Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-04-27

-A-e " NeAANa - - = EeN--N-
ing for sympathy, dying for sympathy,
tumbling Of into uncleanlinoss and crime
and periition for lack Of sympathy. Nay
God give it 70 usl Fill all this pulpit with
it from step to step. Let the sweep Of these
galleries suggest its sncircling arms Fill
all the house with it from door to door and
from floor TO ceiling, until there IS no mora
room for 1t, and it shall overflow into the
street, and Passersby on foot and in carriage
shall feel the throb of its magnificent bsn-
Let that be new departure as church.
Let that be new departure as a pastor.
Gratitude to God demands
that this morning mention the fact that
during all these "a yenrs have missed but
one service through sickness. When l en-
tered the ministry, was so delicate Ibid not
think l would preach three months, but
preaching has agreed with me, and think
the healthiest thing in all the earth Is the
religion of Jesus Christ. Bless the Lord,
o my soull What ingrates we are In re-
gard to our healthl
must, in gratitude to God, also mention
the multitudes to whom / have been per-
mitted to preach. 1t is simply miraculous,
the attendance morning by morning, night
by night and year by year and long after it
has got to be an old story. know some
people are dainty and exclusive In their
tastes. As for myself, like big crowd. I
would like to see an audience large enough
to scare me. If this gospel is good, tie more
that get it the better.
Many have received thu gospel here, but
others have rejected it. Now, tell You
what I am going to do with some Of my
dearest friends who have hitherto rejected
the gospel. You are not afraid of me, and
am not afraid of you, and some day, o
brother, 1 will clasp your hands together,
and will turn your face the other way,
and I will take hold of your shoulders, and
while you are helpless in my grasp will
give you one headlong push into the king
dom of God Christ says we must compel
you to come in. Twill compel you to come
in. Can I consent to anything else with
these men, who are as dear to mo as my
own soul2 Twill compel you to come in.
Profiting by the mistakes Of the past,
must do better work for you and better
work for God. Lest I might through
some sudden illness or casualty be snatch
ed away before have the opportunity of
doing so, I take this occasion to declare my
love for you as a people. It is different
work if pastor is placed in church al
ready built up, and he is surrounded by es-
tablished circumstances. There are not 10
people in this church that have not been
brought into the church through my min
istry. You are my family. feel as much
at home here as do in my residence on
Oxford street. You are my family-my
father, my mother, my sister, my son, my
daughter. You are my JOY and crown, the
subject of my prayers.
THE PREACHER's AMBITION
Your present and everlasting welfare La
the object of my ambition. I have no
worldly ambition. had once. have not
now. know the world about as we'll as
any one knows it. have heard the hand
clapping Of it's applause, and have heard
the hiss of its opposition, and declare to
you that the former is not especially to be
sought for, nor is the latter TO be feared.
The world has given me about all the COM
fort and prosperity it can give man, and
l have no worldly ambition. have an all
consuming ambition to make full proof of
my ministry, to get to heaven myself and
to take great crowd with me- Upon your
table and cradle and armchair and pillow
and lounge and nursery and drawing room
and kitchen may the blessing Of the AL.
mighty God come down!
During these "a years there is hardly a
family that has not been invaded by sorrow
or death Where are those grand old men
those glorious Christian women, who used
to worship with us? Why, they went away
into the next world 80 gradually that they
had concluded the second stanza or thu
third stanza in heaven before you knew
they were gone They had on the crown
before you thought they had dropped the
staff of the earthly pilgrimage.
And then the dear childrenl Oh, how
many have gone out of this church, You
could not keep them. You folded them in
your arms and said: 10 God, l cannot give
them up. Take all else-take my property
take my reputation-but let me keep this
treasure Lord, I cannot bear this"
Oh, if we could all die together, If we
could keep all the sheep and the lambs Of
the family fold together until some bright
spring day, the birds a-chant and the wa
ters a-glitter, and then we could altogether
hear the voice of the good Shepherd and
hand in hand pass through the flood. No
no, no, no! Oh, if we only had notice that
we are all to depart together, and we coulG
say to our families: 1.-THE time has come
The Lord bids us away" And then W.
could take our little children to their bed.
and straighten out their limbs and say
''Now, sleep the last sleep. Good night
until it is good morning." And then W,
could 60 to our own couches and say
NOW, altogether we are ready to go. Oul
children are gone; now let us depart"
No, mol 1t is one by one. 1t may be ii
the midnight. 1t may be in the winter
and in the snow coming down 20 inche.
deep over our grave. 1t may be in thu
strange hotel and our arm too weak to pull
| the bell for help. It may be SO suddenly
we have no time even to say goodby. Deatl
! is a bitter, crushing, tremendous curse.
| THE HARP OF COMFORT
| play you three tunes on the gospel harI
of comfort, weeping may endure for 1
night, but joy cometh in the morning.
That is one. "All things work togethel
| for good to those who love God." That il
the second. And the Lamb which is il
the midst of the throne shall lead them Il
| living fountains of water, and God shal
wipe all tears from their eyes" That is tn,
third. During these "a years I have triet
as far as could, by argument, by illustra
tion and by caricature to fill you with dis
gust with much of this modern religion
which people are trying now to substitute
.or the religion of Jesus Christ and the reli
gion of the apostles.
| I have tried to persuade you that tn
worst OF all can't is the can't Of skepticism
| and Instead of YOUR anolo,:iz:l1 for Chris