New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-11
PHILLIPS BROOKS ON FAITH.
LISTENING TO THE BIsROP-ELECr of
MASSACHUSETTS,.
CROWDED AND DEEPLY INTERESTED coNshE'
CATION AT THE CHURCH OF THE

CROWDED AND DEEPLY INTERESTED coNehE
CATION AT THE CHURCH OF THE
INCARNATION.
The Rev Dr. Phillips BROOKS, Dishopelect OF MESA
cbusets preached yesterday in the Church OF the III
carnation Of which his brother, the Rev. Arthur
Rrooxs. is rector His subject was Faith and
great multitude listened to him with rapt attention
some Of them sitting literally at his feet for the church
a crowded to the doors and people sat the chancei
stems and clustered about the pulpit They stood In
the alsIes and OVERLOOKED into the anteooms and the
passaceyays OF exit. Or. Brooks was assisted in the
services by the Rev A. WATSON. During the services
be wore surpllce but in the pulpit he was robed In
a plain black gown. He chose as text the 23d verse
Of the 9th Chapter of St. Marks Gospel: Jesus said
INTO him. II thou canst believe. all things are possible
to him that beeveth."
He smoke for half an hour, and he spoke like one
inspired No adequate idea con be given In print OF
such sermon. His intense, earnest personality. his
imposing presence, gave to the delivery magnetic
mower. The inherent beauty Of the thoughts and
pctures he presented flashed the congregation
on the swift wings OF words which, as he unfolded his
theme thronged on each other until he reached the
height OF his great argument and the kaleidoscope
wonders OF his eloquencc shone on the end and pnr-
pose of 1t a-in his appeal to his hearers to open
their hearts and let in God and the higher life IL
was an evangelical sermon in the truest sense of the
term The words in his text which he emphasized
were all things possible to him that beneveth
He pictured the scene in which the words were hrst
uttered at the foot of the Mount Of TRANSPORTATION
when a father brought his lunatic boy to Christ and
bcsought the Master to cast out the dumb and dear
spirit.
Then Dr. Brooks said that be would tell .or the
tbousaudth time what that condition is which Jesus
calls belief which makes 1t possible for man 70 re-
cevo the enormous blessing that Christ has to bestow
Belief he went on is openness OF heart and char
acter Some lives are shut up tight. They noat OF
the great currents Of the world as the boat hoats
On the stream having something to do with H.
making it carry them, but Keeping IL OUTSIDE tnch
selves, never blending with It,"
There was another kind Of life, the preacher said
the open life, through whose doors come pouring IN
happiness, knowledge and power. mo douoe sHd
he, sorrow, error and sin come In too lhey Always
are tagging behind the skirts of happiness, howeaec
and power 1t is the opcnhearted man hiied win all
the wealth and luxurance of the world that you depehu
upon and count when you estimate his force just as II
is the Jewel filed with the sunlight, having made the
sun its own that fills your heart with Joy. Don't
vop know this kind OF man, this kind OF woman
glorious with reason, radiant with the universe, nat
uray drawing in and claiming all things as the true
portion OF the master life Why lnger descriptions
Of this sumpuous life when IT is clearl This, exactly
this, is faith This is the universal and perpetual
meaning Of that great condition which in it's special
general idea is familiar to thought aud experience
DR.. Brooks gave many familiar examples OF faith,
among them a mans faith In the institutions OF the
country in which he lives. a man must be hrst III
sympathy with his cOuntrys Institutions" sad he ;
otherwise he merely his counry's subject and not
her child, not real part OF his counry's life we
are thankful for two things, that the SOULS doors Will
not stay shut and bolted and that the good is more
powerful than the evil that God is stronger than the
devil So while the evil will surely present ITSELF the
good will also come with efficiency.
at you know what 1t is for nature TO lead and
ell another nature with itself then you know what is
the result of mans coming to believe in God, what
ever be the process. The man IS filled with God
He comes to live in sublime independence Of his fellow
men and local judgments lie is lifted up TO that
which is eternal. The nature which overfows this
nature by the open channels of its faith is TO which
the nature that is overlooked essentially belongs.
Have you ever watched rock by the ocean? The
great sea comes with slow calm movement. finding
Channels in the rocks hard face not resting until ii
has taken possession Of the rock and covered it, Can
We not readily say it turned the rock Into itself I!
| 1T may be that We hesitate at the immense scope
of the words Of Jesus All things is an immense
limited possibilities of the man who shall open his
life to the inflow Of God. If there are still limits
away that they are not in sight, and they need not
be taken into account When man receives yes. the ne
| infinitely more than he does and is. ,-
at IS not unbelief that makes any man strong
| out OF lie, does power come 1t cannot come by
any negative. II must be positive. Deny the false
| hood with all your power and voice. Ihat IS your
duty But that does not make you strong. 1t only
makes you ready to be strong. Having turned ne
lie out DOORS You throw these same doors open 70 the
| truth Then strength will pouring In. IL mas
| always been through men Of belief. not unbelief
that power from God has poured into man; ~ Is
not tho discriminating critic. but he whose oealng,
force, he is the man through whom the world grows
rich and whom 1t remembers with perpetuai tnahh IS
il not the very glory Of the life Of man The great
answer to that is, God IS always seeking every life
| Man has not TO seek God, but 10 admit God Re-
IT T. not merely sin reS Se S nno d my
Of the higher life God. It is that which makes the
higher life possibility certainty SM yG, have faith in
wants you vastly more than you want Him, but you
v S 2 s heavy "a yG STONE the
way by which He must come: Cast out that sin, not
wave signal to your God that you
s sf a f: poT vi; in SSn that MAKES Es hs
want Him We get confused when we try V to set
forth chronologcaiy the occupation of We by God
Of shows Hs s% and Sew
"once more let the picture at the mountains foot
shine out before us-the ia, father in his misery he
Wan @ open to me AND % not o5T T All
have me- you have me; not merely will be Yours.
an yours and what it viii be for me to live
IoFd Gcrd isP TBo" nine e unSsei
to God and i've: for in the occupation OF the soul
by Him there, and there alone is life for man,"
TROOP AS ANNUAL RELIGIOUS SERVICE.
To- A