Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-05-27

leave off all worldly pursuits, even to
fishing and hunting, and follow the ex-
ample not only of Peter and John, but
the Master himself, who declared at
much earlier age that he must be about
his Fathers business-which is preach
ing the gospel and saving sinners. The
servant is not create than the Master
it is enough that that he be as the
Master.
There are within your bounds thirty
organized congregations, twenty or
dained ministers, two hcentiates and
three candidates, making a total of twen-
ty-fve preachers, Some twelve or
fourteen of these congregations are
without regular preaching, and about
thirteen of the preachers are without
regular ministerial work. Most of
these churches were organized forty
or fifty years ago amid a continuous
blaze of religious ferver which pervad-
ed this entire country. Fathers Ivy
and Ritchey, who are providentially
spared to be with us to-day, in their
early manhood and ministry beheld
these churches spring up as if by the
power of magic. They too saw the
two Donnells, the BoanergeS of the
church in that day, shake this whole
country like thunderbolts on high.
Robert and George Donnell crossed
these mountains-traversed these plains
-threaded these valleys-preached
the gospel - organized churches,
and conferred not with flesh nor
blood as to what they should do.
They stood not idle on the corners nor
loitered on the streets, because no man
would hire them. Nor did they stop
at this. Robert Donnell with two
other Jealous companions went on horse
back through East Tennessee, Virginia,
and crossed Maryland into Pennsylvania
and planted the banner of our Church
|
in that distant State, where now flour
ishes one of the largest synods belong
ing to the jurisdiction OF the General
Assembly. They were ministerial
giants in those days. Their like will
perhaps never be seen again in our
day, but there still walks in our midst
a lingering example of what they were
and what they could do in Father Jesse
Hickman, the faithful evangelist of
Middle Tennessee Synod, who at the
advanced age of near four score years
still presses forward his mission with
youthful ardor and zeal without con.
sulting the will of man. If the de-
parted spirits of the Donnells, Porters,
McAdoos and their compeers were per.
mitted to revisit the earth, with what
astonishment would they behold the 81.
lent pulpits and empty congregations
of McMinnville Presbytery to-day!
If these men without facilities, with
out money, without salaries, without
endowments, without literature, and
without printing presses could organize
congregations and build up these
churches, what shall be said if their
successors in this boasted age of prog
ress ALLOW one of these candlesticks to
be removed? What will it profit us
to have finer churches than they had,
to have Sunday-schools, Sunday school
literature, Church papers, printing
presses, publishing houses, schools, col
leges, universities, theological semina-
ries, and an educated ministry with a
full corps of DDS, if we let these
churches 60 down in their midst? 1t
is well to have all these things, but it
is better to have the churches. They
are the foundation on which we erect
these other institutions, and on which
they must stand, or from which they
will fall if the churches fall The
Sunday-school, the Church literature,
the printing press and publishing house
are important and even indispensable
agents in spreading the gospel over the
face of the earth in this our day bu
we must be careful not to substitute
them for the heaven-appointed means
of preaching the truth in its purity anC
simplicity directly and personally tt
the sinner. Christ chose no Robert
Raikes among his apostles; he estab
lished no Chautauqua in Galilee, no
Judea, nor yet in Samaria ; he er>ct
ed no publishing house in Jerusalem
but he did ordain twelve men as wit
nesses to the truth and sent them first t,
bear it personally TO the lost sheen q