St. Paul daily globe., 1884-09-29
DR.. MARSHALL,S FAREWELL.
The Pastor of the Jackson Street NJ.
e. Church Delivers His Clos
ing Sermon.

The Rev. DR.. Marshall of the jackson street
NJ. Z. church. preached his farewell sermon yes
terday morning. The congregation was very
large, and the eloquent words of the pastor were
heard with deep interest After the preliminary
exercises the congregation united in singing the
hymn, "Glory be to God Above" when Dr. Mar
shall announced as the subject OF his sermon,
the thirty first and thirty second verses of the
twentieth chapter of Acts: Therefore watch, j."
etc.
In commencing his sermon the reverend
speaker said that one life has impressed the
world so much as the life and the teachings of
the apostle Paul, his influence was alive to-day,
and his life would continue to mould and d.
rect character until the end of the world,
AS the spirit Of God continued to illuminate the
minds of men it would be discovered that Paul
stood at the fountain head of all truth, morality
science and literature; he the pre- eminent
star in the galaxy of lesser lights, and he stood
on the highest eminence of Christian faith.
Pauls life showed that he had been actuated by
sincere and regnant conscience; after he be-
came Christian his conscience became purified
and reached that point where he directed the
spiritual salvation of the world. Before his con-
version his life had been dominated by q sincere
and steadfast conscience, but his real work did
not begin until after he had embraced Chris
tianity. His liberality was shown by his views
on the subject OF circumcision, and
that he gave conscience the benefit of the doubt,
was shown by his views regarding the eating Of
meat. He was actuated by one loyal purpose,
his question was: Lord what wilt thou have
me to do?'
His life was dominated by one great moral pur-
pose and he could not help but achieve greatness.
His doctrine was that the chief end of man was
to glorlfy God and serve his generation. He was
a man of deep convictions; one of his strongest
convictions was that the Lord had lifted him from
darkness and put new song into his mouth and
joy into his heart; he never
forgot his journey to Damascus, and
it was this idea of his conversion
that made him the mighty man that be was The
speaker then referred to Paul's last interview
with the elders of the church at Ephesus. He
had been at Ephesus probably about three years;
but he wasn't tied up by the almanac; be stayed
just long enough in one place to establish
church, and when he found that he couldn't com
plete his work he went somewhere else. The
intellectual attainments of Paul, his wisdom, ex-
perence, piety and steadfastness were then al
luded to i'll glowing terms.
His idea was. the speaker continued, that God
held him responsible for his work. His aim was
to warn the people of their danger; he
warned them in all honesty and
4
say that he was pure from the blood of mems
souls. The very foundation of the ministry
| to warn the people of their danger; he stood on
the watch tower, and it was his duty 10 warn
them of the approach of the enemy. The
ing business was not always pleasant duty TO
do, but it was duty imposed by God on the
heart of man; the world was made not of angels
but of sinners the duty of the church was to re-
mind men of their danger and adopt them into
the church. After Paul had accomplished his
work at Ephesus he commended them to the
grace of God; after this the elders went down
to the ship to see him off,
showing that human nature was the same 1900
years ago as il is to-day, actuated by the same
sympathy and kindly feelings.
The speaker then referred to his personal re-
lations with the church, saying that he wanted
to make the occasion one OF joy, and, perhaps,
salvation to some heart. He had preached the
doctrine of sin; of mans fall and the necessity
OF regeneration; that man was a fallen being,
and that he could only be saved by God touching
his SOUL He had tried to preach that this
| ing process was not 10 be made by purchase, but
that it was to be done by atonement, by repent
ance; the same truth stood out to-day
as ever, that sinner,
and that he could be forgiven by embracing the
salvation offered by God. Although Christian
man was still on probation; he must watch and
pray in order to solidify his character and build
up the means of grace. He had also warned
fashionable and secular life; he hoped that he
had not been derelict in affording that comfort
so necessary in the hour of sorrow and trial.
He had stood at the bedside of the sick and
loved ones, and he had tried to console and COM
fort the living when their dear ones had gone
from them. He had honestly tried to present
Gods work and inspire his congregation with
the spirit of God.
In conclusion Dr. Marshall said he would pray
that God would send to the congregation the
right man who would preach to them the whole
doctrine of God. He referred to the work of the
past three years, saying that he had admitted
137 by letter and 104 on probation. He bid them
farewell in few touching words, saying he had
never presided a kindlicr pastorate than that
of Jackson street church and he had never closed
pastorate with kinder feelings in his heart than
at present. He regretted to leave and he hoped
the time would soon come when the system that
would be abolished; made it neces-
sary to change every three years; /;
for the first time in his life, he pronounced
against the Methodist system of changing every
three years; the minute mans influence com
menced to assert itself he was put into a new
community and had ali his work to do over
] again.
| In parting with the congregation he bespoke
and entreated q cordial welcome for his success
/ sor.