The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-16

Discourse by Rev. q. Parsons
Nichols, d. d., of Binghamton,
NY.
Rev. Dr. G. Parsons Nichols, of
Binghamton, who Is so universally re-
vered in the Presbyterian church of
the east, occupied the pulpit at the
Second Presbyterian church yesterday.
The activity of his mind, the viriity
of his speech and the clear, beautiful
diction so characteristic of this clergy
man are unimpaired by the flight OF
years. He spoke yesterday morning
from Heb. 4: IS: For we have not an
high priest which cannot be touched
by the feeling of our infirmities, but
was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sim"
THE High Priest" he said, 'lived
revered and exalted above all in the
Jewish nation. His was an office like
which was none other. He was the
medium of communication between
the people on earth and God on high.
He offered for them the sacrifices for
their sins and presented for them in
his person what they could not realize.
"Yet he was only partially what
they deemed. Jesus Christ actually
comprises for US and all who receive
Him eternal priesthood, because He
lived a sinless life. He represents the
inexhaustable resources of the Diety.
Added to His many qualifications is
another. that of sympathy.
sympathy is a wonderful thing, the
quick warm sympathy that awakens
us from despair. We are nerved to
inspiration by sympathy and Chris.
| tianity spreads and moves by it's aid.
ut is to feel with-not pity-for
pity looks down upon; sympathy
| throws itself into the existence of
friends with love. We pity the crimi-
nal going to his execution. We SYM
pathize with our friend in his trouble.
1t is a great thing to have the deep,
full warm sympathy of any man. 1t
is a power for guidance and comfort.
A TWO-FOLD FEELING.
But our privilege is greater than
this. Yonder in heaven with two fold
| feeling is Christ with the pity of God
and the sympathy from the human
| point of view. feeling for us as a
brother. He obtained this by becom-
| ing himself human creature, the per-
which could feel heat and cold, could
hunger and thirst and be weary, ana
soul alive to all acute sensibilities.
"He was tried and tempted, enticed
| to evil as we are He was disappoint-
| ed. forsaken by friends, rejected by
| those He had as we are. He suffered
every woe, was divine, and vet His
| divinity was not lessened by single
tsAt,n ,tsatf fA, Il l.; -
glory, met hatred, pride, cruelty as
we meet these; only He was more SEN
sitive and consumed with desire to
aid us.
There is no ground of sympathy
more complete; it covers the whole of
| human life. Whatever l have to go
! through He has gone through; what
| ever l strive to do he has attained. He
knows how awful it is to die, how
painful to live. He made no mistake,
did not sin.
Some will say that If He had sinned
| He could feel for us a little more deep
| ly, but this is a mistake. Sin deadens
the soul and incapaCitates 1t fer deer
| feeling. The siness are the tenderest
| The angels are tenderer than man
| They have not sinned. Jesus is moro
merciful because He has gone down
into the depths, has felt temptation
and has come forth unscathcd. What
He was He still is. the same soul, part
| of the everlasting life. He never
| ceases to be our brother.
| when we see Christ face to face we
shall see n human face and touch q
| human hand. / do not know whether
we shall ever be nearer to God. whom
no man hath seen, but we shall see q
brother man on the throne.
HAD HUMAN ATTRIBUTES.
"IIe had our possession of the gift
of life; He was a child, youth with
the early longings, the early ques,
tionings and experiences. All children
in their first years have glimpses o
their ideals Of God and their duties
He felt sometimes that great love fol-
His Father, just as any boy or cir
feels that thrill of devotion. He was
like any little boy rooted in the sane
tity of home, nature, the Bible and the
| synagogue. His first love was for hi
mother. His first work, His fathers
carpentering. His first beauty-He hat
made all beauty-were the deep blu
Syrian sky and the scarlet lilies OF
the galilean hills. He touched every
thing as a boy, an ideal boy, not as al
angel.
1--WE may approach Him when W,
couldn't go to anyone else. There Il
no one so low tempted, so vanquisheC
that He does not bend down to lift up
sympathy includes work. Few ap
preCiate the amount of work, physical
mental and spiritual, that Christ di,
in those three brief years. He sym
pathizes with the busy man, the you'll
in his striving, He realized the ne
cessity for work. 1t is not work whicl
is curse but idleness. God love
good, honest work. But 1t must hav
in 1t the true principal that it is al
for the glory of God, not the spending
of lives in daily toll for mere food ant
clothing"
The address closed with an impas
stoned appeal for the realization of tn
sympathy of Christ with grief and suf
feTing. There are those who sa!
that the world is outgrowing the nee,
of Christ's sympathy" he said. "Tha
will never, never be while there ar
pain and woe, while there are sicl
rooms ana graves open at our feet"