Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-26
AN ELoouENr sERmoN.

Baptist Church Crowded a =
Both Services Yesterday-ReV. DIR.
esalIaher Preaches-HIs Idea That N o
Matter what Success enc Has ia this
Life Everything is a Failure in the
End If One Has Not the True KeIis-
ious Spirit.
Rev. DR.. Gallaher, former pastor of the
Calvary Baptist church, occupied the pulpit
of that church yesterday.
1t is needless to say that the church was
crowded at both services. Dr. Gallaher's
powers as preacher are well known in this
city. His old friends clustered about him
yesterday, all overjoyed to see him once
again. The last time he was here was one
Sunday about year ago. He has changed
none since then, and is the same warr-heart
ed DIR. Gallaher of old.
He is as silver-tongued as ever, and he
still holds the same magnetic power that
makes him so popular everywhere. His wife
was here with him yesterday. They are on
their way to Brooklyn.
In the morning DIR. Gallaher took for his
text part Of the fifth verse of the twelfth
chapter of jeremiah: Glow wilt thou do in
the dwelling of Jerdan?" Happy is that ma
ton that has no mystery, no wars nor ru-
mors of wars, no lust of conquest; and happy
is the man who has no stories to tell, who is
q man of cheerfulness and confidence. But it
is rare to find such man. We look in vain
for men who have not been disappointed,
men who have not been driven into
anger, men who have rot made
fools of themselves This is why we take
the trouble TO check disappointment in our
children and encourage prophecies of JOY and
meekness, in order that by and by, when
they grow up, they can bear themselves
bravely and not faint by the waYside. Here
are young men going through Yale college in
order to get an education. Most of them do
not stop to think of religion. say that ed
ueation is not so much to have intelligence,
as if you were an intellectual sausage. It is
to have 4 man master of himself, to stand
squarely when the wind blows, and when
disaster and the swelling of the Jordan
comes, like the blizzard of week ago.
These disasters come unexpectedly there IS
no premonitioa of their coming. The truth
is we are afraid to imagine what is before US.
Things never turn out as we expect. and we
know they won't. Let US prepare ourselves,
so that when the time of adversely come we
will have a stake to fall back on that was
driven in before the tide turned In times
of peace prepare for war. 0 to have some
anchor that a man can fall back on.
Evil is done from want of thought. From
easy temptations, and quick and sudden i'm
pulses, these evils pave on in your heart. .!
1t is because you do not make peace with
God it is because you do not prepare YOUR
self in the calm days for the days when dis
aster comes. We have not learned to swim
in the summer time. Jesus bore his pain by
anticipation and not when on the Cross. He
met his pain before it came, and then with
what dignity he met it on the cross. What
life this would be if we knew when miseries
and joys were coming. What suffering there
I / I
times where we suffer but once now. Our
text says that a man without principle, and
by without principle is meant without relig-
ion, is going under when the day OF disaster
comes. Nothing will keep his head above
| water. The day of the Lord, not the judg-
| ment day, for all days are days of the Lord,
| is great. When the Lord visits US what shall
the answer be2 There is but one way:
| Make friends with G0d. Speak to him. Talk
words TO him. Call upon him in the day of
trouble. When a man sprospering other
| men are willing to lend him money. When
adversely comes they will say, "Don't ask me
to lend you anything, Ga1laher." The Lord
says to call upon him in the day of trouble.
He will sustain you. To anyone who can say
this: 81 am foolish, o Lord! Give me thine
own wisdom" God shall say: "When thou
passeth through the waters of Jordan shall
be with you"
Disaster comes to a man when he begins to
does "a man feel when he knows his feet are
slipping? Oh, it must be bitter thing when
physician says, 81 can do nothing further;
to have man deep in debt, struggling to get
out, say ''God, 1 can't" to have a strong
swimmer throw up his hands and say, 81
can't" l don't envy the man who has failed
and couldn't lift himself up and say, 'sWith
The swelling of the Jordan comes
to soma poor creatures who lose their
property. This is thing / don't under
stand. 1t comes when man of this world
is attacked and reviled. The man is up in
arms at once and cries why the men as cir
culate such reports are not shot. l don't
blame man for crying out against i'll treat
ment. 1t is human nature. The man says
he knows his rights and knows how to MAIN
tain them. A celebrated man once said
''Let dogs bite; it is their nature" l don't
agree with him here. The man attacked
snarls and growls in anger, however. He
doesn't ask God to change him. The one
about you doesn't care anything for you. 1t
is that he takes glory in seeing you suffer.
You in turn say things that don't do you any
good. The Lord says: BLESSED are We when
men shall revile you and prosecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you false
ly for my sake"
The swelling of the Jordan comes in the
day of temptation. 1t comes in the day of
bereavement, when the thing one likes best
lies dead before him. What does man do
who gets siek2 He lies in his room and hears
the clock strike every hour. 1 sometimes
think that God sends sickness to make the
sick room a communion chamber with
him. What does a man do when he is
cheated ? The worst side to this ia when the
man who has been cheated says. "Why
shouldn't do little in that line myself. l
have played the part of the lamb long
enough. l will go down to Wall street and
not let those fellows cheat me any more, but
will begin to cheat them. have been too
good" What does a man do when he finds
the habit of sin growing upon him I've
heard men cay, I'm doomed" He is
drowning himself in the Jordan.
What will the man do when the day OF
death comes | have seen some bad men
die. God help that don't want to see any
more. What will you and do, l say, when
the Judgment comes God says, prepare for
death. o, father is there not some slight
anchor 1 can cling to Lo he comes in the
clouds descending. They shall see him who
having not seen but believed and loved !;
seeing him they shall forget all failures, all
temptations, all the evil that has been said,
sad bereavements, all fevers and pains, all
affliction and mourning, now swept away.
What shout of triumph What thanks
giving when we see thy God. Blessed are
they who shall enter in at the right gate.
Thus wilt we do in the swelling of the Jor-
dan. Lord of glory. receive US.
The sermon was a grand one, frightened
and embellished by the many excellent
thoughts which the doctor knows only too
well how to do. In the evening he preached
another excellent sermon. No pastor ever
departed from New Haven who left behind
SO many friends and admirers DR.. Gal
laher did This is attested by the immense
congregations yesterday, in the evening peo-
pie being turned away from the church.
City Mission Meeting.