The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-25
THE PASTORS CALL.

Yesterday morning the congregation thaO ao
sombled at Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church
was very large, and the exercises extremely in
teresting and solemn. The occasion was the
inaugural sermon by the Rev. DR.. Allen who
has recently been called to the pulpit made
vacant by the death of the lamented DIR. Bral-
nerd. DR.. Allen was presiding over congrega
tiOn in Nashville, Tennessee, when called to MS
new scene of labor. He is man OF learning
and eloquence the impression created by his
FIRST sermon being extremely favorable. In the
course of the services he made frequent REFER
enoe to his predecessor, elciting manifestations
of deep emotion on the part of his audiencs.
DR.. Allen selected for his text the 10th verse Of
the 10th chapter of Acts, reading as follows:-
1T ask, therefore, for what intent ye have sent for
me?"
II is with feelings of mingled hope and fear,
ofioy and sorrow, that stand here to-day like
one who, after bidding dear and familiar friends
farewell, and launching out his bark upon the
waters of some untried ocean, with anxious
thought peers nervously into the unknown
and mysterious future. Involuntarily | start
forward, glad to walk in the sunshine; then
doubt and fear and misgiving throw their sha-
dows over my pathway, and again l hesitate
and tremble, and almost turn back. Bat a voice
has reached my ears and my heart. 'Tis the
voice of Gods people-a people fresh from the
altar and the grave--a people who with chas-
tened hope and faith have resigned to God the
pastor whom He gave them, and now ask an
other, 1t is their voice that comes to me. With
PRAYERS and tears-tears for the dead and prayers
Tor the living-like child who, beWildered
amid the fog and darkness on the waters,
starts forward at the voice OF his father
calling to him from the shore, and trusting
also that have heard the voice of God I'M the
voice of His prophet, l stand here today
within the walls OF this venerable sanctuary,
where cluster thousand tender and holy asso.
Citations, and beneath whose sacred altar lies
the dust of cherished pastors, garnered and
guarded for the resurrection morn-here, where
once Dufiield, and Ely, the warm-heaTted and
eloquent Branerd, untoded the truths OF the
gospel. Is it strange that feel stand on holy
ground Is it strange that / feel, perhaps,
something as Moses felt when told BY God to
take the shoes from off his feet for the ground
on which he stood was holy ground? Is 1t
strange that realize, as | stand here to-day, IN
the relations which bear to you,t profound
est feelings?
You have called me to the pastorate of this
time-honored church. You have done so in the
name of God, and with a unanimity that will
ever be remembered by my own grateful heart
have come in the name Of Jesus, trusting in
God and to you. / have come to be your ser.
want for Ghrists sake. You recognize in the
words of the text the Apostle Peter addressing
a centurion, a devout man that feared God,
with all his household" At the time that this
the ninth hour, an angel appears to him, assur-
ing HIM that his prayers are heard, and direct
ing him to seek one Simon, whose surname is
Peter, who shall speak unto him. In the mean
time, Peter was upon the housetop, engaged in
prayer and fasting, in preparation for the COM
ing of the minister from C@sarea. And, as Di-
vinely directed, comes Cornelius, with his kns-
men and friends. The Apostle tells him how he
has been directed to come and Cornelius tells
the Apostle of his Divine directions
! have chosen this text for the purpose Of
bringing before your minds the Importance of
the call of people to pastor. Such a call
means something; 1t is not call for mere in
tellectual pleasure That the race of man NAV
become acquainted with Gods truth He has
been pleased, in His infinite and sovereign
mercy, to commission men IN His name TO
teach Divine wisdom and truth. God com.
manded His disciples-"Go We forth in ali the
world, and teach all nations in my name" The
ideas of the minister are not his own thew are
Gods, and he must communicate them to
Others just as he receives them
from their holy source. minister of God is
enjoined to dispense this Divine truth. Dare
stand in the presence of God and preach aurht
else to you than His word; and dare Won listen
if do? While l stand here in this holy desk I
shall never preach anything but Christ and
Him crucided. A faithful minister can preach
nothing else, and devout and holy people can
ask nothing more A pastor must feed thf
people Of God. Ifyou desire spiritual food, 90
to hm and receive 1t at his hands. 1t is the
pastor who, by the aid of prayer and study
must supply this precious food.
l am here to-day as your servant for Jaeus
sake. confess that come with trembling AM
fear for feel most profoundly the responsible
ties of the trust which you have Committed +,
my hands. All that with heart and hand "a,
do freely offer to you. l ask your Confidence
l ask you to tell me frankly of your spirtna
troubles and glories, of your hopes and fears
of your joys and sorrows. Permit me to ente
into all these with you.
OF the aged / ask counsel. I love TO sit 3
the feet of the grey-haired man, as he renOse
in q calm and quiet manner; l love the counse
of the old. The head grows wiser as the hand
grow feepler, as Che pulse beats lower Of tn
aged servant of God, whose busy life is vel
nigh over, the young should ever seek counsp
To those in middle life | come as a comnanio
and brother, standing shoulder 10 shouide
with them in the great battle that God h9
called us to fight. To the young / come AS
brother and friend. ! would take them warnI
by the hand; / would look them in the face On
tell them of their fathers God; | would cali :
their minds the sweet memory of Him for WHOM
mothers prayer and mothers tear rose an
fell. And to the orphan / would come uIf
the consultations Of Gods word. "''
come from people who parted with me i
sorrow and in tears-a people whom pathara
almost literally from the battlefield amid t6
very thanaeIs oil war. Common danger bonn,
us TO each other; common exposure in a Ian
full of enmity towards you and towards tbi
beloved Government, drew us closer and neoro
together. But have given them up 10 come = 4
you at your call. Why, can l not ask, have
not right to expect place in your afoc 80 80,
/ do not ask the place filed by vonr IaI
lamented pastor; do not ask YOU to, shut o,,
from your hearts the sacred memories assoc
ated with that reVered and holy man. do NO
ask you to dry tear as it starts in ths av
at the very mention OF the name of Tbono55
Brainerd. do not ask you to Withdraw nn
teehng OF tenderness from his memory or froI
the dear ones he may have left in your mid
sorrow for the dead IS beautiful and holy, an