THE FIRST CHURCH.

Evening Star, Issue 3394, 7 January 1874, Page 2

THE FIRST CHURCH.

Sir,—The twelfth preacher from ;the Rev. Br Camerbn, of StrlKilda- preaohed ! t&is. lorenoon in, .the .First .(Jhurck ibis* the only real" dofetot 3 of, aUviinlp may be Bald to be pa? , Mfcriw*Wlpw"erJ : j«n«!l'bl6sßotn ■' of Colonial Cttitur&'ahd^piS^ ?e is a t tall,'.Bto>t, t raabdra-n^ireaVparefellT :f e A^ hl «^ d > J4ean- s haVed, WWudiriaW poking toad. "There! 'is''<a -pif of ioodlew • thermanv rHV i* Jbridiof thV %; V'gaVe tjSt;-at intervals/por.: turns of three psalms/ pf'fc paraphrase, to >e eung ,by. the, iarge^Snfirb^ S a £° n - A hiyittsture is ; erect jhis hands are fast lockebT in pressed down'on the 1 Bibib|VMca%\ts beipre.him on the desk of the, pulpit..: He wpr* Immistehal'gloves,- aolefc albeit somewhat sing-song voice. Thl •white stoiie M pulpit .'contrasted with .the , Wack-robed bc'euparit, presents aWularTy » ! a f] ec^ two hrst.. verses fo- his 5 text. On this text he delivered lf *LJ i^ lly b £ of consolation , fco the dispersed, of Israel j for' all Uhri tiaus are strangers, pilfirrims, and earth,..as all their fathers were. ".4r- £ h ? pieacjhW dre>v an'.exoeUent disfeno- . tipn; .between , ( the samt;„and, the ; lhe.mate^wt,.;,the { pqaitiyist; regards the world not as a.means,, hut as an end. 5 e ep.B;away, altogether Jihe apiriCnal, andtbe mah'lives whofiVuftier the sway of sensual things, Jiev'ertheiess. ma experience.coastrainß, him to feel a yearnl rng.for a something which He can never nop* to attain .irpm ::( hir Atheistic.philosophy.' ihe materialist banishes God, T ouWof his philosophy, bat he oannet.drive him away trom hwfeeUnjjs...The;-absence ottheWir i troni God fis tJieuPuwa ctorigo.ol hag s misery. The worldling is. emphatically, a strangerr'^fe^ainsritiiiwiiij ;■ BvLt tli ; Jhnstian is; a stranger, ™journor, and pilS nm different sense. His hopes *re beyond this mumiane- s6«sne. • :: He' [ setg ??*. hxs ,^ eo^on 8 o» .this world. ! Yet he enjoys, all its good things as well as tn'e *eh--Buan«t;aye, with a far.keener zest,'!and greater?and,more refined ;r,elis>... The saint W.his cpfcjbage. ,i> really far, «, sensuahstf at-.lus, .epjcurean, board, in> his palace. The child, ofij&oct looks aloft to hia eternal inheritance at his righ* naad; :as a,son of God, for his bather s mansions. ♦• It doth not yet appear HfaaUie4jhaUJ>e.i\- This~hapeWne Jvauk zesttohie. r. v. vi,, • ■ " ""■" 1L Again, the preacher expatiated on the : apoHtohc salutation '* tu the danger* uoa* tered "over the face ot the earth," "Grape unto.yon, ana ,peace : be multiplied."-The suitableness of this player jinder all bironm. ; stancesiasvery, remarkable;" Mse'where.Se prays that. -.the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory'by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make, you perfect," • stablish; !i " you.- f buffering; is. the :eaintfs lot-i-even' aS it™ that oil ©brist ahd aU his >ApostlSs an I° l era ' ' f^y .aU B trangtersr<on I*«t ?h 6 ZBa L°! 6^SH g iory.-,<Jonsumed them,,.lhe jwprld.know, them ; not, ..They W w !**"***** '■ because -'-iff children. Hence, the apdstlepwyß that thoi; WXi. ave . grape to Wir ! 'theif enemies, .tffreßirt %nptatibn ? 'tb ! his\>&£, vigilant and.hum^le.Tinder:WniWbty ffl ot ,Aod ; so that after, tliey'h'aveTsutFerea a while during their passage'!through'; aih'e deaert of, Btu y and sorrow, andtempcallon, they may arrive in?the land p£ foiioftyrper' 5' **? ? udoAlQ *••< 'Amid all v»od shall not forget them. .It leftfo. suffer for,a , fiod shall finally, make tibew perfect,.apd.^ablish,^strengthen4iid settle them m their.true patrimony. Suffer--8 ,?:!? B^ l portion here. Mis" plenty of wprldly' it, t;hes 9 werb rea%Valuable v trekuresl" on the contrary, they perish in the usitigi TheV are only temporary—not eternal troasures." Ihe rev. doctor closed 1 his < homily. with a practical application of its :trihs to tbe circumrtauces of his andienpb. JNotwith.j » standing our present qutward proiperity.i'wb are still btrangera the earth, i&re we lookmg forward- to the divine Uon,of, the Sons 9f God ?, Jibwnjany:know nothing, and care.ppthing for the real - o the 80 ul! Do theyabonud.ia fc p iri tuai blessings ? Is there any progress in Divine graces, aa well as in 'material A ™.- w ® aaiasfing material and spiritual, 'wealth ? Do we-advaacß ftpiS ptrengthyiforward into, spiritual', strebirth, while passingsthrou-gh this 'etaueaqent Vafi of Doiwe live under the wprid to come,? Has God.freed us from our thirst and huugefinthe, pathless destotß of life ? Do we feel that. hojcß we/have no abiding city of real rest andrepose ? -1)6 w© ; forward to the. eternal' city'of God* i he . llf ?„ D £ . the real Christian isprpgresslvel He is multiplying in all thb divihb He abounds in faith, self .denial, magnanimity, .virtue,-and' aU jacoeUeMbbs On the the, bie fe staff, nant. He has his-, portion: here: •• Hola miserable here, and: afraidi'to depart He is changing daily in? his .ph^ioal, frame,- but his soul is dead to,liYing..and { Bfcvin2 hoiT The saint, on the oi&SS P^iSK m * the ewaent orS" equal to f'That iMreaSt The sadness of.uhe saint is;really cions than th>noisylaUghterbf theaensuffi at his festive boar 4. i „ Wherefore exhortsns to" lay. aside every 'weight and mtently fastening jour, eyes ; .-on,,the irbS author-nd finisher pf./ur. S* close of his excellent llomay, , the pVeaoC ■ offeredup a prayer tender, and spiritual ideßoriptibb. * TheVA* ' > £a i jr r ever K^- d^ HRSf xlev. Dr Cameron, has a harm* V Sf, -T ft .' ing people's h^rts^d tS^^«^ f • .iiiiH soma