Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-01
IN TIE HOUSE OF GOD.
ANNIVERSARY SERMON PREACHED BY
REV. G. P. TINDALL.
Relations Between Pastor and Congrega-
tion-Unbelevers Routed by the
Progress of Knowledge.


preached his first anniversary sermon, an
nouncing as his text: Luke viii, is:
Take heed, therefore, how We heal"
Acts Xxx, 81: For have not Stunned to de-
clare unto you all the counsel of God.n
The speaker said:
This day completes one year that have stood
before you as preacher of the gospel. There
is much of grave responsibility in presenting
Bible truths TO the congregation assembled fer
the worship of Almighty God The speaker is
supposed TO lead the thoughts of the hearers In
holy worship In the exercise OF spiritual devo'
ton. To him 1t is not like other rostrums-it
is far different. There is a sacredness attaching
to this place. If anywhere on earth it may be
proper 10 say TO q man, Take off thy shoes, Tor
the place where thou standest is holy ground, y
that place is where the preacher of the gospel
stands when addressing the people on the Sab
bath day. 1t has ever been TO me place OF re-
S raint-a place calling for special carefulness
and prayerful consideration. both as to how
one should speak and what one should say.
That has been the chief reason, so far as could
see. why l never could succeed in preaching
extemporaneously. Before entering the minis
try had spoken not little, for a young man.
in this manner extemporaneously. But when
came into the sacred desk had no freedom in
that manner of public address. could not I'M
derstand it, yet II was so. found must dellb-
atelv prepare beforehand what had to say
there and when l had done that the
best that l could do was TO preach what l
had prepared and quit when done. In other
words, must have beaten oil for the sanctuary.
During the last year have said very little here
that mad not previously thought Oh and DELHI
erately considered. And the chief regret OF all
my ministerial life has been that l could think
of nothing better to say to the people assem-
bled on Gods holy day. One can never do
justice to the great theme. To this end have
during all my ministerial life set apart the best
part of the day for pulpit preparation-the
freshest part, when would be in the best form
and condition to think and write. And
l have seldom allowed my pen to run
when l felt weary. Two or three hours
in the forenoon has usually been
the time could sit and write on sermon. AS
soon as / felt at all weary dropped my pen,
saying, when rested, and when am fresher, l
may think of something better to say; will not
give to thu people the words of WEAKNESS.
Often the words of the preacher may not be
very inspiring. stirring, or suggestive, but they
are the best the preacher could do. To prepare
anything like an original discourse. when the
thoughts are peculiarly the preachers own
thoughts, and not the copied thoughts of other
men is labor no one can appreciate who has
not tried il, and particularly to do this hun
dred times year to the same congregation of
quick-witted intelligent people.
Sermons are like mines; one has to prospect
for them to find them. They do not lie on the
surface; there may be surface indications, but
one must dig 10 see if there be any rich ore
there Some phrase or expression, some text
or sentence may come into ones mind. Is
there sermon i'll it is quite another thing; and
preacher NAV spend day studying and re-
volviDg it in his mind and come TO the conclu-
sion that 1t is a barren theme. AS the miner
has the whole landscape before him and knows
not where to sink his shaft, so the preacher has
the whole Bible and his whole congregation,
and the community i'll which he lives, and
Christian literature before him. The difficulty
is to choose a subject. This is often his most
perpex king work. When the sculptor has his
decided fNl n
the huge, unsightly mass of marble ana ere
long have it into some shape according to his
IDEAL SO the preacher, when his subject is de-
cided upon, can at once go to work and study,
and read and think, and look at it from differ
ent points of view, till it shall crystalline and
assume in his mind the shape and form of a
public discourse. 1t requires an active mind to
do this work well from year to year. l can but
think that those noted preachers of the day,
whose pulpit utterances are scattered by the
press all over the wide world every week, are
the most active minds of our time
1t is exceedingly interesting work. Perhaps
a man is never happier than when he is fully
engaged in working up a grand gospel
theme. The gospel is stimulating, 1nspir-
ing, uplifting to the mind. And the
preacher benefits himself more than any
one else. That is always good prayer meeting
when the brothers or sisters took an active
part. A good brother whom had the pleasure
u have in my congregation, who did some re-
ligious visiting every day, used to say, The
visitor was benefited, whether the visited were
or not" and in his case the visited doubtless
were. In the Sabbath service. when the
preacher is leading the devotions of the people,
he is so placed as OF necessity TO take in the
whole spirit of the occasion. In this view can
say that | feel that | have been benefited
the past year. My belief in God personally has
been deepened and become more of conscious
realization, and my felt nearness 10 Him has,
| think. been sensibly increased. This j take to
be the chief mark of improvement in our indi-
vidual personal religion The great error Of
Our religious work is to get back TO Him, and as
near TO Him as possible, SO that He should be
| the very life OF cur souls. In proportion as we
realize that nearness We can't go wrong. ! o be
thus led by the spirit of God is the way of holi
ness among men on earth and q foretaste o.
