New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-02
SERMONS WORTH KEEPING.
VII.
DIR. pApKHURsr,s NEw.YEARs GREETING
THE BRIGGS nEREsY TRIAL RECEIVES A FEW

THE BRIGGS uEREsY TRIAL RECEIVES FEW
rHOUGHTs-A GRAYD OUTLOOK.
Dr. c. ii. Parlthurst, OF the Madison Square freSpS
terian Church. having been from the trial oi MS
friend DR.. Briggs longer than the rule governing
absences allowed. ae was not present TO vote or as
acQuttal; but his vote was not needed Ihcre were
enough and TO spare. Yesterday morning Dr. rArh'
hurst preached a New Years sermon, and While not
referring TO d. Briggs part OF his discourse ieeo
TO the ordeal through which the professor and has
friends conservatives and hlerals. have besn passing
Dr. Parkhursd is so well known TO the sermon
reading pubic that sketch OF hts HE Is scarcely
necessary this column. His text yesterday mo'gi-
hg was from John XIV, .. al am the vine. We are the
branches He sud In part
The occasion tina. brings together this morning rules
out from consideration everything that Is small ana
everything that signifies with only transient significance
The first Sabbath Of the new year always comes 10 Us
frsught with eshilaraon and nerve Inc new year en-
franchises u.s. There Is y very true sense In which 1t
takes u out Of old complications and arrangements ana
puts on and open ground Things that have
stood part with some OF cheif hold upon u.s. ~o
that way Afford opportunity for the pressure upon
us Of influences that await us from afar Having just
turned the corner we again in the clear This
wins for Of freedom The air we are breathing
morning IL fresh 1t 10 new years air and 50 mas
yet tainted The dust has not yet begun to
gather In that sky Is still Transparent. one ao
a good ways. No small near matter then
will NJ morning We are standing In full easy View
Of the year and the years We meet today upon spot
where feel upon US the distinct and heshenins
drought the wind that blows from out all the Centuries
that are ahead 1t makes our hearts quicken IN
their pusings and thoughts longer In their eah anu
arDsr In their So In response to the moving spirit
Of great year that is come upon us we have
selected great matter think about. relying upon the
vger Of the moment and the superior might OF the
Blessed Spirit Of God to help us handle the matter truth
fully effect that shall make blessing TO this
.fpod Thris
tianity for which this church stands and always has
stood representative
II the vine, re are the branches" We start with
veYitatlo words Of Lord for with whatever OF
admiration Of confidence may regard Paul OF Peter
or John Augustine. Athanasius. Luther, Gavin We
propose have Of them by himself or al
them combined diminish by the breldth OF hair tho
inncacy Of the pressure Of the direct and per-
sonal auhoraiyeness of Jesus Christ And. more than
that. do settle ourselves down in supreme
confidence upon these quoted words from the fifteenth OF
ST.. John simply because they stand in the Bible. We
DO not propose 70 let the Word OF God come in
and Christ II Is possible for those who
believe In the dvineness Of scripture to handle even
scripture way to shadow tie very Christ 1t ought
10 gloriy.
The Bible is In this respect like field glnss; you
can look through end OF the glass and everything
forward Of ysu will toward you and crowd int"
your eyo you look through the other end of the
glass and everything will sidle oil into remoeness So
You can through the Biblo in and II will
Christ; you can look Orough III IN
another way and n viii shove Him into irretrlevame
distance and shrink Him the shrvele1 dimensions Of
nebulous spot. 50 much in explanation Of the state
uen do not settle ourselves down
supreme confidence upon these quoted words from the
fifteenth Of St. John simply because they stand IN the
Bible. We them because think We have grounds
for BELIEVING that they the direct and personal con-
veyanee to Of Christs mind in the matter we
think have grounds for believing that In them We
come face to and eye eye with the Lord They
nothing but boiled rags and printers ink I'LL they
focused the Lord and then they are apocalypse
There is another reason why we have selected this
morning this particular utterance OF Christ There are
great many expressions Of His that involve the same
truth this but 1t s. put here In form that appeals to
tho heart through tho Imagination a. well a. through
the ason. 1t Is projected cturcd shape Il am the
vino We are the branches" You feel what ie is
saying simply think IT, You may be intelligent but
you do need great deal Of that Intelligence in order
be able get the inside OF what He here intends
We to keep together and we shall a. long as We
y feel Chsts meaning here and do not make too seNee
think it. We fee together. but just soon
Try at BY thinking we shall think apart
thought Is always centrifugal II Christ HAD com
nenced by starting school He would not have kept
III, dsc:,es together I'll crucfxon 50 long pollcs
Christianity IL Genealogical aey Will quarrel. Il am the
Vine 70 the brSnchcs" That easily uncovcrs 70 you
rhc entire relation of things 1t makes Christ the one
Fling IN the Christian life. Just keep this vegetable
picture before you and you will feel it. Give no In
tcleetual ASSET anything l am saving unless your
imasination and your feelings 90 with It, The vine and
disciples the and tie rad 1t is all Of +. matter
OF being wrought into Him. There doubtless great
many collateral questions that are worthy Of Interest
but have got to know what the one genius Of This
whole business 1t is thing that constitutes
Christianity; it Is some one thing that makes man
Christian MOB two hall dozen things added and twisted
together Inc Of 1t lies completely in being knit
into Him; just the branch becomes banch simply
and exclusively because involves in the stock that 10
evolves from. When 1t to pass in the lie Of
ia the life Of child that Christ has gotten hold
OF him. Christ and ChrIs,'s spirit has become the
detcrfnnative energy Of that child such one
Is . Christian. and 1t takes nothing else to make
Christian OF him II piece Of wood IS in such way
the trunk OF cherry that the life of oa
tree itself 81. in 1t. and determines it, and Is tc
vegetable motive OF IT, that Is only another way OF saving
that that piece OF wood Is chcrry.trcc hanrt. There j.
only Just thing needed TO MAKE branch o! IT, and that
that tho trees life should be the deternEnNe enerSg
Of H. In tho sam. wsy precisely Christian is Chr!sts
branch Christ energies him. motives him. inspires him
That simple fact makes Christian Of him and nothing
else added to that VIII help constitute him such; it
doesn't need help. That is tho entire thing
chcrryc- branch is cherry tree because 1t In
:his direction because 1t grows in that direction
bears this Kind Of chcrri or that Kind OF cEeics
the branch cherry tree because Is dominated cherry
Tree life. That is tho Whole Of IL. There is no mixture
about 1t. Nothing less tlan that counts Nothing more
than that is needed.
Tho weakness Of Christianity to-day is that making
1t composite instead OF simple. We maiing it consist
Of numb'r II things added together instead Of making IL
CONSIST OF one ulh2, the spflt OF Ahist "OFk.HH
actuatng energy in tho human soul And however
many other good things you may add N. they will
neither the place Of this help We believe
sound religion. convictions and believe good
works but neither the the ors OF
slightest degrees the 2cnius Of Christianity.
Christianity is matter OF divine life in the human soul
sad adding fruit together does MAKE life bu: life
makes fruit. You cut stake out OF scrub
the stake into cherry ana hang cherries
the stake. but thai will make 10 cherry you have
worked at the end Of the STAKE. 1t IS the end
that makes cherrywood not ie weather end perfect
coincidence with this all expressions His n
which Christ exhibits Himself the life OF world
Christianity Is not doctrine; Christianity is
no: a code OF morals Neither the matter opinion nor
the matter any part Of Chrstiany's