The Washington times., 1902-02-17
Subject of Sermon Deliv-
cred by Rev. DR.. George
N. LuccoCk.
BASED ON THE EPISILES OF PAUL
Its Relation to Business and
Family Affections.
ATTENTION TO BUSINESS
APOSTLE Declares the Glorious En-
pcctation Instead of Incitiug Idle
ness should ImpcI DiIiycnce-Ef-
feet of His Teachings.

Rev. DR.. G. n. Luccock. pastor of the
Metropolitan Presbyterian Church. Fourth
and B Streets southeast, preached last
evening the second of series Of SER
mons on the makers of the New Testa-
ment and the creed of the early Church.
He chose for the subject of the sermon
"Christs Second Coming in Its Relation
TO Business and Family Affections" He
said in part:
The two epistles to the Thessalonians
are generally reckoned the earliest of
Pauls extant writings. the initial contri-
button OF that master mind to the New
Testament. And not only a new author,
but 4 different class OF readers, is recog-
nized James wrote to converted Jews;
these letters are to converted heather.
Success Out of Failure.
THE apostles mission TO the syna-
gogue in Thessalonia came TO nothing
His countrymen met his message with the
mob argument But he had great success
among the Gentiles. and the news of it,
spreading from that commercial city in
ward by wagon trade and seaward by
ships. went in many directions and be-
came the prosecuted missionarys best ad-
vertisement But Paul rejoiced most Of
all in another kind Of success-the char
acter OF his converts. They were endur-
ing the test of persecution. Their trans
formed lives indicated his gospel as the
power of God. And large part OF both
epistles consists of joyful expressions Of
delight in the Thessalonian heather
Christians. Here the affectionate. enthu-
siastic nature of the apostle shines forth.
He is as gleeful as a child. He tells these
his children in the gospel that their
e steadfastness makes life worth living.
When Paul was forced out of Thes-
salonica and prevented from returning his
anxiety was so great that he remained
alone in unfriendly Athens and sent Tim
othy 10 learn their state. Timothy's re-
port while in the main very hopeful
showed some disturbing conditions. Paul
principal message had been the coming OF
Christ, especially in his capacity as judge
This was suited TO his heather hearers
There is no quotation from the Old Testa-
ment, and hardly any allusion to it. The
audience was not 10 vindicate Christ as
the Jewish Messiah. but as token of the
impending judgment. Some, supposing the
coming Of Christ 10 be near at hand. fell
into serious errors. Prominent among
these was the notion that Christian who
was looking for Christ's coming should not
give attention to business.
I'm both epistles Paul combats this idea.
His best argument is his own example.
1t had indeed been charged by his enemies
that he was travelling Tor his own comfort
fleeing at dangers approach, having an
easy time as the honered guest of his con-
yerts, many OF whom We're laboring men
Thus the astute criticisms of that day
were much like some modern animadver-
sions touching the luxuries of missionaries.
But Paul of all men! And at Thessalon-
ica When he entered that city the blood
was hardly dry from the wounds inflicted
by the mob at Philippi. And while in
Thessalonica. though he had the apostolic
right to free entertainment, he chose rath-
er to encourage self-support and independ-
ence by earning his living as day labor
er, while he preached the gospel free. So
far from Christ's second coming melting
TO idleness, that glorious expectation
man will not work. neither. says Paul.
let him eat. But there was another wrong
inference. That came from bereavements.
Since Paul had preached and gathered
his Christian colony out Of the corrupt and
unehaste heather world preaching the
sanctity of the marriage relation. the
purity Of the home, In view of the COM
ing of Christ, some had died. The Chris
iions in Thessalonica were not looking for
death They were looking for Christ.
And they all expected to meet Christ. To
be In his fellowship and receive his re-
ward, while the wicked must answer too
at his judgment seat. And to their con-
sternation, before Christ came, some
Christians died IL almost frightened
them out Of their faith. For they feared
that these dead Christians had lost in the
grave their Gospel heritage. How tender
ly and beautifully the apostle unfolds to
them the programme of Christ's second
coming as touching this fear. To their
mistake, crude as IT was with all their
heathen misconceptions, We owe one of
the most comforting passages in the
sacred writings. So, indeed, have many of
our noblest articles Of faith come. Error
become the occasion of the great historic
creeds Of Christendom.
We have in our New Testament two
Of its greatest books tone of them con-
tanning the classic Scripture on the sub
ject of the resurrection and the sweetest
psalm Of love ever penned). under the
guiding inspiration of the Holy Spirit. as
the ou,growth of a correspondence over a
church quarrel. Even so from the troubled
ignorance Of afflicted Christian families
in Tbessalonica came the occasion of
words that have even balm in smitten
hearts beside many a Christian grave.
But l would not have you ignorant,
brethren, concerirg them that fall asleep;
that ye sorrow not, even as the rest
which have no hope. For il We believe
that Jesus died and rose again. even so
them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus
Will God bring with Him. For
the Lord himself shall descend from
Heaven . and the dead in Christ
shall rise first; then we that are alive
shall together with them be caught up
In the clouds, TO meet the Lord in the
afr: and so shall we (the risen dead and
these yet living at his coming. all we
hal he wit hc md