The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-23
DOCTRINE OF The ELECT
Rev. George j. Lucas, d. d., breaches
That the Many Will BE Saved.
GOD WISHES ALL TO BE SAVED
Sermon Was Preached Last Evening at
the Forty Hours Devotion in st.
Paul's Church. Green Ridgc-Unbap.
tixcd Infants viii Not Suffer.

Rev. George ]. Lucas, d. D.. of Arch
bald. preached the closing sermon OF
the Forty Hours devotion in st. Paurs
church. Green Ridge. last evening. 1t
was on that most abstruse subject or
homiletics. THE Large Number of the
Elect" and was based on the text.
God wishes all men TO be saved,
l Tim, II, 4.
1T is mans duty said DIR. Lucas.
ito work out his salvation with fear
and trembling and to take no risks in
the matter OF eternal life. Still it is
also meet that he should look with
eyes of bright and joyous hope on the
prospects of winning the immortal king
dom 1t has been the custom with
many to teach that few shall be saved,
and It can be read that an eminent
French preacher spoke from re-
nownei pulpit on this theme and made
such an Impression on his hearers that
the church was filed with the sobs and
tears of the vast congregation. and now
though 200 years have passed by, the
sounds of his voice seem yet to echo in
the ears of many and pierce their
hearts with melancholy and sadness.
1t is preferable with the sweet st.
Fracis de Sales and other distinguished
authorities to avert from this despond-
ing picture. and to find balm in the
hope that not the few but the many
shall be happy"
The reverend speaker in dissertating
on the words. Many are called. but
few are chosen" said that to the super
fetal observer this sentence clearly
speaks the minority of the saved, the
plurality of the lost, but the parallels
to which the words are annexed import
into them a wholly different meaning.
Thev occur twise, first in the parable
of the Laborers of the Vineyard sec
ondly, in that of the royal marriage
feast. In the first parable all are ad-
m!tted to labor in the vineyard; all re-
celve the same wages, each man a PEN
ny. the last as well as the first. The
master of the vineyard is God, the
wages eternal life.
Those who toll the whole day repre-
sent the generality of men who receive
the wages Of salvation. but in an or
dinary manner; they are the rank and
file of eternal life. They are like
Paul, vessels of election. the picked
princes of the people of God. Many are
called. but few are chosen, that is
many are called to the ordinary gifts,
few are chosen TO the privileged inherl-
tances
Those Who Know Not the Gospci
Taking up the question, What shall
become of the immense multitudes of
paEans, on whom the light of the Cos
pei never 'beamed? he said that every
man who follows his natural lights and
practices justice, is on the way to the
accomplishment of the saving ordi-
nance. He who is not baptized in
water. II he believes. shall find Infused
into his soul the grace of baptism of
desire
"A great stumbling block to many"
he said. "is the future fate of the un-
baptized children. still this stumbling
block is more in appearance than in
reality. 1t is true they are deprived Of
the gift of heaven. Of the vision of
God face TO face. But they suffer no
positive punishment. no prison confines
surrounds them, no pain dLstresses
them, no sorrow shadows the bright
ness of their pleasures. They enjoy
al! the natural felicity of which man is
capable; they shall be a thousand
times happier than the happiest on this
earth The fact that they shall not
see the face of God simply places them
in low state Of Joy. but stlll a state
of unenGlng. untlouied bliss. This
happy condition Is not simply. not an
evidence Of cruelty. 2. l. a supreme act
of divine Condesccnsi1n."
In conclusion D-. Lucas spoke as fol-
lows: Bur som" one might say all
this Is theory. Be T. 50, II Is not more
theory than the opinion which could
small and naiclw a number of irNahit-
ing saints. and would allow nothing
worthy of Gods attention. except this
miserable little eap,h of ours. Let us
rather eXdft the divine lihcrsllty. let
us see the Streams or H,s goodness
watering and glad1enng the whole OF
this mighty universe: let us behold
Him proving himself in wondrOus
kindness to all HIS peoples. whom 20
redeem He d.d U.t hesitate TO SHED
HIS blood on the Infamous gibbet Of the
cross. Yet while these consoling
Thoughts gladden. MS and strengthen
us we must bear in mind also that alas!
s1cne shall be lost.
Must Work Out our Saiyntiou
cut "he number down as you may:
suppose the doomed lr in the ratio Of
one to ton, IL lilCDV's us to work OF.
our salvation in fcGt' and trefn Bling.
lcs't pcrcE1rce we be the luc,iIeSs orc.
our life mus. be an uninterrupted
stream of peace and joy; joy In the
Holy Ghost. desr,tc 'the Ghadows and
crosses of this world. bHt II must be
also a life Of fear, vigilance. precau-
ton, lest the coveted prize slip out
of orr hands.
with this JOY and hope and love.
moderated by this vigilance, precau-
ton, love we shall not he surprised
asleep when the bridegroom comcth.
but we shall he prepared to meet Him.
with trimmed and burning lamps. and
to enter into the MARIA ge-feast OF the
LAMB and perennial bligs"