Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-04-25

| 'came into the world to save Sinners Of l1hOw
I an chief" These are they, the true ministers
of bis Word, following and teaching Him with
that divine love and charity which compels the
rudest souls. Shall we complain if any such
60 forth comprehending their great work
vaguely-looking out upon it as through a
glass, darkly ?-Doubtngh, esitating, in fear
and trembling Like Gideon. the son of Joash
asking vain signs of their Lord | think few
men ever set out on their life-work-if it be
anything higher than mere selfish toil-with
any clear ideas Of what they are to do. Your
logical man is your thorough rascal. So let
US not doubt Paul Clifton, if his heart sank
down into his boots as he sat in his pulpit on
that Sunday morning, watching the entrance
of his congregation; who now began to slide ia
in little awkward squads of six or seven, bash
fully examining "the new minister" as they
pushed up the aisles into their seats.
They need not strain their eyes to see him.
He was no dim religious light, such as some
of our city churches affect, and which is so
admirable an annoyance that | don't wonder
weary Wall street cultiVates it. The broad
pleasant sunshine pours in boldly through
that part of the open and curtainless windows
not obstructed by the opaque bodies o! Sundry
! HOoser lads who preferred u seat in the win
| dow ledges-a luxury refused them on week
days, when slabSided Jehoram Baker, the
Yankee pedagogue, here taught the young idea
! how to shoot.
And now as Miranda; her face composed,
and her hand holding her brothers arm,
marched the reluctant youth up the aisle, her
dress caught one of the intellectual popguns
which lay at random about the floor; whereat
u small boy, coming behind with his mother,
gave an anxious glance, than dove down des
perately into the crowd crying out in his shril
treble. Dog on it, that's my speller I" Then
brandished aloft the precious dog cared volume
he had rescued and was incontinentIy sup
pressed by his irate mother, who looked mat
ernal thunders at the unlucky urchiu who had
dared to "holler out in meetn'v"
Paul smiled as his eyes took in the scene,
who grotesque humor relieved him for O mo-
ment from his load of anxiety. A man who
has really laugh in him never carries it near
er the surface than when he is thoroughly
wretched. And now the service began.
If you think | am going to give you the
sermon or any part Of t-you are mistaken.
A mere sermon don't often convert ANYBODY
not even the preacher. Old John Wesley au-
cured badly of the man who told him that he
| (WeSley) had converted him; and begged him
to pray the Lord to do it over. Webster de-
fines sermon to be piouS and instructive
discourse. Now, it, cau't be pious without
being instructive; and moreover, DR.. Websters
definition excludes considerable class of SER
mons, which are neither pOus nor instructive,
but only logical or theogical which is worse
For | believe, with one of our greatest preach
ers, that all theology comes Of the devil; and
when q man gets into his pulpit aud begins to
lay out the Christian doctrine TO me by rule
OF thumb, or by any other rule but that golden
one of which Christ said that he who keeps
this fulfs all the law and the prophets-then
| try very hard to run my thoughts off on
some little side track of my own, where they
may quietly take another train and 90 to a
quite different place from the preachers
When Paul rose he read aloud those beau
tifu promises of Christ on the Mount. And
as he read, his heart, SO long dumb with fear
before this strange people, grew strong and
full with the dear love which speaks in every
line of those blessed words 1t is not SO much
words a speaker needs as thoughts; and so
much thoughts as the one great inspiring
thought which shall bind his audience to him
and make him and them from that time kind
red and of one spirit In this sign we conqu.
er. And this sign I'll call it sympathy. He
called it love. In what manner should he
speak How should he manage to please
them Had been Paul's troubled Thought
! But now they were no longer they. No longer
farmers, uncouth, peculiar, different-but men
and brethren, Of the same thoughts, the same
! hopes, the same fears the same heaven born
aspirations. Not strangers but kindred, saved
by the same blood, reaping the same promises
tempted in all things, even as was He who
suffered all that we might follow him. BE
you all things to all men," said the Apostle;
to whom this command was doubtless palmer
than to some of his successors.
Do you think words fail the man whose
heart is full to bursting? Words these were
Of Puul's, neither brilliant, nor fine, nor pro-
found, nor trashy; but very simple indeed
And though this young man had satisfactorily
displayed his talents before divers cultivated
city congregations, this was in truth the first
sermon of his which went to his own heart
Do YOU know what Christ meant when he said
! to them GO and preach this gospel to all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem Z"
| Jehoram Baker, the callous Yanke pedago-
| que, who could stand more hard preaching
than any man | ever knew was cheated of his
customary nap that morning. The people
were very much surprised. They didn't quite
understand it. That is to say-they did,
| When Paul came among them after service it
was not as "the new minister but as an old
| friend He needed no introduction to men
and women whose hearts be had touched so
nearly. He was one themselves No fine
city gentleman come to teach rough Hoosers
what they knew perhaps better than be. Nor
any rude soldier of the Cross, so overwhelm-
ing them by the thunder of his gospel artillery
| as to leave no hearing for the soft loving