The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-16
HELPFUL LHTEN ADVICE.
Evening Addresses BY Rev. Rogers
Israel, st. Luke'S Rector.
OLD LAW AND fRssENr GRACE
The One Was Forced 20 Make Sacrifice.
Now Permitted to Accept Christ
as the Altar Offsring-The Old
and New Dispensati0ns.

Two very helpful addresses were de-
liyered to st. Lukes EpiscOpai congre-
CATION last night by the rector. Rev
Rogers Israel. The two addresses were
brief talks, q hymn intervening, and
each was intended as a personal help
and a means of spiritual guidance espe-
cially during this Ienten season.
MIR. Israel chose a style of delivery
bordering almost upon the conversa-
tional order: his aim appeared to be an
appeal to his hearers individually and
was, as he stated. to show them their
personal responsibility. He said:
''The very old diSpensation of law
which prevailed up to the time of Christ
and the afterwaid dispensation of
grace. have an important bearing on
your personal responsibility. The form
er was cruel. relentless law. which
made religion nothing more than harsh
machinery. 1t provided for certain sac
rificas of birds and animals on certain
occasions. and at period when church
going was by rule. attendance being
caused at certain hours of the day.
1t was not matter of discrimination
the people worshipped according to the
law. This law was most eXacting. and
We can easily comprehend our LORD
statement, that II was impossible to
keep the laws of God. These edicts
provided certain rows of fringes to
ones gown: prescribed that prayers
should be bound to the forehead or
arm: directed the cut and style of ones
gown; gave the number and kinds OF
sacrifices that should be made. and in
sisted upon many other conditions.
WOULD BIZ PROVEN GUILTY.
MANY of us would be proven pal
pably guilty IL the dispensation of law
existed today. We are not expected to
obey them now. but we are expected to
obey the present law of God, and of
which the old dispensation was q
shadow Christ offered himself for oil
the sacrifices of birds and beasts and
SO did away with them forever. and by
his act we have passed the foreshadow-
ines and have entered the real spirit
ual relation to the gospel. In the past
the relation was a purely physical
manifestation, and We would evidence
a return to this condition II We aspired
to Gods grace by the present-day habit
of trying to be holy through our wealth
or saying our prayers in purely physi-
cal way. No wealth or prayer or show
will gain us Gods favor. We must
accept the blood Of Jesus Christ. which
was given by Him to take the place
Of the blood of the doves and the goats
unutf tne law ulSIenSatioH.
1--WE are too fond of hearing some
one preach and not sufficiently prone to
personal and prayerful contact with
God. We cannot force ourselves to ac-
cept the lamb; it Is free gift that
must be received with our free wills.
You must take your heart to God and
he humble In doing II and realize that
II Is by his grace and not by our own
that we are permitted to do It,
WHAT RELIGION is.
BE penitent and trusting and aban-
don your heart to his keeping. This Is
religion. and so step by step you will
go into the spiritual world. BY accept
ing the dispensatlon of grace you raise
yourself above the law. which exists
only for evildoers. BE Obedient. not
because of the law. but because of the
welfare OF your soul. You are indi-
yidually responsibe-God is not.
4, "Person3l responsibility today is
widely different from before Christ's
time. Then, as revealed in jacob. Isaac,
Esau and other biblical characters. 1t
was AN eye for an eye and a tooth for
IL tooth. We can make allowances for
such u condition when we consider that
the people of that time had no other cX =
ample that the people of that time had
Then. 1t was to sacrifice others to save
ones self; now we study how to sac
rifice ourselves to save Others, accord
ing to the example of Christ Then.
this teaching was ridiculed; now, it is
lcayening the world. Slowly hut sure
ly civilization Is following in the wake
of Christ's teaching-IIis example that
yourself Is alone responsible for self's
salvation.
1t Is a serious thing this salvation
when we consider the life to come: il
does not mean special blessings to thos.
who rejoice or are rich or pray aloud,
but IL does mean safety for the meek
and contrite. TO attain this we have
His word and example that we are re-
sponsible not through priests as of old.
but through Him. Go sell what thou
hast; come follow me. he said--how Of
ten has he said follow me- 1t rests
with you alone. and that's why the
thought IL serious
WORSE THAN HEATHEN.
"If we don't follow Christ's example
We are as bad of as were the Roma ms
and Jews. We are worse than heather
If we don't accept His sacrifice. We
gain by the acceptance: its value Is
beyond computation. so far beyond that
1t is priceless; it cannot be purchased
I'VE can have this grace for the ac-
cepting Of 1t. so why can you resist
saying. Lord. thy will he done \
trustful spirit Is all that is required.
and then you are develoDed and will
feel the support Of his strong. comfort
ing arm about you and be guided
through eternity. Can we resist fol-
lowing him? Can we resist saying.
Lord. thy will be done?''