The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-30
SUNDAY SERMON
BY REV. j. B. SWEET
He Preached on the Proper Doing Of
Gods Work.
LABOR GOVERNED BY CAPACITY
Man Is Not Held Accountable for
Duties He Cannot Perform But
Everyone Has His Opportunities.
Personal Salvation and Growth in
GTace..Therc is Remuneration
Golden But Not Gold.

Rev. j. b. Sweet, pastor of the Simp-
son Methodist Episcopal church, at the
services yesterday morning preached
to a large congregation. The increase
in attendance at both morning and
evening services since Mr.. Sweets pas
torate began is quite notable, and there
is a hidden meaning in 1t. Mr.. Sweet
is no common speaker. His thought
invites common understanding, and the
language is strongly expressive in its
unaffectedness. He is interesting. This
is why the attendance has increased.
For the sermon yesterday morning
Mr.. Sweet took his text from st. Mark,
xiii, "a: And to Every Man His Work"
He said:
The Lord Jesus Christ with His
Disciples left the temple and Jeru-
salem for the last time and walked to-
ward Bethany, where he was
to find rest. 1t was the close
of day. and as the SUM-. sinking
in the Western sky, cast its sheen upon
the terraced courts and golden spikes
of the temple, the Savior and His
followers turned for one last look at
the holy place, now more beautiful in
the dying day. Marble and gold radl-
ating shafts of light; grand, solemn,
majestic! So the Savior halts near the
city and talks to his disciples upon
their future plans and actions. He
knew that. as the temple would soon
be bereft of its sunlight, so the light
of their lives would go out when I.e,
the Sun of Righteousness, departed
to the far country. But by and by he
would return and would summon His
servants to give an account of their
work, for He had given to every man
his work
EVERY MANS OBLIGATION.
tLa,, Ia. =,
Jesus would say to us under like cir-
cumstances. He does not expect every
man to do his work in the same way
and with an equal efficiency, or with
the same time to accomplish results.
Each man Is accountable for what he
himself can do, not what another has
accomplished. He gives every man a
work to which he Is best fitted, and
this work coming, as it does, from God,
we are supposed to do to the full hor-
izon of our abilities. he gives us this
work in accordance with our ability,
opportunity and environment, and we
should cultivate the ability and make
our opportunities. If our circum-
stances are now lowly We should sur
place them with conditions more eX-
allied.
"God gives to no man work which
he cannot perform. He says: L will
open tHe Sltdt supply Stoit VI ttpiiity =
take ye the tools and go out to labor
earnestly and faithfully God gives us
the love Of Christ. understanding of
His Word, experience Of His patience
and spiritual facilities which are to be
made more potent. In two statements
rest the conditions of our Judgment;
our personal salvation and our grow
ing grace and in knowledge of the
truth.
Gods servants come to Him in full
activity. God never anticipates that
the old and young should stand in the
same place. The young, with their
strong, active minds, should accomplish
results commensurate with their abil-
ity, So 1t Is with other conditions be-
sides the physical; rich and poor, high
and lowly. All work for God must be
based upon love motive. Watchful-
ness Is essential to the continuance Of
Christian activity; to watch, as Column
bus watched for the Western shore line.
There must be earnestness and faith
fulness. Faith ends where cowardice
begins.
LABoR's REWARD.
"All labor seeks remuneration, and all
service for God, the faithful perform
ance of Gods commands has it's re-
wards. Not in the profit simply, for
he who labors for the Lord simply to
get into heaven misses the grandeur
of the life that now is. He who Is
earnest in life finds his pay; he who
is watchful finds reward, and when the
end comes-as come it must-then he
will hear the Master say: Well done,
thou good and faithful servant
During his discourse Mr.. Sweet re-
ferred to the controversy in Christian
ministerial circles now going on IN
New York City. He read an editorial
utterance from Metropolitan paper,
and from Its inference paid grand
tribute to the Methodist church. He
said that all scientific conditions re-
solve themselvec into other conditions,
as the rain drop may act as part of the
motive power Of a mill, and from this
Mr. Sweet deducted that science is not
antagonistic to belief in a God, but
is a proof of Divine existence.