation, who had the
evening before met there also to introduce with ap
propriate ceremonies the Passover festival. The
congregation belongs to the advance reform party,
and under the able ministry Of Rev. DR.. Huebsch it
has made great progress in these later
years. The Doctor has prepared new
prayer book, which was used yesterday,
and from which everything superfuously
orthodox has been eliminated The reverend doctor
delivered an able and eloquent discourse yesterday
upon the Passover festival and the suggestions OF
nature which it brings with it. His text Psalm
cXviii, g. which was specially appropriate for the
congregation, coming from their cramped quarters
in avenue and Fourth street to q large and
wealthy place such as they now occupy-T called
upon the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me
and set me In a place OF enlargement" The Pass
over comes, he said at the period of natures tran
sitiOn from winter to spring. 1t is the festival
which commentaries Israels release from the
moral and physical bondage OF Egypt, as the earth
is released from the icy bondage OF winter. This
festival is festival of nature. 1t has been always
connected with The outer world when changes have
been going on. But while we cannot overlook the
changes of the season, we must not forget the
eternal part in which responds to those changes
and transitions of nature. In the fall we see the
decay of nature.


WINTER. LIKE MIGHTY TyRANT.


follows and rests not till he has torn the crown and
the plume from natures brow and trampled it
under his feet. We saw this and we felt sad. We
saw also how natures children, the trees and
plants and flowers faded by one, and nature
herself bent down as 1t were to die and out OF
the snowy fecks Of winter God himself wove for
1.nr af 1na
filed our minds, and the shortening days and
lengthening nights reminded us Of the coming
night which shall shroud u.s. like the pa Of winter,
in obscurity.


But suddenly VIC see a movement in naturei
What does it mean The bondage Of winter gives
place to the new life OF spring. The grass blade
peeps forth from It's tiny chamber and looks Gu.
riousy around, as If in doubt whether winter had
passed. The little buds tree and flower softly
ope their tender eyes and peer forth to see whether
spring has indeed returned and soon the earth and
the air made vocal with the voice of nature,
the Of the Out % Of @ anguish and
distress, says the Psamst, called unto the Lord,
new,found life to our heartss asked the preacher.
Life Is JOY The weak and the sickly say that life is
joyous they feel the change in their own natures
which the inhalation of the balmy air of spring
brings with it, and they are ready to declare that
when they called upon God out of anguish He heard
them In enlargement. Trembngy we said IN li.- win
Will sleep under the snow till the sweet spring time
returns! But our regrets are hushed, our fears





which comes with this season and with this festivals
and we are encouraged with the thought that many
who have gone to their far off home beyond the
snowy regions OF winter have found


AN ETERNAL SPRING.
They called upon God out Of anguish and He heard
hem in enlargement.


Here is the great altar of Nature which the Eter-
lal has erected and before which man bows down
md acknowledges the grace Of God =. But there is is
lOme and domestic life, where our hearts are 80 |
leeply rooted, does not reflect the joy of spring.
winter always holds its cold and icy sway When
he messenger of the Lord announced to the |
sraelites in Egypt that He remembered them,
heard their groaning and saw their afliictOns and
was about to bring them help, they promptly re.
Piled, "And our houses He will deliver also"
And they bowed down and worshipped the Lord.
The first fruits of freedom grow and ripen
in the household where man is sur
ronded by his otfspring-the. JOY OF his
present and the hope of his future life. No greater
Joy can come to a parental heart than that which
springs from consciousness that generation Is
even here cold and icy reason steps in ana mocks
the foolish heart that boasts OF domestic freedom
is It that compes us to strive and struggle in the
race Of ife fearing and never satisfied anxious
lest poverty shall come as an evil guest and want
like an armed man take possession of our homess
And why do we allow those fears to under
mine all our joys and household pleasuresS
oys ESyeSye coSn of homo love love da OF osrns ans
heaven 1t is this which converts our sweat drops
into pearls, and makes of our brain gold mine





affections and sympathies and loving kindnesses
which are begotten and nOurished In the household.
Religion teaches us, Passover teaches us, that


TRUST IN GOD IS THE ONLY CAPITAL
needed to insure comfort and happiness In all our
houses.


The evening before the Israelites left Egypt ana
were made free people they sat at the festive table
with all the comforts of home,
such as they could obtain; but when
bread which God ordained they should eat
from generation to generation, that they
ever remember that man doth not live by bread
alone. Later generations put the unleavened
bread under the table as the bread OF misery, and
invite the hungry to eat thereof and with them to
celebrate the Passover. But there is no liberaty
displayed in inviting the poor to eat the bread of
misery on this day. That Is their portion all the
and is designed to show that uneavened bread
with freedom Is far better than the choicest fruits
and viands with bondage.


unity OF our faith and of the hope and consolation
which it inspires. With this faith fathers never
winter was always followed by spring, and they saw
In this hope of deliverance for themselves, and
thus their faith was strengthened. We should imi-
tate nature in our lives, and every new season
should bring forth in US new fruits of righteous
ness. The foundations Of religion are always the
same, but on them the Spirit works incessantly,
according to the season. We cannot relish the
fruits of bygone seasons which have neither taste
nor juiceness aud we should not offer TO the Lord
the old fruits of our life which have no flavor or
beauty in them We should bear fruit in our sea-
sons, according to our conditions and surroundings.


The Doctor then onered q lew remarks of special
applicability to his own congregation, whom God
had heard In enlargement He urged them to be
unwearied in their efforts to honor God and religion
and to do good to their fellow men, and closed with
an announcement that once month hereafter he
will preach sermon in English to the young. His
sermons hitherto, including that whose substance
is herewith given, have been preached in German.


All the synagogues observe this feast very strictly.
During the seven days OF its continuance the Jews
are prohibited from eating any leavened bread nor
having 1t in their houses. There is no event so
strictly enforced in the holy Scriptures as


THE PASSOVER AND THE SABBATH.


1t was to be perpetual memorial of their ma
uonal as well as of their spiritual Unity. And pro-
vision is made in the Bible for keeping this festival
In 'their settlements" when they should not have
q temple in Jerusalem nor be able to repair thither
II they had. And, accordingly to this day wher-
ever Jews are located the sight OF the Passover
cake, while 1t reminds them OF their origin, their
eventful history and high ultimate destiny, is at
the same time an imperishabe record of their un-
altered nationality and the fullest evidence to
themselves and those among whom they dwell
that the same Omnipotent and Omniscent Being
who z 200 wears ago. Instituted and predicted the