The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-22


James McLeods topic in the First
Presbyterian church last night. The
keynote of the sermon was struck in
the following utterance:
But the fact that false teachers have
deined the Virgin Mary, and the fact
that the Evangelical church has rejected
their false doctrine does not warrant any
Christian in thinking less highly of the
Virgin mother than he ought to think.
Jf the church of Rome thinks too much
of the Blessed Virgin that is no reason
why any other church should think too
little of her.
Dr. McLeod's text was taken from
Luke I:46-47: MY soul doth magnify
the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my Savior" with these words,
the Virgin Mary began to sing her
beautiful hymn OF the divine incarna-
tion. The church has been singing this
hymn for nineteen centuries, and she
will continue to sing it until the end Of
time" His sermon follows:
The author OF this hymn. the occasion
of 1t and the truths it embodies, occupy
a chief place in the history of redemp-
tion.
Its author is the most blessed of wo-
men. BLESSED art thou among women"
said Gabriel, and the virgins cousin re-
echoed the angels words. SO highly faN-
ored was the mother Of Jesus that heav-
en- and earth combined to celebrate her
praise Because of the honor conferred
upon her, she has been and she ever
more will be- an object of sanctified adj
miration. Indeed there are hosts in
Christendom, who not content with re-
garding her as an object of admiration,
nave made her an object of alteration.
They believe in her Immaculate Concep-
ton since December Sth. 1854. and
hence, as far as sin is concerned, they
place her on an equality with her Divine
Son. She "rejoiced in God her SAVIOR
but. they say, she did not need a Saw
ior, because she was always sinless.
Hence, they have conferred upon her
divine names, and titles, and attributes.
They worship her as the Queen OF
heaven" and as the "Refuge Of Sinners
They adore her, and pray unto her more
frequently than they adore and pray uh-
to the triune God.
Te Deum Parodied.
Tn honor of her. the ''Te Deum" has
been paroded, and turned into a hymn
of praise to the virgin. They sing:
1--WE praise the Mother of Ged.'
All the angels and archangels, all
thrones and powers do faithfuiiy serve .ts
thee. To thee all angels cry aloud, with
an increasing will. Holy. Holy, HOLY,
Mary. Mother of God" Thus. vast null
titudes who bear the name Of Christian.
worship her. They are taught and urged
to pray unto her and solicit her patronage
and to cry unto her for help when they
are "trembling under the shadow OIL the
tempter" They are urged to ego to her
for the loyal heart of innocence" and
they are assured that she will come
quickly to their relief
This is Mariolatry. 1t has no authority
either in holy scripture or in right rea-
SON. But. nevertheless. multitudes be-
lieve in it, and they pour out their
prayers to the blessed virgin with great
fervor during the "season of Advent
Now. no Intelligent or devout Christian
wishes to detract from the beauty and
purity and blessedness of the mother OF
Jesus; but it does seem strange that any
Intelligent or devout Christian, should
allow tradition and unreason to take the
place of Bible truth.
But the fact that false teachers nave
deified the Virgin Mary, and the fact
that the Evangelical church has rejected
their false doctrine, does not warrant
any Christian in thinking less highly of
the Virgin mother than he ought to
think. If the church of Rome thinks too
much Of the blessed virgin, that is no
reason why any other church should
think too little Of her. Yet. in many
Protestant churches. a. sermon on the
Virgin Mary Is quite a novelty. Sermons
Oh Ruth, and Esther. and Hannah, ana
Mary of Bethany, and Mary Magdalene,
and on other notable Bible women. are,
by no means, rare: but sermons on the
mother of Jesus are rather uncommon.
This ought not so to be. For. truely
no woman in the bible no woman in the
history of the world. is so notable, and
so worthy of our regard as is the moth
er of Jesus. Surely her life and character
ought to suggest themes for many a
tender and instructive sermon. Blessed,
she shall be for evermore. Her place in
the history of redemption, is most hon
orable. What she anticipated when she
said: "F'rom henceforth all generations
shall call me blessed" has been verified;
and It will yet be more fully realized.
She Did Not Forget.
But. notwithstanding all the honor and
all the blessedness thae God bestowed
upon her. she did not forget that she
was q sinner. and that. therefore she
needed n Savior, and hence she embodied
that fact in her hymn, saying "My spirit
hath reioiced in God my Savior"
The occasion which called forth her
hymn of praise is altogether unique.
Nothing like it had ever occurred, or can
ever again occur. That was the glad
dest, brightest, holiest day the world
had seen, since sin had entered into It..
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