The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-05-13
DR.. ABBOTT TO THE CLASS.
ADDRESSES THE GRAD YATES OH
YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL.

YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL.
Notable Opening of the Anniversary
Exercises Mt Center Church Last Even
tng-Urges the Preaching of Religion
Not Theology.
young men, at the risk of being
misunderstood let me urge you to be
the preachers of a religion, not the
teachers of theology. People come
to church to get religion, not theology;
they seek not the science of light, but
the light itself. A hungry man goes
to breakfast for rolls and eggs and cof-
fee, not for a page cut from cook
book He wants breakfast. not what
somebody says about breakfast"
So spake Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott to
the graduating class of Yale divinity
school at Center church last evening.
The occasion was the opening of the
anniversary exercises of the schools
commencement, and the church was
crowded President Hadley Of Yale,
Professor George p. Fisher, head of the
divinity school, and Professor Stevens,
also of the school, were present and
participated in the service~ while mem
bers of the graduating class occupied
seats reserved for them in the body of
the church. President Hadley in in
Producing Dr. Abbott said that it was
"at once fortunate and fitting that the
Inspiration Of the graduation sermon
should be derived from Lyman Abb
bott."
1T is said" DR.. Abbott remarked, in
opening, that the pulpit is losing its
power If it is the platform that Is
retrograding I am glad of it, but If 1T
is the minister who stands on the plat
form who is losing power It augurs ILL.,
Whether or not the church Is losing
power is a matter of question-it GER
tainly Is not greater than it should be
but as means of learning an answer
to the question we need to know what
the secret of that power is. The ques-
ton is not why do so few people go to
church, but rather why do so many go?
It's remarka BILE conundrums when you
come to think Of it. The factories,
shops, stores are all closed, the people
have time to follow their inclinations,
life for day takes on a change, and
yet all over the country hundreds of
thousands go to church. They have
been doing so for years, for centuries
under all sorts of forms and creeds in
pagan lands and Christian lands, with
various ceremonies and services. 1t is
not the music that attracts them, not
the social side, not the pulpit oratory-
very few preachers are polished, and
no man can be an orator fifty-two
times a year. What is it then that ir-
resistably draws people to church,"
Men and women go to church to get
some light, some knowledge of the Crea-
tor. God the ruler, and of the invisible
world of the future. Men in Sorrow,
In darkness, in perplexity, in tempta-
ton. dragged down by the stress of
life. want the church, feel the need of
greater strength than comes from man
alone. All men are seeking thought,
some blindly, some intelligently. It's to
know more about the intangible world.
more about God, that men go to
church
The four great questions of humani-
ty are: What Is man, now in process
of development? What is God, this
Being over us. and how shall we
know Him What are the real and
ideal relationships between God and
Man? How can we enter into the right
relationship? Jesus Christ is the men,
the ideal man for all, the perfect type
Of a perfect manhood Women as well
as men find in Him their ideal. He Is
the image Of God, the Son
of God. "God manifest in tho
flesh" so says the New Testiment. 1t
10 almost beyond belief that this infi-
mite and eternal being who pervades
the whole universe has walked on the
earth. been a man, been hungry and
silent. We believe that this Christ
died and is arisen: that there is no
death for Him or His followers. We
are witnesses to witness to living
Christ in the world, here in New Ha-
ven. here in this church We look on
the invisible world and we know that
world is here, to-day, as truly as II
ever was in Palestine.
Young men, we cannot bear witness
to life which we ourselves do not pro-
fess. Men come to church because
tbav want to know about this eternal
world this invisible God. If you can
not give them this living faith IN a
living God you have no business IN the
christian ministry. Moody did 1t, SO
did Phillips Brooks; so do Others You
are going out into the world to preach.
IF after a sermon man tells you that
n was "a great effort go home ana
nrav for day. but if another with
rlimmer in his eyes says, you've help-
ed me-" thank God Reach your people
The man that is blue. who mas zone
wrong. lost his opportunities, is listen
w.. 70 Won. the woman who mourns her
on1v child is sitting over there; the
bride full of happiness is close ny'
these want an Interpreter. Ii you can
make the man say, Eyes, that's the
trouble; you've hit it" the woman say
"ob that's what want, the plesseo
hope beyond the grave" the bride say
eve thank thee for this opening sprlls :,
60 full of glorious promise
Won have struck the hidoei,
KEYS and won. You nave healu
vrayer addressed to Coo III lol ~
hut to the audience in fact; some olnsl
men YOU have heard pray as men Who
knew God, understood Him, had mel
Him knew where to find Him. aho
commune with Him.
81 congratulate you, young men
rhara never was a time when there