The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-09
MR.. GIFTS ADDRESS
ON MARTIN LUTHER
Historical Sermon Of the Pastor Of
Grace Lutheran Church.
LUTHERAN DISCIPLES LIFE WORK
His Power and BOldness Before Man
aud His Humility Before God. He
Died but Lives Today and, Mr..
Gift Says. was the Greatest Charac.
ter Germany Ever Produced.


Gift Says. was the Greatest Charac.
ter Germany Ever Produced.
An address on Martin Luther was
delivered last night by Rev. Foster U.
Gift, pastor of Grace Lutheran church.
His discourse was an historical one in
which he cited Luthers fearlessness and
power before man and his humility to
God.
For by grace ye are sacred. through
faith and not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God" Mr.. Gift said:
use this passage because it is so in
seharably connected with, and so closely
interviewer into the faith, life and work
of Martin Luther. 1t was the soul pow
courage and boldness ssh in the presence OF OF
the anti.Christ. THE just shall live by
faith" This was the star of hope. of AS
surance, the ensign of peace. 1t was the
shackles of error, of false faith. of perse-
cution and with which he gave light,
peace. rest. emancipation and life TO the
world
Tonight We seek to learn something
about Martin Luther. the Reformation's
chief apostle. Who was he? What did he
do? What motives inspired him? What
did he represent? Was he able. Goily
pure. holy? What lessons can I. learn
from his life? But like the true mariner
on the great sea, We must take our learn
ings SO that We may know the spiritual
latitude and longitude in which We are
sailing-the age and Its chief character
istlcs.
THE REFORMATION.
We know how corrupt and unscrptural
the church had become in the time OF Leo
y. The people were kept in ignorance.
hn fAI h,,al. fh. .lN trty Of
works. The church had forsaken the tru.
faith, lost true apostolicity and Cathol-
lefty: The Reformation rebuilt the al
tars" of the. churchs childhood, restored
tion through faith. In 1880 the Augusberg
confession was adopted. The belief in
purgatory was denied. Apostolic success
sion, secular priesthood, the infalli-
OF penance, fasting and indulgence were
cast aside for the Scriptural doctrine,
justification by faith alone"
Amid the fiercest Of papn opposition
this true doctrine was established. No in
quisition. not the burning of Huss and
Wiclif, not the eloquence Of Eek, not the
diet at Worms, not the pope's bull OF en-
communication, not the voice Of Charles
craven Erasmus could stop the onward
march of the movement. God was for 1t
and 'if God is for us what can be against
us" 1t wasn't Luther who fought the
Martin Luther was miners son born
at Esenlaben, German, Nov. 10, l4sS. His
parents wer poor in earthly goods, rich
n true hsS nobility psy ana
heaven" The boy went to school at
Mansfield and Madgeburg.
He begged his bread by singing on the
street MADAM AN CStta pious nan
him into her home. To this he attributed
his first impulses OF true ambition. Praise
her! Her little kindness is spoken of
hath the baan name Of m1thsr s
1t pays to be kind. Be kind to one anoth-
er, charitable, loving. Help the youths
Of our land. encourage them. point out
to them the way to usefulness to God
LUTHER A MONK.
Luther become a monk. Why? To
save his soul. Terrified during thunder
storm he VOWS to become a monk He in
tended to study Jurisprudence, but God
in mysterious way."How did ne try to
save his soul in the monastery? By fast
Ing, by ,penance. by ascetsm, by prayer.
by rigid discipline. II choose for myself
three every day. My body wasted away
by fasting and watching. But could not
satisfy my soul. No wonder "by grace
ye are saved" He later went to Rome.
very holy at that time).. He climbed "Pi-
late's stair case" he looked on the heads
Of Peter and Paul, and on the "handker-
shef of He ssS 1dpgs the
sincere son 1t was Martin Luther.
But his soul troubled him! He had not
yet learned that '.the Just shall live by
faith He was disappointed because he
earn it. He hadn't learned yet that
Christ paid it all' and that We are saved
"by grace through faith" The church
fed him on shells and husks. on formality.
eXtsrnals.
He becomes priest-and later profess
sor at the university. While he studied
at EuiSurt he discovered a complete
Bible for the first time. You see the Bible
seemed to come down upon his soul. Then
Stanpiaz. a noble man-better than his
church said to him, II believe in the for
giyeness Of sin" All these things were
a hight" Gods revelation Of Jesus
Christ the mirror in which We see
Christ" l. IS our guide, the Sword OF
ing his soul. He got light, peace, rest
now by faith.
Prepared by experience by suffering, af-
fiictiOns. soul hunger satisfied, some
thirst quenched, dark soul lighted up,
dead spirituality made alive. on October
81 1911 he nailed the memorable Theses
on the church door at Wittenberg. The
conflict has begun, the papacy on the or.
side, God on the other Now follows
stirring events. THE Leipsig Disputa-
tion,' the disputation with Cardinal
Cajetan. Melanchton enters the conflict
Frederick the wise defends Luther,
Zwingle in Switzerland champions the
truth. The pope excOmmunicates Lu-
ther. The Wortburg exile follows. Henry
VIII. of England opposes the cause. The
Bible is translated into the language CT
the people. In 1880 the Augsburg confess
sion is adopted and thus marks the vic.
Luther died In 1886 peacefully, calmly.
he lives today. His work lives. He is re-
spected, honOred, loved by the world. He
liberated the soul from error. He put Il
hest into religion and gave faith its
proper position in Christian doctrine. lie
restored the Bible and the family altar.
Luther was the greatest character Ger
many ever produced. "He had the bold
ness Of the battlefield. the song of the
musician, the Joy and care Of the parent.
the skill Of the writer, the force of the
orator and the humility of the true Chris
tian" Fearless before man, humble and
meek before the cross.
close with an illustration of the secret
Of his power and boldness before man
and his humility before the cross. This
is the key to his work and life. He say-:
SHOULD any one come to my soul and
ask, does Martin Luther. live here |
would say: No. he moved out to make
room for Christ, who moved in.'''
, 1T Is not ! that live, but Christ who