Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-10-17
DIR. GREENWALD'S SERMON,
THE SEMI CENTENNIAL. uF HIS MIN.
ISTRY.

! ne SEA1 OEN IENN1AL OE HIS MIN
ISTKY.
An AutObIOgraphical Sketch of n Lon
career s,,.oi, Of Labor labor In the Gospel, Con
Trinity Lutheran Church
Sunday Evening.
And thou shalt remember all the way whic
the Lord thy God led thce."-Deut. viii: ,.
have never been more embarrassed ii
the preparation Of a discourse than l hav,
been rs to the kind of address I ought t,
prepare for this occasion. Somethin,
seems to be required of me, but wha
would be proper for me to say really dt
not certainly know. l would rather 50,
nothing at all. l would much prefer to le
others speak whatever is suitable should
be said, and to remain silent myself. l an
deeply moved, and heartily grateful to M!
dear friends of the ministry, of the vestr,
and of the congregation for their kind
sentiments, and yield to their judgemen
as to the propriety of commemorative the
5Oth anniversary of my ministry. l have
not opposed their determination to cele
brate it with appropriate exercises.
thank them that they have respected my
wishes to glOrify tho grace and church and
work of Christ, and to refer rs little as
possible to my unworthy self in whatever
is said and done on this occasion. My life
has been to insignificant and my work toe
barren of important results to render il
worthy of special commemUration. I have
pursued the even tenor of my way since
the beginning of my ministry-50 years
ago. My ministerial life has flowed quietly
on it has not been striking Or prominent
i'll any way, nor different from the Ordi.
nary pastoral work Of thousands of Other
ministers of our church, nor in any respect
more deserving than theirs of any special
notice or remark. Still thank God that
lie has permitted me to complete fifty
years of practical work as q minister in
His church.
l yield with much reluctance to the
Judgment Of my brethren to occupy the
pulpit to night. especially rs that judg.
ment takes the form of a request for some
personal "reminiscences of the fifty years
ministry, which it is the purpose of the
occasion to commemorate. am placed in
a delicate and rather embarrassing posi-
tion. 1t is always painful for mo to oc-
cnpy position, or to use language that
may he liable, in any degree, to the i'm
putatiOn of egOtism. As, however, all
reference to myself is unavoidable in any
"reminiscences of the past that I may
utter, still will endeavor to avoid every
thing that could SAVIOR of self-laudation.
In the direction given in the text to the
Israelites to remember the way along
which God has led them, He recalls not
only things cOmmendable, but also things
humiliating. Such humiliating rcminis
cences the record of almost every mans
will iuv,
always over high places, but as often
along deep valleys.
The text calls for 4 remembrance of
the way which the Lord thy God hath led
thee" Such remembrance is always
proper. 1t is the duty of all men. It is
useful to ourselves and to others.
1t is taken for granted that the Lord
God doth lead us. No Christian man
doubts this. 1t is an article of our faith.
God rules in the affairs of the church and
the world. He holds our lives in his hand.
He orders our ways and chooses our
changes for us. The destiny of individuals
as we'll as of nations is directed by His sl-
preme will. Ills unseen hand leads us. 1t
is often by Il way that VIC knew not, and
perhaps would not have chosen, but which
lie orders, and prepares, and conduc to
such ends, rs His infinite wisdom ordairs.
Among the things to be remembered :
day, would name first.
The Humble Condition In Life
in which the way of Gods Providence.
personal to myself, commenced. NV father
was carpenter, and his principal employ
ment was framing and building tho large
Swiss barns of Frederick county, Md.
They were similar to the large Penn
sylvania farmers barns, so common in this
county, and nearly all in the region around
him were builded by him. My mothers
parents died when she was vet quite young,
and she was put out to live among
strangers. She performed such labor as
women then, as now, performed on the
farm, and in the dairy. Both parents ate
the bread of toll. Both were in humble
Both belonged to the
laboring class of society. by industry
and economy they were able, at length, to
purchase 4 small farm, and lived in a
home of their own, but up to tho hour of
their death, they lived plainly, inlustri-
Ously and without the luxury of wealth.
was brought up in the country, and us
neither of my parents would tolerate idle
boys and girls aboat them, their sons and
daughters were carly taught to work and
make themselves useful. When old enough,
and my two younger brothers cultivated
,he small farm, whilst my father was away
his trade of a carpenter. At GER
ain seasons Of the year, when there was
lot much to do on the farm, I was re
luired to assist my father ut such light
work at the carpenters business rs was
lb!e to do.
Al that time the free school system was
lot introduced into that section of the
tate, and all our schools consisted of one,
II perhaps two, quarters pay school, in
he mid-winte- season Of the year. My
ather was an ardent friend of education,
md although he had enjoyed very limited
educational advantages himself he was
alton which he could afford.
My father was man of decided, relig-
ous principles and regular member Of
he church. His large German family
Bible, and Arnds's Wahres Christenthum,
nd Jays Morning and Evening Exercises,
Onstituted his favOrite and almost his |
My religious reading, My mother was a |
articularly devout and godly woman.
he loved Christ and His church and was a |
esular attendant and communicant. The |
sst and most vivid recollection of her that |
) dauguerrcOtyped on my memory is her
itting in the Lutheran church in Freder.
TX at the preparatory service of the last
she partOok of on earth. Ire
lcmber we'll her habit Of sitting in her
oom on Sunday afternoons reading the
'ible or some book of devotion, whilst the
lent tears coursed down her cheeks and
'etted the page she was pursuing. She
'ould talk so seriously to me of God and
hrist, and my souls salvation, that was