Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1892-04-23

II think that ends my work in Brooklyn.
Surely the Lord will not call q minister to
build three churches in one city. The build
ing Of one church generally ends the useful
ness of a pastor. Howran any one preside
at the building Of three churches But
before twenty-four hours had passed We
were compelled to cry out. with Peter OF
my text, Let US build three tabeEnacles."
We must have a home somewhere. The old
site had ceased to be the center OF our con-
gregation. and the center OF the congrega-
ton, as near as we could find it, IS where We
now stand.
Having selected the spot, should we build
on it a barn or a tabernacle, beautiful and
comnodious: Our common sense, as well as
our religion, commanded the latter. But
what push. what Industry. what skill. what
sacrifice. what faith in God were necessary!
impediments and h.ndrances without num-
Der were thrown i'm thu way, and had 1t not
been for tn" perseverance o. our church off,
Gals. and the practical help Of many people,
ana the prayers OF MILLIONS OF goo1 souls in
all parts OF the earth. ami the blessing OF
Almighty Coz. the WORK would not have
been done. But it Is done, AMI all cool
people who behold tie structure feel in their
hearts, il they do not utter 1t with their lips,
How amiable are Thy tabernacles, . Lord
OF Ho>ts-rh On tie third Sabbath OF last
April this church was dedicated, DR.. Hamlin.
Of Washington. preaching an inspiring SER
mon, DR.. Wendell Prime, OF New York.
oferlng the deiicatory PRAYER. AMI some
fifteen clergynlen dtri1Is the day taking
part in the services. Hosaunah:
How suggestive to many of US are the
words spelled out in flowers above the pull
pit-''le69' AMI 'lS92'-for those dates
round what raotures. what eriefs. what
struggles. what tr1u mention 1t as 8
matter Of gratitude to God that in these
twenty-three years / havs missed but one
sabbath through physical in disposition, AMI
tnS $hrao in tho hirt W O p IF ~ nj,
istry. And now. having reached this
lwenty-thiri milestone, l start anew. !
have in my memorandum books analyses
Of more sermons than l have ever yet
reached, and I have preached, as near as l
can tell. about $3.50.
During these past years I nave learned two
0r turee things. Among others l have
earned that 'ali things work together for
| good" My positive mode OF preaching has
sometimes seemed to stir the hostilities of all
earth and hell. Feeling called upon fifteen
year, ago to explore underground New York
city life, thai I might report the evils to be
"ombated. | took with ma two elders Of my
church and a New York police commissions
aud a policeman, and l explored and re-
ported the horrors that needed removal and
the allurements that en.lan yered our young
men. There came upon mo an outburst OF
assumed Indignation that frightened almost
everybody but myself. That exploration
put into my church thirty or forty news
paper correspondents from north. south,
east and west; which opened for me new
avenues in which to preach the Gospel that
otherwise would never have been opened.
Years passed on ana l preached a series
of sermons on AmuSamentS, aud a false re-
port OF what | did say-an 1 one Of the SER
non said to have been preached 10y me was
not mine in Il single ori-rouseI q violence
that threatenei me with poison aud dirk
and pistol and other forms OF extiugu sn-
menr. until the CHIEF of Brooklyn police.
without any suggestion IRON me- TOOK pos
session OF the church with twenty-four po-
licanen to see that no harm was done. That
excitement opened many doors, which 1 en-
tered for preaching the Gospel.
After awhile came an ecclesiastical trial.
in which l was arraigned by people who did
not like the way | did things. and although I
was acquitted of all the charges. the contest
shook the American church. That battle
made me more fri ends than anything that
ever happened and gave mo Chistendoma and
more than Christendom for my weekly
audience. On the demolition Of each church
we got q better and a larger church, and not
a disaster. not a caricature, not a persecu-
ton, not an assault, during all these twenty
three years, but turned out for our acvan-
tage, and ought | not to believe that ''all
things work together for good?' Hosannah!
Another lesson | nave learned during these
twenty-three years is I that it is not necessary
to preach error or pick flaws in the old
Bible in order to get an auiience; the old
Book without any fixing up Is good enough
for me, aud the higher criticism, as it is
called, means lower religion. Higher
criticism is another form of intidelity, and
its disciples will believe less and less, until
many of them will land in Nowhere and
become the worshipers Of an eternal What
is it," The most Of these higher critics seem
! to be seeking notoriety by pitching into the
Bible 1t is such q brave thing to strike
your grandmother. The old Gospel put In
lpodern phrase, and without any OF the
pconventionalities. and adapted to all the
wants and woes Of humanity, l heve found
the mightiest magnet, aud We have never
lacked an audience.