The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-06-18

of His Traits, Should Be Cultivated.
Rev. Rogers Israel. rector of st.
Lukes Episcopal church, preached yes.
terday morning Mt the Church of the
Good Shepherd, Green Ridge, and Rev.
4. S Bgllentine, rector OF the latter
church, occupied the pulpit at st.
Luke's.
Rev. Mr.. Israel's sermon was from
the text, "Be ye therefore followers OF
God as dear children" Ephesians v. 1,
Introductory to his discourse, he said
that the subject bore upon the imits-
ton of Christ and. while the text
of God the best revelation Of Col is
found in Christ After commenting
upon the identity of Christ and histor-
icsl teachings of His divinity aud won-
derful and sacred life, the speaker said,
in part, as follows:
With tho fact Of the existence Of one so
distinguished, even by profane history, rs
Jesus OF Nazareth settled beyond con-
troversy, the critics turned their batteries
upon the Gospel accounts OF his life and
teachings. These they said were mere in
ventiOns Of his Rdmirers-simply myths
which had grown up around him because
Of his very beautiful and lovable character,
Consequently these two methods Of ex
planning away our Lords works and
teachings Us recorded in the gospels were
adopted: First, that the accounts were
fCtions gotten up with the intention to
deceive. Second. that they were the nat
ural additions of ages to somewhat re-
,,Nnrlya hlp IA and oh Tho tirlr bna
been proved impossible for many reasons.
a characteristic Of the gospel accounts
Of our Lords life Is that the writer, instead
OF describing what Christ Gaid and did,
represents him as giving voice himself to
his teachings and then they leave these
teachings to denote the character without
comment on their part.
Consequently if these teachings are in
yentions aud not Christs' words, the man
who originated or invented them must
have been the genius who spake as never
man spake before. In other words the in
ventor himself must have been greater
than any age had ever seen and the mira
cles of the invention is really more difficult
| Of belief than the original biblical state
| ment.
SUCH INVENTIONS IMPOSSIBLE,
1t has also been shown that invention Of
such n character was impossible without
the existence of just such man as Christ
| to invent it, And further to strengthen
this point, it is only necessary for us to
consider the impossibility Of our having
the mind and carrying out the intention
to deceive, even originating the pure, spot
| less spiritual character OF Christ when
even years of the strictest imitation on
the part of the purest men have failed to
duplicate even unto today.
Consequently, as / said above, it be-
comes moro difficult thing to believe
that some other spoke as He did than TO
believe that the Gospel accounts are true
Of Him whom they leave His own words to
describe. Admitting the force of these
arguments the adverse critics confess to
the historic character OF Christ, admit the
sayings aud the teachings Of the Gospels TO
| be largely His and are turning all their
strength upon an analysis of His words en-
| deavofing to drive out the spiritual ele-
mont, rs we term it.
The following statements are as certain
40 history, subjected to the most rigorous
| inspection and approved by the cravings
of the universal human heart, and the
unmeasured consent OF the human
intellect can possibly be; First, that
! there lived nineteen centuries ago re.
markable Man named Jesus. the Christ;
| second that the statements recorded OF
HIS life, His words and His acts arc genu.
inc historical accounts.
! These being facts, there remains for us
| 10 see what He made Himself to be: First.
He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son OF
God, the Savior of the world; second, He
proved His statement By many wonderful
works, chief of which was the individual
personal human character He presented
for the study Of the race-a character
which is universally acknowledged, not
only by Christians, but by heather, to be
| the character Of perfect man.
1t is advisable for us to consider the
building up of this character, for pre-
sumo that no man OF ordinary common
sense deliberately chooses the evil, uu W.
full, vicious life, but is rather led into
it by weakness, or temptation, or ignor-
ance of the true and lawful, and conse.
quently all men are more or less anxious
to know the truth and to understand how
they may, il they will, build up noble,
manly character.
POINTS OF JESUS CHARACTER.
Christ taught and exemplifed humility
in his own life: "He that would be great
est among you let him be your servant,
he said, and then in his own person wash
cd his disciples feet His humility was sc
natural, so manifested that it impressei
every reader with its sincerity. 1t is that
humility which arises from a love for mar
SO deep that in unconscious grandeur il
stopped from the highest position to ac-
complish the lowest deeds. The second
most prominent point OF this character is
prayerfulness That God in the flesh
should find need to pray to God in heaven
seems either a paradox or a duality OF
Gods. But that the divine humility, which
s the Interpretation of the above, the per-
feet man should need the assistance Of
actual prayer ought to impress US with tht
still greater necessity Of imperfect human
nature making use of the same instrument
for assistance.
The "Our Father" which is now accept
ed as the universal prayer OF all men seek
ing God, came from his lips as an example
for all prayer hereafter. The intercessory
prayer gives us the model Of all interces
sion and presents us with his appreciation
kind of prayer which to-day is mucl
neglected and the utility Of which is Otter
doubted. And then when the last dreat
agony is near we find Him meeting it truly
on his knees and we may hear the word,
Of his human agonized heart, "Father, il
it be possible, let this cup pass from me
but not my will but thine be done"
Who can then expect to be Christ-likC
without prayer? Who can pretend to tn,
Christ spirit without this earnest natura
communion with God such as he displays
II He, the perfect man, felt help and com
fort for himself and assistance for Hi;
friends by thus turning to that Father t.
Whom he was was the immediate sou, how
much more need that we, children only 10y
adoption, and Of imperfect human nature
should seek suCCor and defense and cultur,
from the same great Father.
Another prominent characteristic for u'
to observe is his self denial, self.forgetful-
ness, unselfshness. He forsook condi