New-York tribune., 1902-05-19
DIR. VAN DYKES SERMON.
MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND HEAR HIM
A PLEA FOR CHRISTIAN LIFE
AND SERVICE

The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church has
seldom had an audience so large as that which
gathered yesterday morning to hear a sermon
by the moderator Of the General Assembly. In
the pulpit were the Rev. Dr. J. Ross Stevenson.
the pastor of the church; his assistant the
Rev. Ernest F. Hall. and the permanent clerk
Of the assembly. the Rev. DR. William B. Noble.
of California In the audience were many of
the commissioners and leading men from other
Presbyterian churches in this city, attracted by
their interest in the assembly and by their de-
sire to hear the man called to preside over the
representatives of a million people.
DR.. van Dyke was at his best. The sermon
centred about Christian faith and Christian
work He said that he wanted TO preach about
Jesus Christ because He was the centre Of the
Protestant faith and the heart Of the Gospel.
He wanted to preach also about evangestic
work. because that the keynote Of this
General Assembly. and about home missions.
because this was the hundredth anniversary Of
the marriage of the Presbyterian Church to
that great enterprise. All three of these sub
jects he found in the text Il the door"
The Il ans of Jesus he characterized the
picture gallery of the Gospel, adding that every
thing beautiful, glorious and useful In the world
was symbol of Jesus who said: Il am the
bread of heaven, the water of life, the light of
the world the good shepherd, the way. the truth
and the life"
After explaining the twofold use of the door
the way of entrance and the way of egress-he
spoke Of Christ as the door through Whom
those who have entered into peace with God go
out into larger richer and nobler existence, and
said in part:
WHEN THOUGHT IS FREE.
Through Christ our thought goes out into liberty.
It is common to speak Of the aemp' TO iRffT
No name could be more false and misleading. The
thought which refuses TO go beyond the lye senses
which has no explanation Tor our deepest aHec-
tions and longings, except to say that they are
has nothing to about the origin of our spiritual
nature and no anSwer 10 b s bougb fI is not free
it is thought captive enslaved, imprisoned The
writer for the daily press who believing nothing
himself. daily endeavors TO rdicue faith by re-
O't;r Christ is the door in the blank wall He tells
to- to which wi He returns Take that one word in which
Christ tells us to call God our Father ~ Is an
does az erthiy fatberhond mat blessed my
watchfulness frmness TO counsel, rebuke and pun
ish pity. for my worst, sympathy for my best a
means all 6aa1 no" moen more does
We come to Christ with our doubts and ques,,
God, the Sovereign Ruler Of the Universe, IS our
Father Our questions are not al! hs%eTeu; & put our
path but they stay our steps pch we are nS
onward toward the light
REVISION OF CREEDs
Christ is the door of our faith There is no ad-
in religious knowledge except through Him; ,
There is revision of creeds save that 10 wh5cn
He leads Without Him there may be change. But
the 6 our Smy ah ore eosey to the Of His
name. Every forward movement mus must BET be through @
gulde, T drs per bf NOR CospeI Theology through
Christ means the outgoing of the soul into life
with God with experiences, new wonders. new
know in part But know. and the door that
opens before into wider. richer. truer knowl-
who is the brightness of the Fathers glory and the
GbTist is the door Of our affections and sympa
thies His love is the type Of all true and noble love
IL and makes it overflow with generous feelings
He would have us love Him best because He died
10 save us But He would also have us love every
one else better, because we love Him best. re
draws us into Him In order that He may send sen q us
Jesus says to us Love not the world'It sensH-
from Ciod-neither the things that are in the world
But people that are In the worldIthe sunefi1G AZ
its foIies starved by its famine-all sorts OF peo
ppeople pee that are climbing upward ana lending =,
hand to others-al kind Of people that need 600
love and ours, Jesus would have us love even az
He loves us
REWRITING THE FRENCH MOTTO.
Faith in Ch-'s rswrtss the old m9to t1otaT Of the
French Revolution Not ihoery h@4@1aity @ & into
ed1ality and fits them for liberty. Faith in Christ
are trying cast out devils and heal the sick:
whether t thfy that is not against G us is for II
81 saye no confidence in that sort OF Christianity
whicn WI n,,eye ~a suffering and enlighten ignorance
have no confidence in that kind OF Protestantiiism
IN " witch a wounded man is lying because Ro-
Catholic has Rat Kind e of PtneT sRa
Which lives in hostility aud hatred toward Chris
sbips / have confidence IN that kind OF a /