The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-30

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Rev. DR.. G. NJ. Giffin, pastor of the
Elm Park Methodist Epicopal church,
delivered q powerfully eloquent new
years sermon last night taking for
| his theme, "'rhe Wrecks of a Twelve
Month" and choosing for his text the
following sentence from the Eighth
chapter of Revelations: "And the third
part of the Ships were destroyed"
In beginning his remarks he referred
to the terrible list of the shipwrecks
on the sea during a year and compar.
ed this with the sea Of life.
| "Ah, my friends" said he, "how
| many there are who set sail on the sea
of life last January full of hopes but
who were caught in the tempest Of
| temptation and swept on anu on to
destruction and after all, what is the
loss of craft or cargo compared
with the loss of character and honor.
II remember one year when the City
of Washington. splendid steamer that
she was. was caught by a gale in mid
ocean and torn to pieces but the pas
sengers got into the life-boats and
were picked up later. A man down the
street here was caught in the teeth Of
a tempest last October and went down
to destruction because he yielded to
temptation.
QUALIFIED TO SPEAK.
II believe that l am qualified 10
speak intellgently of this sea Of life
because l have journeyed over it for
many years and have felt the pressure
of the great winds that blow across its
bosom. | have heard the shrieks OF
those who have been engulsed under
it's mad waves. I have seen the fires
kindling the passions of men upon it
until like craft of the sea they have
burned to the waters edge
II have noted the sandbars that have
caused the wreck of many u mans life
and l have walked along their shores
and seen the broken hulls cast up by
| the waves. l have seen the whirl-
pool of sin and have seen men being
sucked slowly but surely down to des-
truction. l think it best to suggest
some of the reasons for this destruc-
ton on the sea of life.
I'VE know that ships leak sometimes
through small openings and that the
water slowly but surely fills until she
sinks. So has it been with more than
one life in this city of Scranton during
the past year. Evil has crept in
through one or perhaps two little
openings and has been followed by ap-
palling consequences.
MANY wrecks are caused by over
loading. Men who own ships put more
into them than they can carry with
safety and when the tempest comes
they sink. What of the man who al
lows himself to carry burdens greater
than God intended he should bear and
who goes down to the lowest depths
when the high seas come.
CARRY TOO MUCH CANVAS.
MANY ships go down because they
carry too much canvas and be-
come top heavy. How many men
there are who are presumptious
enough to think that they can carry
any amount of sail with safety and
who go jauntily through life until all
at once they run into a sulall ana
over they go
"Sone wrecks are caused by lost I
reckoning. The ship loses her way and
beats about her course. drifting with this
current and with that until she is cast
upon some sunken reef and ground to
pieces on the rocks. There are so many /,
men who are drifting to and fro upon !
the sea of life without amy fixed inten- |
ton. When I see them, | almost cry
aloud and wish to God that they had /
set Il star to guide themselves by, in !
stead of floating with the tide.
''rhere are countless wrecks caused .
by bad steering apparatus and bad |
craftsmanship. On the great sea of life !
it is absolutely essential that the steer |
ing apparatus be in perfect order and
that it be under the complete control of
the pilot the human will which must
be kept steady and clear
Il wish also to speak IL little about
the Wreckers and the rescuerS who have :
been at work during the year 1901. The
wrt ecker is worse than the ghoul who
strips the dead bodies of peopl. killed
in railroad wrecks These miserable
wretchea are angels compared with the
wrecker who lures II ship onto Il dan
gcrous coast by false lights and who
plumbers her after she has struck.
There are wreckers in Scranton to-
day who are wrecking human lives and
who would sing with joy If the
churches we've destroyed and the men
of God sent away Within two blocks
of this church is the home of Il human
life wrecker. This home is Il beautiful
one; the windows are bright and are
hung with expensive curtains. Persons
passing by comment upon its beauty
and remark, Isn't that lovely home
COVERED WITH GORE.
MY friends. there are CORY drops all
over that establishment 1t drps with
the blood of the unfortunate mortals
l,,, L. l,I t,- ~ t,,t