The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-27
In MEMORY OF
BISHOP RULISON
concluded from Page 81


led spirit.
Third, that this condition, though suit
able to the bodiless man, Is one either
of happiness or unhappiness of health or
disease of Joy or suffering, according
to the relation which the individual has
held to God in his earthly existence.
THE NEEDS OF THE SPIRIT.
OF the Immortality and condition suit
ed to the needs of the soul-spirit, the
Scriptures give us our dear Lords own
teaching, life and resurrection, which
those may read who run. OF the diff
ference of experience in this spirit world
the parable of Dives and Lazarus gives
ample testimony, although the words of
the Lord and his apostles respecting che
contrasting conditions of the wicked ana
the good, of the righteous and unright-
eous, of the saint and sinner are so
numerous as to be impossible of misun-
derstanding. f. ....
1t is this difference of condition that
leads the beloved disciple to cry out
under divine enlightenment, and he said
unto me write BLESSED are the dead who
die In the Lord" That is blessed are
those who, when the body decays, finds
the soul and spirit at one with the laws
of the spirit world This is all. nut a
very important all 1t is. That which we
distinguish as the opposite of goodness
and call, wickedness is but the deliberate
",
of the laws, made for their development
in the highest degree. In the civil state
we call it rebellion, or when the table
OF the great laws is broken by one or a
class we call it crime.
The law of God and the righteous law
of man are one and the same in principle.
Their mutual use is to warn and restrain
those that are weak and tempted, and
to reform the evil-doer and bring him
back to the way of right living. The
spirit world, like the physical world, is
a world of law and order, for God is
law. To be in the Lord is to be one with
him in purpose, desire and as far as may
be in action.
A UNIT WITH GOD.
You will recall our Lords prayer that
his disciples all might be as he remarked
| that they may be one as we are one
| one as L in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one To be
| one-a unit with God is to exist, to live
| and move and have our being in God. To
| do this here on the earth is to make a
| struggle against the tendency of our fall
| len nature. 1t is a warfare as st. Paul
| expresses it, between the flesh and the
| spirit. "A warfare, not supreme accept
ance of what may seem the inevitable,
| but battle with evident odds because
| we cannot see the invisible armies of
| God, which surround us, 1.-THE innumer-
| able company of angels" "the cloud of
witnesses which encompass u.s." And let
| us bear in mind this tendency to evil,
| does not always show itself in eXplo-
| sions of vice or immortality or in any
| manifest OBJECTIONS from the moral law
put IN thlS age particularly, it appears
| in passive acceptance of the present
| physical conditions and a REFUSAL to con-
slder the far more important conditions
| of that continuance of life without the
wv haN
| 1t seems almost needless to say then
| that, whether the continued lack of unity
| with God which is stated to be the con-
| dition of sin is brought about and pre-
| served by vicious or immoral life or by
| an indlference or neglect arising from
| any reason whatever, it seems almost
| needless to say, l repeat, that to over
| come this condition of sin means an in
| cessant, and therefor wearisome and
| trying effort-an effort which must in
| eVitably result in failure unless the
| strength of God is added to our strength
| This strength is obtained, of course
| through our Lord Jesus Christ who him
! self perfected in manhood through suf-
| fering stands ready to perfect us also
| In the same path by the means He him
| self found best approved -or the pur-
pose.
| Now, my brethren, any condition in
| Whlch this constant struggle becomes
| ,
| selves working out the will of Him who
| created us without effort or friction, that
| condition must be one of enjoyment And
| so the apostle writes: BLESSED are the
dead who die in the Lord. Even so saith
| the spirit for they rest from their Ia
pors'' 1t is state to be desired most
| earnestly, for with that rest there must
be, even to attain it, a unity with the
| source of all life from which health and
| peace and right-living must flow without
| conscious effort.
L have presented these thoughts for
| your attention today because | desire to
speak of one whom all who knew him
| realize TO have entered into the state of
the blessed dead.
REMARKS ON BISHOP RULISON.
The news of the sudden death of the
| Rt. Rev. Nelson Somerville Rulison.
| Doctor of Divinity and bishop of tho
| church in this diocese, came | venture
to say, to the thousands of this great
part of Pennsylvania with the same
| shock as when in Egypt the first born
in each house had been taken. There
| was not the weeping and anguish of a
| mothers heart, wrung to extremity, but
| there was the same sense of deep and
| irretriveable lost which inevitably comes
when the family circle is broken. AS
blshop he was the true father in God
| or MS people. Each parish had its place
| in his heart, and each rector knew that
! in him he possessed that rare and price
less boon, true friend. His love of
| his work was seen in his leaving ont
Of the little that was left him 5000 TO he
| gin an endowment of Diocesan Mis-
! sions. Strong and decided in his opin-
| ions, endowment of diocesan missions
| in1eXible where principles were concerned
| he was broad and generous in his in
| terpretatons. He never contested a point.
! His judgment was withheld until after
| most thorough Investigation and when
| expressed it was final.
| An incident was related to mo recentl,,
| by fellow priest showing how he ruled
| among us. After certain service i'm
| which the priest had introduced that
, which was not in accordance with our
| Book of Common Prayer, they returned
10 the rectory, and on going into the
| study the bishop laid his hand lovingly
| upon the shoulder of the other and said
| firmly, but most gently: -, you have
no authority for what you did this eve
ming. OF course the priest desired To
argue, but very deftly the bishop turned
to other things and did not allow the
conversation to drift in that direction
again, Ihe clergyman remarked to me
that he would have fought for the point
had the bishop forbidden him or argued
with him, but as it was he never repeat
ed the act.
He was overcome by love. Instances
of his loving method of governing could
be multiplied. The results are seen in
the reverence and esteem In which he
Is held by the clergy. While gentle he
was not weak, and where need demanded
he was Arm, decided and quick in his
commands and actions.
AS presiding officer in conventions ev-
eryone fe!t that he sought impartially tc
rule and decide, so that while everyone