The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-07

DIS Gruchy advertised his evening SER
vice as being for 1.-The people-the nom
Christians and he seemed to make
a special endeavor to emphasize his
different methods Of treating the morn
ing and evening topics of the days ef-
fort.
At o'clock the service started with
twenty minutes of hymn singing. in
which the pastor led with his own
voice. Then came the regular cOllec-
tion. Here MIR. De Gruchy first showed
his unconventionality. He announced
that the collection was part of the
service, and. as the baskets were be-
ing passed. he remarked that he used
to rob his former townspeOple of every
copper they had. When the collection
plates reached the pulpit Mr.. De Cru
chy offered short prayer of thanks,
and then began his sermon. 1t was
then 7.25. He said that he had TWENTY
five minutes-nO more-'tn which to
preach. II he talked after s O'Clock
anyone in the audience should get up
and tell him of it, He didn't believe In
long services. Its the old, old story"
began the preacher. Il have nothing
new to tell you; it's the same the world
over: without the shedding of blood
there Is no remission of sins. Man Is a
strange being. He Is always search
ing for the origin Of evil, and he Is
always asking questions about how 1t
came into the world. when the most
important thing Is. What Is the remedy
for eVil?'
HIS ILLUSTRATIONS.
The speaker then used several plain
and forceful illustrations. He pictured
soldier lying badly wounded under
a tree. A surgeon comes along, and
does the soldier cry out How did l
the man who fired the shot? Does the
soldier ask these? No! He says to the
surgeon: oh, here is the wound, do
the best you can with 1t; save my
life" Another Illustration was OF
captain whose ship had sprung leak.
Did he 60 down below to find out the
origin of the wind? No, Ne was on
deck giving orders to his men.
Mr.. DeGruchy pointed to an indi-
vidual In the audience: That man
over there Is drunkard,' he ex-
claimed He Is not the worst in the
world. God loves him: He has rem
edy which cures the soul! i have Oft
etimes contributed" said the speaker.
toward sending drunkards to the kee-
ley cure-and I'll do so again, but l
will always try to point out the divine
remedy for the sin-sick SOUL l have
wept more over my own folly, l have
shed more bitter tears over the sins
and folly of Others, was another strik-
ing statement. Il am not here. he
continued, ito show you how mean
you are, or how sinful you are. oh no!
You know that already. l need not tell
IL. / am here to show the remedy.
Then follows one of Mr.. DeGruchy's
dramatic outbursts. In giving this
particular discourse the speaker used
for effect every poem of elocutiOn-
such as Is common with Evangelists
Shievera and others. Dropping his voice
to Il tragis undertOne, he said:
BEAUTIFUL WORD PAINTING.
1T is midnight now. Here inthe gar
den of Gethsemane, dark and gloomy,
the ground Is crisp with the cold frost
of midnight, between gloomy olive
trees one beholds the form of a man.
/ hear him groan out his life In prayer.
And none to encourage his fainting
heart. look to heaven and say.
Hearken Of angels, and hurry to minis
ter to him. Hearken, oh world. and be
silent. 1t Is the Son of God. the Saw
iour Of the world paying thy debt.
Hear him as on bended knee His grOans
disturbing the quietness of the night.
All, his soul is sore troubled, they sin
oh man; my sin, the sin of the world
are pressing heavily upon him. he Is
forced to the ground, he buries his
face in his hands, and from his brow
great drops OF blood are streaming
down his face and from his body, every
pore is open and he sweats great drops
of blood. Here Is the cost Of our re-
demption.
Il imagine that when the morning
ha c1a diarir1aS
to the place where their Lord had
agonized there must have come to their
eyes tears as they beheld the blood
stained spot where Jesus knelt. Let
us follow that man further. Judas be-
tras him in the hands of his enemies.
They drag him from his place of pray
er to the judgment hall. And PLATE
ordered him to be scOurged, and they
scOurged him and tore his flesh and
the blood run down his shoulders.
They covered him over with robe OF
purple but beneath that robe was the
cost and price of our salvation for by
the very stripe he caused we are
healed. He was wounded for our trans
gressions: he was bruised for our in
iquities, the ohastisement Of our peace
was upon him. and with his stripes
we are healed "A wreath of rude
thorns was put on his head, not by
gentle hands, but they tore his tenn
pies so that his face was besmeared
by his own precious blood. He was
oppressed and afflicted yet he opened
not his mouth. This was the price for
we have not been redeemed by any
corruptible thing but by the precious
blood of the Lamb"
But II is not all they took him
from the judgment hall to Calvary to
cruelty him, upon his shoulders they
placed a heavy cross. He faltered on
his way, see him falt. but we do not
wonder the sorrows and anguish and
sin of the world was rolled on him.
Surely, said Isaiah. he hath born our
griefs and carried onr sorrows. They
at last arrived at Golgotha, they soon
flung him to the ground. and stretch
forth the hands that had only done
good and neal them to the tree. the
feet that had reserved in mercy were
made secure, they hoisted the wood in
the air and dashed 1t into It's socket,
and there hangs the Christ, the Son Of
God, and in agony unknown he bleeds
away his life In terrible Elio, Eloi
Lama Sabacthani. Oh what a scene,
the waves of mans hatred and of
hell's vengeance dash against him.
and overwhelm his very heart. God
withdraws his face.
Tell me who did this? Look. oh.
world! at what you have done. Behold
the Son of God. Count the wounds
and estimate the rice and cost of they
redemption. Blood from his head, blood
from his feet and hands. this is the
cost. this is the price. Brethren, the
chasm which separated us from God
has been filled with blood for by the
blood of Christ we have been brought
night the Father. When the soldier
took his spear and pierced the Saw
iOur's side he only exected to see the
blood flow, but he opened the way
to let all the world into the heart of
Christ"