The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-17

Rev. Is. p. Raymond, d. D., presi-
dent of Wesleyan University, occu-
ped the pulpit at the Elm Park Metho-
dist church yesterday at both SER
vices. The reverend gentleman. ac-
companied by his wife. was attend
ing the Wyoming conference sessions
IN Kingston last week and consented
To preach here. Or. and Mrs, RAY
mond are the guests of .lr. and Mrs
]. F. Megargel during their stay here
The theme of his morning sermon
was The Gospel of the Twentieth
century II was an able effort. The
topic for his sermon at the evening
service was The Family Faith" Both
congregations We're very large. DR..
Raymond IS terse speaker and at
times eloquent. but his words are
fraught with meaning unmistakabip
and easily appreciated by even the
ordinary hcarer. Simply, but in a
manner that carried with it perfect
conviction he talked upon his subject.
As embodying the theme. he chose
FOR his text the words written by Paul
to Timothy in his second epistle in
the first chapter and part of the third
and fifth verses: Il thank God, whom
| served from my forefathers . =
When | call to remembrance the un-
feiEncd faith that rs i'm thee which
dWelt first in thy grandmother Lois,
ana thy mother Eunico. and | am per-
sauded that in thee also"
CONTAINS MANY SUGGESTIONS
Outlining his sermon by a sort of in
PRODUCTION, the speaker said that
there were many incidental sugges-
lions in Paul's epistles which were not
essential to the main thought. such As
ms reference to the VAN babbing,
debate for debates sake, QUESTIONS
which when answered were of no banp-
nj, etc" but after all, the apostle
never failed to stay close to the thing
which was uppermost the work of
Jesuus Christ, That name was ever
on his lips and His messages were all
ways given to men. Paul handel
down the faith which was his fathers
ana yet further back in his family.
There exists a great necessity today
OF cultirating family faith
Pauls realism is the striking feature
of his writings. He grew up in the
faith of his fathers. but persevered
in that faith. There are only a few
great essentials in the gospel and the
old family faith contains tnem all.
Jesus gave us all these in his mes
Sages and revealed them to Paul on
the road to Damascus. It was there
that Saul afterwards PauD got his
hfsI conception Of what It meant to
say Our Father" However. this
conception was only an addition, for
the great apostle only saw God then
in AIS true light We are children Of
God by nature.
All around US, i'm the world. i'm the
plant life we have evidences of a di-
vine direction ana In ourselves We
ieel the impulse. So it is that We
must come To recognize God as with
us already. hut only prevented from
doing His win iu Us by our own lack
Of conception, or, perhaps. ubstinucy.
That was Paul'S idea and is the first
Of the essentials
The second is-this faith is conceived
10 be tn" thing which really brings
to use better realization of the di-
vine life. Nothing i'm this world is
lullN or ultimately explained here.
fod, however, is manifest in all our
natures. He is especially manifest
in our conscicnccs and He works in
us His divine will unless resistance is
offered
Lii" and immortauty viii form the
third essential of the old family faith
Death does not end all.
THREE GREAT ESSENTIALS.
These thIfe gcat essentials. God
the Father, conception of His true
power, and the Immortality to come
We're all found in the faith of our
fathers. Times and men differ. but
every right act must have a risht
motive. The new. to amount To ANY,
thing, must have the old. Do not be-
li"Ne the cheap philosophy that every
thing that is new is true and because
il is old, it is false
our fathers had this old faith he
cause they found it at the altar. ana
thereby got the essentials by Il com
pletc surrender To God. We NAV not
go 10 the altar but We must surrender
to God though Jesus Christ to have
the faith
The church Of our time needs To ne
taught much. he new is a good
thing, but not when it's lacks the old
which is ever true. Leave out these
old essentials and the church fails
Therefore, I urge YOU To believe and re-
ioice in these essentials ana increase in