The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-02
NEW YEARS SERMON.
Delivered by Rev. H. A. Grant, BID,
in His Church,

'ReN II. a. Grant, -. D., pastor Uf
the Howard Pace African Methodist
Episcopal church, preached a New
Years sermon yesterday morning
from John t: IS, "For came not to do
my own will, but the will of Him that
sent me- In part he said:
one of the sublimest iurcrs in human
nature is will power Every man has 1t
AZ an essential element in his being.
Without 1t he would not be- Il man. hut a
mere mechanism. So Christ being man,
had Il human will. Thr incarnation was
not the Divine nature dwelling in hu-
man body. but perfect God ana perfect
man i'm union. And i'm this passage
Christ speaks of His will us distinct from
the Fathers, and points out the attitude
in which ii stood to the Fathers Ant
as was our great example, 80 God wishes
US to begin this new ycar-1S!@.
First, Christs will was blended with the
Fathers. 1t was never given up 1t
was always there strong and active, but
it was harmonized with the will above.
He chose the Father to choose fo2 Him.
He willed that the Fathers will should
be perfectly fulfilled throughout His
earthly mission. And we can never give
up' our will, We must retain our VIII
power intact forever But we are To la 'e
our wills blended in like manner with the
will Divine. The very essence of sin is
the human will opposing God. Sometimes
IT Is by Il direct contrary, as when men
say in their hearts: I'VE will not have
this man to reign over u.s." sometimes 10y
falling short like King Saul fulfilling part
of his mission to the Amalektes and loaI-
ing the rest undonC: and sometimes ny
going beyond the word of the Lord, as
Moses. twice shifting the rock, when God
only told him to speak to it.
I.
and Gods is sin. So union of will with
Gods is New Testament goodness. Let
us start out this year with the knowledge
if mans will is one with God he has
the root of all holiness within him. lie
may bc very defective I'm knowledge and
culture. may hay" much to learn and
unlcarn, but he is fundamentally right
ana good. The seed of q celestial life is
suWn within his being. And il is to tins
that God calls every one of ms, here and
now.
Second, Christ's one life work was TO
DO the Fathers will He had nothing else
to do on earth Whether fulfilling all
righteousness" at Jordan, fighting the evil
one in the desert. blessing the children.
healing the sufferers. or training the
twelve
He was working "the works of Him that
SGnt Him" And the summary that He
gave of His own life was - have fin
ished the work which Thou gpVcSt Me
to do"
Third, with this union Of will there
was in Christ a glad rest Of soul. Lei us
keep in view as we perform duty this
new year that all unrest of heart springs
from the difference between the actual
and the ideal, that which is and that |
wish to he. If wish for Il palace ana
have only a cottage, | have no rest.
But, If 7 wish only for the cottage It
is a palace to me, for ! am satisfied.
And if I crave for that which God de-
MES me or wish to walk one road while
lie points me down another, | can have
no rest of heart. But when | take Ills
will as my best portion, ana accept His
choice as my highest good, | have peace
and rich content in all my borders.
Now, then, to The Tribune, whose work
il hand in hand with the pulpit for the
elevation of manEild as well as to all
WhC 20 kindly assisted MS during the yeul
l>@>, We say: An hail. the new year--lS99!
1t comes Ovcrlaid with our Fathers belize
diction. The inspirations of the period
arc lniGhty, they lift NJ to the divine att;. =.
tudCS.