The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-27
NJ NABBOTTS FAREWELL
Old PLYMOUTH CROWDED TO HEAR
HIS PARTING WORDS.

The Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbott preached his
farewell sermon In Plymouth Church yester-
dsy morning. and had the famous old church
building been half again as large It could
scarcely have comfortably accommodated those
who came TO hear him. In every gallery, down
every aisle they were crowded as thickly rs
they could sit and and. and the late oomers,
being unable TO even gain admittance, we're
forced to 60 away. It was a typical Plymouth
church gathering. composed very largely OF
members.
Dr. Abbott spoke with deep feeling OF his
work In the church. but In all his words their
was a note OF optimism. Many Of the hearers
were deeply touched. Tho preacher chose for
his text a portion OF the twenty-third verse OF
the seventeenth chapter OF the Acts: whom
therefore ye ignorantly worship. him declare 1
unto you
Twelve years ago next month. almost next
week" he said, "a former pastor OF this church
died. Early In the fall I came here, frst as
preacher. then as pastor. For eleven and a
half years l have been your minister. To-day
! am your minister for the last religious SER
vice. and it has seemed to me appropriate to
try to sum up the message 1 have tried to
give to you and which l hone to continue as
long as I live. l have assumed during these
years that you and 1 have belonged to one
family. because we are OF one heart. We are
children OF God. Perhaps 1t would be moro
accurate to say that we are becoming children
Of God-emerginG from the animal. l have
always thought OF you with the divine light
dormant in your soul.
For this reason 1 have sought to know. my
self. the God l wanted others to know. The
whole world is seeking God, and God is seek
ing the whole world. God can reveal himself
to you only so far as you have the capacity to
perceive the revelation. All religion Is seeking
after him. and more than that all Of life ia seek
ing after him. The young man who says he
will win a fortune is seeking God. for in his
efforts he will find beneficence. The manu-
~facturer. the merchant. the artist are al. lead
found love- But what is lover II is only God.
another. Knowing God and believing that YOU
wanted to know Him. II this were al, l might
would dt believe that God has found man and man
has found God. They have come together; In
the tn, Christ Christ | n sse do Eh { T GSS a tn be ths sb %a to d | Sass
philosophically the religion Of Christ. This is
coming now to the dissection, the study. OF our
which they commence to live and to love. But
iyze the love Of the m9thert the love Of, the
to determine the relation Of Christ to Cod I
do not care to know. Christ f. less an object
Light Of Lights and the God Of Gods. TO me
he is the Prince of Peace, Before him | bow
dOgs aII5 snd c l1o ahR! w w i O. his INV yG IoTsF 4 Hs i
nna E sta[s' my nv Master. am sorry that do not
S Snf ss ia %y h aPn. bf I have do No not 1e lSys ni% VICE. mSFS;
can ever transcend the reverence l want to
ing flowers In the forest with his, children.
e gass s sse TaRsfr'f b. AND saqd!bs By ona ' SiItf away aRs OFF Of
the children see their father standing, He, is
fflilR Ma Sn IS b SfGdons TRSey 1n do not sS fDms It t. ann and
yet they know that somewhere there is a path
E iSsyir "a fat Ssls Rh sos IS cs shn se and dP th SS e ae@; Tiers h rs
S TsPd: ss SO fhs Itf' rsa SRf tis ssF FH5Esr. on and up
bc sso q nnd i b Is ssslIinF c ms' follow Espf him. 0n Because Dr; As,
and It diflcult1 to believe this. but ! put that
bctt. follow me- I Know that somewhere there
is path which will lead me to him. So I turn
am sorry that 1 am to be no more in Ply;
some who are pretty familiar with The mes,
c ssSsi | wh hop do G1 Sdt w kno 08w it tes as % @sl PIF sSa h ii fs
not heard IT as often as you: II thought all
t Rse T0 I / k} 1sstid ct h0S t haPRRy Gomez xSslG Into The he;
world. hate. injustice and falsehood league
s tts1R ~ s.ss sGast Reek against IS repeate edem Fhrou rhe
%f1seariot. ne oaiRphss: the p Po Shk III r.
Judas speaking. Eeclesiasties say that II truth
are TS.t done sGs,t and 6dt men men Say i i Is P PGt their snsa taqlt.
good in the making wish | could think that
isee the evil in mems hearts; All my own
victories come after battles. ,CaiSRhas some
times SAYS ssys !t # mo is B hone Of your prlf bssi SN@s''
I look to Jesus Christ. and see that He con.
G %S.n E Ell Il BY but mot Sp5 5eSHIf fm il. H asf FsRukf III i; cont ont
I do not believe that Jesus Christ camo and
s mei # I f sR6 P u SO { { @ %Said nj iR !do L. .Gai RSG9
was no spectacular drama to bring tears to
s SslsR Goa an pos sF9f III file IN into 3 n sss m''n0u D'
and see the heart OF God suffering throughout
eternity; see no scheme Tor s stsr a ti see
r. sf Is no q love sAs that fl%i IS not sS StSsdiasy 50 Iona
as the loved one sins; Have you never tslt
;; liemnSS whose iS5 ss sin Sarned af INTO your n ewn heart saf :
Friends have asked me why did not remain
i hsse b 1Pd Iust R Be TaS on th SaRf I Gould th DO ftPs D I6
SSS t ,"lpn thai aoppSt No heart can SresshR
and bearing the burdens Of His people mo,o
htllRlOD. tUtH. l. ave T. lVb, ~ piN1Si' 49,
than theology. more than ritualism. more than
ethical rules of conduct, Thinking about re-
s6ip are Only ministers to It. RsIisi23P9 en- is f Il 2
seeing people who don't know Him as well and
trying TO make them know Him. Christianity
is rooted and grounded In love. not ,creeds, l
am certain that the time is coming when Chris
tianity shall mean Christian brotherhood;
when It shall mean fellowship. communion and
common life; The world win not be re- o.
its failure to pass. through the imposing Of
4 property, tax or the failure to impose
cratic or Republican or even the Prohibition
PARTY It viii be redeemed only when :, We We
God We are all brothers. For to be e Christie, !,
not a narrow gate through which one indi-
ydual can slip TO bliss leaving the rest oi tht
world outside. II IL were / shouldn't want any
otit; | would rather stay with the rest OF the
World and share its sorrows and sunerihe'
IMAM to escape on a lifeline.
! am sorry to leave BROOKLYN, ! have beer
to leave Plymouth Church. but most OF al am
sorry to leave a pastorate to which | meyer ex
peOt IN rnturn Rut I bona for n long time We