The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-04-13
PASTORAL LETTER OF
REV. e. |. ALDRICH
Read at Meeting Of Grace Reformed
Episcopal Church.
WORK OF THE YEAR WAS REVIEWED
Number Now on the Rolls Of the
Church Is 3SG-- Members Who Died
During the lenr-- Are Times
of Special Danger bordering as
They DO on the Eve of Great
Struggle Between Right and Wrong.

CregatiOn Of Grace Reformed church,
Monday night, the following interest
ing pastoral letter was read by Rev.
G.. L. AldriCh, the pastor of the church,
70 the Officers and Members of Grace
Reformed Episcopal Church and Con
| gregdtiun
| Grace. to you, and peace from God
| our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ -
philemon ~. Another year of working
In our Lords vineyard and of waiting for
the coming Of our King, has passed since
we last assembled in our annual parish
meeting. 1t has been u year of varied eN-
periencc to us all; and of richer, fuller
blessing to us from God; aud we trust of
ripeniEg fitness for that kingdom OF
which we are fellow heirs with Christ
Jesus our Lord. Nor can we but praise
God our Father, that we are today SO
much nearer our complete salvation
than when We believed yea than we were
a year ago.
At my last report. the communicant list
! numbered altogether 376; since then i3
have been added by confirma tiun, c. by
admission without letter, and by letter
from other churches During the year .
have died, 3 have been dismissed to other
churches, and the following S have been
dropped from the roll Misses Mamie and
Katie Burt William IL. Drew, Mrs NJ.
Elizabeth Drew. Misses Lena and Bessie
Ilamm, John III. Farrell and Mrs. George
Ramsey. This makes the number now
enrolled 3S7. as follows About 2SS active
members 80 nonresident, and about - of
whom l am uncertain, and concerning
some Of whom | wish to ask you at this
time.
TWENTY BAPTISMS
During the year there have been % bap-
tisms, adults and II infants; as also 4
weddings and 5 burials.
one of the deceased members is Will
| lam F. Currie, an humble. faithful child
, OF God, who united with Grace church by
! confirmation Tuesday, April 8, 1889, and
after membership of a little more than
/ eight years, he fell asleep in Jesus July
/ n, 1891 The other deceased member is
/ Mr.. Heber Homann, the exact date Of
whose death is unknown to me, and
/ whose funeral service l did not attend.
| These make the number of our member
| ship with Christ A.
| As far as the finances of the church
! and the mission ary moneys are con-
! cerned, our faithful treasurer, Mr.. Charles
! + Hess, has already informed you most
| fully, and to his report | desire only 70
| add the apostolic bencdiction of IL Cor
/ lnthians, 9S, And God is able to make
| all grace abound toward you; that ye,
| always having all sufiiciency in all things,
| may abound to every good work"
And now, beloved, I feel that it would
! he a dishonor to our God and an injustice
/ TO us In our mutual relationship of people
| and pastor to close this letter without
! proper reference to the things which
| more nearly and deeply concern the Spir-
| itual welfare of Grace church.
Without doubt we are living in the last
days of this age; days so plainly depicted
by the Holy Spirit in l Timothy, Alb. II
| Timothy, 3I-7, and elsewhere in the Word
of God. And we may most assurcdly eX-
peCt the fulflmcnt Of this word of pro-
phecy soon; yea these very days are per-
ilous times. Men and women are drift
ing from the things which they have
heard out of the Word from their child
hood-away to the delusions Of Satan.
Worldliness in all its insidous subtility
is on the increase, and seems to be about
to invade the very citadel of our re-
ligion. Lethargy and Indifference are
sei2ing hold of mary souls; while others
are growing discouraged and disheartened
In the work,
TIMES OF SPECIAL CANGER.
Assuredly these are times of special
danger; bordering as they do upon the
eve Of the great struggle between the
Prince of Peace and the prince of this
world. Hence they are times demanding
especial care, especial diligence especial
watchfulness, and especial prayer upon
the part 'Of every child OF God. While
with no uncertain sound does the Holy
Spirit say to us as in His message to the
churches. BE thou faithful unto DEATH
and | will give thee a crown OF life" and
again, Hold that fast which thou hast
that no man take thy crown" And with
intensified force does He speak through
II Thessalonans, 3:l3 But ye. brethren
be not weary in we'll doing"
Brethren we of Grace church are in the
very midst OF this state of things today;
| speak from the intcnsest conviction
upon the subject, And Gods call to His
church is His call to us, watch and
pray, that ye enter not into temptation"
AS God has caused his light to shine
from the word upon me | see but one |
way of solving all the many veXing Qucs- |
ttons that arise in church life of warding |
off all threatening danger, of successfully |
accomplishing our work as a church. and |
of beng thoroughly and truly alive unto |
God, and continuing so.
1t is not any one or more of the many |
ways of the world now so much in vogue. |
but the way of unCeasing, believing sup |
plication and prayer at the Throne of |
Grace. Saith the pirt, Il eXhort, there
fore, that, first Of all supplications. pray /
ers. intercessions and giving of thanks
be made for all men, for kings and for
all that are i'm authority, that we may
lead quiet and pcaCeable life i'm all Cod
illness and honestly. / will therefore that
men pray everywhere, lifting up holy
hands, without wrath ana doubling" Il
Timothy 2:l, 2, s..
PRAYER HAS BEEN RESTPAINED
| cannot but feel that the sad state Of
the church at large today is due to the
fact that prayer has been restrained
before God. And such being the case,
the return to humble believing prayer
Will assuredly cure these ills. So argues
our great intercessOr, Jesus Christ. John,
1924, Hitherto have ye asked nothing
In my name; ask, and We shall receive,
that your joy may be fun"
In the life of prayer lies the secret of
all power, of all true church success. OF
all true usefulness, of all true fulhlment
Df that command Of our Lord. "Go We
into all the world and preach the Gospel
10 every creature" for only at the Throne
To We see the value of a soul and the i'm
pOrtanCe of the work. oh, brethren,
upon every side We hear the call to
prayer.
! take 1t as one Of the most helpful and |
signs of an increase of spir-
tuality among Us that so many are feel
ng the sore needs i'm these respects: and
hat not few are now banded together
or the work Of interccssory prayer May
lur God lay this upon the hearts of many I
more among us. May the Spirit of sun
1lications be poured upon us from IN ,
nigh
And beloved, whatever the cost to ms
nay be, we must give our Father and our
'losets first place in the apportionmcnt
n our time, we must have more prayer {
live uD what YOU DleaSp. surrender ~ hat