Middletown transcript., 1893-02-04
THE LATE PHILLIPS BROOKS.
Rector Beers of st. Anne's breaches a
Memorial Sermon.

Memorial Sermon.
| According to announcements in our
last issue, the Rev. j. Beers preached
a sermon in st. Anne's Church last
Sunday morning, in memory of the
Rev. Phillips Brooks, D. D. The text
was Acts viii, 2, "And devout men
| carried Stephen to his burial and
made great lamentation over him. !"
After stating that they had cause for
great sorrow because they had been
bereaved Of beloved Christian friend;
the church had been deprived of an
efficient officer; that Christianity had
lost an able apologist. and advocate;
and the world had been robbed of
one of it's best benefactors, and be-
cause too of the unexpectedness of
their loss, he also stated that they
would at the same time, as Christians
rejoice, in the belief that their de-
parted friend now, rested from his
labours; was perfectly holy; in the
midst of holy scenes and companion
ships; had perfect knowledge and was
with Christ in bliss. He said that
to some extent these observations will
apply to him whose unexpected re-
moval from this World is the cause
of their utterance Phillips Brooks, /"
rather than .Bishop Brooks, = is the
name by which all who loved him,
and their name is Legion, will speak
Of him, was elected bishop of Mas
sachusets'' only about year and a
half ago, but ere this he had been
Rector of Trinity church, Boston, for
twenty-five years, and before that
he was Rector of Holy Trinity
church, Philadelphia, for several
years. His fame as a preacher is
worldwide. When he spoke, he at |
once enchained the rapt attention of |
his hearers, as torrent-like he poured |
forth words that burned with i'm |
pressive earnestness giving form to |
thoughts that cleaned like beams OF |
light. Alas! that eloquent voice, |
that charmed and instructed thou
sands is Hushed in Death! His |
printed sermons and lectures |
have had large circulation over the
world. When in England he had the |
honor, not only of preaching in that
grand historic church Westminster
Abbey and other notable buildings, !
but also Of preaching by request be-
with her in Windsor Castle. With
AZ Ia %n al nf
memory, and with the present elo-
quent Canon Farrar, he was on terms
of intimate and loving friendship, and
England as well as America will
mourn his decease.
There were few small souls who
were opposed to his election as
Bishop, but they were only like the
small spots on the suns disk, that
nobody notices or cares for, in the
brightness OF the Suns light and |
He was man, not only of magnifi-
cent proportion, physically, but also
of great mental power, culture and |
loving sympathy. | greatly ad-
mired and loved him for his noble
christian character and aims, and
for his great catholicity of spirit,
there was nothing Of the small, mar
row and conceited bigot about him.
He could say, and did say, both in
speech and action, Grace be with all
those who love our Lord Jesus Christ
in sincerity
His life was gentle, and the ele-
ments so mixed in him that nature
might stand up and say to all the
world, This was a man'r' And there
fore / here, and now, place my laurel
leaf on his honored grave.
His decease as we look at things now
from our human stand point, is
great loss to the diocese whose we'll |
fare, as Bishop, he was laboring, all
too hard, to promote. 1t is great
loss to the church at large of which he
was SO bright an ornament and an
element of power A hundred other
smaller lights might have been extin-
guished, without that deep sense of
loss which the removal of Phillips
Brooks has caused. But whatever he
was, he was by the grace of God, and
of His sovereignty taken away, and
will that doeth all things
NOll, dAu " uc lOtlOW0I6 vi nllu anu |
all others, who through faith and pa
thence, inherit the promises.
Il heard voice from Heaven, say
ing unto me, write, from henceforth
blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord; even SO saith the Spirit for they
rest from their labors''
Servant OF God, We'll done,'
Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought the victory won,
Enter thy Masters joy.
Soldier OF Christ, We'll done,"
Praise be thy new employ;
And while eternulages roll,
Rest In thy Saviour's joy.
We were very much pleased to
earn of the appointment of our
riend John d. Hawkins as Secretary