The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-27

Rev. W. W. Ramsey. d. D.. of the
Arch street Church, Philadelphia. oc-
cupied the pulpit OF Elm Park church
yesterday. In the evening an unusual
ly large audience was present, and. not
withstanding the heat was sufficiently
large to comfortably I'LL the galleries
and main auditorium. Their attendance
was repaid by hearing a lecture de-
livered in eloquent style and calculated
to impress the beauty of character and
mental wisdom possessed by Jesus
Christ.
Or. Ramsey's effort was something
novel i'm that he confined himself strict
ly to weaving network of fact about
his subject with such force and logic
that he safely abandoned its moral
and lesson it taught and cast them
wholly upon the sense of his hearers
and the Impressions they sustained. He
preached without notes. and made no
use of the artificial ease that comes
from Material contact with the pulpit.
depending rather upon the force OF
analytical and argumentive style and
an unusual tluency.
The text was Whence hath this man
lIliS w iNuoIl ihiS"ts WV 49,
the final part nf st. Matthew. xiii. Ill,
DR.. Ramsey introduced his subject by
recalling the legend of the remarkable
victory of the Romans over Attilus and
the continuance OF the battle by tn"
spirits of the slain for three days. That
thought featured his later discussion
that the seed Of Christianity planted
10y Christ is continuing in fact and IN
lesson the precept Of Him that sowed
it, He said:
MAN Is GREATER.
'The man is greater than his inreE.
tiun; the painter is greatei than his
painting. the general Is greater than
the victory: the author Is greater than
what he writes: any one is greater than
the thing he creates. So the apostles,
If they have created myth in Jesus
and you have not believed in Him you
can believe in them. But we beltet"
theirs was not IL creation. they simply
recorded what they saw and that should
impress us the more.
1T occurs to US to ash how ChriSt
attained His supremacy in thought,
power and wisdom when His heritage
and title were wholly counter to those
qualities 1t either must have arisen
i'm Him or from circumstances sur
rounding him No person ever came
upon the platform with less encourage
ment: the land in which he lived. Pales'
tine, was the most odiouS of the time.
and yet he undertook the great work
There was no fore-runner to his con-
spicuousness and success; he knew no
school classes or professors. j must
think it was from within rather than
from without that attained His great
power.
HE HAD WISDOM.
He was not simply an evangelist nor
Il proclaimer of truths, but he had n
wisdom. a profundity and ready wit
usually acquired and certainly usually
made known under circumstances that
are favorable, yes helpful. one Illus
tration will dol refer to the gathering
of Jews. Herodians and Pharisees i'm the
temple when the latter sought by pro-
found and studied questionings to en-.
snare the Master into a statement
which would draw down upon him tn,
hatred of one or other OF the two fac
tions. What tact, what wisdom H.
showed in answering their query con-
cerning the right of paying tribute to
Caesar Render unto Caesar thar
which is Caesars, and unto God that
which is Gods" Their further effort,
too. when they asked Him to pronounce
the greatest of the commandments
displayed his wonderful readint ss. They
had included about 500 laws in their
category and had hoped to record His
reply and twist it into weapon against
Him. but He answered, Thou shalt
have none other Gods but me
and "1he second is like unto it: Love
thy neighbor as thyself That was his
known platform and one to which they
could take no new exception.
THE GOLDEN RULE
II bless my Master for His wisdom
which we find recorded in the Bible to-
day You ask me to name the most
remarkable and plainly acceptable as
sertions of the day In all religions and
| will read to you many passage of
scripture: you ask me for the one most
remarkable and will read to you some
thing Christ said. Possibly you know
1t is the Golden Rule. 1t is. but I'm the
positive and not as Confucius said It.
Christ never did or said anything mega
tive, He was positive in all things. The
Confucian rule. Whatsoever you woull
that others should not do unto you. do
YOU not also unto them" was the same
Int without the 'nots." His was to do