New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-04
SERMONS WORTH READING,
XVII.
THE CHRISTIANS REASON FOR HOPE.
A DISCOURSE BY THE REV. DIR. JOHN HALL W
THE FIFTH AVENUE PREsBYTERIAN
f,ur-pCu

ona ~ tho largest and must important churchcs u"
The Presbyterian General Assembly Is thar worship
ring at Fifth ave. and Fifty -hithsts whch pr 'onu
Hall has served as pastor for more than twenty ye"s
IL has about 800 members and It's gtts 10 'he 'N
as the Church and to other worthy causes are eoric
y,v largo Its pastor Is connected with several
institutions of learning; he succeeded DIR. HoWaiu
ercsav as Chancellor Of the University OF the CITY OF
Sew-York five or six years ago. Another important
departmsnt Of DR.. Halls varied work In ecnnechon
With the International sunday school lessons De Is
one az the original members OF the committee appoint
ed 10 select the lessons used every week oy SUMO
I4oooOOo scholars throughout the word.
DR. Hall Is one of the besi-known pastors III INC
city, and often breaches In other pulpl's Hs' 81
day evening he gave an interesting lecture III tno
Church Of the Holy Communion protestant hpi'eopap'
Thu Fifth Avenue Church has three hourishina MIS-.
s,ors ana . chinese school Among its officers ana
members are James W. Alexander, Henry NJ. Alexan'
der Constant A. Andrews, Biicseyc Brakeman, kouert
Bonner william V. Brotaw Henry Day, Johh SUI
clair exJudcc Van Worst, William L. shdmofe' 1onh
Sloane Jacob ID. vermilye. Henry u de FOREST hV'
ace s Ely James S. nslsiod, Henry r. Hyde. EDWARD
s Jsfray, Morris X. Jcsup H. u Halq"""u """ "a
lott +. shepard
The tex. Yesterday morning was Peter, D. xv.'
wBut sanciiiy Tho Lord Cod IN your hearts. ana De
ready always 10 give an answer 10 every man that
asketh you reason Of tie hope that Is In yon Win
meekness and fesr' The sermon was as follows
.cs,te,ed ,broads tch. T. 1J~they were suffering rom
many fns Of eppSs Traces nu when enc pooest in popn
lar favor, aud commonly She has lust W Shlas nS
virtues when she has gained ~ tnSe Of discourage
meni their trials but gives them s9Gh COusTS
faithful soldiers OF Jesus Christ. They are !ch l. y
: bcgottrn again q lively hope Chi1sua,S nav ,,
the Ss Mo NO. 81 s SGa 70 zen but Roiffii lose is
good ior aoihn Truth must tne nD truth ~ and has no
efrct OH hlm, there IS ether agency 70 tel upon
hin u a, dos h, Benet as Of @na he and salt
not be tasted without revealing us nature we mus
NOT he iusipd we must let thoso VINO oo"'S "'"i ~
know new nature
The DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CHRISTIANS
Christians are to be lights In the worid'9 real
light declares itself quietly, silently and according 70
taic laws of is nature. We are 10 let our hsne
shine before men," Useful saints snail shine IS me
stars forever and ever" The stars are xeu Ia 'e''
oltIts-sotcd in their relations TO their centres. but
tbere are mc,eurs In the sky with no such rcanohs
Ana Their. are nominal Chl4staus-brlnIant sometimes
for a Hule while and then goins down sometimes
with many eyes fixed ON ihem 1hey
src wandering stars, to whom Is 9 9sSr 1an as
them Christians are 10 be Eplsties OF Chlis.,
according TO Paul to the corinthians ono MI, Sosi y
pressed that You cannot make out what me "Iiler 1
meant Ara 30 there are professors whom II Is haiu
10 understand: they are ON one me D-oay oh sui
other tc-norTaw saying one thing this week, con,
Predicting Il next wces. This Is not nc rghi hIu
OF risst,c N Is 10 he plain. iateileible ana COR
ss,cnt with itself from beginning 10 end Chris chris
tians are be witnesses for COD ana Hs run;
when you have 20 be witness IN court OF 10" you
rae sworn 10 tell the Idth the whole tln, ana no d
ing brt the uah, and SO Christians ave 9ot h bo o
truth. but here the Lord Is the aToi.er ,, e ", s
deferd bis witnesses Martyr ana ,hot VIZ should
