New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-11
"THE CHRISTIANS WEALTH.
THE REV. A. c. DIXON AT THE MADISON
AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
JoY OF THE BELIEVER IN THINGS UNSEEN AND
rTERNAI-HE is RICHER TO-DAY Be
CAUSE or THE LIVES OF THE

Tho Rev 4 c. Dixon of Brooklyn. preached last
riob, IN the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church.
q, Ffty-third-st the second of series OF sermons
in the union services now being held by ten churches
There was a large and interested ATTENDANCE. Ills
subject was: The Christians Wealth. ana MS
text: eye are not come unto the mount that might
be touched-but We are come unto MOUNT Nioh' exc
Hebrews xii. 1922.
He said in part: "Christanity Is better than ma
terialism: We are not unto the mount that
might be touched If your religion Is no deeper
than your external II is hardly worth haNihs
If It's only expression is in tangible FORM whether
by gorgeous ritual or external action 1t Is just as
worthless God dwells in the soul: his communion ~
spirtual We look not at things which are seen and
temporal but at the things unseen and eternal Inc
tangible has its place. and may be used by the
spiritual. but when the tangible is predominant "
IS a religion of coarseness and weakness
christianity does than consume we are
NOT come unto the mount that burned with fire. 1t
is easy TO DESTROY child with BANNER can
break into pieces the statuary that 1t would take
masters OF art to restore. The watchwoTd OF mn
deity Is destruction. and II gives nothlhg III the
place of what II destroys. God would consume our
sins but IN their place he gives righteousness. lie
would burn I'D the chaf of concet selhshness ana
wordliness but he gives in their place huinhny,
self-sacriGce and spiritual life. Tho mount that
burns with love takes the place OF the mount mat
burns with fire: Calvary succeeds Sinai.
"Chrstianity Is not darkness. Darkness Is the alb
sence of light We are not come unto darkness
Christ Is orr light: We in become the light OF
the world The path OF the Just i as the SHINING
light that sh!neth more and more unto the per-
feet day There is light upon every step; there IS
no subject in the broad range OF practical duty upon
which we cannot find light in the Scriptures III
there ia soul darkness IL IS FOR the lack OF sight
and light II we stumbling In the dark we need
to cry the touch Of Him whose finger opens the
blinded eye.
"Christianitv Is no, tempest Some people are
ike the petrels birds OF the storm They IKE tur-
MOL OF spirit They never better satisfied than
when they are at unrest They prefer 10 go ID
Heaven In a whrlwlnd. They are not happy unless
they are miserable God would have us children OF
peace SO much now for what We have not What
follows is A summary OF what the Christian may
have upon earth 1t Is heaven in embryo-iofetaste
OF JOYS that are to come
~. have here angelic sympathy. angelic strength.
angelic guardianship. 'Ye come TO an innuiner-
able company OF angels How close is heaven
linked TO earth? If nave guardian angel, among
the first things wish TO do when | get TO heaven
is TO thank him for his faithful. loving service But
II ali angels stand icsdy 10 minister unto Chris
tians. we have a better ministry than II each enc
were accompanied by single spirit
I'VE have the JOY and wealth Of truth in the Chris
tan Church 'Ye are come TO the general assembly
and church Of the hrstborn which was written In
heaven The Christian IS whose name is writ
ten In heaven; he is upon earth but his name stands
FOR him on the record above, and he Is one Of the
nrstborn' In the old Jewish family the frstborn had
most Of the wealth the honor and the authority In
Gods family ali nrstborn. Whatever he has Is at
their disposal and he can dispense thus richy 10 al
without in the least impoverishing himself what
ever the Church OF all countries anu ages mas -
mine The truth given to patrarchs. prophets and
apostles Is mine share In tpT giory OF every VI
umph of Christianity. am the rlcher To-Day be
caus. Calvin lived and made emphatic the SOW
~ | an
lived and magniGcd the witness OF the spirit am
OF justification by iaith. am ri'h"r oecau s
Madame Guon and Fenelon lived. and wrote OF the
mystic relation between ~ ana God am ilch,r
because OF the truth preached by Spuiseon' Moody
and John Mcneil. Whatever God gives to any
member OF MS Church he gives for the enrenmen,
We have our heritage IN the gloriaed saints.
'Ye are cJme to the spirits Of Just men made per
feet When our trends die vs. DO not lose mem
They pass away. but they are SIN ours The iaci
it, those who have died are the ones VINO most truly
live. Those who influence our lives most are mo
spirits OF Just men made perfect When Christ as
cended he came most tru!y 10 MS aisclpes. MS
departure larger revelation. WHO h" was
ointment sealed up but when he ascendci he be-
came Ike the alabaster box broken us perfume h-
ing the room.
appreciate them often should. we 10 not know
them as DO when they have passed into heaven
Thomas Carlyle said OF his wife that he did not
know that ne had had an angel with him until II had
flown away. Thus come into the full possession
OF all glorihcd saints. ! have heritage In Abra-
ham Isaac Jacob. Is iah. Ezekiel. Paul and all the
martyrs who before the throne, and some
one there whom know all the better since they
left. / have their virtues more distinctly and
they live more truly in my life. do not believe
that they back here TO move tables. write mes
sages in bad English and make all sorts OF silly
revelations to They have better employment
They mine where they are-out OF my reach. in
deed but with certain prospect Of enjoying sooner
or later their presence.