The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-04
Sermon OF REV. Mr.. BELL
Delivered at The Plymouth Church An
u.ycrsary Services Last Sunday.
IT MAS A THUUGHTfuL EFFORT

Faith Is Not to DC COMPOUNDED with Feel
iuc and Is No, the Measurement
of Coed Works-What Re-
Iigious Faith Is.
Last Sunday the Plymouth Congre-
Hation church. on Jackson street, was
fourteen years old, and the anniversary
sermon. preached in the evening by
Pastor Rev. Thomas Bell, Is concise
resume Of the history of the church.
The speaker took for his text the words
found in John xiv, u. The sermon was
as follows:
In the portrayal Of the life Of Jesus We
have a most comprehensive account OF
John, In the closing chapters or ms
book, the author gives US wonderfui IN
sight into the real inner life or Jesus.
Jesus had lived during the past three
years a public life and in many respects
u life unlike any other public character,
But in these chapters of John we nave
splendid views Of the sub-conseious me OF
Jesus. This deeper human CONSCIOUSNESS
does not manifest itself until the ordin-
AIRY consciousness Is arrested or uiVer'eu.
Below the surface stream. shallow ana
light,
OF what we say We feel-below the stream,
AS light, of what We think We feel-there
flows.
With noiseless current strong, obscure
and deep ,
The central stream of what We feel in
deed.
If psychologist and poet are right, II
large part Of each mans self Is below the
threshold of his own consciousness ana
beyond the reach of his own observation
II behooves us in all our practical con-
tnl-a tpf nf Glh-cOn
scious self. The self Of which we are con-
scious is only one section, perhaps 4
small section of the total self.
The foundation ground for faith ana
hope Is therefore deeper than the expert
ences that We have gone through. John
here SHOWS us how perfect was the faith
of Jesus through the working out In fin
ished character and sacrifice the con-
seriousness of a supreme end. The dlSr
ciples hearI the announcement OF Christs
departure with fear and dread; sorrow
entered theii lives as they thought OF tnis
sudden and apparent close to their Mas
ter's life But to Christ all was perfectly
clear, even the ugh the deepening shadows
of the approac hing sacrifice We're In the
way. This was the path by which He was
again to come unto the Father. 1t was
eMpedient that He should return to the
Father. that a divine spiritual presence.
the "Faraclete" should be ever with His
disciples. Hence Jesus endeayored to en-
courage His disciples by dwelling on the
great things which should follow His de-
parture. Among these we find the state
ment of our text, viz: That the deeds
and fruitage of their heroic lives should
surpass those of His own. But you Will
notice the basal thought Of such enlarge
ment of lfe's future purpose and mission
--"He that believeth on Me-" The foun-
dation principle therefore Is, faith in
Christ; but this term is too general. What
do we mean by faith In Christ? In an
swering this.
HIS FIRST PROPOSITION.
l. First of all remark faith is not to
De confounded with feeling.
There Is place in Christian life for
feeling, for who can remain unmoved
whom the Nervousness Of sin and the IN.
finity Of Christ's love are apprehended
intelligently! Who. among Christian peo..
pc. can remain passive In the presence OF
ties! The historic conflict between sin
and truth, between the hosts Of evil and
the armies Of the living God has not
ceased in any degree from Its intensity,
creasing manifold operations Of the sin
polluted, and the Christian endeavor OF
united bands Of brave Christian lives;
and no person can participate or witness
these conflicts without strong feeling.
The feelings engendered have in them
something Of a drawing power toward
Christ But the question is not what are
:. the conditions of feeling-it Is have ]
love for Christ and His work that with or
without emotion humbly seek His will
and daily serve Him.
.. further remark, faith is not the
measurement of works.
The apostle James very forcibly teaches
that faith without works Is dead and that
the best answer to the quality of faith is
in some measure the character Of works.
Show me thy faith without the works and
! will show thee my faith by my works.
The ultimate of faith IL generous service.
hut our service comes far short of
our faith goal. 1t is the province of faith
to outdistance the human instruments of
service and inspire the soul and life to
greater achievements. 1t Is true that the
quality of faith largely influences the
character Of work achieved as mentioned
u moment ago. just as the qualities OF the
parent tree indicate the kind and influ-
ences the quality of fruit--but you notice
that the good bad or Indifferent quality
is the inevitable Of the tree-so also In
this question, works are the inevitable OF
faith-and II the producer is greater than
the product. faith is mightier than works
faith Is the deeper principle that lays
hold Of the ideal and should never be in.
terpreted (as it is too often) as being OF
equal ratio In the Christian life with
works. The question therefore moves on
to this, what am daily striving to do
i:ot what have done, but are my aspira.
tsons and life leading me to the summit
q Christian character.
BY WAY OF ILLUSTRATION.
To illustrate this: Three men are on
a mountain side. The first is only a few
steps from the base; the second Is hall
way up; the third Is not far from the sum.
init. Which Of these men Is nearest the
summit? The third. Of course says ev-
cry superficial observer, judging by works
alone. Let us look deeper at the mind
and hearts Of these three men. The first
has his face set resolutely toward the
summit and Is determined to press for.
ward until it shall be reached. The sec
ond man is undecided, looking sometimes
up and sometimes down. The third has
seen enough already and is thinking OF
descent.
Once more, which Of these three men IL
nearest the summit? The third Is farth.
est from 1t Of them all. Whether the sec.
ond Will ever reach 1t you cannot say. The
first man Is nearest Of them all for his
mind, faith and will are on the heights
body there" Faith, prophetic faith sees
afar Off and Is victorious.
3. Further remark: Religious faith must
be distinguished from Intellectual con.
victions.
Man is a complex individual. He is In
possession Of bodily and soul capacities
1t is not within the limits of this dis.
course to present the psychological dis
tinction, further than to say that tho
souls conscious acts or states are sepa.
rated Into the three general divisions Of
states Of knowledge. states Of feeling and
states Of will. To know, to feel and Ia
choose are the distinguishing states OF
the soul. These are referred to three
faculties which are. designated the intel.
lect, the sensibility, the will, &c. f. Porter
The intellect, as a faculty of the soul. ey.
ercises the function Of knowing under Ger.