Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-10-16
NUMBER XVII.
M0r0J and Retigi0ass
From Richmond Examiner of the Sth.
Services at St. Pauls Yesterday--Return
of the Pastor.

VI tuS dStUI.
The Rev. Dr. Minnegerode, pastor of st.
Pauls Church, has been absent for the past
three months on visit to Europe.
He reached the city yesterday morning at A
clock. When he entered the church the choir
sang Home Sweet Home. After reading
the service and lessons for the day, the reverend
gentleman said that he only arrived at home at
4 o'clock that morning that he had been travel
ling for three weeks constantly; that he had
had no rest that the weather had been tenn
pestuous at sea, and that the time allotted for
repose had been constantly interfered with by
this cause. He gave notice that the church
would not be open at night, and that on next
Sunday he would recommence the regular SER
vices of the Church. e ef
After singing the 18th hymn, commencing:
Saviour, source ofevery- blessing"
he said that the feelings of his heart at being
permitted to return safely to his home were
iinezpressible. 1t was filed with joy, to meet
his flock again, and with gratitude to his Heay
eny Father after his wanderings, to. return.
But he said that these feelings of joy and graft
tude were mingled with sense of sorrow and
sadness. He felt as if he were standing on the
threshold of the last act of his life He had
had his long wished for visit to the land of his
nativity gratifed, and had returned to devote
the remainder of his life to the service of his
Divine Master, and to the care of the flock that
had been entrusted to his charge. Whilst absent
he had looked forward to this day, the day of
his reunion with all that he held dear on earth,
with feelings of liveest pleasure, and his con-
stant and earnest wish had been, that he ght
have more zeal for his congregation more earn
estness to labor for their spiritual welfare; that
he had looked forward to this meeting with the
most intense pleasure-that he might return
had been his uppermost thought for the three
months of absence
A leading feature in his character was affec-
ton tor his wife and children, for his flock, and,
above all, for his Heavenly Master. Since he
left here no sun has risen but that his thoughts
had returned to his people, and his prayers
assembled to the Almighty Father in their behalf;
and when it went down in the west his thoughts
had followed it to those who received its later
rays-his people and his family across the ocean.
1t was the deep and abiding anxiety he felt for
the religious welfare Of the congregation COM
mitted to his charge that made him feel the
great responsibility that God had placed on him.
Although he had been absent in body, he had
always been present in feeling Wherever he
had been, and whatever of the beautiful in art
or nature he had seen, he had felt as if some
thing we're wanting to render his enjoyment
perfect. He could not help looking back He
was not at home. And when he went to his
fatherland, the home of his childhood, the
scene Of his early joys and griefs he felt that
his home was elsewhere, and his heart turned to
his family and his charge He felt that he
was the minister in holy things to congrega-
ton In distant land. He remembered that
when, under the Mosaic dispensation, the High
Priest went under the canopy he had the name
OF each tribe engraved on a stone, he felt as
their minister, that he had the name of each
member of his charge engraved on his heart.
When he confessed his own sins, like Daniel of
old when he went to the window looking towards
Jerusalem, he confessed likewise the sins cf his
people, and knew that if they were faithful,
God would be just to forgive them. He re-
membered his people and felt that God S grace
would be sent down on them.
Wherever he was he always carried his flock
with him to the Throne of Grace, and asked that
their sins might be forgiven. He threw around
them his prayers and believed that they had
been heard. A terrible disease had made its
appearance in our midst but had not visited
his congregation. He thanked God that they
had been exampt thus far from its ravages
But it had been visited by the angel of death
since his departure. One who had sat Sunday
after Sunday in his place was cone forever
But he felt that the God and Saviour who had
given him grace to live the life of Christian,
had given him dying grace had smoothed his
dying pillow, and he felt sure that he had
assembled from the Church below to the Church
above.
He hoped that his hearers would not consider
him egotistlcal in taking up so much time in
speaking of the feelings of his own heart; but
he did not think that reference to his personal
had been their pastor The house they were
in, the sacred desk from which he had preached,
the table from which the elements of God love
were distributed, all combined to urge his
hearers to look to the true High Priest From
the first day OF his ministry he had determined
to know nothing but Christ and him crucifed.
He welcomed his congregation again to closer
fellowship with the Saviour.
Alluding to the communion, he told his
congregation that one great object was to have
their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ,
and that they would then be prepared for the
earthly one, which was an antepast of that of
which they would partake in a better and purer
world
His first word on entering home, he said, was
an invitation to all to come to Jesus. and
through him to the Heavenly Father, and let
there be a reunion with him here as there is
i'll the heavenly courts above.
The communion was then administered and
the congregation dismissed
THE FAMOUS SAYINGS OF JEMsHED. The
first was God has no partner in his wisdom;
doubt not, therefore, though thou understandest
not
The second: Greatness followeth no man,
but goeth before him; and he that is assiduous
shall overtake fortune
The third was written: Hope is always as
much better than fear, as courage is superior
to cowardice.
The fourth was Seek not so much to know
thy enemies as friends, for where one man has
fallen by foes, hundred have been ruined by
acquaintance.
The fifth: He that telleth thee that thou
art always wrong may be deceived but he that
ssayeth that thou art always right, is surely a
iar
The sixth: Justice came from Gods wisdom.
but mercy from his love- therefore, as thou
hast not wisdom, be pitful to merit his affec-
tion
+ The seventh: Man is mixed with virtues
and vices love his virtues in others, bat abhor
his vices in thyself.
The eighth Seek not for faults, but seek
diligently for beauties: for the thorns are easily
found after the roses are faded.
TRIALs-An hour in our life will surely come
when we shall be enabled to say that we have
not had one trial too much, not one that could
have been spared; and the heart will become
burdened with the sense of an awful reality, a
perception ofthat wonderful fact that the events
of life are in themselves nothing; that they are
but the body destined to decay; yet that each,
however trihing, bears within it the seed that
is to exist for eternity; and we feel that we can