The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-10

Rev. Or. c. NJ. Griffin preached his
final sermon last evening previous to
leaving the city for the summer. There
was large congregation and special
music was furnished by the choir. Mrs,
f. +. Price is organist during Profess
sor Fenningtun's vacation.
The text of the evening was the ap-
propriate one of "Mispah," Gen, ,XxXi:-
XliX) THE Lord watch between me and
thee while we are absent one from an
other" The words he said, were q
part of the peace conference between u
pair of sharpers who had been bent
on eXterminating each other.
"Laban and Jacob had been carrying
on Il civil war for some time and Jacob
had finally decided that he was rich
enough to set up an establishment of
his own, for he had much cattle and
many servants and rather too many
wives for his own peace and comfort.
Laban pursued him and chided him,
charging him with thievcry particular
ly in that he had stolen the family
gods. An adjustment wes reached and
the conclusion was to have been a per-
lnanent separation. So Jacob set up as
4 token, a monoluth, and his servants
made a. heap of stones which Laban
called his, and said:
1T is a witness and it shall bo
called 'Mispah;' The Lord watch be-
tween me and thee while we are absent
one from the other
Before the days when writing be-
came popular. it was quite the custom
to make a monument Of some sort as q
witness to important transactions.
The motto SO often misapplied as
meaning a comfort and pledge Of affec-
tion should be applied i'm this year Of
our Lord i'm its original meaning which
was that God is to see that the con-
tract made between Iaban and Jacob
was kept. w" need TO have that feel
ing that God watches us IN our bust
ness transactions.
JUPITER IS BLIND.
"The ancients raised the statue OF
Jupiter, extensive in proportions and
complete in elegance to awe the peo-
pie. But one day they saw that the
spid ars had woven a web across the
eyeballs of their deity and they said:
Jupiter is blind and we can do as we
please
There is too much Of the feeling
abroad in the land today that Jehovah
is vciled and takes no notice Of our
business affairs. How square our scales
would be if we thought that God wit
messed our dealings.
I'VE are very apt tu ask the Lord
to watch the other fellow; never a
twain needed more watching than did
I ll,
Of the other and neither was afraid of
himself, the one who most required the
supervision. If they had only a little
sooner seen the Eye that always sees
us they would have spared themselves
and the world many hlunders.
1t is very easy to take even n re-
ligiOus truth and so stretch it as to
make it apply to the other feIlow-You
may be cheating others to sell goods
at low price. The merchant may rob
the poor woman who is shedding her
life blod in toll to supply the goods,
and we buy them caring not for the
suffering if only we can buy cheap"
The speaker then referred to the
usual application Of the text as rep
resenting affection and concern in alb
sence and separation.
LET GOD INTO OUR LIVES.
The Methodist Discipline saws we are
To watch over each other IN love and
thus aid in the scheme Of salvation. We
might let in God more commonly i'm our
relationships when we are together.
| am apt to think that can take care
Of my family when 7 am with them,
hut when ! so away to call God in, I
can run my church when [ am here.
but I am not so certain about it when
| am in the North Woods or on the
st. Lawrence.
when l tell you love to preach the
word Of God, and to try to save souls
for Him am honest in the statement?
God sees whether am or not.
God knows when YOU so out wheth-
er you mean what you have taCtily
said in coming to the service. that
have your hearts to pour into them the
teachings Of ,he Spirit
IF we all believed that God sees us
and watches there would be no occa-
sion for these reports Of the misconduct
Of those bearing the name Of Chris
tian, when away from home.
'Often when a man feels that he
cannot leave his work, his church, his
congregation, ii is nothing more that
a conceit-that affairs would not go on
without him. I go, and concerning
care I roll it all on Him who cares for
souls. You found that YOU must 90
away for rest but you dragged along
a chain that fastened you to your
counting room. or in your brain car
ried the ledger that weariod, and tor
'ura1 VO1I