The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-08

services Yesterday in the Welsh lam
guage in the morning and in English
IN the evening. 1t will be seven years
In october since he gave up this pas
torate and it was six years last May
since he last preached therein.
Immense congregations greeted their
former and much beloved pastor. and
after each service al short reunion SER
vice was held. His discourse of the
evening is printed herewith. His text
is found recorded in Acts, xix:13-15, as
follows:
The church at Ephesus was founded by
Paul on his return from his second mis-
sionary tour. His visit was brief, inClud-
ing only a single Sabbath but the work
he wrought in the city was mighty, and
the result permanent 1t is among the
seven churches for which the apostolic
exile received the Divine message in
Patmos, and is highly commended for its
loyalty and service. Six years later when
the apostle paid his second visit to
Ephesus, he found the church very i'm
perfectly instructed and deficient in spirit
ual attainmerts. Some of the members
not only had never been regenerated, but
had never heard of the dispensation Of
the Spirit, and had simply been baptisod
on the profession of their repentance for
SIN unto JOnn DaptlSnl,
REPENTANCE AND FAITH.
on discovering that their former bap-
tism had been incomplete "they were baD-
tised into the name of the Lord Jesus -
In the light of this teaching of !he
apostle and the sanction he must have
given to the second baptism of the Ephes-
ians ii is conclusive that the ordinance
when administered except on protest. On
sNf 4 f.,s. 4. .l. 4
is both insufficient and worthless.
However, some rejected this apostolic
exposition of the truth, "but spake evil
of that way before the multitude" in
consequence of which Paul and that part
of the church which had accepted his
teaching, withdrew and continued the SER
vices ''in the school of one Tyrannus. :"
Here a mighty ministry was experienced.
And God wrought special miracles by
the hands of Paul" These demonstra-
tions of power were the Divine attesta-
tion to his enunciation of the truth, and
gave immense force and authority to his
ministry No one but those who "were
hardened and believed not" could dis
pute the inspiration of his utterances, or
that his message was the evangel of oGd
Divine and healing magnetism emanatei
from his garments and "handkerchiefs
and aprons" which had touched his body.
conveyed the miraculous power to the
sick land the diseases departed from
them, and the evil spirits went out Of
them"
CUPIDITY OF THE JEWS.
Some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists
who witnessed these ministrations upoi
the sick regarded this beneficent power
as new source of wealth if they could
only command it. They had heard and
remembered the mystic words used by
the apostle In healing and resolved to try
their own hand at the work. The text
is IA record of the experiment with its
disastrous results. They stood over the
possessed and sGid I'VE adjure you by
Jesus, whom Paul preached" But the
evil spirit refused TO obey their COM
mand and defied them. saying Jesus
know and Paul l know, but who are
YEP These sons of Sceva were taught
that Divine power cannot reach men TO
heal and to save them, except through
the medium of sanctitied life. The only
channel along which the power of God
will be communicated to the perishing is
nature regenerated and purified by the
Spirit. The light of truth and the love
of God as revealed in Christ are to pass
through the life and character of men
and thus bless the homes of the land.
First-Christianity becomes potential
only as it influences life. These Jewish
exorcists must have regarded the apos-
ties ministry as new development of
the art which they practiced themselves
Paul had discovered a new name to adj
jure by of by far greater power than that
which they We're using His evangel was
only a new form of exorcism; and its
ministrations required no further qualil-
cation than acquaintance with the
new magic formula used in connec-
ton with it. That this new Gospel
produced unprecedented results they
could not dispute, for were not the evi-
dences of its power upon character ana
life and health abundant everywhere
around them.
THE MAGIC POWER.
The school of Tryannus had become n
center of some unknown and immeasur-
able force in the city, and from it flowed
streams of bereflcent influences i'm all di-
rections Moral and physical evil, in all
it's varied forms and character disap-
peared at its command. The magic pow
er accompanying the name of Jesus as
uttered by the apostle conquered all dis
cases and subdued all evil spirits. These
itinerant Jews determined to try this
new ministry, land took upon them 10
name over them which had evil spirits
the name of the Lord Jesus" with the
result that they were Inundated and put
To nlEnt IOF the 01unN luIItu upon lltln
and they fed out of the house naked and
wounded"
1t had never occurred to these merccn-
airy sons of the chief priest that this mir
aculous ministry was the result of o.
change which the new evangel had
wrought upon Paul's life, and that the
Divine influence would not pass to the
community through any nature which
was under the dominion OF sin. They
knew not that the predominance of evil
in life utterly disqualified 1t as a Divine
Instrument. and made IL a non-conductOr
of supernatural influences. Paul stood bc-
fore them as the representative of a new
life, and an illustration of the ro genorat-
ing power of the Gospel which he
now before them.
The commissions through which he had
passed and the reformative changes
he had experienced were all unknown TO
them. As a matter Of fact, they were
blind to the greatness and grandeur of
the personality amongst them, and
thought only of the miracles he wrought
and the possible gain accruing to them
If by any means they might be dupl-
Gated.
LOVE OF GAIN ENTERS.
Alas! this is not an uncommon error in
our age Men form their estimate Of
Christianity as 1t brings them gain, and
profess It in order to command the es-
TEEN and confidence of their fellow cti-
zens. Religious position and character.
church fellowship and office are some
times prosttuted to sordid ends. Some
regard the ordinances of the Christian
church as means to convey to men some
supernatural and mysterious influence, as
II manning over them the name of the
Lord Jesus" had a Transforming effect.
"They be bling leaders of the blind"
Christianity affects us only as 1t ente;s
our life. We receive oxegen into our sys-
TEN by inhaling the atmosphere.
We receive Divine strength and become