Mexico weekly ledger., 1888-06-28
AN INITIAL
Joseph Bryan, OF This City,
breaches at the Christian
Church.

AS announced in the LEDGER
some time ago, Joseph Bryan, of
this city late Of Morning Jour-
nal, Hannibal, Mo, has concluded
to become minister ofthe Gospel.
MIR. Bryan is a young man Of fine
eapability, full of yigor and above
all, ambitious. For several years
and while he was u mere boy, in
fact~he was the editor and pro-
prietor Of the Hannibal Journal,
one of the most influential papers
IN North Missouri. Disposing of
this valuable piece of property
some time ago, Mr.. Bryan return
ed to this city with a determine
ton to practice law. He was not
here long, however, until he saw a
broader field before him in the min
istry-a field where he is needed
more and in which, possibly, he
will be of more use to his fellow
man. With these objects in view
he began studying for that
noblest of professions, and on
Sunday night preached his initial
sermon to a magnificent audience
at the Christian Church. The
LEDGER feels confident that MI.
Bryan will prove a shining light
among the many brilliant stars of
his chosen vocation.
SERMON.
After referring to the fact that
he had already begun to prosecute
his studies in the law, and that he
had since been so profoundly i'm
pressed with the higher importance
of spreading the gospel. and ex-
pounding that higher law-the law
of life and love-he declared that
he believed that the religion of
Jesus Christ was an intensely
practical, common affair,
coming rs it does from the source
of all common sense, and address
ed to a common sense, practical
world.
With this preface, he read, as a
foundation for his remarks, several
verses from the tenth chapter of
Mark, in which occurs the words of
Jesus, "Suffer little children to
come unto me, and forbid them
not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven"
Then followed the discourse, of
which the following is a synopsis:
81 read this Scripture to show that
the Savior does what so few of us
do-appreciates the children, some
one has said that the greatest dis
covery of the nineteenth century
was the children. And it is true
that they are very seldom taken
into consideration as a factor in
Christianizing the world"
He then pointed out the necessity
of preparing the children for the
work of influencing the world for
good by developing their spiritual
nature. He called attention to
the fact that man is a triune being,
having a physical, a mental and a
spiritual nature; that while both
the physical and mental natures
were inferior to the spiritual ma
ture, yet both of these received
much more attention from the
great majority of parents than the
spiritual nature. He called atten-
ton to the fact that the same rule
applied to the development of the
one as the other nature, and that
it was with equal common sense
that a man should expect his body
to grow strong and healthy with
out exercise or food, as to expect
his spirit to grow strong and
healthy and vigorous with the
same treatment.
He insisted that the develop
ment of the spiritual nature should
be begun in early childhood-as
soon as that of the intellect; and
that, while this development was
SO necessary to the happiness
of mankind, there is nothing
which so beauties woman or
ennobles man as Christianity; and
that at the very foundation of our
national liberties and the glorious
civilization of the nineteenth Gen.
fury, lie the great truths and pre-
cepts taught in the bible;yeti is was a
fact that in Missouri alone there
are 10000 children of school age,
who never attend Sunday School;
that there are seventy per cent. OF
the young men of the State who
are never seen at public worship,
and that only five percent. of them
are members of the church. 1.-THE
welfare of humanity" he said,
"depends more upon the develop.
ment of the spiritual nature than
upon anything else, for as this is
developed, man becomes more and
more like the God of nature de-
signed him to be, and his actions
more and more in accord with
those laws, the observance of which
leads to perfect happiness" He
related an incident which occurred
in Sedalia, showing how the whole
" Il