Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-02-06
MARTINsBURG SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1886

hesive principle is allowed full play,
subject to no interference by other
and adverse principles, then there
will be no difficulty about the ether
exhortation, Live in peace. In this
oxide of iron the particles have flown
apart; have, SO to speak, quarreled
with one another. But there in Ne
shaft they are at peace with one an
other. The living in peace is an easy
matter when those who are required
to do SO are of one mind. But how
can two walk together except they
be agreed? Well, we must agree,
and we must introduce q new princi-
pie which we will call forbearance.
But it is really but new application
of the old principle of love. And
so it comes round to this sill the
while, "Love one another. Little
children, love one another Let all
bitterness and wrath and anger and
clamor and evil speaking be put
away from you, with all malice
(these are the corrosive agencies)
even as God, for Christ's sake hath
forgiven you (this is the cohesive
principle). Be of one mind. Live
in peace.
But lest my motive in thus dwell
ing upon this, might be misconstrued
let me say that you are justly laud-
able for the entire absence of strife
and contention during my psstorate
But now | plead for closer union,
a deeper, warmer, brotherly love, a
heartier common sympathy. This
brought about, you will continue to
live n peace and what is equally de-
sirable, you will strengthen and in
crease.
2. Be of good comfort. That is.
be bright, be cheerful, be courageous.
/ am not vain enough to suppose
that my leaving will seriously affect
this church. Its life is not depend
ent in my judgment upon the pres
ence or absence Of any one man. /
think | have sufficient freedom from
meanness to say honestly, that |
couli hope that my going would
prove to be good thing for the
church. But ! am speaking now of
other and more serious hindrances
and troubles which you may suffer
| from, both in your church life and in
your individual lives. The luxury
Of melancholy is too costly to be
INDUCED in frequently. 1t can only
be had at the expense Of your own
happiness, the happiness of others
| and the success of your work. /
think it is scarcely worth the price.
When your new pastor comes, as !
hope he will soon and begins his work
gather around him. If he proposes
some new enterprise, don't throw the
wet blanket of hopelessness on his
ardor. If the finances of the church
shall be little tight, don't tell him
and don t tell it where it can get to
him that the church will have to be
sold for debt. Don't hem and haw
and look sad whenever you talk
about church matters. Be bright,
be courageous, be hopeful. If you
find an impossible task set for you
or for the church, why when you
find that it is impossible go to him
in q straightforward manly way and
say so. This work is the Lords. He
is pledged for its success. Be Of
good comfort. "Ah,n but some poor
broken heart is saying, chow about
my great and sore bereavement i?
How can / be bright when am mar
ried to the earth, when my heart is
buried in the cemetery? How can
be of good comfort? 2" God help you
my friend. He can help you. My
experience, part Of it here in your
midst, fits me to enter into fullest
and heartiest sympathy with you.
We all have our seasons of hopeless
longing. We all live sometimes in
the memories Of sorrowful past
We all
''sigh for the touch of vanished hand.
! And the sound of voice that is STILL"
Let us leave these matters all with
Him. Let us us be of good comfort.
Let us even strive to be cheerful and
hopeful
'.And, If some friend we love is lying low,
Where human kisses cannot reach his
face,
4 Oh, do not blame the loving Father so,
But wear our sorrows with obedient
grace;
And we shall shortly know, that lengthen-
ed breath
Is not the sweetest gift God sends his
friend,
And that sometimes the sable pail of death
Conceals the fairest boon his love can
send.
If we could push ajar the gates of life