New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-02
DIR. BROOKS'S LAST LECTURE.
HIS THEME THE SIMPLICITY OF CHRIS
TLANITY.
OLD TRINITY FILLED WITH business ML'
ANXIOUS TO HEAR THE CLOSE Oh THE
sERIEs OF LENTEN SERMONS.

The Rev Dr. Philips brooks delivered his sixth
and last Lenten lecture to the business men Oh Nc"
| York in Trinity Church yesterday. on MONDAY a'
noon d. Brooks announced his general subject The
Truth that Makes Free and 70 constantly increasing
congregations during the week he talked daily III an
earnest practical way about the liberty oil inc
Christian life in all its bearings and Developments
There arc few If any. men in America who could have
crowded so much worth remembering and giving heed
10 into SIX forty-minute addresses
Yesterday Dr.. Brooks directed the attention OF an
assembagc as vast as could find sitting standing
in the church to the simplicity Of Christianity.
lie did so because 10 said. ho had some of the mis-
| gvings which naturally come TO man who for SIX
days had sought 10 give the message of the Christian
lfe that his hearers might in The multitude OF things
touched on, get notion that Christianity was
difficult and complicated.
Speaking of the things tending TO Christian freedom
that any man can do. Dr. Brooks said FIRST PIT
away your sins. There is no man among You who Is
shut out from the peace and ministry OF God IN Chs'
who has not Of sin in which he is indSihs
himself vicious habit some trick of mind' soul
or body that has become dear to nm.
Until no puts that away by the con
centration OF his Will, lie has no right 10
expect that God can come to him. no right l" COM
plain that cd does not You must stop stealing
| If you steal You must stop lying If you lie. 1ou
must stop donincering those below you. You
must stop being cruel to IA man OF woman who Is III
1
cenary covctous creature that you have been. lou
must put away your sin.
| "Then you must do your special duty. what Is
! this world7 a great mass of material upon wlch
these human favors should be exercised and trained
DO that for good which possible in you TO do What
else! Pray. Aye, pray. Though men scorn IT ana
say how strange and illogical it is to pray, though
men lit themselves up and give Us their abundant
dnicultc, about prayer there is no recognition OF
good except by prayer. If there be 10 God any man
who bends his knees is a fool. Any man who looks
up to infinite power, If there is 10 such power is
committing act OF folly But if there be in human
nature "a possibility of communion with the Divine
nature prayer becomes the reasonable and rational
| thing in all the world. The man who does not pray,
who does not lift up his soul in words and thought
to God, has right to complain If God docs not come
! 10 him.
"What besides There is the Book in which YOU
read Of Christ. Aye. read your Bible the neglected
book. Read your Bible and find in it Jesus Christ.
And seek the Church Of Christ. The graNltation Of
every soul that desires parity and God and Christ
must be to that Church Of Christ, that company OF
Christ. "Ah7 but you say, these mulritudcs OF
questions How about this doctrine that doctrine ~
Ny friends they viii all in their due time.
What you want now is 10 know how near God IS -
you. and to open the windows of your soul to Him.
| These doctrines and controversial subjects seem 10
me 10 be simply like the liiebOats which l find Oh tho
deck Of a ship when 80 to the Atlantic. They
| are there for an emergency which may come by and
|
by. But these not the things that take notice
of. The sails my hcad-the Of the engine
down below--these the things that / trust II.
Sometimes it seems if the timid crew had deserted
the good ship and had taken to the life boats, and
were drifting and tossing upon the water IN immediate
peril of their lives. Back 10 The ship, then Back
| TO this simple truth"
other passages Of Dr. Brools's sermon were wordcd
as follows: E" l look TO the future. aud ! PER
iecty sure that it j, the religion of Jesus Christ iaat
| ififf IL IN az ~ a.,
not know how differently religion may present IL
self, under with what new forms IT may be intimate.
70 forward to The end OF thing and see who stands
dimiy present today.
~ What is there puzzlns mems minds
said it ana heart heard II, that modern
tho modern lie Of society are inconsistent with Chris,
tianty. Men say that II Is impossible l0r to
1pon tie Street, Of New 1crA But SAY that tic
Christian man who staAds Ia the midst Of commu
as part Of the society Ia which such uinr are
sali, has an a"f9I responsibility and glorious
chance. II IS for him 70 denoIstiatc. If he ca. dem
9i'trae, that man can DO business and yet be IN
the haven 81 christianity moves on lta way ana takes
more and more possession Of the live, II men. that
the lives Of men must be qianscd. Cuisines cannot
true disciple of Jesus christ. acrs BE- anything
great enterprise, say. before am "A businc,s man,
an man and servant Of Jesus Christ. Will sDl
IL lose. 1t viii be without a miseivnS or sign
viii take what it brings me- and take with tlagh
some demonstration that man may live win PAS
brethren as the children OF Cod. ana some lsht upon
the method and form in which hc may live The
Christian NE among his fellows.
Farewell my friends. IL j. not long-I VIII not LAY
this struggle anI hgLtbut Til, stage the great ana
glorious jourel Of human existence; 1t j, not long
next stage Of the LONG journey comes and We pas Tor
ward into 1t. Whatever may come To IL in eternity,
there never can come again the opportunity TO do the
particular good thing. t. be the particular good man.
which you have now'
"You may IN the streets Of Heaven have new
opportunities 70 serve God. You never can have the
OPPORTUNITIES that present thcm-cNc, 10 yon here
Therefore, unc,s You eaten them to-day, that one
good Thing, That ono good man. you never can have
little BIT Of life that We have dropped Into H." world
t. make IL better VIII ~ on when are forgotten.
Shall we lot pray tha ' a" he door oc ' "a. w. 70
away, looking back to that nfe which Ia, been our
words which lie spoke We ,iai, say into The Car Of
God He said when Ills work wa, done. on Father
worl, Thou eavc,t me T. do Then, looking forward
gay, Now, Father, eloriy me IN Thine own SON
DR.. irools tlcn closed the service with 4 br.cf
Scsa Church, move r. s,"ad nrla
preacher left the pulpit did most the men 20 from
among he people head ana shoulder, aboyc nc,ly
al Oh ihcn made hi' way through the trons to the
those who would have liked to shake ii, hand or
| speak with him, he had TO catch a train for
! Boston. 49,
a., leferc he went away he said to Tribune reporter
tiai , ne cId not carc 10 give an c-tmats of If,
weeks work "Thc men Themselves are the best
Judges Of what has been donc,o he added. on bcins
asked If, In his experience. he could remember any
thing to match the extraordinary interest manifested
| by Ecw YoI's business men in these Irrfon nd
drcs-cs he simply remarked. Il hardly compare
| OCcasiOns.'
The services held in connection with Dr. BROOKS.
| lectures have been simple. consisting ONLY Of
! HYMNS and PRAYERS Though they took plaec In
Old Trinity. there was nothing b. suggest tiir ritual
OF the Protestant Episcopal Church. and umdonItedlv
! the enormous audiences consisted Of men ~ all
creed, and OF vt all. The HYMN siugn, wa. led
by small choir Of boys. The names OF the litilc
| singer who thus assisted at those memorable meet
| ing, are Leo DunNnson. Culhcr NcGav rr,o.
| Rker, benjamin Old and David Charters ~