The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-27

Former Pastor Addressed IWo LdiBe
Congregations Yesterday - Said
That the Bible Is True Word for
Word and Paid His Respects to
the Higher Critics-Would Prefer
to Be Regarded as Fool by Them
Rather Than by God--Denomina-
tions of Little Account.
Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns, pastor of the
| Church of the Atonement at German
| town, gave two Bible talks yesterday
| in Grace Reformed Episcopal church to
congregations which taxed the seating
capacity of the auditorium. Rev. Mr..
| Stcarns was pastor of Grace church
| from 1856 to 1892, and his able Bible
| talks and sermons during those years
| kept the church filled at all services.
Since he left this city, in addition to
| carrying on his regular pastoral duties,
| he has been instructing large Bible
| classes in Philadelphia, New York,
Washington and Baltimore, some week.
| ly and some semi-monthly. His thor
| ough familiarity with the Scriptures
and his entirely original and refreshing
methods of imparting what he knows
| to others have won him wide fame. He
very seldom attempts to preach set
sermon, contenting himself with draw
| ing his remarks direct from the Bible
as he proceeds. His talks TEEN with
Scriptural quotations.
| Last night he took for the basic text
| of his talk three verses of Scripture:
| Matthew, 1911; Mark, All and Luke,
$40. In all of these verses appear sub
stantially these words: ut is given
| unto you to know the mysteries of the
Kingdom of heaven, but to them it Is
not given"
He began by explaining that a mys-
terry is something that is known only to
| the initiated and therefore only those
who have accepted Christ can possibly
| know anything of the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven. There is mystery
| connected with this present age, he de-
cared, and he then proceeded to ex-
plain his position.
Bible Is One Book.
"'The Bible is one book. 1t is one
story" he said. Il believe every single
word of it from beginning to end. There
are a great many wise men who would
| declare me to be a fool for making such
| an assertion, but 1 stand on it. These
wise men, and some of them are in our
| theological seminaries, are inclined to
| the belief that Adam and Eve are
myths, and that Abraham and Isaac
are sort of lunar personages or some
| thing of that sort. They haven't got
much real use for the Bible, and they
call the people ignorant who believe in
it implicitly. On the other hand, un-
| less you believe in it as do, you stand
| a fool in the presence of Jesus Christ
| would rather be right in Gods sight
| and a fool in the eyes of the wise men
and professors than right with them
| and Il fool before God"
He pointed out that in the first two
| chapters of Genesis a perfect world is
spoken of. In the third chapter the
| devil enters and remains more or less
prominent until the last two chapters OF
| the book of Revelations, when a perfect
| world is again spoken Of A perfect
| circle is thus formed. Nothing is men
! toned as to the present age. The old
| Testament mentions the coming Of
! Christ, His sufferings and the glory
that will follow eventually, but there
| is nothing of the interval between-the
| present age.
The first degree the speaker said is
| the acceptance of Christ. This is not
difficult if the sinner believes. All that
is required is to say sincerely, II be-
| lieve Christ died bearing my sins, and
I accept Him as my Savior"
"How can you accept Christ?" said
he. "Just tell Him so. That's all. He
is waiting to enter into your heart If
you will but open it to Him. How will
| feel? someone asks. 1t is not a matter
of feeling. 1t is a matter of belief; Il
| ma tier of faith"
| Must Have Faith.
When Christ is accepted, the saved
man must believe that God was really
manifest in the flesh.
"It must mean this to you person.
| ally" he said. "It is not for you to
| argue or reason about. 1t is for you to
| believe with all your soul. Receive it
| meekly and hold it fast.
"When you have accepted Christ, He
| lives in YOU" he continued. "You say,
| I'd feel differently if that We're so.'
| That doesn't enter into it. The uues-
| ton is. Do you believe the word of God ;
do you believe what God himself has
said? Don't hesitate to say, I live not,
but Christ liveth in me- 1 wouldn't
dare to even imagine this if it wasn't
in the Bible. but it's there and I must
believe it. There is no getting around
| it,"
| Christ, Rev. Mr.. Stearns declared, is
at present engaged in gathering all the
members of His church into one body.
! "There are many denominations" said
| he, "but only one church. Wherever
on the face of the earth there is one, be
| he or she Roman Catholic, Presby-
terrain, Reformed Eplscopalian, or mem
ber of no church, who believes in the
| Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior of sin
| nerS, that person is a member of the
body of Christ, of the company of all
| true believers. There are many whose
| names are on church books here whose
| names are not on the books of heaven,
| and there are many here on earth
| whose names are ON the books of no
church but are transcribed in letters of
gold ON the heavenly register. 1t doesn't
matter cents worth what church you
belong to If you are "A believer in Christ
and Him cruciiied
THE work of the church has not been
fairly begun, because the church itself
is not finished. We are still at school
| becoming fitted for our life work.
Christians and Disciples.
"There are many saved people who
will have some place in the kingdom of
God, but there are very few disciples.
There is world of difference between
| "A Christian and a diSciDle of Christ