Smyrna times., 1891-04-08
rhs prssiding Elders Initial Service.

Inc freSlQlnB Eluef's 1nlClaA oeIFACS'
Sunday was a bright, crisp day
such day as the people are glad to
get out in after so much bad weather.
At the Methodist church it was the
first Sunday of the new presiding elder,
Rev. Alfred Smith, in commencing on
his round of semi Episcopal duties first
in conducting the love feast and then
in preaching iE the upper room. The
auditorium was full, the choir was full,
and the service altogether one highly
enjoyed. At the conclusion of the
opening exercises he was introduced
by the pastor, and on stepping to the
pulpit, after taking survey of the
congregation, said
When Joshua was about to lead the
| Children of Israel over the Jordan he said
| to them We have not passed this way
heretofore" meaning that notwithstanding
the fact that they had been jOurneying for
| a long time, had been forty years on pill
| grimage, yet they had not travelled over
that part of the way that they were then to
| travel. And so it is with me this morning.
1 am about entering upon round of new
| duties, new experiences, and new respon-
sibilities. / do not attempt to disguise the
| fact at all that come to these responsible
| Office l hardly need to say was entirely
/ unsOught and unlocked for by me. l am
here simply because those in authority
| have put me in this place. OF course l am
| going to try to do nv best to honor God
and honor the church in the administration
of the work committed to my hands. We
sustain Just a little different relation to
you from what we do to any other pastoral
charge on the District.
/ Ono ,Nf tho coddacf fhiD0a about fb q
presiding-eldership when we thought of it,
was that we would be nObody's preacher
and that we would have no people to call
our own. We sustained as happy and
pleasant a relation to the pastoral charge
we have vacated as any pastor ever did,
and as we thought of going out to be dis
| tributed around, being nobOdys pastor and
nobOdy's preacher, we thought it would be
| quite trial. But, as l said, we sustain a
| little different relation to you than to the
| other churches of the District because we
make our home here and live in your
midst, being permitted to enjoy your
| church services, at least my family will
and to enjoy your fellowship and cOmmun-
| ion. l trust that in these years upon which
we are now entering, you will pray for
me and that God may bless me in this way.
| / cannot but feel that somehow or other
/ the responsibilities might better have come
upon older shoulders and broader shOul-
ders. Still, the responsibilities are upon
me, and as l said, l must do the best can.
| If may have the prayers, the sympathes
and help of the people here possibly we
may be able to get along. In looking
about for a subject with which to open my
work, in-as-much as this is my first service.
| l have been anxious to find something that
might strike the keynote to my whole ad-
ministratiOn and so have selected q part
of the 10th verse of the 18th chapter of
| Paul,s epistle to the ROmans-"Love is
the fulfllment of the law"
The reverend gentleman then pro
ceeded to unfold his subject in accord.
ance with the line of thought suggest
ed by the text, occupying about three
quarters of an hour. He possesses a
full, mellow voice, suggestive of the
popular camp-meeting tone, has his
subject well in hand bringing out par
ticular points with force and effective
ness, speaks with ease and fuency,
and what is the most important feat
ure to the average hearer, he impresses
as one having a commission to preach
the gospel. He was listened to atten.
lively, and left a very favorable i'm.
preston on the audience, many of
whom gave him q cordial hand-shak.
ing at the conclusion of the services.
Rev. Mr.. Wilson occupied the pulpit
at night and preached earnestly on the
subject of the desecratiOn of the Christ
ian Sabbath and the necessity for the
christian church and people to unite il
an earnest effort to maintain it!
s9nctity.