The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-20
best THOUGHTS CULLED
Topics Discussed Yesterday by Some
of the Pastors.
DIR. ROBINSON ON EMPTY HEART
Rev. C. Prosser's First Sermon in Prini.
tive Methodist Church-Rcv. d. NJ
kintcr on Origin of Crccds-Dif.
fcrcnt Kinds of Church. .Gocrs.

Below are given the best thought
from several of the leading sermons de
livered in the city yesterday.
Rev. Charles Il. Robinson. d. D.. II
| preaching at the Second Presbyterian
| church on the Empty Heart,
| Mathew xii, "A, said
Reformation is not salvation, be
| cause 1t leads to no confidence In God
1t is self-reliance and not God-reliance
In the latter one takes God into hi
SOUL in tthe former he stands alone
There was the fatal defeat in this man'i
| case, he stood alone, his heart wa
swept and garnished' but empty !
man who desires to reform trusts him
self, but one who wishes to be saveI
trusts in God, one could as easil.
sweep back the incoming tides of th
Atlantic with a broom as to withstand
the forces Of evil alone. 1t does no
save him to get rid of one devil, to le'
in the evil spirit of pride or self-right
eousness. He is no nearer being save,
by casting out the devil and trusting
| himself
| What the Christian Church stands for
Rev. 1. NJ. Kinter, speaking at tn
Providence Christian church yesterda,
on Origin of Creeds,' said:
1.-The first creed of the church wa:
| divine, brief and simple and was stated
! in the words that Jesus is the Christ
| the Son OF the Living Cod The churcl
had no other for three centuries. The
first authoritive human creed wa:
made by the Council of Nice. A. d. S25
and is called the Nicene creed. 1t l:
the basis of all orthodox creeds.
"The first Protestant creed Is the
Augsburg confession and originated
with Luther and his coadjutors in the
Sixteenth century. 1t was followed 10y
the Heidleburg confession German Re
form); Westminster Presbyteriam
Thirty-nine articles Church of Eng
land: Methodist discipline (Method
list Episcopal church,: Philadelphia
confession CBaptist. and Others.
The Christian church Disciples
plead for a return Ito the original creed
and Il total abandonment of all human
creeds, names and denominationalism
Their motto is: Where the Bible
speaks we speak and where the Bible
is silent we are silent on all matter!
pertaining to faith and duty"
Spectators versus Doors.
Rev. C. Prosser, in preaching his frs
sermon, at the Green Ridge Primitiv,
Methodist church, yesterday, dwelt OF
1.-The Pre-eminent Feature of the Apos
tolic Writer'S" and said:
1T is very instructive to note the
pre-eminent features of each apostolic
writer. Paul freely discusses faith
Peters favorite topic seems to be hope
James sifts works, and Johns epistle!
are we'll freighted with love. He state!
the muta bility of the lust of the flesh
lust of the eyes, and pride of life, anC
the permanency of him that doeth no
his own will, but the will of God. Lee
US notice three differences from tht
text There are varied ideas in the
worid--as to what is Gods will con
cerning each of us. Some try to insti
into our minds the theory that Gods
will is our ruin, our external destruc'
ton, but science and the Holy WIFI
comes ito our rescue ait this very point
Science teaches us that there are evi
dences in the different organs of the
human system that Gods will is oul
happiness. Holy Writ emphatically
anu ihAcl liiS uS tihgi
Gods will is our salvation, our puraty
and our usefulness. So while we dread
the wish of some people, we need not
dread the Divine wish concerning us.
1.-THE important duty and how car
we best perform it is another question
By reading it, by ruminating 1T. Doing
it Immediately, regularly and with pure
intentions.
1.-The unspeakable recompense abid-
eth forever Not only like a rock, sur
mounted by a CLASSY sea, but like q
cedar Notwithstanding the storms. The
reward is not to him that readeth the
will merely, or memoriZe the will from
Genesis to Revelation but to him that
doeth the word of God"
why Some People Attend Church.
Rev. NJ. II. Mill. preaching at st
David's church yesterday morning, on
"True Worship" said: There are, nc
doubt, many different kinds of hearers
in every congregation. One class, which
is usually quite largely represented, are
the vacant hearers. If you try to find
out why they come to church at all, you
will only be mystified the more, since
they, themselves, could not give you
reason, because they have none. They
simply come, and that Is all. They
leave everything but their bodies al
home, and they are as harmless as they
are charmless. The curious heareY
comes with the spirit to dissect, to criti-
else, and find imperfections in what he
hears. The teaching is either too ma
terial or too spiritual for him, too prac-
ticaI or theoretical and he goes ava Y
dissatisfied. The captious hearer comes
and Is very attentive, simply to find op-
portunities for materials to be used as
weapons against religion. He, himself
does not believe in religion. and Is try.
ing hard to prejudice every one else
against 1t.
"Then there Is a fashionable hearer