The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-12
coNFeRsNce AFTERNOON SESSION.
Missionary Sermon by Rev. Amasa F.
Chaff'e, of Wilkes. Barre.

Missionary Sermon by Rev Amasa F
Chaff.e, of Wilkes. Barre.
The afternoon session was begun at
23O o'clock with devotional exercises
led by Rev. George NJ. Colvills, ot
Binghampton, who offered prayer anc
read a chapter from Psalms.
Rev. Mauley S Hard presided ut the
session, which was commenced with
the financial reporting of the clergy
men or representatives from all dis
tricts to Rev. Hugh G. McDermott. the
conference treasurer and his assistants
An adjournment was made for ten
minutes to allow the various standing
ing committees time to retire and elect
chnirmen and secretaries.
When the conference resumed 1t was
to hear the missionary sermon by Rev
Amasa F. Chaifee, of Wilkes Barre.
His text was from Romans ia. He
spoke as follows.
OBLIGATION is AFFIRMED
But why obllgatedf
Expediency will not suffice. According
to this we chose such things only az pro-
mote our happiness or pleasure Self is the
center of this. Right is then simply that
which seems expedient. This is the basis
Of all heather or goddess systems Of NOR
ality.
The common doctrine of Christianity is
that the will of God is the ultimate ground
of moral obligation to rational creatures.
That Gods will is the only rule for decid.
ing what is right and wrong. His Will
binds us. This implies that His mind shall
be known, laws given. Assuming, then,
that the collection of books, called the BIZ
bic, is such revelation, ARE we under obliga
ton to spread the Gospel.
We are not led by Pauls statement to
believe that he was under any special call
or feeling the stress Of an anxiety which
would not be shared by any God called
person, He had weighed the 70 of the
Divine commission, felt its overwhelming
Importance, saw how the safety Of ma
tions depended upon its being obeyed.
This was but recognition Of responsible.
lty and willingness to respond; recogni.
tion Of the spirit which animates the host,
an army OF invasion aud conquest, and ali
must feel the responsibility.
The spirit OF the Gospel embraces all,
Christ is in the world to save the world
He Is after sinners. His coming is Of
mercy. For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whose
ever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. For God sent
not His Son into the world to condemn
the world but that the world through
Him might be saved"
Grace is for all. By the grace Of God,
Jesus Christ tasted death for every man,
Every man is the phrase which measures
the wideJess Of his love. HE is the pro-
pitiation for our sins. and not for sins only,
but for the sins Of the whole world" "He
gave himself ransom for ALL" The ends
Of the earth areinvited to live. The up
lifted Christ, as the uplifted serpent, saves.
gives moral life and vigor, to such a. look
III faith. But who shall call the attention
OF the perishlng to the crucifed? His
church. Before the cross it is impossible
to breathe other than in an enthusiastic
spirit Of missions. The lost world stands
before us. We feel the awful must, and
hasten with the message Adoption into
Gods family, soulship, means kinship wi
the Christ--yearning for the lost and try.
ing to save TIE religion of the son Of
man is missionary. God the sender, the
children the sent.
This aspect Of the obligation considers
the command as sole authority. God has
the right to command and we have no
right to disobey. Unquestioning, with
out sentimentalism, we respond, because
such only is right. I
This makes manifest the Importance of
the individual What God might have
done is one thing, what he has done quite
another. His plans are consumated by
the use of individuals. Moses gives the
law; Isaiah prophecizps; the disciples call
His friends. In His realm this is anala.
gous to the molecular theory of science.
BY this We are taught that light, heat,
sound are conveyed by the affection and
activity of the atom. Pass it along is tho
unalterable law. A failure of the atom
means an impeding in transmission.
Ones inactivity may mean the eternal
death OF whole line Of connected atoms
or individuals.
God exalts us by shifting the shackles of
sin and making us bondmen of His love,
wherein we become legs and wings to His
word.
HUMANE ASPECT OF OBLIGATION.
The strong are to bear the burden of the
weak.
'As ye would that men should do to
you, do We also to them"
''As ye have opportunity do good unto
all men"
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. And thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself,"
But to whom are we neiRhbors9 The
men in need. Samaritan incident teaches
us the doctrine that capacity and oppor-
tunity measure ones duty. "What you
can, is the law in your case, for God never
requires impossiblites. That you are
able renders it probable that you ought.
That you have opportunity renders 1t GER
tain. Either of these conditions may ex-
ist without obligation. Angels are able to
tell the story OF redemption. but have not
the opportunity. Man has opportunity to
do miracles Of teaching, but lacks the ca