The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-01


bration, and God himself hallows 1t with
His presence and blessing, and that Is the
farewell In this life to sin and all it's dark
following, when the soul rises from the
plane of evil and transgresson to the
service of the living Christ; like Saul
when he arose in an eternal farewell TO
sin and persecution, into the dignity OF
Christian; from the Saul of iniquity to
the Paul redeemed and saved forever
more as child of God.
And there is one sad unique farewell
that has its illustration here tonight, as
standing before you on this pulpit my lips
breathe the PASTORS farewell; farewell
in it's profoundest sense to all OF the in
innate Christian and official relations
that have existed between us as pastor
and people. 1t is a solemn moment to us
all. the moment when upon the canvass
the picture of a disso1ving view begins to
change. as old things begin to pass away
and the new to blend in its coming out
lines with the past. our connections in
the most solemn and yet gracious union
that can exist. on earth is dissolving even
as l speak to you. A few more words
and the past will be over; the past of
the sacred pastoral relation between us
and yet while ii is dissolving, leaving for
the eternal future conclusions and re-
sponsibilities that only the throne of the
1t Is a profoundly solemn moment to
me as l now stand here and briefly re-
view the past in the light of a great trust
imposed upon me as minister of God and
His gospel, to you as a people and a
church: for the question now before me
comes out with a clearneSs and precision
as / never before have sensed it, Have
done my duty in the complex relation
of pastor and preacher? l cannot answer
it. the utmost l can say is that l have
tried to do my best But what has been
the duty. to fatter. to administer only
to your pleasures, to speak only of pleas
ant things? No. but often times the un-
gracious task to warn, to entreat, to
speak of things not sweet to the unwill-
ing ear: but yet with all to lead you to
Christ, to prepare you for the stern
realities of the judgment: to WOO and win
you If / could to heaven. But 1t is all over
now. The next we meet will be by the
throne of God and there the trust given
mutually to us both will be examined,
weighed, and we all shall know our each
and every responsibility in the case.
yours in hearing and mine in preaching.
SEVEN YEARS PASTORATE.
The relation between us as pastor and
parishioners these nearly seven years has
been very close and very dear. we have
struggled together through storm and
trouble my people as we have battled to-
gether for better things and higher re-
suits and trust not in vain. l have been
with some of you in the hour of the souls
deepest woe, in its darkest experience,
and have held the hands of your dear
ones and seen them die. They are my
loved ones now born to me out of the
great sorrows as well as yours. l have
been with some of YOU in deep distress
and sought to bear it with you, and have
felt In consequence as If were a brother
to you forever more.
l have been with you in joy, my hand
has crossed your hands in the solemn
covenant of your marriage and l feel
that l am and shall be nearer to you as
friend and pastor until we meet in heaven
by that solemn act, and now as l stand
here my soul goes out in one deep pro-
found prayer for you all, for your pros
perity, your happiness and your contin-
ual joy. How anXiously l feel now that
every harsh word that may have been ut
tered thoughtlessly at any time, in any
place, may be forgotten. that we may re-
member one another in all the future
only In Christian friendship in Christian
love. If have spoken here as preacher
in the strong incisive words of the gos-
pei, 1t was Christian warning common
to us all; 1t was the kindness of entreaty.
If have spoken to you sinner in the ap-
was only my earnestness, a strong, deep,
profound desire on the part of one to save
you. Let us only remember now in part
ing that we are all the children of one
Father and of one God that loves us all.
with all our faults and failings as we
ought to love as Christ commanded one
another.
WORDS Or TIE PsALMIST.
And now as / conclude the solemn i'm
pressive words of the Psalmist. comes to
mo as something appropriate TO the hour
the thought and the occasion. Says Da-
vid. walk about Zion and go round
about her, tell the towers thereof. Mark
ye well her bulwarks, consider her pal
aces that We may tell 1t to the generations
following" Those words are pregnant
with the thought, how do l leave our
Zion? AS / take my departure hence,
may / not say that her towers have been
strengthened in the present pastorate of
nearly seven years? ! found them of
wood on the by-way and leave them of
stone and throned like queen upon this
broadway of the city. Her windows
have been changed to agates" and Her
borders to pleasant stones and this by
the grace of God and the earnest work,
sacrifice and co-ordinating helpfulness or
its own membership, stimulated by its
own enthusiasm. No less Gamble said In
all truth of the church spiritual, with the
soul within its external form. 1t has
grown In grace and the knowledge of
truth, why should 1t not continue to
grow when God has blessed so much
And now. brethren, my closing charge,
made solemn by the fact that / shall
never utter II again to you. is make for
peace" make for brotherly love-" make
for union with all the earnestness OF your
living soul. Not only for Gods sake but
for your own, remembering that thus
bound together none can hurt You but
yourselves.
FINALLY. brethren. farewell, be per-
feet. be OF good comfort, be Of one mind.
live In peace and the God of love and
peaca ahall ha with yoI -