The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-14


a long time was delivered yesterday
morning in the Second Presbyterian
church by Rev. DIR. B. Gwernydd New
ton, of Cleveland, o.
DR.. Newton's discourse was an ex-
position of the finer and religious
traits of the nations patriotism, and,
while it did not particularly bear upon
the present atmosphere of international
conflict, was timely in the relation of
its spirit to the great crisis now con-
fronting the Republic and the people.
His topic was "The Garrison of Glad
ness" which was based upon Nehe-
miah, viii:10, For the joy of the Lord
is your strength" He said:
The rejoicing republic IS resistless. Pes
simism ought to perish at the hand or
patriotism and piety. Pessimism is ever
the enemy of peace and prosperity, pa
triotism and piety. Everything that fos-
ters the pessimistic spirit works tor the
ruin of this republic. Optimism is the
ally of order. Optimism unarms anarchy
annihilates avarice and overpower3 OPP
position. Optimism is armed with omnip-
otence. Everything that favors true
optimism and the optimism of truth,
seeks the stability and the strength Cf
the nation, marks the growth and aug
ments the strength of the oak of ,ptlm-
ism. The realization of the goodness Of
God generates genuine gladness. Cen
une gladness generates greatness; gem
uine gladness guards the nation great
ness and the great nation Is ever garri-
soned by gladness.
NOT ALWAYS so.
There are but few today who would
challenge this statement, Goodness gen
crates Gladness." 1t was not ever so.
There was a time who1 Godlincss was
looked upon by many AS something asSo-
ciated with sad thoughts and sorrow ful
experiences. 1t was looked upon as be-
ing at enmity with all JOY and glad
ness, the avowed enemv of the bcau:lfIl
and lovely. This pop,il llr misconception
OF piety does not astonish as when we re-
member the Puritanic presentation of it.
But great change has come. Religion
and rejoicing, piety and pleasure, Godli-
ness and gladness are not considered
alien or opposite forces today, for the
world recognizes that religion has r,s
peculiar joys, and that happiness and
holiness may dwell together in harmony
We have already advanced so far as to
acknowledge that even now the Cody
possess a certain kind of gladness, and
! that though they have been forced to re-
| nounce so much of the enjoyment of the
! world, yet they inherit joy and gladness.
Indeed, many skeptics who have the
true love of humanity in their hearts,
have gone so far as to say that though
there is no reality in religion, yet be-
cause it is such a consolation and joy
| to those who possess It, that to awake
them out of their pleasant dream would
be cruel and criminal. This surely is
progressive. But yet how much there is
that Christianity claims that even Christ
| endom has not yet conceded.
Godliness generates gladness-that is
| religion promotes rejoicing, piety pro-
notes peace. and Godliness fosters the
| growth of gladness. This means that the
| holier a man is the happier will he be
| The statement. therefore, that "her ways
| are ways of pleasantness. and all her
| paths are peace" Is not a poetic idea
without foundation, but veritable and
| an invincible fact Millions of men have
proved 1t to be true and their lives
have exemplifed rs truthfulncss. A
mystic and harmonious union exists be-
tween holiness and happiness. How clear
ly this is seen in the lives of indvid-
| uals as well as of nations. Take any
number of men who are moved by the
| religious sentiment and moulded by the
religious idea, and compare their lives
and their lot with an eduai number Of
| those in whom the religious idea is low
and unworthy, and you will inevitably
| find that the hopefulness and the hap
| piness Of the former are immeasurably
| greater than the latter. The reason for
| this is not difficult of demonstration.
MAKES SOUL INvULNsRABIE
Godliness makes the soul invulnerable
| to the 'slings and arrows OF outrageous
| fortune;' for it draws it's consolation
! from the heart of God, and it's joy and
| gladness from the invisible. When all
| outward forms of happiness are taken
away and when everything in the envir-
| onment of a good man seems to defy the
| soul to rejoice, yet the Joy which is in
| eXplicable and the peace that passeth
understanding fills his heart, and rests
| like a halo on his head Who can sep
arate him from happiness whose heart
| beats in unison with the heart Divine
and is ever gladdened by the gulf stream
of Divine love. Piety promotes prudence,
perseverance, prosperity and peace, and
these are the primary principles OF hap
piness. The good are always generous,
and the generous are ever made glau.
The benevolent are ever blest. No glad
ness can equal the joy born of the con-
seriousness of having done a good deed
No heart is so happy as the heart of the
merciful.
Men are beginning to learn that hap
piness does not depend upon outward
conditions, but on mans inner self. on
cheerful and contented heart, and that
condition Of soul which draws honey from
the rocks, lightning from the cloud, and
gathers roses in the wilderness. What
so conducive to such a state as Godl-
ness? Whether it he fancy or fact, that
there is a God, surely no other fact or
fancy has brought so much genuine glad
| ness, contentment and consolation into
the world. Destroy the worlds faith in
God, and what would be the result? Ey-
cry star of hope would immediately burn
out. Every spring of gladness would i'm
mediately become dry, the smile would
fade from the countenance of humanity
music would cease and should any one
| attempt to sing the notes would freeze
on his lips. dark despair would destroy
the hope of every heart. Every ambition
would be nipped in the bud. confidence
would be crushed, the light of love would
fade, and the fragrance of lifes flower
would fail. A world without God would
he world without goodness. and world
without goodness would be a world In
which gladness would be impossible.
A BASELEsS ASSUMPTION
Take away the religious sentiment from
the American republic, and righteousness
Justice, virtue and truth will become
baseless assumptions, the creations of
caprice, law would have no force, lib
erty no defender. and life would be sim
ply living death, But thank God, relig-
ion is In the very marrow of this re-
public, and Goodness is the genesis of
It's gladness today. What there is of
genuine gladness filling the American
heart and flooding the American home is
the natural growth OF Godlness. Not
only is much of the rejoicing OF this re-
pubic the result or that religious senti-
ment, but religion is vital TO all its re-
jolcing, and its gladness is inseparably
connected with Godliness A nations
growth In gladness is ever proportionate