The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-21

| Rev. f. =. Doty, pastor of the Cedar
Avenue Methodist Episcopal church,
at the morning services at his church
yesterday preached an able sermon
| His subject was Christ the Cruel
| fed Rev. Mr.. Doty was listened to
! with close attention by large con-
| gregation. He chose for his text the
words of the first chapter of the Cor
! iuthians, verses | and and 5: And
| brethren, when I came to you came
| | not with eXcellenCy of speech, or of
| wisdom, declaring unto you the testi-
| mony of God. For | determined to
| Know nothing among you, save Jesus
| Christ and Him crucified." Verse 5:
That your faith etc In part Rev.
! Mr.. Doty said:
Paul was an ideal Christian minister
| embodNing aS far as any one ever has
| done all the elements of success TO him
! great possibilities of future greatness
were offered, when, as young man he
| entered the arena of public life. A stu
| dent from the school Of the renowned
| Gamaliel, his educational advantages
were the best and men Of erudition
| bowed before the young teacher
| Born Il jew in the city of Tarsus. he
was also born to all the rights of a Ro-
| man citizen. BY religion a jew, he allied
| himself with that highly respected and
influential sect, call Pharisees. Thus
whatever other men had whereof 20 boast
| he possessed the same also.
| IGNORED SOCIAL POSITION.
| But strangely enough Paul as a preach
| er of the Gospel, ignores his social posi-
| tion in life, makes no display of his
hearing and loses sight of himself in the
presentation of his all-important theme,
Jesus Christ and him crucifed. TO Paul
no other theme was worthy of Considera-
| tion when opportunity offered for him
to speak what was uppcrmost in his
mind
| | wish first TO speak of Christ and
Him cruciiied. pauls knowledge of Jesus
prior to his conversion had been gained
from those who were prejudiced against
the Nazarine. But his visit to Damascus
and the revelation he there received
changed his estimate of the crucncd
Son of God.
| Like many others he thought he ought
10 do many things contrary to this Jesus
| of Nazareth. The law of Moses and the
| traditions Of the elders found in Saul a
| firm adherent, and although mistaken in
| his views concerning the Nazarinc. he
| held himself to a strict accountability to
God. What wonder then, that seeing
the light, and hearing the audible voice
| of God, Sauls estimate of Jesus under
went a radical change. What marvel If
being convinced of his error in perseCut-
ing the disciples of Christ, he himself
| should become one of the disciples of
Jesus.
The spirit of conviction prepared him
for this change, and accustomed as he
| had always been to follow his ConVic-'
tiOns, how could he do otherwise than en-
brace Christ? lie would not have been
true to himself if after the call of that
| Divine voice he had not become fol
lower of the Jesus whom he hitherto had
| prosecuted.
! Paul converted. is a new creature. He
begins a new life. Experiences such a
feeling toward God ana man, as Saul
had never experienced in all his campaign
Of prosecutions. From henefOrth Paups
consuming zeal for the cause OF Christ
is a surprise to the world. with mex
| Drcssibe 10Y he saw the power of God
unto salvation come upon men through
the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
In Christ Crucifed," he saw the
sublimest revelation Of Gods great love
to man.
On the cross he beheld Gods only be-
rgotten Son, loaded down with a weight
of sins not His own: blood flowing from
many a wound as an atonement for hu-
man guilt. "Yea. lie tasted death for
every man" Paul was no stone. lie
could not look upon such sufferngs un-
moved. He appealed to the world, Jew
and GENTLE to accept the offer of free
salvation through Jesus Christ the cru
Gifted.
Again Paul saw in the crucifxlon of
Christ the most startling proof of hu-
man depravity. Never had the world
looked upon such friend to humanity
before, and never had man been SO bit
! terly prosecuted as He.
| Christ the teacher eXcelling in wisdom
all the worlds greatest philosophers A
physician He healed all diseases. A
friend to rich and poor alike He fed the
hungry and relieved the oppressed. Yet
the hiGh priests, scribes and Pharisees
condemned and crucifcd Him.
| ! speak of the CrUCiied Christ as a
fact. 1t is not a mere fable which the
Scripture presents and which the church
adopts, Not "a plausible theory founded
on the observations of astronomers, phil
osophers, scientists or any class of men
whatever Neither is the Crucifed Christ
the hero of mere romance pictured by the
fertile Imagination of some one seeking
to entertain the reader with a descrip-
tion of scenes calculated 10 draw upon
the sNmpathies of the human soul. No:
the Christ was Crucihed. A fact proven
| by unimperiShable witnesses and record ID
and death are facts which must be pub
lished wherever sinful man is found
pass now to note the oyertowering i'm
portance of this theme.
ECLIPSES EVERYTHING ELSE.
As the bright shining sun in its brill
fancy eclipses everything else in nature.
50 Christ and Him cruciied uutshines
land ONeIsnadOws every other subject. Nor
does its grandeur wane. From constant
proximity to the lofty mountain It's height
may seem to diminish to him that views
1t, ON the contrary each glimpse of
Christ only tends To magnify Him I'm the
grand plan for mans redemption.
The servant of God filled with His sub
ject forgets to discourse upon politics
science and philosophy and determines
Ia know nothing among men nut Jesus
Christ, crucifed. The church of today is
dying for want Of the simple Pauline
method Of preaching the sacred doctrines
Of Gods living word. The Gospel faith
fully proclaimed possesses mower in II .
self
The success Of the apostle was not due
10 his rhetoric or great learning. for these
hC laid aside and determined 20 know
nothing among men "hut Christ" etc He
declares "My preaching was not with en-
ticing words Of mans wisdom hut in
demonstration Of the Spirit Of power
Thus We account for the marvellous pow
cr Of the early fathers, they preached
and lived i'm the demonstration Of the
Spirit.
This must he the source Of all true
success i'm this generation \ IiTc thrr-
oughly imbued with love to Christ will
exert a powerful influence whether II he
in pulpit or pew, in college hall or harvest
hcld, In counting ronm or M The mine.
II win tell for God ana Christ.