Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-24
TIE CHURCHES.
What the eOBgrRgatloHs Talked Aboui, and
What The Preachers Had to Say.
The Weather aHd the UppsFmOst Thoughts
Of the People.

4A0 sun aAAAA2 AgaRAl1=AGGAAI IGANEA11g q
and its springtime warmth was eaeryating
to the last degree. A reporters legs, who
undertook to traverse b city that he
might catch the droppings from several
s-snctuaries, soon grew weary in WELL
doing It so happened be hrss loitered
about the door of the Christian Church.
Several of the brethren anne along, n
though the day and place we're consecra-
ted TO boiler thoughts, there were OccRs-
ional illusions to the Mississippi railway
imbrOglio, to the final success Of the
Little Rock road, when GreenlaW n
Tate have given it finishing strokes.
One brother said we ought 70 express
our gratitude to the Great Gi7er
| of all Good for secular blessings shOWered
upon US of late. He enumerated them as
follows: ''The concession Of 100000 to
Forests rosd;' 1.-The row over the Missis-
sippi River railway, which showed there
was something in IL, and that il was not
q rotting corpus;' "the completion Of the
| Little Rock road - the prograssiveness
! Of the Chamber Of Commerce, which meets
his afternoon, in ordering 8 map Of Mem
phis on a letter sheet; % ''the vitality of
our Sunday School system" tho progress
| of opinion as to the necessity for a cotton
mill as the only proper home for she home
less. These facts and "the condition of
| the Wood and Willow Ware Manufacturing
| Company" were pronounced sufficient
causes for heartfelt gratitude.
PARsoN
came along, and bowling, entered the
church. A deacon said that Dr.. Walk
began his lsbors here in September,
1863, less than two years ago.
There have been under his ministra-
tions one hundred and thirteen sccessions
(adults) to the church, which always has
money in its treasury, and owes no man
anything. If Madison street is ever hard
up for
AFLNANCIER,
one may always be found in a church free
from debt. Such a church is the chef
d'OsuUrs of human genius. Most of them,
like lOafers and swlllers Of brandy smash
| es, are always out st the elbows and hOr-
! ribly in debt. Bro. Walk Is opposed to
debt, and his congregation are a debt
paying people. Hereafter 1t need only be
known that the drawer, indOrser or &C
cepter of a piece Of paper belongs to Bro.
Walks institution, and II Will never be
turned down" or sent to the ourbstone
brokers. We saw lettering about the
church, or occupying prominent places
within, Tom Gale, i. J. Latham, DR.. Ed
monds, Dr.. GOber, II. A. Little
ton, 5 G. Toof, Jack HalStead,
| are the pillars of this Church. DR.. Walk
is very prompt in attendance, and, IS we
were informed, has never failed but once
during his term of service, to I'LL his pull
pit on the Lords day, and has lost only
one week from his Masters service in
nineteen years. He does not 60 to Europe
or the East when hot weather and
disease and death prey upon the people.
In fact, there are many points Of conduct
and character which make DR., Walk very
attractive to an outsider. We give q sy-
nOpOsis Of
HIS SERMON
as delivered last evening. He selected as
his text the 10th verse of the fifth chap
ter OF Matthew:
blessed are they who are prosecuted
for righteousness sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven" That the introduce
ton of q new religion, and especially 8
religion so radical and aggressive as the
Christian religion, would entail untold
horrors pom its devOtees, wa to be x
pected. II is an videnC of the honesty
and truthfulness of Jesus, that Hesought
to prepare the minds of His followers, for
very sorrOwful experiences. Had He been
a charlRJan or tmDOster, He would not
have lone this. He new deceived any
On5. Hence, from the beginning of His
ministry He pointed out to the people that
devotion to His person and adherence to
His doctrine would almost inevitably
lead to the destruction Of all their
earthly hopes and interests. Religious
L1N IL EA0 AA04AEaN HI Ala
diabOliCaI spirit ever born in hell The
common murderer is q saint compared
with the man who will pers6CutB his fell
bowman for conscience sake. From Nero
to DiOcletIan (~inelusive) there were no
less than ten general prosecutions Of the
Christians. In these prosecutions thou
sands upon thousands of Christians suf-
fsred death In the most terrible manner.
