Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-10-16
HIS FAREWELL SERMON.
REV. SPAULDlNG HAS PREACHED
HERE THE LAST TIME.

Pastor to the Congregation.
The attendance at Bethel Baptist
church at yesterday evenings services
was considerably larger than usual, as
the pastor Rev. G. A. Spaulding, who
recently resigned, preached his farewell
sermon to the congregation. The minis
ter's text and address was as follows:
"Then Samuel took stone, and set it be-
tween Mizpeh and Shen and called it Ebenezer,
saying, hitherto hath the Lord helped u.s.
l. Samuel 7, 12.
The history of Samuel is of great interest to
every bible student. 1t is the record of a re-
markable parsonage and great events in the
march of the kingdom of God. In the second
and third chapters of this book which bears his
name, we have the fascinating story of his
childhood, and several are devoted to the
closing years of his life, the seventh alone con-
tanning the account of his important work
when in the prime of his time. He was the last
and best of the Hebrew judges. / look upon
his character and administration with peculiar
pleasure and reverence. We see him actively
engaged in the reformation of Israel from
idoatry, inaugurating and carrying forward
glorious revival of religion. In Israel every
revival of religion was succeeded by national
prosperity and political independence. The
Lord hears the prayers of Samuel and the army
of the Philstines are smitten, so they return no
more into the coast of Israel during the days of
Samuel
1t was about twenty years previons to the
event written in the text that Israel had suf-
fered great defeat by the Phistnes, over
whom now they have won u glorious victory.
In order to connect and commemorate the two
important issues Samuel set up memoria,
stone, calling it "EDenezer, the stone of help"
The first battle was lost because of the sins of
the lsraelites, and their mistake in placing too
much dependence upon the ark. They did not
rely solely upon Jehovah, land as the Lord of
hosts will not give His glory to another, even
not to that which represents His presence and
faithfulness, he allowed them to meet with a
humilating defeat.
But they were taught great lesson. They
We're wise, too, in learning it, For previous to
the second battle, when the Philistines rose
against them, they repented of their trans
gressions, put away their strange gods, re-
turned unto the Lord with full purpose of
heart, and with earnestness and faith believe
ing cried unto Him to save them from the
cruel hands of the enemy. Their prayer was
answered, for when the Philistines drew near
to battle against Israel the Lord thundered
great thunder upon the Philistines and dis
committed them. Thus a glorious victory was
won by their returning and praying unto God,
and depending entirely Him. Now, as the sin
which formerly caused the defeat, being for
given upon the repentance of Israel, their
pardon was sealed by their gracious conquest
in the exact place where, twenty years before,
they suffered loss. As Samuel had been in
strumental in securing the greatly desired
blessing he therefore thought himself in a
special manner obliged to erect some grateful
owledgement, and being exceedingly anx-
ious to keep constantly before the eyes of the
people visible reminder both of the defeat
and the victory he set up this: Ebenezer mon
ument. And this is the reason for the name
given: Hitherto hath the Lord helped u.s."
ut recalling the frequently repeated COM
mand of Jehovah to the Israel of old: "Thou
shalt remember all the way which the Lord
thy God led thee;" recalling the change in the
song of thanksgiving of Deborah and Barak:
"They that are delivered from the noise of
archers in the places of drawing water, there
shall they rehearse the righteous acts towards
the inhabitants of his village in Israeli recall
ing how Paul and Barnabas coming to An
tioch gathered the church together and then
"Rehearsed all that God had done with them,"
it seemed to me quite imperative we should ut
shout: Hitherto hath the Lord helped u.s."
l. And first, thus far we have been wonder
fully helped in preaching and teaching from
the bibe l shall never forget how two years
ago the twenty first of last March the conductor
cried out Freeland. / stepped from the cars to
be piloted by my good brother Isaac Davis
through deep snow and water to his comfor-
table home and fireside, where his good wife
with her kind hands administered to the wants
OF the preacher. Two weeks were spent very
pleasantly at this home, after which | spent
eight months very pleasantly with Brother and
Sister Evans, who We're exceedingly kind to
one so unworthy. In December of 1891 we COM
menced our housekeeping in Freeland. That
which troubled most of all was how under
the sun it would be possible to prepare new
sermons each week all the time the Lord might
keep me in this place, and the other work
required. Besides getting up sermons there is
required at our hands other work such as
pastoral visitations, prayer meetings, funerals,
revival services, home duties reading, general
study, letter writing and how could L do all
this and preach in such way us to hold an |
intelligent congregation. Well how has it |
been? Alas, how many sermons have been
worthless How lacking in thought; how in |
complete and inelegant in diction; how careless |
In statement; now striklngless, powerless and
bewildering the illustrations! Oh, friends,
there is no one in this church who has been
more frequently Inundated and grieved than
the preacher. How often has he despairingly |
and with an aching heart and throbbng brain
wondered why the the people still came, Sun
day after Sunday, when so frequently the food |
was so unnourishing and unsatisfactory.
Yet the fact remains there must have been |
something old and new from the great store |
house of Gods eternal truth which has at |
tracted and held the people together Well, |
this surely could not have been done if we had |
not sought constantly to preach the word |
And is not this the business of the Christian |
minister? Is not this his commission2 Its i'm
portance is evinced by the fact that 1t is by the
preaching of the word it hath pleased God to |
save them who believe. This is the fire that
cleanseth," the hammer that breaketh," and |
the truth that sanctifieth."
To proclaim the truths of Gods revelation |
to man is not only one of the primal conditions
of ministerial success, but also of the advance
ment of the kingdom of Christ This is evil !