| heaven.
| lam very thankful for your kindness to me
the past year. l have all this time had the GLAD
| feeling that my lot was cast among friends.
have greatly enjoyed the fact that a spirit o.
unity and concord has pervaded this society
and congregation. And l have appreciated
| your religious support; that you have responded
| to the expression of religious truth and senti
ment. In this way the congregation empha
| sizes the gospel as preached from the sacred
| desk. They take it up and echo II TO others
and help to make it power among the people
| When our heart takes fire under the glowing
words of salvation, Others get kindled. and 6
/ whole congregation may under God become
| ahame with spiritual devotion.
Our increase of membership has been fully
crease that we may very well be thankful tor
| And the accession to the congregation. where
| friends have become attendants and sup
| porters, has been greatly helpful by {
| larger percentage. OF the entire expense o
| our church improvements. amounting to SlSS
| forty-two per cent. has been given by those who
| ore year ago, were not attendants or contrlbu
| tors in this congregation: In the matter of th(
| new roof costing S7S forty-eight dollars wa
borne by the carpenters who put it on, one Il
! the amount OF twelve, the others thirty-si1
| dollars. IL is appreciated by all, the eXcellen
| improvement 10 our house of worship. How
| different the appearance of this room from tina
| of year ago. IL seems as though it were no
| the same place. And then the outside is as wei
| done as the inside, with paint and shingles
| And the fact that no debt is increased, that al
! is paid for, is reason for thankfulness. | neve
| saw church where this kind OF work seemed
! to come so easily as here. The congregation i
| selfhelp'ul, and good friends outside the con
| gregaliou have cheerful Y aided, doubtless be
] cause they saw that you were men who wer
| earnest workers and do 1t yourselves.
The other part of our text Is, Take heed how
We hear" Good listning is, perhaps, as rare a
| good speaking | never witnessed but one seen
| where there seemed 10 be absolute and intens
listening that was in the United states Senate
| when one of our country's greatest statesmen
was addressing the United State Senate on tn
omnibus bill. 1t was a memorable debate.
discussion which delayed the rebellion tel
| years; 1t secured a temporary peace between
the North and South that endured for time
| while it was not fundamental settlement. ID
| spes ker, in his profound insight into the gene
| sis of our government, in his familiarity witt
our history from his long experience in publ
| service aud his active participation in the dis
cussion of all the leading questions public ad
ministration, foresaw the coming storm of di:
union. He threw his whole power of reason
| ing and persuasion into that solemn hour @
| debate and Senators and Representatives lis
| ened as if the fate of this great republic hun
| upon the utterance of Mr.. Websters lips.
| secured a standing place few feet outside tn
door and could hear. There was no noise, at
| solute stiffness.
cannot expect that any words of mine shal
| ever receive the attention which that day wa
given TO the words of the renowned Senator
| Yet all the while am speaking upon subJec
OF graver and more solemn interest than tna
| which was the theme OF the Senator discussion
| He was endeavoring TO reconcile his fello'
| countrymen with each other, TO establish peac
between the North and the South am SPEAK
ing upon the matter of lar deeper interest I
each OF us-the reconciliation of man wit
God: of peace between heaven and earth.
When our Savior uttered these words OF on
text He had Just illustrated by parable ID
fact that much that is said to people on the SUI
ject of re igion has little influence IL is Tx
seed sown by the wayside when the birds PIC
1t up for food or like seed fallen upon rock
! ground, where there is no depth OF SOIL {
among thorns. where the wild growth CHOKE
the growth of what you sow. Out OF four SOW
ings. according to our Savior illustrations, oni
| one takes root and prospers.
One is much more likely to be benefited b
what he hears in pu'iic discourses II one ha
previously studied and thought upon the snblec
. I IL nua road n mace or uarqvr0nh in Il book. an