The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-21

L
U. Gift in Grace English Lutheran
church.
| MIR. Gifts topic was "The Undyine
Power and influence of a Goodly Life
or, a Divine Consolation" His re.
marks were from Hebrews, xi:4, "By
faith Abel offered unto God more ex-
cellent sacrifice than Cain.
| and through it he being dead yet speak
eth" Mr.. Gift said:
| The sacrifices offered TO God by the
| two brothers, Cain and Abel is one of the
! most far-reaching narratives in Holy
| Scripture. 1he reason for the rejection
of Cain and his offering, the acceptance
| of Abel and his Offering, does not appear
| on the surf8ce. Why the fruit OF the
| field which the one brother brought was
not acceptable TO God, and the firstling
| of the flock of the other should be pleas
| lhS TO him, when both are Scriptural Of
| lerinss, is mysterious to the eye. The
| reason Tor the acceptance of the one and
| the rejection OF the other appears only
! when Cain laid his hand upun Abel and
shed the first human blood malice ever
shed. This dastardly act laid bare with
clearness Gains heart, the superficial
character of his religion its formality,
the hypocrisy of his worship. for his
worship was only skin deep. 1t showed
clearly that he was religious only from
hablt-or for appearance sake, for worldly
prOht, and that he was devoid of faith
The superior element i'm Abel's sacrifice.
which must be the superior element of all
true Offering, as is here clearly set forth
was and is and must be faith
While Gains name is rcproach among
men ADeIs name is glorified and heads
the list of heroes of faith. BY it, though
dead he still speaks. Men speak well Of
MN to this very day. Though he was
faiths first martyr his Teward was the
crown of righteousness. lie lives in the
hearts of men, honored and exalted for
when he worshipped God, sacrificing to
Him, he brought also his heart. He was
sincere, true and devout. Commentators
differ whether the word "still" is tenn
poral or logical, but for our purpose it is
immaterial for whichever view we take
of it, 1t is yet a consolation to the be-
lever, teaching the influence OF a good
true life. Let the muse sing then this
divine consolation to the discouraged
and broken hearted. the weary and heavy
laden, the sand and oppressed. Even in
AbeIs death is consolation and cheer,
comfort and encouragement.
ABEL LIVES THOUGH DEAD.
Abel lives though ne is dead. that to
this day the world speaks highly of him
is in itself a testimony of the pre-em-
incnce of the life he lived and certainly
it was Cody life for it was the life of
faith.
BE not deceived. This cold unbelievIng
world, though it will not accept Cody
1fe yet acknowledges its superiority for
where have You found man who praises
Cain or defends his conduct? Where is
the man who does not now praise Abel?
why should ungodly parents wish to
have Cody children? They do! There
Is this one marked consideration that
the world will not SO freely praise a
Cody man until after his death. How
death does silence the tongue of malice!
How death transforms the voice OF CEN
sure into the voice of culOEy! How ii
transforms enemies into friends! How
ones good qualities are then enumerated
with scarcely a mention of our faults ana
imperIectiuns. Behold the world hasten
ing To place few flowers upon the bier
of the Cody dead whom during life il
prosecuted and hated.
This is marked in the life of him whose
birth we commemorate this week--he who
guided the ship of state through time far
more perilcus than the dangers which
now threaten our peace and TRANQUILITY
he whose public career was proVidcutial
If any career was ever providential; he
who was | do believe, a man raised up
of God for the great work he performed
That he lived a Cody life, that he trusted
III God, few will deny. A Goddess man
would hardly pray with tear-stained eye
i'll secret The hypocrit never prays i'm
secret y Goddess man cannot speak
those deep religious sentiments George
Washington spoke.
Bishop Meade is quoted as saying: Il
never knew so constant an attendant in
church as Washington and his behavior
in the house of God was ever so deeply
reverential that it produced the happiest
effect on my congregation" A Goddess
death bed would not witness such words
as these: ~ am not afraid to go; tits
we'll" And yet during his life the yilcst
persecution he was called upon to en-
dure. Those who at his death acknowl-
edge the pre-eminence of his life and his
unseliiSh, righteous career, dropping tears
of sorrow, helped to make his life wretch
ed Today the world acknowledges the
beauty, the superiority and grandeur of q
Cody life like that of George Washing
ton. 1t may be said of him as it is said
of Abel--he yet lives in the hearts of men.
PRE-EMlNENCE ALLIED TO GOD.
So let the weary. the disheartened. the
sinful, those troubled by doubts learn
that the poor and miserable and perse-
cuted of this world will be rich and happy
ones up yonder-that only that life which
trusts i'm Gods is pre-eminent."
These words are a divine consolation
because they teach the real and the
undying influence of Cody life. A
Cody life lives forever! BY the very
deed with which Cain hoped to perpetuate
his own name and consign TO oblivion the
name of his brother he placed his own
in the catalogue of the disgraced and as
sisted in perpetudting the noble life he
hated. The treachcrous hand of blood he
lifted hoping to make his own work per-
manent and end ancther's work, ended
ms and made the others permanent and
abiding The life fullest OF promise went
out in darkness, while the life with least
promise of permanency proved to be of
undying power-the cXHmplar of triuni-
phant faith-speakng forever The lire
which was shortest on earth lives vet in
the hearts of men and In heaven The
lie which was longest on earth now lives
only aS Il warning to the ungodly
Was II not so in the life of the Master
Himself? The kiss of BETRAYAL win
which Judas hoped to end the life and in
lluenCe of the Master, making his own
more resplcndent, resulted i'm consigning
his own name into that oblivion into
which even his companions deign to look
making his nan synonym for all that
Is base and cowardly while it wrote the
name of Christ high upon Calvary as the
worlds redeemer, so that lie lives for
ever as the sinners friend and Saviour.
WASHINGTON AND ARNOLD.
The rame and work of George Wash
ingtOn are becoming brighter and more
marked as years pass on, while the name
of Arnold, the traitor is despised even in
to which nation he offered to
bctray his native land. Long ago the in |
huence of those who conspired against |
him whom we love to call the Father
OF His Country" while he was praying |
for tho success of the cause of independ- |
ence at Valley Forge while he was sac |
rhcing the comforts of a Mount Vernon |
for the bardghins of war is |