Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-01-19
Notes From a Church-Goer.

Presiding Elder Martin was present
and preached very interesting sermon
at the NJ. E. Church last Saturday eve
ming. His subject being, What have
l done?" His answer to this question
contained the following points: Il have
consumed time; Il have built charac-
ter; l have made history" In eluci-
dating these points, Rev. Martin gave
some wholesome advice as to the man
ner in which We should spend our time.
the kind of character We should build.
and the nature of the history we should
make for ourselves and for eternity.
Rev. Martin is pleasant and fluent
speaker when discussing a subject as
outlined above; but when he digresses
from his subject and tries to assume
the roll of revivalist, he is unnatural.
embarrassing and, to all appearances,
out of his proper sphere.
"All unconverted persOus over thirty
years of age would better be dead and
in hell" These words were uttered
by the Arkansas revivalist, now con-
Quoting a series of meetings at the NJ.
E. Church here. In support of this
broad statement he argues that very
few people are ever converted after
that limit has been reached; and furth-
err, that the longer We continue in sin
and evil-doing, the more we shall have
to answer for in the end. BY the same
process of reasoning may we not logic
ally conclude that the harder and deep
er we have sinned the more severe will
be our punishment? If the last con-
clusion is correct, how would a reason
ably upright, honest and moral citizen
though he may not be achurch mem
ber-like to exchange chances with
those self-confessed inebriates and bias
phemers who so openly set themselves
up in the pulpit and rostrum as ..fright-
full examples?"
The Presbyterian minister who was
here on probation for few weeks has
departed. He is young man Of very
little experience in the ministry and
appears quite awkward in the pulpit,
though his general education seems to
be above the everage. With consider
able practice and a little more polish
he may develop into well-rounded
minister of the gospel. The congrega~
ton here did not engage him. and he
remarked before leaving that they
wanted a twelve-hundred-dOl man
for about six hundred dollars. And
We wish they were able to call a DR..
Talmage.
We have an abiding faith and sin
cere respect for our resident ministers
and realize that they are poorly paid
for their services. After all, these res
ident ministers who remain among US
long enough to establish their charac-
tiers are the only ones that accomplish
any permanent good. Their permanency
OF character and daily walk make them
a potent factor for good in the COM
munity where they live. Yet how
strange it is that people who can
scarcely raise the small pittance on
which the local minister and his family
are expected to starve out an existence
will suffer themselves duped into pay
ing fifty or one hundred dollars to one
of those loud-mouthed revivalists,
whose principal stock in store are their
personal experiences (of which you or
l would be ashamed), and their ability
to read human nature and abuse people.
And, by the way. speaking of ones
ability to read human nature. 1t is
interesting to one who Is capable of
reading character in the face, to visit
these revivals and make study of the
operators and the persons on whom
they operate. For instance, it is les
SON to contrast the houest, sincere,
frank and open countenance of Bro.
Hormel-every line of whose face re-
veals his goodness and simplicity of
heart-with the practiced eye, keen
perception and discerning face of his
transient co-laborer, so-called. The
latter is usually well-fed sleek-look-
ing man of experience.
CHURCH-GOER.