The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-30


full knowledge. 1t is peculiar that both OF
them died without their families being with
them. Thomson was at home, and yet SO
sudden was his death that the wife of his
affection and the children of his love we're
not permitted to visit him. Kingsley ended
his life on the other side of the ocean. But
though they fell without their families being
with them, kind friends we're around Thom-
son, and have no doubt that Kingsley fell in
the midst of the missionary families of the
American Board that are stationed at Beyrout,
for there are loving, manly, noble Christian
spirits there, as / can testify to, for in that
same place lay for days in dangerous illness,
and received the sympathies and affection of
brethren who we're there then.
The lessons to the Church are-frst, les
sons of warning to us as ministers and men,
bers, "Be ye also ready" How powerfully
this voice sounds in our ears this morning.
When many of you, my brethren, meet in
your conferences, when you greet each other
there, your memories will go back to few
weeks ago, when you little thought that
Thomson and Kingsley would be no more.
Some of us had not so much prospect for
long life as they had, but God ordered differ
emily, and called at a moment least expected,
to Us at least, and they departed to receive
the crown. To us, as ministers who remain,
the lesson should be to do the work the Mas
ter gives us with increased energy and in
creased care The fewer the men who are
left the more diligent the workers should be.
The nearer we approach to the close of life
the more faithful ought we to be; and this
morning there are some hearts, trust, that
are resolved to make a more perfect confess
sion of faith than they ever made, and to be
every moment more perfectly prepared than
they have been in the past.
The second lesson is one of humiliation to
the Church. Why is it that God is calling
our leaders away? McClintock-dear to all of
us, name honored by all-died and the
Church was in tears. Then from the banks
of the Ohio came the tidings that Thomson
the gifted, eloquent, and polished writer, the
powerful Christian man, Thomson-had
fallen, and scarcely had we recovered from
this bereavement than there came along the
wires the terrible intelligence that Kingsley
had fallen in q moment at Beyrout. Oh,
how the Church bowed was in the New
Hampshire Conference, and was closing the
services, and the telegram was placed in my
hands as L stood in the pulpit. The choir
and congregation were singing. l asked
them to pause at the close of the verse. and
read the dreadful tidings to them. Bishop
Baker burst into tears by my side, and sunk
to his seat. Strong men sat with heads bowed
and streaming eyes, and for few moments 1
never saw q congregation so powerfully
moved.
We should humiliate ourselves and see
whether we have in any way offended the
Great Head of the Church. There is cause
for humiliation. We are not faithful as a
Church, and devoted as a Church, as we ought
to be. We should be more upon our knees.
1 think, again, that possibly in passing
through the centenary exercises we have
closed we had too much of the spirit of boast
ing. We have failed to be grateful to God.
| Sometimes have feared that we have failed
to give all the credit to God on account of
self-congratulation, possibly self-adulation.
We have magnitied our position beyond what
was, possibly, acceptable to God. He may
need to smite us to bring us to our knees and
make us feel our dependence on Him. And
| if in any of these things we have been smit-
| ten, that the lesson should reach our hearts,
let us humbly arise and look up, feeling that
He is a jealous God and will not give His
! glory to men.
Another lesson is this: that the Church
should learn to depend more perfectly on
God and less on men. There is wrong
| feeling pervading the Church. 1t is among
ministers and among members. We should
be grateful that God gives man the power in
the Church; and yet 1 think congregations
| depend too much on their ministers, and
ministers depend too much on church arrange
ments and church officers 1t is right that
there should be affection; it is right there
should be harmony and co-operation; it is
right that we have brotherly love, and yet,
after all, the strength of the Church is in the
! dependence on the love of God, and no
man should be suffered to come between us
and God. Members of the Church of the
living God, do you not expect your ministers
| to do large proportion of the work. and are
you not dependent upon the strength, the
power, and eloquence alone of your minister
to conquer the world for Christ will not
underrate all those strong in faith and hope
and love. We should be grateful to God for
all the power given, but at the same time
learn the Church has the right to 60 directly
to the throne of power and find strength, be
the minister whona he may. If he leads well,
| all right; if he does not lead us well, 90
directly to the great ear.
And this lesson, in this respect, we would
do we'll to heed and learn. How beautiful
the thought, that while God buries His work
men He carries on His work still How
blessed to feel that God guides His Church !!
He took His Son, sent to earth, from the
band of the Apostles, and left them poor,
smitten, scattered, and helpless, and yet
founded Church through the instrumen-
tality against which the gates of hell cannot
prevail, and who is able at all times and in
all circumstances to give to His Church ex-
pansion and perpetuity.
But there is in the death of these brethren,
it seems to me, providential voice calling
the Church to greater exertion and greater
labor than it has yet undertaken in the past.
And that voice, it seems to me, comes from
Asia's shores 1t seems to be strange, and
yet think it is in the order of God that to
America has been reserved in a great measure
the honor and ability to raise Asia from its
stupor and bring it to the foot of the Cross.
Our first bishop DR.. Coke, felt his heart turn
with intensest love for Asia. He was then
connected with the ENGLISH WeslevanS and