Smyrna times., 1883-08-22

week he notified the committee that |
other engagements would prevent his |
coming.
Rev. Enoch Stubbs, of Philadelphia,
however, came to town ON Saturday
afternoon for a quiet Sundays rest and
few days stay with his father and
mother and was pressed into taking
the Sunday morning service. This in
telligence was soon scattered through
the town, and though warm morning,
he was greeted by full and eXpectant
audience. Coming without any idea
of preaching, he had neither subject,
note or skeleton and happily let the
occasion and time suggest his theme
the vacation season, the necessity of
recreation. 1t was not, perhaps, the
kind of sermon his friends expected
to hear, ian earnestly theological or
spiritual discourse, as is his wontl but
it was not without its touches of pathos,
graphic delineation and dramatic force
that arouses the sensibilities, warns
the impulses and places the audience
en- rapport with the speaker. What it
failed in method and arrangement as an
imprOmptu effort, it made up in fresh
ness of thought and individuality of
|
utes seemed no longer than Il prosy
discourse of thirty minutes The text
was from Mark vi, 81: And he said
unto them, come We yourselves apart
into the desert place and rest awhile"
After alluding to the vacation sea-
son in which persons of all grades
and professions sought the seaside,
mountains and other places for rest
and recreation, he dwelt upon its i'm
portance especially to those of over
worked brain and nerve, as one of the
acquisitions Of this fast driving age.
Even to the children, IL day ut the sea-
shore or some other place where God
was manifest i'll the greatness of his
creative power, formed "a bright spot
that fingered in their memories for
years. Christ, he said, foresaw the cs-
pecial wants of the 18th century when
he gave us, this example of his carrying
his disciples apart into the desert after
u season of labOrious travel and mis-
sionary work and especially after the
depressing news Of the beheading of
John the Baptist, whom the Master
had pronounced the greatest of the
prophets. Other instances were given
of Christ and the disciple, Elijah &c.
seeking place of rest after excessive
; mental labOrs.
: He then drew the opposite side oi
, the picture, how the Devil was taking
advantage of this rush for recreation
to lead thousands into sin, how the
Sabbath was desecrated by the multi
| tudes, who under the name of seeking
= "rest," ;" made it day of toll and sinful
5 eXcesses. Much of the needed good i;
thus cOunterbalanccd by great evil, tC
which every avenue is opened. The
I churches are deserted in the cities bN
I people who are at home, but keeI
t themselves secluded because it is thu
p, fashion to be from home at this season
+ of the year. lie had been granted
+ months vacation, but had been away
4 but two Sundays, both of which (inclu
}, ding this) he preached, and only par
y of the intervening time, as with ;
: membership of 1000 persons will
e sometimes as many as three funerals
: day to attend to, he could not separate
= himself far or long from his people
!. He advised those who had need @
e physical recreation to seek it in tn
e mountains or at the seaside, check you
5 religion through with your baggag
: and then don't lose the check. He in
If terwOve some personal incidents an,
C observations of recent trip in tn
r closing part of his sermon with tn
g effectiveness that characterized man
e occasions of his pastOrate among thes
d people.
l. Rev J. 7. VanBurkalow preache
g in the evening from the passage, ar
d not ashamed of the Gospel of Chris
h for it is the power of God unto saliva
II ton, &C."