have n that which would nerve us to de ior unc
truth rather Than deny 1t or dshonof hiin "no
Now an ho-c descriptions Of true disciple ts
sails Of the earth Tie ignis Oh IN, nc az r., harmony
with our icA wb'ci tequiss as te give God we nsnr
,'lacs IN our hearts. ard tle i!eht place IN our
In trying to get lis meaning for practical s saas
Jet rs bcgia with the hope There are , .n go If
~ i"' ilc lsileys, I'M. recoves Christ. lIIc Is
hotline faith There Is the side OF love. Lo sco5
ISM ~ ay s' "a christ There IS Tho side Of
hope Certain promises have ,u Deem tns sS
becomes distinct controlling feature OF his I'M 1;
The ,hce ure not separabe he WHO has a one nb wiz
r. linked ,e good hope through race OF eveTras. t
Ing lie On what this hope built On iae @ ps
,n.mber THY word unto Thy servant upon which
Thaa hast caused me bore TheIe are ssngn En
wiss ar have not considered the case ask them WY
and they have no reason to give : They 90 las'
without thought, IN whom reason IS dragged TO sleep:
The Christian believes the dlsg1os Of this Great
be moi heslei lie trusts his Physician. puts him
self in Ills hands, goes by HIS prescriptions ana no
eavs IIe All heal me. and Ills power like Ills knowl-
edge Is inhnitc The Art OF so trusting Him Is is9;
Is hope and IA the degree in which The sinner Is
assured Of The end in that degree he loves his benefac
Tor and Saviour.
WHAT CHRISTIAN HOPE IS.
This Is the hope OF the text 1t Is not nope about
a man nor a hops fitting the surface OF his
nature now and then: 1t is hope in' Him In hts
deepest heart. Have you, my hcarer' his hope IN
youl II / IN pecunlaFy trouble, ana friend
.t.o f.efg hat
he VIII help ME out, my confidence would express
itself thus: believe in the goodwill and the word
of The man and / know he has the means" so
my bearer, you can say of the saviour: He spoke
TO me ! laid bare my condition. lie says lie VIM
save me-, / believe in His sincerity, and ! believe
Now Inc direction Of the text Is: Give an answer tc
every man that asketh you reason. Of this hope
this matter. Every question IS not that of the text
iIc has 70 consider the spirit Of the QuestOner II
Gs answer ho fool ACCORDING to Els o prov
xxyl,. 81 lest be be wise ip his own coneeits
hope Of the believer, then silence Is golden il win
tng to be touched by your proiane hands An
swer rot the fool according e his folly lest thou Dc
IN other than bad spirit wants 10 know The reason OF
your hope tell him ie him plainly tell him In the
Three things thus, by implication. urged on be
levers The first is intelligence. We are to know
wy ON We t Ssv eences Of chrsaHy are not out Of
date. The way OF life Is plain and intelllgbie-not
that there are no mysteries underlying It. There are
mysteries about bodily life, about intellectual life, but
we can know enough there for practical purposes
The same is true Of spiritu9l life. The Greek word
for reason" here IS apologize" which we have come
TO the expression of regret. But II meant
defence plea before COURT and hence came 10
be tide for books the proofs Of the Divine origin
of Christianity. Tertullian, the Latin father, law
by training. wrote defence OF Christianity under
this name. Now We can all be apologltics' II we
have the hope IN us adequate, that IS, on scFptura
grounds. We are bound 10 be so simply as Christians
The Church Is dpinely formed society, and this is
one OF tho duties Of It's members. She Is 10 aid 10
tho doing of II BY teaching the doctrines Of revelation
20 young and old Christian knowledge Is Christian
power, II rightly employed
AN ECHO OF THE INSPIRED WORD.
The next thing TO be kept In mind is the spirit in
which we give reason In meekness.7 There
TO be no airs put no tone of holiness is 10 be
assumed. we do not say by implication have a
clear, vigorous mind, and thought the thing out