New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-21
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING.
VI.
DIR. D. ]. BURRELL IN THE MARBLE CHURCH.
THE NEW PASTOR OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH
DISCUSSING PAUL AT ATHENS

THE NEW PASTOR OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH
DISCUSSING PAUL AT ATHENS"
Since the coming Of the Rev. DR.. David j. Burrell
to the Marble Collegiate Church at Fifth-ave. and
Twenty -ninth-st. The work has taken on new Ire.
Large congregations have greeted him morning anu
evening He has begun what is indeed new DO
partureo In Church work. The church Is so situated
that its only constituency is among the wehtooo
classes that thA ordinary methods used 10 arac'
the exclusively ruled outwhe all Classes OF
people always find a cordial welcome. The depend
ence is put upon multiplication Of the working force
and business methods in pushing the work. Two
things greatly in favor Of this church ~ II
stands in the very centre OF the island surrounded by
somo OF the greatest hotels and finest apartment
houses in the city. When Mr.. Moody was hoiding
meetings here he pronounced 1t "the best corner on
Manhattan Island for Peoples church," ~ 1t
has the large endowment Of the Collegiate Church
behind it, and hence is not forced to depend On the
precarous income from pew rentals
This church has In the past suffered like many
others from the uptown drift" but 1t thinks rem
edy has been found in It's new plan OF campaign Tho
pastor and his coaborers are working along strictly
spiritual lines. They depending upon no novel
methods of Church attractions but believe that the
Masters benedlcion will rest upon pety, push. brains
and money consecrated to His DR.. Burrell uses
face to face the great truths and duties OF the
Christian religion While other churches may feel
compelled to uptown, this church intends re-
naming this corner to DO its work In this region OF
The city during the years to come. 1t Is the opinion
Of DR.. Burrel that all the churches on Manhattan
Island will be substantially "downtown churches" In
side Of twenty years, and that unless the present
ecclesiastical policy is changed the city proper VIII
soon have a modicum OF Gospel privileges. Hence
m rfanc n MarDle
Church. "Welcome" Is the wachword. DR.. Burrell
preached yesterday morning upon Paul at Athens
and his sermon was as follows:
Milton characterized Athens the "eye OF Greece,
mother Of and eoquence No man of ordinary taste
and culture could stand In the midst OF vs. gloes without
feeding Of aesthetic enthusiasm. Yet Paul was moved
only by intense pity and Indignation Yonder was the
Parhenon beautfed by the skill Of Phdias and Praxeles
Yonder the AreGpagus crowned with Its colossal image of
Mars here were famous schools OF philosophy by the
Illssus every hand images Of gods and heroes
Plny says there were 5000 such eges here. 1t was
proverb'There more gods than men in Athena The
Apostle possibly walked down the Street Of Hermcs when
winged figure adorned the front of home along the
Avenue Of Tripods lined every side with yove onef
ngs given by grateful athletes the gods who had help
them In games Gods everywhere gods on pdestals
In inches on thu Of the streets-gods and dem
gods good bad and dlGent-a wilderness OF gods! And
the heart of the Apostle was moved within him las no
saw the city wholly given TO idoatry" At length he
mounted Of in public and began
to speak. There difficulty in getting ar audi
ce for Athens paradise Of gossiIS and saunteers
It's shbboleh whats the newsf SO they gathered
about him. msn and women priests and philosophers all
sorts and conditions OF people And he spoke to them OF
Jesus and the Resurrecthn or as the Greeks had IT,
Jesus and Anastasus-a pair Of new deities He VINO
introduced god into Athens was counted public bene-
factor The interest Of his audience thus enehained
q. once Presently they said LET us go to the Arc
opagus for better hearing" so to Arcopagus they went
and the Apostle preached famous sermon there
THE PREACHER AND HIS PULPIT
I. Observe the Man. Renan calls him 1.-THE little ugly
Jew" He stooI.shouldered, weskeyed and stam-
erer but did not take the Ahenians long TO discover
that there something in him. and the world through all
centuries. has regarded him as one OF us famous men,
No profOunder thinker skilfu daleetlcian ever
lived. He sad of himself: They tel me that my words
are weiqy bodily presence is weak and my speech
contemptble" The mans power lay In his conVcuoh'
and Thereby hangs pale In his youth, while attending
the Rabbnical schools, he gave promise OF becoming
leader In his time lie was pupil OF Gamaie known Is
the flower Of law" All that good blood and brilliant
opportunities could do for him was DONE In time ne De
came zeaot among his people, chosen to an honored
Mace I'm the Sanhedrm distinctly in the line OF pro
motion, and great things were expected oil nm linen
came t. great On his way down to DAMASCUS
the Voice which after he revered as his heavenly
monitor spoke him, and life was never again the same
Thenceforh his WILL heart intellect and conscience went
out to things which he had previously hateu Inc
love of Christ constrained him. So thoroughly was MS
reyOutoniZed tnlt iOr Va '''"'
Christ whom he previously reved and prosecuted he
haelv surrendered all bright hope OF his futures all
high ambitions sspiratons-ad everything at the ee
of his new Master, saying II no longer live, but christ
lveth in me-. -
ma, had h4r. cen devoted TO death On this stone plat
form Deosthenes stood and uttered forth breathing
thoughts burning WORDS Hero Socrates had maze MS
apology and was doomed TO drink the fatal hemlock' IL
WAS an historic platform. Facing it. on shelf oil rock
Of tho Euri
Temple Of Mars To this place Paul brought such
message as It had heard before He spoke as all
ambassador from the court Of Heaven bringing message
Of pace to troubled souls. He stood on the Rock oil
rmnudenee where criminals wont TO defend their
vss IL yas not Paul however, but his religion that
was nut on trial that day. And 1t has been on Trial ever
since 1.-THE word Of the Lord is tried Christianity mas
been through the persecution It has withstood the
assaults Of criticism it has been tested all along uo
oenturiee IN the histories OF nations ana men,
We ourselves have put the test In the experience
O, our common life And everywhere IL has wihstooo
the strain The gods innumerable whom tne APosuo
Paul confronted in Athens have all fallen to the races
on the earth and poor to do them reverence.
Mas has not one worshipper nor great Athene whose
smear and shield glitter,d III the sun. The gods are
gone all gone And the PHILOSOPHERS OF Athens nave
gone them zeno. Epieurus' Plato, are scarcely
than names. But TIE WORD Oh the Loru enuufeS'
forever.
III Observe the Audience. Here priests, doubt
loss with the names Of their dei1es worn as frontets
between their eyes. Here philosophers and STU
dents In their classic robes representing all the various
schools by the Issus.
l. Stoies-These Panthests, who spoke OF Goa
a. .the AM ''the Universal Soul" and other terms
familiar TO us this day They thought OF man as an
exhaatIon from apervadng Force or Soul OF the Uni
verse whose destiny to be absorbed presently Ike
drop Of water In the boundless sea.
2. Epicureans-These were haterislists They said
"Death ends ALL" And, inasmuch life was circum
scrbed by the horizons of tme and sense what
better they do than make the most OF the present
hourf Their sphorisn was. Let us eat drink and be
merry for tomorrow die"
8. Academicians-These were Agnostics; hey dreamed
many things but knew nothing All their suggestioA
were advanced with perhaps or sit may be So"
And aside from these philosopher there were doubtless
others who were eager know about eternal things
earnest thoughtful, with great longing to know the