The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-06-17
DIR, JOHN HALL,s STORIES.

DR.. Hall said he knew a preacher in
Ireland who used to come down from his
pulpit every Sunday, after the sermon,
and the people, passing in a line before
him, would shake hands and pass the
compliments of the day. One elder told
the pastor one day, "Let the Lord keep
you humble, sir, and we will keep you
poorl" But that is the policy of too
many church boards, imbued as they are
with the notion thatthe ministry should
be kept on the apostolic plan of poverty
and humility,
DR., Hall told a story related to him by
the late Richard Winter Hamilton, a
prominent Congregationalis in England.
Mr.. Hamilton being called 10 fill a pul-
pit in a provincial town, was waited on
in the vestry just before the service by
the presenter of the meeting; the latter
laid down a program which provided for
a very short prayer and q shorter ser.
mon, but several interminably long
hymns. Said the presenter: sour PEG.
pie are peculiar; We are very fond of mu.
sic and plenty of it; and we are not fond
Of long rrayers or long sermons; in ask
ing you to cut it short, sir, l wish to M.
phasize as before, that we are fond of
music, because in heaven singing is the
chief order of the day." Mr.. Hamilton
answered: ut is a comfort, sir, to know
that you will not be there to lead i'll"
There are funeral ministers, said DR..
Hall, gentlemen who carry around them
an air of professional solemnity; thew
carry 1t even in their hat bands and in
their handkerchief; and look continually
as if genteely laid out in the collins
There was a minister of this sort called
on to marry a young couple; he stretched
out his hands and unConsCiously com.
menCed the burial service, Sir" spoke
the young man, I'VE came to be welded,
not buried!' To which the gentleman
of the cloth responded, 1T won't be
many years before you wish you had
been buried" Ministers should be
men first, then ministers in manliness
and Goodness which are twin qlalifca-
tons.
Then comes your fluent ministers.
Turn on the faucet and the stream flows.
The less they have to say, tie bigger the
stream and the louder they shout. Ly.
man Beecher, on returning home from
church one Sabbath, said he felt he had
done very poorly, Said one of his boys:
"Why, father, l thought you were never
in better trim; you just shouted it out to
EN-" AYE, aye" replied Mr.. Beecher,
that's it exactly; when I'm not prepar.
ed | always boiler at the top of my
voice."
The doctor told the story of a simple,
God'fearing Irish pastor he used to Rnow
in the old country. Each year he would
go up to the General Assembly, for there
every minister is ex.oficio q delegate;
whenever the time come for making the
announcement Of this annual vacation,
the pastor would give out; MAY it phase
the congregation mkt Lords day I'll be
vacantp Leaving it for the wags to
make the inquiry whether or no he were
not vacant more than one Lords day in
the year. Such as these are children Of
nature-simple, unconventional and of.
ten ~'splendidly noble men. tIe we'll re.
membered one such in Ireland-"and,'
said DR.. Hall, although many stories re.
lated in this way are not strictly true, |
assure you this one l am about to tell
you, is" He said this simple, poorly
paid pastor was riding along one day
and seeing a laborer at work in the
fields, whose ragged shirt did not protect
his lack from the blistering heat of the
sun, jumped off his horse, astrode the
fence, stripped off his own coat and
shirt, and made the astonished laborel
put on the latter; the now shirtless min
lister buttoned his coat to his chin, anC
disappeared as he had come, uncon
scious that he was in the least transcen
ling his line of exact duty. DR.. Hal
said he liked these men, these uncon
sciously humorous souls, who live neare.
heaven than half the rest of mankind.
DR.. Hall in closing, said: Ministers a
a class Of men are often ~forgetful of tw,
tacts-that simplicity in manners ant
preaching is an essential qualification
to success in the ministry; and that sym
PATTY for the honest poor in their strug
gle in life, is often more valued and ap
%preCiated than money or theology. LIE
our Christian lives be full of sunshine
love, and charity for the oppressed.-Ad
dress al Madison, Wis.