Year: 1872

Christmas and other Sermons.


Considering the near approach of Christmas
and the supposed importance of the event
which that day commentaries there was less
uniformity Of thought and topic in the pulpits
yesterday than is usually the case on such oc-
casions But if the ministers and their adult
congregations affect to ignore this season tho
children will not forget it, nor will they fail TO
remind parents and friends of its approach
and its arrival. The Roman Catholic and
the Episcopal preachers call attention to
this event annually in its season. Other
clergymen give it little or no prominence In
the Cathedral yesterday the Rev. John NJ.
Farrelly presented the condescension of God
in the gift Of His Son. Jesus Christ
as o motive for Christian humility and aa
marked illustration of the adherence with
which the Almighty looks upon pride. The
folly of building hopes upon or being proud
of transient and trivial possessions, the COM
parative insignificance Of man in creation-sta
bubble upon the ocean Of life" the certainty
and nearness of DEATH and other considerations
of like nature, were also presented by Father
Farrelly as correlative reasons why men should
endeavor to initiate the humble Saviour of the
world, and thus work out the great end of
their salvation. Father Bjerring told his con-
gregation that by following the light which
Jesus kindled upon earth, by striving with
all earnestness after that virtue which He
taught to men, only thus shall we
find peace to our souls. But before
peace there must be repentance, and
the nature of this repentance-not the putting
on of sackcloth and ashes, but the putting of
of the deeds Of the flesh and taking on new
heart and right spirit-was explained by the
Rev. Mr.. Bjerring A man must absolutely be
born again of the Spirit SO that old things
shall pass away and all things shall become
new, ere he can hope to please God This,
said Mr.. Bjerring, is the doctrine of the Chris
tian Church. Rev. DR.. Porter, Of Brooklyn,
had the birth of Christ also for his theme
yesterday. The memories Of Bethlehem, he
said, are revived by the words of cheerful
hope and the deeds of generous love which
the Christian world to-day perform. Christi
mas is very hard time for grnmblers and
churls. To go through any day without
word of kindness or smile of encouragement
must be o trial to q full-grown, rightly
developed man or woman; but to get
through week that was ringing with
angel melodies, when the very air was
redolent as with sweetness from the paradise
of God, in narrow, cold, selfish exclusiveness,
must be hard for any one wishing to be self
respectful or to participate in the joys of our
common humanity. Rev. DR.. Bellows dwelt
on this important theme also, and in his dis
course he contended that as Christ came when
the world desired him He would have come
sooner had He been longed for. This waiting
and anticipation had been the moral education
of the world for his coming. But had He come
sooner His message would not have been heard
at all; for even when He did come the world
was barely ready to receive Him, and He was
recognized as the hope and the redeemer of the
race by very small but glorious minority.
Christ is really born for us, the Doctor
thought, in the beauty and sweetness of His
love-in the power and plentitude of His
tr,,th-if we strive to copy His life and make
ourselves the living temples of his holiness.


'Jesus love" is an appropriate subject for
contemplation at any time, and especially SO
at season like this. Hence MIR. Frothing-
ham gave it some attention yesterday. But
what is that love worth if Jesus was o Jewish
dreamer, as irtimated in the discourse OF
what avail is faith in Christ if He Himself
asked for it only because He was leader?
If He did not insist upon any belief in His
divinity or infallibility, and sought only
sympathy, wherein lies the merit Of his life or
death fof siiIs.s.l race? We think the Bible
is read to little purpose II It Is not seen therein
that Christ never lost sight of His own
divinity and Of His infallibty also, and that
He challenged His opponents to bring forward
any man who had done such works as He had
performed, and if they could not, then to give
q good reason for their unbelief. His con-
demnation of Pharisees and murder
ers, kid-gloved or bare-handed, eighteen
hundred years ago or now, has very little
judicial weight if He was not God
as well as man. 1t is this fact that gives point
and pertnence to His mortal career and has
made Him an object of adoring faith in all
ages, and which gives prominence to the fes-
tival of Christmas, which we now celebrate.
The vanity of worldly achievements which
must appear in any thorough retrospect of our
lives and our moral obligations to God were
presented by Mr.. Hepworth Three parties
know us better than we know ourselves-God,
our children and the world-and it therefore
behooves US to know ourselves. Hence the i'm
portance Of retrospective examination, that
the value of the soul may become more appu-
rent and devotion to God more faithful and
earnest. DR.. Charles s. Robinson dedicated
Presbyterian church yesterday and preached
on the Gospel as a thing not to be ashamed of.
Some ribald tongue has said evangelical
preachers belong to the ''come-poor-sinner-