The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-31

uhdThS oI neV' ., f. MaJneW uHu
Rev. H. A. Grant, B. D.
The Rev. Robert i. Y Pierce. pas
tor of the Penn avenue Baptist church,
preached an intensely interesting SER
mon last evening, taking as his topic
The Passing of an Infdel or the
SkeptiC's God and Mine" This was
the last sermon preached by Mr. Pierce
prior to his annual vacation so that a
vey large gathering was present. He
leaves on Friday of this week for
Ocean Grove where he will spend the
next four weeks.
Two texts were chosen: "He that is
not with me is against me and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth
abroad. The fool said in his heart
There is no God" Mr.. Pierce spoke
In part as follows:
"The term fool is not used in the
Scriptures as an expression of derision,
it rather has a meaning denoting ten
derness and pity for life misguided.
The present age is the most intense
era in the worlds history. Good and
evil are arrayed in contest as they have
never been before. The surging tides
of opposition have lashed for centuries
and are still lashng against the church
of God, but she stands as firm as Glib
ralter
"Intidelity is primarily a disbelief
in the existence of a God, but infdels
have ado. ted a smoother term, agnos-
tiCiSm which means, | do not know.
There are many phases of this doctrine
and there is no question but that ii is
rampant in the world today. There
| are those who claim they have honest
convictions that Christ is myth, but
who have made merchandise of their
| claims by means of the printed page
and the lecture platform.
MISGUIDED JUDGMENT.
| 81 would seek the most devoted fol-
| lower of infidelity. | would not criti-
Cize the man but the principal. The
eXpounder of infidelity may charm
great audiences. he may be a dignitied
and polished gentleman, he may be d
distinguished lawyer, a gifted orator
Il kind father and a faithful friend
but the same polished gentleman may
be misguided i'm his judgment, he may
be unwise i'm his discussion.
'Infidels have formulated many
| beautiful theories. l like the persona
| creed one had adopted. 1t is beauti
full to love the Chaste, it is beautiful
to be kind and patriotic and homes
in our dealings with our fellOwmen
it is sweet to love the home and tn
family, but what are these beautiful
theories but the reflection of a true an,
noble Christian life. Moralitys re
wards, as far as morality alone i
concerned, stop at the grave. Their
is no moral principle that cannot b.
found i'm Christianity.
The infidel attacks the faith of 9th
ers and destroys their hope. He play
as Carelessly with other mems soul
as child does with a toy Down dee
in the heart of every infidel there is
| shrinking from his own teaching
In the calm, quiet hours he turns ava
from black despair and utter hopeless
ness to something higher and noblel
Have pity for the loved ones who 81
10y his ashes, sad at heart. He ha
robbed even the dearest treasures G
his life. robbed them of the comfol
of hope What is the result of his life
passing like a flaming meteor befol
the world" There is not one hom
made happier, there is no one fror
whom the burdens that bear heaVil
upon them have been lifted. TOnigf
| would say %, my God, let me NJ
live life like that. Let me live to pu
hope i'm some heart, let me live to hel
some one in sorrow endure their SUI
feringS as | wipe the tears away. 1t
me live So that when / die | may hay
lived for a better purpose, not that
b may have lived, but that the Christ
d me may have lived for others
THE CHURCH NOT PERFECT.
There may be much in the churC
! | that is imperfect. There is perhaI
much that fosters disbelief. There is
great deal of singing what We don
\ mean. There are men often standin
=, in the pulpit whose lives are impul
and wicked. There is also a grei
! deal of tolerance in the church. The
are those who have no use for tho.
- who are not in the particular regimen
of Gods army that they belong I
Let us all be true and patriotic ar
let MS have more tolerance. Let Il
question be, are you seeking to NAL
one better II the answer COM
= yes let us stand shoulder to should
in an effort to help uplift the wOrl
while there are many things i'm Il
= church that may not be right there a
p far more that are holy, noble pure al
g uplifting There is nothing so uplil
= ing as the church of the living Chris
9 What does intidelity give in pla
2 OF the church? Nothing. What do
< it give us in place of the Bible? Not
: ing. Inhdelity's great mission seer
TO be to tear down. In England, whe
- skepticism prevails one man out
. every eleven is either "A criminal, IN
n attic, drunkard or pauper In Fran,
where infdelity has run riot, patriC
# ISM is a military boast and virtue
l. dead. Christianity comes to us clot
# ed in the white garments of true h
l. manity and holds forth to us the OF
stretched hand OF benevolence. Let
take that hand and we will find o
, path in life more easy"
The following is a list of the clerg
men who will preach at the Penn az
le nue. Baptist church for the colni
four Sundays i'm their respective
der. Rev. S. b. Meeser, Worcest
m Mass; Rev. DR., Harris, president
le Bucknell university; Rev. G.. NJ. +
W ans, Long Island City; Rev. ]
Brougher, Paterson, y. ].
r~r