The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-06
GUARDING AGAINST EVIL
Rev. DIR. VI. II. Pearcc's Sermon Mas
a Comprehensive Discourse.
SNAKES OF WORLD AND SELF
4 Plea for Rcfuting the Worlds
Caresscs aud Sinful Indifference TO
COnsciencc-Nccd for Constant
Watchfulncss and Care.

In Elm Park church last night Rev.
DR.. w. III. Pearce preached a compre-
hensive sermon which was a plea for
watching against the seductive evils of
self and the world. 1t was a discourse
which appealed to individuals rather
than to principles. DR.. Pearce's text
was from ! Corinthians, vi:l3, Watch
ye, stand fast in the faith" He said:
THE word of God teaches most clear
ly and with solemn Vehemency that n
truly religious character Is the result or
individual effort, earnest, constant and
watchful. But if you will go through
the ranks of men, you will find that this
is not the impression as it regards the
higher life; usually they are content to
leave their moral condition to circum-
stances; they have great faith that
somehow the general influence of re-
ligious Institutions will avail in their
behalf. and they will at last be sufiic-
iently saved.
But this is not the view of the New
Testament to which we must make our
final appeal. nor is it the conclusion OF
honest reVerent thought, for they de-
clare most positively that there is a
great work to he performed in the soul;
that it is continuous work. and one
ence of foes, of evil spirits and power
ful temptations among men. IL also
declares. that the work of guarding the
soul Is the most important of all things;
that it requires the strongest faith;
the highest order of heroism and the
Steadiest exercise of all the Spiritual
forces within us. This being the case
we should deeply feel that it makes a
world of difference whether we do this
work by accident or by the earnest ap-
plication of the real soul forces.
Wha, We Find.
''In looking at some of the reasons for
this watchfulness we find. first or all II
is hecnuse Of the conscious power of evil
within us: struggling hard and always
to overcome the influence of good. There
is no argument like experience; it is
the one supreme and all convincing ar
gument And what is our experience
in regard to this matter? We made
vows--sOlemn vows-every one of which
would unmeasurably add to the grace,
the glory and the power of our present
and eternal life and every one of which
would have yielded "A dividend of JOY
for every hour. and flung lustrous
light wherever our path meandercd.
Every one of these vows was made in
behalf of our better nature and possibly
in response to the outcry of our bur
dened and afflicted soul. But few, IL
any, of these vows have been kept, and
why? Simply because the power of evil
in us was greater and stronger than
the influence of good. We all under
stand this in a greater or less degree.
1t is one of the plainest things in our
experience. and perhans some OF you
who hear me tonight feel the force or
it in the fearful wreck of character in
the loss of purity or in the sad forfeit
ure of all-msuring hope.
And then the love and fascination Of
the world Is something against which
we must watch. Wealth. aithougn sin
less in itself. Is a key that opens thou
sand avenues for the qualification of the
senses. Pleasure in all of its varied and
alluring forms permeates the very life
of modern society: ambition lifts her
garands. woven out Of the brightest
and rarest earthly honors: praise of
men. ilattery of the crowd and homage
to beauty and culture--indeed,wh wherever
YOU move, the world meets you I'm ONE
of it's alluring forms. and If you are not
watching with great vigilance that you
enter not into temptation. you are sure
to be entrapped by some of its devices.
contaminated by some Of its evil influ-
cnces and die at last a scared or fet-
tered soul.
Things We should Guard Against.
1T is very necessary that we watch
against our proneness to take the aver
age of public sentiment or the cOncen-
SlIS of n community or of business or
social circle as Gods opinion and ap-
prOVal of us. Because our character is
above reprOach among men and because
the register of our acts and charities
cCrres pond as far as we can see with
the most sanity, there is a disposition
to be satisfied with ourselves and take
this as Gods view and standard of us.
1t Is well to have good record before
men, to stand without spot or blcmish
before the bar of public opinion. This
Is Draiseworthy and a crown of glory
To any man. and the man VINO says .e
does not care what other people think
or say about him. Is either fool or has
lost all self-respect.
Public opinion as general thins
estimates IA man by what he seems to
be. 1t has only standard of external
measurement. a man may he full OF
faults and secret iniquities. full of all
that pride and selfishness and sin can
engender and vet so possess himself and
So carry himself as not to permit it to
EXPRESS itself in a forbidden or offensive
way. Eut God drops his plummet into
the depths of the soul. takes into ac-
count All ol the ieelihss anu l'oNti.es
ana purposes ana oul vi .i,eSe ne lilaheS
up MS estimatr vi us anu uecioes oui
dest'hs ior Wehi Or woe. Iup,lc op,!oi