The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-12

Employed in the Masters Vine-
yard-An Exceeding Great Re
ward for Those Who Are Faithful.
Rev. a. l.. Ramer. Of st. Marks
| Lutheran church, preached an eloquent
| and forccful sermon at the morning
service yesterday on the theme. Gods
cali for l.aborcrs IN liis Vineyard.
| His text was found in Matthew Xxx x.l-16.
and he spoke. in part. as fullows:
| Very often when our Saviour desires to
| teach divine truth In it's most ctfcctiv"
| manner, He presents IL under the simili-
tude of AN ordinary experience of his
| hearers. The Gospel for this day brings
| before us the parable of the vineyard
| with the suggestive theme Of God S
| can for l.ahorers In His Vineyard An
| occasion for this parable may he found in
: the inquiry made by the rich young man
/ in the proc, dint, chapter: "What good
thing shall ] do, that I may have etcr-
| nal life"
| The Kingdom of God Is like unto a man
| that Is an householder. which went out
| carly in the morning To hire laborcrs
! into his vineyard. The effort to secure
| lahorers was repeated at different in
| tcrvals of the day. At evening the la
|
, rcivcd his hire ON account of the good
| ness of the householder those who la
! bored hut one hour received as much as
! those who had borne the burden and
! heat Of the day
! The kingd, m uf heaven is the central
thought with which every thing in the
parable is associated. In order to con-
! NrS some idea ot the spiritual significance
I of tn" kingdom of heaven the Saviour
! employs the simiitudc Of a vineyard
| and describes the relations associated
! Herewith as kindred to the relations
/ prevailing i'm tho kingdom Of heaven. In
/ speaking of this Kingdom. whether MS
! tho kingdom of heaven, or of Cod or of
| Christ. the Scriptural idea desicnates an
| institution Of divine and supreme author
/ ity before which all creatures must bow
| in submission The fundamental idea
| of this kingdom Is. that II is ordered and
! maintained in accordance with principles
! Of righteousness. truth. and holiness.
: christ places this kingdom frequently
in sharp contrast with the kingdom Of
( this world. where the contrary principles
| maintain. The former is incorruptble
| and participation i'm IL produces eternal
| peace. happiness and Immortality: the
| latter Is doomed to unnihlation and all
| who are found citizens In it will suffer
| eternal ruin.
| THE MOTIVE FOR TIlF; PARABLE.
men the great concern which God mani
! tests in winning souls for the kingdom OF
| heaven. Under the d!gniiicd parsonage Of
an householder of an oriental estate, God
| Is represented, personally. to call labor
crs for Ills vineyard. Early in the morn
| ing. whether We regard the period of
| time with reference to the race or to the
| individual. God calls men to salvation.
| Early in the dawn Of the ages when
| man by disobodi, nee had fallen under
the wrath of God. the Almighty began to
! reveal His mercy and love to tn" fallen
| race. At sundry times and in di, crs
| manners God suakc in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets. The parable
! particularly emphasizes the frequent
| calls which God makes upon man to re-
| p"ntancc.
| He went ont about the third hour,
again hc went out the sixth and the ninth
| hour and about the eleventh hour he
went out and found others standing idle.
The burden of rcproof on the part of God
| Is: why stand We here all the day
| idle Although these men were met IN
| the worlds market-plaCc, where the busy
hum of active life was heard and where
| men were absorbed in the busy transac>
tions of daily life, and yet the Lord pre-
| fers the charge of idlenCss. In the sight
| Of God every soul Is idle that is not en-
| poycd in the Masters vineyard. 1t is
| the universal verdict of Scripture that
| idlcncsS Is wicked and ruinous in its con-
sequences.
Go yc also into the vineyard. This is
| n universal call to all subjects in the
| Kingdom. The pertinent question rela- =
| tive to II Is, have y,u, beloved friends,
accepted this call. 1t is mans sovereign
| privilege either to accept or to refuse
the heavenly call to salvation. In some
form or other the call has reached you
| You cannot excuse yourselves by saying
mo man hath hired us" Your living in
| a Christian land surrounded with Chris
tian influences, are in themselves evil
| dcnces that YOU are conscious OF the
! Gospel OF salvation. Your own personal
| needs to participate In divine worship
| should drive YOU as certain Greeks OF
old to make the inquiry, 1--WE would See
| Jesus"
| TERRIBLE RISK ASSUMED.
What IA terrible risk one assumes who
| needlessly neglects the hearing of the
| Gospel message of salvation or despiScs
| the administration of the divnCly APP
| pointed means OF grace. baptism and the
Lords supper. From the early dawn of
your life through pious parents, you
were brought IT, the Lord Jesus Christ
In holy baptism; during the years Of
| youth, YOU were carefully instructed con-
| ccrning the kingdom Of heaven. and your
| duty as members therein was clearly
laid upon Your heart Every Lords day
|
| call repeated to the impenitcnt. Trust
! ing that you have made a good confes-
sion before many witnesses, how do you
| now discharge the service in tho Mas
| tcrs vineyard. His church. Are you
faithfully and patiently bearing the heat
and burden of this earthly warfare
against sin and wickedness, or are you
found murmuring against God for the
, providence lie sends upon you?
The Christian church with the preach
| ing of the pure Gospel and the right use
| of III" holy sacraments is the vineyard
| of the Lord. Those not found employed
| in her mission of saving souls and glor
| iyin% God are idlers and loiterers for
| whom there will be no reward promised.
| The Lord agreed with the laborers for Il
| penny day. We do not wish to en-
phasize the mcrcenary idea of the guam
titative value of the reward offered The
great truth remains that salvation is the
free gift of God and no merit of any kind
| on the part of man may even make IA
| rightful claim for II.
| While We We're yet the enemies of God
| Christ died for us. christ took upon Him
! self our guilt so that by His death We
might receive His Righteousness by faith,
We should love Him, because He first
| loved MS. The gift bestowed upon those
who are faithful laborers In Gods king
dom On earth Is the same which God
| promised to the patriarch Abraham ~
| will be thy exceeding great reward" II
God has given US His Son will He not
| also freely give Ms all things. o that
| men would accept and believe the good
ness of God! and rely upon the pledge
of His Word, Whatsoever is right, that
shall ye receive"
FAITH IS THE VICTORY.
Eloquent Sermon by Rev. Robert F.