New-York tribune., 1896-09-28
FROM BROOKLYN PULPlTS.
DIR. LYMAN ABBOTTs SERMON on THE
LIVING GOD
HIS PRESENCE N ALL NATIONS AND HIS MANI


Dr Lyman Abbott preached his first fall sermon
In Plymouth Church yesterday morning He has
been travelling In Europe for three months and
returned last week lie told his congregation at
the Friday night prayer meeting that he had sim
ply been resting. feeling that when congregation
deprived Itself OF its pastors services to give him
a vacation he had right to work 10y preaching
in other churches in that time. The doctor faced
a large audience when he stepped upon the plat
form yesterday. and ne seemed to be in excellent
health and voice. His sermon was in part as
follows:
The teaching Of the Bible is that not only is there
a God. but that he is living God. and : among
men. This is the meaning OF many of the great
The doctrine of revelation is that God is revealed
God. showing Himself to men. The doctrine OF
forcordinatOn Is the doctrine that God has pur-
The doctrine Of prayer is hat God hears what
men have to say 70 Him and the doctrine Of
prophecy is that He spcaks to men. lie is a liv-
not have 70 look back through history for God
that is dead. nor look forward through the future
is in a living God. The glory Of The Church OF
Christ is that We have already come to Mount Zion,
end. OF ali Bible history. poetry ana prophecy.
GOD Is LIVING IN NATURE.
Our God is living in nature He has not left tho
world 10 be governed by secondary causes. lie Is
in Himself the vital force that makes up all the
forces of nature He blew with the breath Of His
nostrs and the children of Israel passed through
the Red Sea in safety lie spoke. and famine came
upon the land lie spoke again. and the iain fell
and the people were ahundanty provided for Al
the phenomena Of nature are desGrioeT IN thr hors
phenomen9 OF the Divine VIII. Inc thqnderS
are the sound Of us voice ana the WIND IS tnc
The voice OF the Lord is powerful the voice OF the
breakcih f thu the cedars. ys the Lord breake,h the
ccdars Of Lebanon" You have come back from
the sea and the mountain and the valley. some of
been whether it has been upon the Alpine snow
q lad
been in the presence of God.
That which has characterized the Pagan church
of worship has been a seeking after God. WHAT Is
peculiar to the Jewish and Christian churches mas
been that God has been. in some sense. found Goa
is in His Church. II was this God who manifested
His presence in the fiery cloud in the wid'rncss.
VINO are seeking after God It is not mere body
II is not mere body OF men ana women VINO
are centred around some creed or some ritual
GS@rch HS Irocaim. the p"rdon Of men il speaks
with Gods voice. Thcrc is dlvin" r'ahty IN
OF this Plymouth church some higher conscious
ness man tnat o. ir'2Wsn'p WI Wi.n Nm "m nom, H.
that of ton commandments written i'm stone I'm
Of a God here and now DWELLING in our hearts ar
swerins our prayers comforting our sorrows ard
ct%qc5 aGnS o gs ,b IN nr gTr o ''" '' IS "o
GOD Is IL ALL NATIONS
God who is a living God In nature who IS q liv-
ing God IN the Church. is living factor m III"
nations Of the world and ia human history. Tho
churchman s. right IN thinking tnai God Is IN his
Church. but he Is wrong IL he thinks God stops
there. God is n dl nations u the world. Chris
tan. Jewish. pagan. He is living God n human
history. Pharaoh did not know it. and when hc
saw the Israeliics growing strsnsgr he thousht he
sS9uu uesLIoy 'i.I p,@' H. -. N',.'m , , ,
religion Christianity increasing in strength they
said. we must quonrh lis flame Spain did me-,
her Great Armada together and prepared 10 desc
late tho coast Of England God blow me breath Of
His nostrs and lcii ne sctitered ruins Of her
armada ON English shores We here IN America
did not know there was "a God in history. and ""
held in hondae" millions Of slaves. 'il knowl'ie"
our SIDE. an weakness on th'ii; ara "" .ilI w..
have them in our power What can tncy do'
Wei was the lesson of that hour interpreted to MS
by the great prophet II the age. Abraham Lincoln
augural address stirred the mart and the con-
science OF thc American people"
DO you suppose rIc is no longer p factor IN human
heard tho cry Of the few oppressed Israeitcs that
lie whose eyes looked upon IN" masstcrcs of the
strained Indignation tho lash and the chain in
America do you suppos" that he does not So" the
thousands that have marched 10 cruel grave ln
Armenia? That lie docs not know ne silence Of
Powers mat can tlen-'lf's hrl.tlhn Iinat iiII
and Russia and France and Germany? An my
friends let us understand that God il living God.
More than bosses NOR" fhdn michn"s. more than
ballot-boxcs. more than multiiudes voting more
2h@ e OF an sch hnF is h powr or Of hG h M %
Ing ,od Who Who i'm is hq9,ns @R Ills k4sd2m rP2o pm
way Of it and build and build until the work IS
done.
NOT a POLITICAL REFERENCE.
Don't try to read between the lines and soc i'm this
sermon reference to tn" present political sltua-
tion. never have learned the habit of speaking
by indrcction but this Sunday wish try to
make you that FAR profoundcr than questions
of finance or taxation any such thing under
lying the party excitement that We shall look back
upon in few months and wonder that our checks
red and our tcmpors so hot. lies this truth
that God is working out the salvation Of the world
And sometimes have wondered whether this great
experiment that We arc trying on American soil
may not. by failure to recognize this truth,
cnd in creator faiIure thAn any nation Of The