The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-06-26
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
"reminiscences of a Pioneer.

The life of no faithful minister of tn
Gospel has ever been found "a easy one
81 envy not the man" said y Johnson
"who makes it an easy life. The pas
tors Office" said Calvin, "Labo1osun
est, ac molestum." "The labors of ,
faithful minister" said Luthef, ''succun
e1hauriant a5 imis medallis, ssnium NOR
temque accelerumt." These expressions
are strong but true. And yet, no one in
fuenced by proper motives will ever
shrink from his Masters service in dread
of the self-denial he must submit to, OF
the tolls he must undergo. What are all
we ever suffer when for moment com
pared with the cross he endured, or the
shame which he despised, In our behalf
The first heralds of the cross went forth
from their Masters presence with his
words sounding in their eass, "Behold
I send you forth as sheep in tae midst OF
wolves" "Yea, whosoever. ,leth you
shall think he doeth God service and
it is worthy of notice that whilst they
were endowed with supernatural power
for the confirmation of their Divine COM
mission, they were furnished with no ex-
traordinary means for the alienation of
their own distresses. They daily found
themselves, even while endowed with mi.
raculous power, exposed to the extremes
of want, of pain, of destitution, of con-
tempt. "Even to this present hour we
both hunger and thirst, and are naked,
and are buffetted, and have no certain
dwelling place." Such was the deplora-
BILE lot-such to his last year of house
less wanderings-( (houseless, except when
a dungeon was his home,) of the most
honored of heavens agents on earth.
Now who can say that the conditions
of eminent service in our Masters cause
have been materially changed? Where
do we read that the requirements of the
cross have been relaxed? or that the COM
mand to endure "hardness'' has been
repealed, if we would be "good soldiers of
Jesus Christi" But is there no cheering
counterpoise to these dark presentations ?
Yea verify. "Lo I am with you always"
embraces the sum of all consultations. If
we be dead with him, we shall also live
with him. eff we suffer, we shall also
reign with him." Read Dan. xii: Sd,
then cast your eyes upon the dazzling
gems that sparkle in heavens deep con-
cave, and ask yourself if self-denial is to
be regarded as a cross in the work of
winning souls to Christ.
The labors of my first few months were
peaceful. But Satan yields up no strong
hold without contest. No sooner was
it known that work of grace was in
progress, than the place was visited by
one who professed great zeal for what he
rensesented as thesEssss lie
warned those who benes e slS en-
braced the Gospel through my ministry
to beware of delusion. He read to them
the 10th. chapter of John, and tried to
convince them, that I belonged to that
class of false teachers who enter the fold,
not by the door, but by climbing up some
other way. In short, he told them that
immersion was the only door of entrance
into the Church, and that all who taught
otherwise were thieves and robbers, and
that I was one of them, So exceedingly
great was his zeal that he published an
appointment to preach in the same house
where l had mine, and at the same hour.
AS the house was private property, and
the owner had granted the use of it to
me alone, he was exceedingly indignant
when he learned of the other appoint
ment. He intimated to me an intention
to forbid his preaching at that time
Knowing that anything like collision
between professed Christians would have
an unhappy effect upon those who had so
lately embraced the gospel of Peace, I
begged him to say or do nothing at that
time. Sabbath came, large congre-
CATION assembled, many of them being
curious to see who should occupy the
pulpit. took my seat in the midst of
the people. The preacher ascended the
stand and commenced his exercises by
singing long doggerel intended to excite
ridicule towards infant baptism. His
discourse was in correspondence with his
poetry. From first to last it was tissue
of misrepresentation of our views and
practice in regardto baptism. Frequent
ly during his exercises the eyes of the
audience turned upon me, and believe,
at times, could, with nod, have had
him brought down from the stand.
was, however, enabled to command an
imperturbed countenance, and left the
house without any allusion to the exer-
cises. Another attempted the same kind
was made, but both proved failures, and
in the end tended to the furtherance Of
the Gospel. do not say that, at all
times, and in all places, my course would
have been proper; but, as things then
we're, ] yet believe that accomplished
more than if I had taken any public no.
ticc of the outrage.
Knowing that q number of persons
were desirous of making public profes
sion of their faith, appointed day or
which to organize a church. This an
nouncement awakened bitter enmity anc
opposition. Asmost of those who intend
ed becoming members had never lived IL
the vicinity of Presbyterian church
great pains were taken to induce the be
lief that ! was concealing the true char
acter of its doctrines and practice. TX
counteract these efforts, on the Sabbatl
previous to the organization, 1 delivered