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

fuence, i'm that love which is God. to a
good mother. If she grant wealth, 1T may
become "A delusion and n snare; nobility
and an elevated station may afford the
chance of deep degradation; great phy-
steal endowment and genius even may
only speed the downward course OF de-
strIction but the child that is nour-
ished in the arms of a good mother, whose
footsteps are guided by her constant
care, whose mind develops under the sun
light Of her wisdom, and whose soul
grows on her love enters upon life III the
funess of strength, of JOY and hope, en-
Couraged, sustained and followed in every
vicissitude by an affection which knows
no doubt, and only changes as the years
go on by the growth of peace, mutual
satisfafiction and pride. She may die,
but the power of her influence lives on
forever. and shines forth in her chill
drons' children. 1t is "A force of nature
which is never lost or diminished. Tne
circle of it's waves will always be grow
ing without the loss of energy, u0l they
beat upon the shores of eternity. inc
carry on their crcsts the progress of civ
ilization and the uplifting of the race.
BENEFICENT MOTHER CHURCH.
Such a beneiicent mother church Is this
whose children have gathered here To call
| her blessed today. The good men and wo-
| men who organized this church as one of
! their first duties when they laid the fou1-
| dation of this great city, builded better
| than they knew. They were the cour-
| ageous and pious pioneers of an uncCr-
! tain enterprise. who had faith IN their un-
dertaking, and i'm God. They believed as
| the first settlers of this continent. the
| founders, the makers. and the rulers OF
this nation have all believed. Except the
| Lord build the house, they labor in vain
! that build it; except the Lord keep the
IL, Oh, nly,th IA al
psalm cxxvii II. Therefore they COM
bined i'm this Christian church their m
| telligence, their power, their dominant
leadership, for sanCtitcation and consc'
Grafton to the work of their Divine Mas
ter. They determined that the conmun'
ty which gathered about them shonlC
have the Bible should observe the Sab
bath, and be governed and controlled by
the principles and influences of the Chrs
tian religion.
They made this church the dynamic cen
ter for generating. aCCumulating ana hll
fusing not only the light of the gospel
but every work of charity and beneNo
lcnce: of private and public welfare; o
opposition and restraint of vice ANA i'm
morality: OF social entertainments gen
cral prosperity, and good government
In the be eginnig this church controlled tE
religion and politics of the OCople. A
numbers Increased its members encour
aged and assisted in the St3DllSnnenI n
other Protestant churches. and ChriStia
institutions, some of which were organize
within its walls. IN started missto
schools which grew into sSlf-supportin
churches. the Lackawanna Bible society
which cndeavors to ensure every fami!
in the county a copy of the Bible, tn
: Young Mems Christian association, III
: Home for the Friendless. the Laclla
r wanna hospital, the Second or Memoirs
I Presbyterian church, the mission to fol
clgn speaking peoples I'm this valley, wi.
its five missionaries and seven kinder
Eartcns for those who have come to u
with eight different languages, had the
l inception and birth here, and may jus'l
D call the First church, mother.
, For years hcr bell not only called IL
5 people to worship, but struck the alar1
| of fire. In the riots of 1871 II sounded Il
+ tocsin which summoned the citizens f.
) the restoration of order and the prOtc
y tiOn of their property under the leadc
% ship of q son of one of its founders al
9 the chairman of this meeting; whcn'
| spring the Scranton City Guard and Il
q Thirteenth regiment now in camp und
I the orders Of the president to secure Il
= blessings of free gOVernmcn; to the dow
n troddcn Inhabitants of cuba, and Il
Philippines. May God give the pcop
o wisdom. courage and faith to accompli:
= His divine purpose.