The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-05

Rev. Charles NJ. Giffin, d. D., pastor
of the Elm Park Methodist Episcopal
church, preached a sermon last even
ing that may fittingly be termed both
mastery and impressive. taking as bis
theme "The Three RS" He spoke in
part as follows:
"In elementary education there are
always certain we'll recognized funda-
mental essentials without knowledge
of which no one can expect to attain
to the higher realms Of education. The
Yankee used to facetiously call them
The three RS. When we think of
our moral relations there are also
three RS we must master If we would
be successful and 1t Is of these that I
would speak to you tonight.
"The first of these is Regret. When
l speak of regret l do not wint 10 lie
W. derstoo1 as confounding it with re-
morse, which is quite another thing.
There ore times in everv ma7's life
self-reproachful of himself for the sins
he has committed, but if this is only
a dissatisfaction and IL he doesn't de-
terminc to do better, it doesn't amount
to much.
1--WE all know that it is the trend
Of the times to gloss over iniquity.
What were formerly a mans mis-
deeds are now calmly spoken of by
him as his misfortunes. Some people
suppose that all God wants of them
Is that they may say complacently
that they suppose they are not up to
the proper ideal Of excellence.
ANOTHER CONDITION.
"Then, there's another condition
which isn't regret. That's the refrain
ing from doing a thing because you're
afraid of being seen doing it. There
Is a certain man in this city today
who would not go into certain court IL
he knew that the pastor of Elm Park
church knew that he went there. But
If he refrained from going there on
that account would that make his act
a Christian one? Undoubtedly, it
would not.
"There's another point. Don't con-
! found regret with modification. True
| contrition comes from a deeper source
than does mortification; 1t comes from
the very soul. The truly penitent soul
would weep If it knew there was no
| hell. When a man sees his mis-spent
| life in all the horror Of it's debase
ment; when he has experienced the
right hand of regret, then he is ready
for the second step, and that Is Refor.
nation.
There Is many a man who is re-
penting over his sins but who won't
stop SHINING. When q man is truly
sick Of sin he can't stick to 1t. Let
the wicked forsake the way of sin.
Let them step out into the new life
and let them stay there. The old
Puritan who said, the man who truly
repents would rather die than sin
again may have been severe. but he
was right.
| people sometimes reform in sec.
tions. They stop one sin and aggravate
another. They don't intend, as they
should, to circle round all their iniqui-
ties and clean out the whole Internal
lot.
THE THIRD r.
"The third r. is Restitution. There
are so many who have taken away sc
much that they can't put it back. The
penitent always wants to do all he car
to right the wrongs he has done. But
what Of those who have done damage
that can never be repaired?
Il often think of an incident in the
life OF that most delightful character
in English letters, Samuel Johnson
When Samuel was little boy his
father asked him to tend the marke,
stall he kept and Sam said: NO.
Again he asked hiEa and again he re.
ceived the answer, NO. Years after
wards when johnson had reached thu
height of his fame, he came to the old
stall on the market day one year and
stood for hours with uncovered head
in the place where his fathers stall
had stood. This Is my contrition.
said he. for refusing to obey m,
father That's all very well. hut wha
Of the fathers bleeding heart?
IF We master the three RS as they
should be mastered we come to faith
which We can't have without the hel!
Of God. And with Gods help W,
come to that greatest r. Of all, Re
pentance. which makes US true heir,
of eternal life"