The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-02

York, an eloquent young clergyman
with "A number of friends in this city.
delivered two sermons yesterday at the
Second Presbyterian church before
congregations which can be termed
large for this season of the year.
At night he chose for his text the
third and fourth verses of the second
epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians,
which reads as followjs:
"Let no man deceive you by any
means; for that day shall not come
except there come falling away first
and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdton;
"Who opposeth and exalteth him.
self above all that is called God OF
that is worshipped; so that he as God
sittcth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God"
Rev. Mr.. Knapp, at the outset. ex.
planned that in writing these words
Faul was referring to the second com.
ing of Christ and was seeking to calm
the Thcssalonians who were much
enthused by their belief that the Sa'
vicur would soon again come upor
earth.
REFERENCE OBSCURE.
The apostles reference to the sor
OF perdition who would appear before
the second coming and would be tht
embodiment of all selfshness is very
obscure, he explained. and has beer
n source of much controversy among
Bible students in all ages.
Every Bible scholar has been at {
loss to explain just what sort of fig
IA ST nf iS
There have been persons who hav,
sought to identify historical personagc
as this man of sin. | do not propos,
to discuss this phase Of the question
I desire to take Paul's description o
this mysterious figure and show 1t I,
he pen-piCture of a sort of ideal sin
ner or a type embodying the essentia
qualities that lie at the root of al
sin.
II believe that It can be proven tha
every sinner is a self-Centered man o
| woman and that all sin can be direct
| ly traced to the worship OF self.
Every man must acknowledge SOM
supreme allegiance. The good mai
| looks to God and serves Him. The sin
| full man exalts himself to the suprem
| place and makes of himself god. II
worships himself sitting in the cente
| OF his temple.
"As We look ut :kis picture we Sc
| in him sin in it's very essence w
| find, If we study the man. that out o
his self worship grows every sin o
| every ra.Ere and degree.
"Self-eXa!tation is in itself abun
| dainty sinful and out of it grow som
| ,NC =. e,,ht
tired man gets farther and farthe
away from the spiritual every day O
his life. He has a ersaton only O
| pleasure or pain. When he is happ
| morals, righteousness, religion an
God become empty words to him.
ONE INPE OF SINNER.
The self-righteous man is one typ
of the self-centred sinner. You spea
to him Of Gods commandments an
ne tells you how punctually he oh
serves Them. You speak to him @
sin and he tells you how righteous h
is with an air of seeming satisfaction
| If he regards other men he does $
with feeling Of scorn or with sneer
ing pride.
IF Your self-centred man Is a perso
of weak will be becomes slave q
sloth. If on the other hand he is ag
Gressive and possessed of strong wi
he feels that he must make his wi
| by force and attempts to do so. If
is man of strong passions and enjoy
the swift pace of unleashed desire, h
| goes down, dowr, down into the bot
tomleSs pit of sin.
THE self-centred man finds oppose
to him not only laws and forces bu
living men and women, whose erie
ne must heed and turn back or whor
he must trample upon.
"Sins OF pride and sins of passion
sins of Incidence and sins of rebellion
sins of the intelligence and sins of tn
emotions all trace their origin to tn
common scarce Of self-worshp.
The self-centred man should see
a deeper knowledge of his own fault
for with deeper knowledge OF sin
comes a deeper knowledge Of Jesu
Christ. With deeper knowledge {
sin comes the realization that we car
not save ourselves and that we nee
| Saviour.
Let us remember, my friends, tina
Jesus Christ is the one great enemy
human selfishness, who never rest
and who gives no quarter, that Jesu
Christ is the only being who who'll
conquered self; that Jesus Christ b
His example and teaching did MOI
than anybody else or any institutio
TO bring men to a realization of the
own selfish hearts and by so doing
bling them nearer to God; that Jesu
Christ knows all and holds out to yo
His cross to make you free sayin,
'Whosoever saves his life shall lose /
but whosoever shall lose his life for m
sake shal save II.
rn KEEp HENrpE crprrr