New-York tribune., 1891-05-04
SERMONS OF THE DAY.
A BAPTIST CHURCH JUBILEE.
TIE FIFTH AVENUE CHURCH PASSES ITS
F1FrIErH MILE sToNE-DR FAUNCE's
MORNING DISCOURSE.


tsge celebrated the forticth anniversary of his pas
,orate a couple of years ago. the entire history OF
me church was so carefully reviewed, but the fact
was duly remembered in the Rev. DR.. w. H. +.
rsunces sermon yesterday morning. The text was
Matt xvi, 49, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my Church. and the gates OF lIades shall
NOT prevail against it," He said in substance:
The Fifth Avenue Baptist Church has just passed
through its jubilee year and entered on the second
sory Of our church lite been publicly told that
fresh review is needed this morning. We enter our
yeST % 10 but %avHE w dy 30 nd ade
no noise deepen. We silently slip into the new
s ap ls ssg % fresh 81" obseTvaOn n' Of the
with glad of progress, adjusting the chronometer
" II we look backward, it is only to gaze at the
original principles Of church life to study the run
bs mans and specifications which control and direct
onr @ toll Any organization which, through a half
Se@'uIS ea Remaining true to its original idea nds itself
stronger than ever at It's jubilee, must nave oennG
some principles worth living for II not "orth uSihs
iV'a on this rock will build my Church BY this
rock Christ meant not Himself not the confession S
which had Just been uttered but the Apostle Peier.
ANY attempt 10 make this rock refer 70 any yiht shs
saw subterfuge of Protestant poemics. Inc Roman
Catholics are right in their C Of mi nerence
which they draw from it. We miss the entlTe beauty
and gnSanSe Of the 9ms oac %n Ee neTend s
Christ is here indicating the material o OF %hch sS nS hS
Church is 10 be composed. Peter ruGe ana hcke anu
fery as he was had just risen to marveIlonsy clear
conception of Jesus as the son OF tne LIVING uod.
Christ dlscerns in him the stun OF which heroes
and martyrs and leaders made. Thou art (Dy
nameJ rock and this sort Of rock l Will build
my Church." Christ uses the word rock first IN tne
specific sense of particular piece oi rock ueh III ~
t1e generic sense of material. so, picking up a mt
Of iron, might say Ths Is iron ana OF M .s son,S Of
modern civilization made" Petr1ne material hes
at the foundation and Is built into the rss walls VI
the Christian Church.
,rur ,,tpopTAvcF OF ENVIRONMENT.
society is the crystalllzation of TRUTH and let
the great truth enter the world that Jesus Christ
is the son Of God and men begin TO arrange them
selves about it. But behind this natural conference Is
the voice of Christ Himself, saying 81 will build"
Some part Of life is always In other men Keep
ing and only when we find the other men 40 We nno
our own selves. Each man is fraction by himself.
and only in addition finds unity ana compeuon, DS
attaching Ilx5elves reach power that surprises
us. is put upon the staff OF great ne%sPapef
or periodical. and straightway his opinions peComS VI
immense Importance. He is lifted on the shoulders
Of the great journal, and the uterance which few
is now read and discussed by ten thousand
readers. The man who joins great party or a
saIee. lie is now the mouthpiece of many repre-
sentative Of a section OF humanity. winters adNcSS
IS copce5trated wisdom Isolaoa is terror and defeat
and even Christ must have companions in Gethsemane
man should be alone" and the first preaching Of the
Kingdom Of Christ was by disciples gong fort two by
on an island is helpless fragment
God builds the Church not merely by the announce
hnmsn ana nature the absolute necessity COMPUTATION
in the spiritual Love for ones own Church IS
healthful emotion giving TO the highest ASPIRATIONS
of the soul local habitaon and a name. am sorry
for the man who so loves the Church in general that
4 mild benevoience toward things in general never
yet advanced any holy cause single step. p o,u, n,
church lie. What IS the church forl The answer 1
IS found in another question: Whom is the church i0ri
church" The church then does not exist Tor me me
not & for The the & Gce rs but foT ShTs den Sg or
aspirations end like broom in a multitude OF small
sws But the object Of church life is oIiHeS P0d ana h
clear enough to demand utmost concentration . ana anu
endeav0r The object Of the church Is TO t man man
what God intended and stills intends them to be- 1t
is 10 reconstruct humanity and make 1T the true ex
The church, then, is rot bureau Of entertainment
Of 'iSS ioneiy Day by by greens friends brgnt at
tractive place. hearing sweet music and listening to
stGR patpSae S% SSg s
congregaton they are Spectators rather than %ssR
or the choir gallery leans toward the opera they lose
Their native strength without acquiring the power OF
what they simulate. Men who are in search OF the
spectacular and the puglistc can always find 1t 10
better advantage in other places But in It's own realm
dhe church Is absolutely without cOmpettof-n Drlng
ing home Gods truth 10 the crying needs ana strVngS
and aspirations Of human es art some Day WE Snr Ss
the stone be highly polished and SET In eou 1here Is
no attraction like that of bread
So also the church cannot be spiritual restaurant
Some men want more than entertainment they want
mental and moral stimulus. But they nave never got
beyond the that the church exists to feed them To
feed my little SELF to on swectmeats, to ucke
delicate palate by highly seasoned dishes-this they
think the glorious object of going to church, Do you
wonder that when suCh conceptions prevail thousands
regard the church their worst enemy and demand
it's demolition the first step toward pure CTstl-
ity But the church is an organization with mission
1t is raying point only that IL may be radiating
centre II gathers in only that 1t may send them
forth in lives of joyens service to all mankind Ihe
value Of the service Of sunday Is h by e e Hse
wording force with a fixed end-the development OF
ohry character in every man IN 1t aN sscnes Hr the church
Of which We are members by the grace Of God? what WAT
has the church done for us As yon % entered t tnd
OF the past had made yon their de9tor mere
is the chief advantage college life that the hoy boy
light in the past and the present. Why should he
not employ tutor and stay at home? What need OF
college residence and association because the ann
OF college is not to teach certain facts In quadratcs
and biology and Roman law but to admit % man 70
with the best that has been known and SAID 10 IN
rduee him to the or OF eoram Te than an
any knowledge whatsoever is the CONSCIOUSNESS that
generations past and to the generations yet to come.
He is ennObled and enfrancdsed by communion WIN
nobility. Endowments and libraries and museums and
scholarships all make him realize that he is debtor
TO the past and the future .., ...,,.o
SO YOU enter the church on Sunday. DO you realIe
what ii has give you this freedom OF worship
IN peace when and where you VIII TWO huhdied
years ago no country earth would have granted
you that privilege The service advances, the Bible
ia opened. Have you forgotten the tolls ana stFug
giles translaOrs and printers and defenders OF these
books from Jerome down to Tschcndon2 Have you
forgotten how Tyndale suffered, how WlcNynes aust
is spread abroad wide the waters bel Have yOn
forgotten how Erasmus labOred and Milton argued
and thousands received Of fire that you might
have these books The service breaks into music;
How musicians have toed from the time OF the Ola
Gregoran tones to the days OF Barnby ana Dyhes;;
perfecng musical utterance for the church Of to-day
These hymns are the precious lfe-biood OF master
spirits who from Wesley to Ray Palmer have suffered
that they might work out forms Of speech for our
souls. They went through dark valleys to iurnlsh
us with prayers and praises for our worship
FIFTH AVENUE CHURCH MEMORIES.