In the aggregate they would form a
mighty host. Indeed, it is lkeued to an
army, and hence, in the beautiful Te
DellH LdUddmTtS, we find this sentence:
The noble army of martyrs praise Thee"
The preacher was not disposed to hold the
children responsible for the sins of their
fathers, but II was well enough to remem-
Der that the Off5nse was not all On one
side. What we have to guard against now
il religious intolerance and bigOtry. Su-
perhCial people of an inhdel turn have
held Christianity responsible for the hOr-
rors committed in her name; but there
would be lust as much reason in holding
the institution of marriage responsible for
the unrighteOus abuses perpetrsted in its
name. Under the existing conditions of
human society, there Is probably 40 IN
mixed good or evil. Each class contains
its bitter ingredients; each pleasure con- |
Ceals q sting. Christianity has
been perverted, but so has every other
blessing of God. Il is possible for cor
AAHe @Au "AAAUN AADA ~ BOA8O4 0NuAN ]
pure and sacred stream on earth, but not
w~ithstsuding this, we must have drink.
That which we eat may be sdulterated, /
but we must have food. If there were no
marriages there would be no predominant
tai VOWS. Christianity must be judged by /
the same rule. Christianity has to do
with US in this world-just the same as
the %cOnjUgal, the hlial and the fraternsl
relations affect the present time. True, it
is not Of the world, but then il is iH the
world.
But it was no part of my present pur-
pose to make a defense OF the Christian
religion. She needs no defense. She
stands alOLe, in her own tTansCendant
power and beauty, the immaculate daugh-
ter Of heaven, but with robes soiled by
reason of her errsnd of mercy to the
world. Our jsundiced vision viii not
permit US to see her as she is; but, never
theless, she breathes a message of highest
hope to every fallen man. She comes,
besringupon her wings OfEght the oalmy,
hfe-giving airs of heaven. Happy that
soul in which she nestles, and that heart
in which she makes her homel blessed
are they who are prosecuted for doiug
right. II is far more blessed to sul6sr for
right-dOing than to be able 70 claim ex-
emptiOn from Affections on account Of
wrUng-dOIng. Truth and right will in the
end gloriOusly triumph. Sow the seeds
Of truth-and though a long winter may
interviews; though the dull, leaden -iouds
of December may exclude the sunshine;
and though the night may hang heavy
and dark still so sure as God hath placed
His bow OF promise in the heavens, those
seeds shall spring to lite again!
Blessed are you when men shall oerse-
cute you for doing right. Christianity
stands in the way of every man who lives
an unlawful life, or who pursues an I'M
RvOcstion. Il is not reasonable
that such men should be well-sffectad to-
ward the Christian religion. And Just in
the ratio of a ohurch's progress and eff
will it draw upon itself the male
of Satan.
The really faithful man who is psrse,
cuted because he does right will dnd his ,
sitter awhile. He may not look
for his reward in this world, but he is !
zone the less sure of il, God will not
him. BE will bring him forth one
day, and in the presence OF adoring intel !
crown him for his fealty to the .
throne Of Christ. Like David, he shsu :
triumph over his enemies; like jeremiah,
shall be taken out of the pit; like
Daniel, he shall be saved from the teeth
Of the lions; aud like Peter, the angel of .
God shall deliver him from prison. There
Is not q mRrtyr-spirit tonight who does
not stand very CLOSE to the throne. Who
would not rather be Paul than Nero?
Who would not rather be James than He {
rOd2 Who would not rather pass through
blood and flames to the crown of the J
righteous, than TO havs shed the blood or
the fames2 Gods eve il sleen-
less; His vigilance Is st6rnal; His memo
Is capaeiOus as the broad universe; He
sees all things; he fOrgets nothing; aud
He Will reward TO the uttermost ali who :
suffered in his service, Persecution