The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-28

fore he was 22 Napoleon at IS was rec
Ognized as a military leader in European
affairs. Frederick W. Robertson. one n
| the prophet-preachers OF the century
| had finished his message at 81
YOUTH HAS ToWER.
And why should not young people have
| their place in the great achievements Of
| the world? Youth has all the powers OF
manhood He is strong and feels the eN.
cess of physical power. He is full Of en-
| ergy, eager for any tack and intensely
ambitious, ready, like an Alexander, to
| conquer the world. His imaginations are
| houndless, his ideals are not lower than
| the stars. His perceptions are quick al
| though years alone can bring the ma
ture judgment and experience. Time
| seems all before youth. His life Is full
| of hope for the world. Youth can be no
| pessimist. His plans must succeed.
Think, too. what opportunities our pres
| cnt life is giving to young people through
| education and travel They can hear
| readily of what the world is doing each
| day. They are thrilled with the great
movements of the nations and long to
| do their part i'm pushing forward the plan
| of God. The yourg man OF our time can
| occupy no iarrow sphere. lie touches
| the world at many points. He is man
| of the world. Surely such force wisely
| directed, can exert a tremendous nhu-
| ence upon the church of today.
| What can the young people do for the
| church? This question is partially an
! swered by another question "What have
! the young people already done for the
| church? The two men who set in motion
! the forces which have not ceased and
| probably never will cease to affect our
| part of the Protestant world-Martn Lu-
| thcr, was only a when he nailed his -
| theses on the church door at Wurtem-
| berg: John Calvin, only p when he wrote
t,,,, lfl To-
! ligion." that system of theology with few
subsequent changes from the authors
| pen which has been largely accepted dur
| ing the last $50 years. What boldness. AL
| most presumption for such "A NounS man
| to scan the works of God. But that bold
! ness has always characterized our faith.
Jesus Christ himself when men are Just
| entering upon their life work, was counted
more than bold and over ambitious. They
! attacked him as a blasphemer What
| presumption, too of the young friends OF
| the cross who hoped to convert the woriu
| 10 their unusual views Of life and death.
| We now do not call this confidence of Tho
apostles presumption or faaatcism. We
call it faith.
HAVE LED THE CHURCH.
Young men. with the faith of their lead
cr. with n boldncss like his own, have led
| the church in a remarkable way in push
ing her work on our frontier or in for
cign countries Young people have borne
| the heat of the battle in her attack on
! heathCndom. Older heads and hearts
would not have had the courage and
faith in ultimate success, nor the un-
| bounded enthusiasm to overcome almost
insupprablo obstacles.
David Braincrd was not disturbed by
| expulsion from Yale because of an indis
Greet remark he had made that a GER
| tain tutor was as destitute of grace as
the chair. After leaving New Haven he
continued the study of divinity and soon
| after began his work among the Indians.
| IT was too great q strain and he died in
| the forests of New Jersey at tho age Of
only 90. His love for Christ and his de-
siro to help mon were intense. No oOpO-
sition could daunt no difficulties over
come his resolution or exhaust his pa
tienCe.
\ half century later the prayers of
BrainCrd We're sinEularly answered in tho
life of another young man. This second
missionary zcalOt was William Carey. of
! England, the "CObbler missionary When
making his plea for missions he was in
vited by his elders to take his scat and
leave the heather to God.
| Fortunately this advice was not take n.
After he had zone to India Braincrd'g,
prayers and enthusiasm aroused AdOnir-
am JudsOn, who later went to Burmah h.
His zeal was further kindcd by meeting
at AndOvcr seminary four young fellows
who had come from Williams college
eager tn go to any part of the CNangelis-
tic world.
Mr.. Archibald then spoke of the stu
dent volunteer movement and quoted
impressively the cry of the young men
and women: We stand ready to go;
are you ready to send us?" He then
referred to the important work Of the
young in Christian associations. the
EndeavOr and other societies, and en-
phasized the need of individual effort,
the giving of all of self as Christ gave,
HISTORICAL ADDRESS.
The Church as Seen from the Re-
cords was the subject of the Address
by A. w. Dickson. He said:
Fifty years is a long time, the child
cannot comprehend it. Six hundred long
months, twerty.sX hundred weeks eight
cen thousand. two hundred and fifty days.
As one mentally looks ahead over a pos
sible nifty Years, what changes in ma
tions and raccs-in church and state--in
manners and methods suggest themselves
to the imagination.
| Fifty years. 1t seems as if old age were
surely at the end of it all and yet as CON-
pared with the eternal years OF God.
what an appa1 Cntly unimrOrtant speck Ot
| ll1ne. III Is as II viewing Inc great ocean
Il tiny drop of water should demand at
tentiOn-as if in the weight of worlds n
single grain of sand should claim recoghi-
tiOn.
After brief review of some of the
mighty changes which have taken
place in the universe in this half CEN
tury, he continued:
, Fifty years ago this valley was largely
forest. Here and there q little village
Stage lines over miserable roads con.
nected the modest town Of Wilkes Barre
with Hyde Park, Providence and Carbon.
dale. Churches and church privileges
We're almost as few as in the wilds OF
Pike county. But new era has daWncd
\ new force had entered upon the scene
: A new settlement had been made. The
age of iron claimed the attention and de
: manded the skill of the enterprising anC
industrious. 1t was fifty years ago that {
| little band of Christians, feeling theil
need of the stated means of grace. organ
lied the FIRST Presbyterian church. lie
| their names be held in memory as we luol
back upon the time of small things anC
praise God who led and inspired them
2 They We're Seden Il. Scranton and ElleI
7 | G. Scranton, his wife; George W. ScTan
, ton and Jane II. Scranton, his wife; Ma
| thanel b. Hutchinson and Rebecca a
s Hutchinson, his wife: Mrs. Mary Cour
sen, Mrs Sara COursen, Miss Mary 4
Courscn, Miss Temperance Miller, Mis-
4 Catherine Miller Miss Maria Fellows
: Peter Clark, Charles Fuller, James Hutch