The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-22

The close of what will be a mem-
orable season in the annals Of Asbury
Methodist church, Green Ridge, which
since Thursday, has been celebrating
its twentieth anniversary, took place
yesterday. There We're two special SER
vices, one in the morning when the
sermon was by Rev. DR.. +. c. Iglehart,
of Brooklyn, n. V, and another in the
evening when Rev. DR.. ID. II. Moore, OF
Cincinnati. preached.
Special music, of which the organ vol
untary and postlude. by Mrs. John
Baker, and "The Lords Prayer" by
the male octet, We're Observation-Disclosures,
and responsive readings and special
congregational singing were included
in the morning service. Prayer was Of
fered by Rev. Wilson Treble, of Wyo-
ming.
FOR BUILDING AND UPLIFTING.
Dr. Iglehart's sermon was finished
and scholarly plea for the building OF
the church and the uplifting and
strengthening of Christianity. He made
practically no effort in an oratorical
way but rather strove to move and
impress his hearers through logic and
force of argument. OF the Methodist
church he was especially enthusiastic
in his several direct references to that
church's strength and nobility of
character
His text was: He loveth our nation
and he hath built us a synagogue"
st. Luke WIS The passage referred
to the story of the call sent to Jesus
by the centurian whose servant was
dying. The centurian though devout.
noble and high in authority, had held
himself and his house unworthy a visit
from Christ who, however, had remark
ed to the people who followed him that
such faith he had not found in all
Israel. Those who then went to the
house where the servant was lying
found him healed.
Dir. Iglehart used the episode as an
illustration of the benefits that will
follow faith. humanity and Christian
work and dwelt upon 1t in connection
with his argument that the church need
ed to be built upon and Christianity
needed continued and constant
strengthening. Those who love the ma
ton, he said, and built synagogues, are
loyal and worthy, and, as was the CEN
turian, will be benefited by divine aid
Loyalty and worthiness, though, re-
quire something more than incipient
and intermittent effort: the work to be
lasting must follow lasting effort.
THINGS WHICH INTERFERE.
Three conditions which are nowadays
particularly strong in interfering with
church building and which are thor
oughly at variance with those charac-
teristics which the centurian possessed,
were mentioned as follows: First,
bars of gold;" second, 'inordinate
pride and ambition" third, walls OF
caste" The first was mans love and
greed for wealth, for wealth that was
not to be given to God, at least not an
| equitable share of it. Christian duty
| receives interferences through pride
| and ambition, especially because those
| evils grow rapidly and swallow human.
| ity so deep that it requires all the
strength of friends and church to draw
the victims back to true life. Caste,
| fortunately, Is not so prevalent In
Methodsm as in some other churches
~
of the most important of common relig-
ious ethics and is defying the very per.
sonification and embodiment of Christ's
| teachings.
| So the centurian's belief in the divin-
ity of Christ won His help: 1t was moi
only his Acknowledgement and belief O
| 1t. but his conception of its true mean.
ing. An acknowledgment of Christ a:
the Son of God is too half-hearted 6
recognition to insure divine blessing
| 1t is necessary to mans we'll being thai
he should recognize all that goes will
that divinity that he should recognize
it's charity. well-doing, sef-denial, faitf
and love. In palmer words, he who trie:
to follow the precepts taught by Chris
is he who recognizes Christ. That wa!
what commended the centurian.
There never was a work and sacrifice
done for the church. said DR.. Iglehart
that did not reap it's reward here ant
lay up treasure in heaven. What
ever had been done for Asbury churcl
had been followed by reward. Cod
gr; Os and benefits do not fall unat
tracted nor unguided.
| IN THE EVENING.
There was large congregation pres
ent in the evening. After an organ vol
untary the Glori Patri was sung and tn
Lords prayer said by the congregation
Then was sung hymn and prayer wa
offered by Rev F. A. Chapman. "Hark
the Song of Jubilee" was sung by tn
male octet Rev. T.. r. d. Briggs rea
the scripture lesson.
DR.. Moores discourse was receive
with close attention and great favor
He has served several of the larg
churches of the west and now edits tn
Western Christian Advocate.
with the close Of the service ther
ended one of the most ardent and sue
cessful of the several church anniver
sary celebrations which have take
| 10 s,.t ofA