New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-21
SERMONS WORTH READING.
FAITH CONSIDERED AS A SAVING GRACE
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE REV. On. C. DE
WITT nR1pGEmAN, PASTOR OF THE


"a an Interesting ono The building which the church
no occ,,nes AZ Madison ave. and Thirty -ilrsst was
originally bult for the present organization In 1859
the ollver Street Church united with the Madison
, Avenue Church. but the union was ueclareu ihVanu
and for fifteen years law SUIT was cohuhueu ior the
possesslon OF tho property. when nnany IL was ae-
cided that the Madison Avenue Church haa inc rght
Il was found that there were put n'heoeeh members
q, tho church left The following year the Rev. Dr.
p,doorran came 10 The church from Emanuel Church
IN Ahsrv and assumed pastoral charge Of the nineteen
n.rhers Since then the church has had steady
and prosperous growth and last year IL gave as largo
n s,m uer member In its contributions as any Bapust
church I'm the country. The membership is 2oo me
music s an attractive feature OF the church serNces
and the members are noted for Their acViy supporting
= roIssop an rbirdaye besides boys club, an encr
getc Young Peoples Association ana Two missionary
socleties An interesting sight each sunday morning
a a Iarge number of small children who sit In the
o,,er,, They arc the inmates OF the Home for the
FrIendless and form constant part OF each morning
congregation Dr. Brldgeman's sermon last evening
was from Acts xvi 81 Believe In the LORD jesus
christ and thou shalt be saved He SAID In substance
This was the answer to that question OF tho
phunntan taller which ever since, has been repeated
tbroigh The world "What must do to be savedls
No moro important question can can would A no. sa npd
must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ This Is the
thnme and the burden OF the New testament IL
makes the offer and promise OF bcyS bsov 70 Ia M
gins: that Il Is not Of works, out OF ial' Inc
announcement, however has been a9ything put S sS
Inclined Their minds have rcvol,ed at the apparent
injustice Of such arbitrary arrangement.
WHY MEN ARE. NOT CHRISTIANS.
AT God be a righteous Ruler II His will Is set
forth in the requirement to do justly TO love mercy
and to walk humbly' before Him, then 1t Is not
through believing but through being" that sal
DF I'm
Gods sight than faitn; doing better than trusting;
and any teaching which is contrary TO this must
be condemned as untrue. There are many voices
that speak in this tone and they appeal so directly
to the conscience in their statement OF the supreme
need of righteousness that Il behooves us to consider
whether indeed they arc rea c opposed s are 10 6one he
cannot be questioned They are eloquent IN mex
sG 1T OF th %St lns involve aeaes Which
eheerfully made and II we seek for the Siorct
found believe less in their lack Of reverence for
our Lord than in the fact that tho salvation which
preached in IFS name Is SO often SGT ioT9 as an
wrath-p5nay, instead Of an attitude or CONDITION OF
soul which Is itself safety aud blcSsedness Under,
standing IL IN this sense, they have naturally said
II Gods dlsploasuro has been hndled against US,
II our conduct and character have proyoked Him 10
wrath n surely Il MOI a now becoming
We must find deliveranoe from the punishment
which our wrongncSs makes necessary through DO.
Ing delivered from wrongnoSs. To be saved. man
must be set right and q Is upon righteousness upon
what man Is and not upon faith. thai salvation ce,
are saying, and their thought and their spirit
command our respect. still, In assuming that
salvation means safety, they have made a mistake
IL something more than escape nom some out
ward he'll. II implies inward soundness, or health
that very righteousness indeed which they so en-
phaze and insist on, and which Is the necessary con-
dition Of safety.
THE UNIVERSALLY AND NECESSITY OF FAITH.
But how arc wo to como into this attitudei How
arc to attain to this righteousness and rEhtnessl
AS We have attempted TO arise and nerve ourselves
10 do and be good who has not found In his helpless
ness his necessity and despair Who has not cried
as he has caught glimpse OF the glory OF goodness
for the power ombOdy It IN himself and 10 DO de-
liyered forever nom tho evil propensities o. bis
naturei II IS in response to this sense of weakness
70 this yearnng for power that he text speaks Eau
how IS such broad promise justified In what We!
Is it fllhiledi
TO any beoomingf When man begins 10 choose
from what he has done, we attribute tho change OF
his course TO change u his belief. New lucas
convictions have generated. and these have con-
trolled him. The better conduct Is tho fruit OF q
better belief The life Is transformed through The
operation Of faith. And where IS there sphere Of
activity, where any noble achievement In which
faith Is not oydentf IL Is the spring OF commercial
activity the impulse Of adventure the strength Of
every noble reform; the force that flashes and hAmes
In all resolutions and In tho measure IN which men
have possessed ltas they have heartily believed IN tho
truths they declared In the possibility OF the changes
been lifted for leadership, and hndlcd tho enihu-
sasms which have saved generations IL Is not strange
hst religion should lay 80 mSeh sss aPoh aS
| arbitrary decree found In tho Gospel a. thing
which separates nom al other systems and forms
| bclief-ls the basis and beginning OF all religious
| or secular htc
| 1t makes faith, faith In our Lord, the ground OF
sSysh9p DOES It mean simply an n,i nts s sya
| gensu tel US about Chnst-or Is IL both confession
ond Set Is the object OF 3 h GiS or e
! dying and rising again What In word, are we 70
understand by believing on Christi AZ tho very
| opening OF tho New Testament He IS announced
as Emanuel, Cod with U.S. further on, He declares
! OF Himself that lie came forth from God and that
| In his prayer at the last supper lie says ! have
| finished the work which Thou gavest Mo 70 do; !
Him the best Of all The disciples writes OF Him
| lie who was in the bosom OF tho Father. He has
esTtS Of the inaRe Invisible Spirit whom no eye
can behold; lie interprets Gods fatnerho9d, shows
from sin and the expression Is perfect sublime
and inspiring that II Is called the Gospel the good
Paul says, II IA the power Of God unto salvation to
every one that believefh" 80.
fatheriy relation and purpose and love He came "a
mako manifest: 10 Is 10 believe that God Is what lie
give and save t Is 10 believe that in all tho processes
OF nature, In all the changes OF Providence? In an tS
gifts OF His grace God IS az work Tor tho good ol
fits children that no one Is beyond the reach Of Hls
car. that there Is no one His love does not tOuch
no He does not yearn over 70 save Inc persua-
sion OF this carries with it feelings OF rev ercncc
and humility and submission IL tends 20 create
| new heart chd's heart ~ the breast and IN thf
trust IL awskcns IN the hal Relationship Il esta6
fishes 10 be found the energy and the ground OF all
| goodness And this may be easily shown.
This belief saw Is an energy; and what belief could
be mlghtior1 What could so arouse one against The
evil within him. and FIJI him with strength aud hope
for the conflict as real living trust I'm the righteous
and merciful Fatheri What can 50 inspire hlm WIN
an infinite love which hates SIN and which VIII wOrl
in him and with him 10 deliver him from rs power
And when man longs for better llfe than
the one he Is living and Is told that God Is not against
him. but for him that the pity which Christ showed
| is Gods pity. his help such rs God gives, and Ills
prayer FOR Ills murderers lie hung on the cross
stabbed by their spears only an outburst from His
Hips of the infinite eternal love which God has i0I
all and IN he believe this II he feel u, what force
can be like 10, what can quicken and inspire him
for life OF purity and love and Obodiencel Tho
man who believes this Will be saved In his faith
thero Is power the power Of Christ Is revealed I'm H.
which IS power unto salvation.