The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-18
THEIR LAST SERMONS
Three Methodist Ministers Occupy
Their Pulpits for the Last Time.
Rev. Cleveland's Farewell to the Merid-
ian-Street Congregation DIR. Van
Anda at Roberts Park-Rev. Wells.

Yesterday morning the Rev. Fl. A. Cleve.
land preached his farewell sermon to his
congregation IN this city. The occasion
was made beautiful with that insermingled
10Y and sorrow which strikes q symphony
whenever and wherever q heartfelt fare
we'll is spoken. The day was one of un.
usual splendor. and the church wore enough
flowers and plants to make it of simple
elegance. The surroundings and atmos-
phere were in keeping with the mad
simple. yet elegant. unassuming, yet dIgni-
fed. The auditorium was filed. Not q
seat was vacant. The choir sang o e OF
love. and tie warmth of the sun ss IL
streamed in through the windows. seemed
20 be the warmth of the fraternity it
blessed. After an organ voluntary the
twsnty-third Psalm. which was most
apropos, was read. MI. Cleveland's prayer
was full of humility and devotion. Thanks
were offered for the patience with which
divine endurance had been graced. for the
health of the atmosphere and the autumn
harvest.
Gratitude was manifested for the viRor
with which the enterprises. political and
personal. had been prosecuted throughout
the country and the community. As he
pAoCCOuOo sbO pARJU % - ILL
which swayed him e~loquently until IL
seemed much like an inspired doxology.
Before turning To his text Mr.. Cleveland
spoke some personal words to the congre-
Eation. He stated that at the annual con-
ference just ended certain changes bad
been made. lie had been informed by
Bishop Newman that he would probably
be stationed at Albany. Ind. but that since
thon be had received q telegram from Chi
cago yesterday calling him TO the First
Methodist Church of that city. To this
Bishop Newman had consented by tele-
gram. but Bishop Joyce. of Chicago.
him. on the ground that Chi
cago was already crowded with
ministers, that soon after he had received
another telegram calling him TO the First
this transfer Bishop Newman had also con-
sented. He would take MP his duties i'm
mediately in that city. unless the bishop
there made such arTan gements with Bishop
Joyce. of Chicago. as TO ill the pulpit he
In attended TO occupy with a minister of Chi
cago. thereby creating for himself a vacan-
cy In the Chicago ministry. He stated to
the congregation that Dr. Simms. the min-
lister who vast TO succeed him. would preach
his initial sermon In the church next Sun
day morning. DIR. Cleveland then re-
ferred regretfuiIy. and with some dellcacy,
TO the shadows which bad rested tempo
rarily over his church and congregation.
There were many things he would like
TO say, no said. but that he would break
down If he sttem pied to say them. he
preferred to preach in the regular way good
gospel of the good Christ, which was more
important. 1t had been his endeavor to
link the church and colleges together dur
ing the last tive years- He made ten ad.
dresses IN colleges and high schools. he bad
tried his hest TO encourage young mel i'll
educational ways. The Christian church
ought To DO and must he allied with eduos-
tlonal instituI lions. He could not conceive
the highest success of either under other
circumstances He had no lounsing places
and did not see how be could have worked
harder. He referred with patient kindness
To the fact that he had been encouraged
with very few kind words for some time
Since. The press of the CITY had been more
than kind TO him and be was glad to notice
ter hands and were reaching higher aiti-
tudes each succeeding year. His rotations
with the. choir, organist and sextonlwere re-
ferred to tenderly. Nothing but love had
existed between them.
Mr. Cleyeland's text vas from John, il.
10: Every maj NJ the beginning doth set
forth good wine. and when men have we'll
drunk, then that which Is worse; but thou
hast kept the good wine until now"
jesus was no cynic. no Escetic, and no
fanatic. He loy ed the great outward world,
and was the friend of all men. He was
hated only by the PharIsees; If TO these He
spoke sharply. his words to the children
were sw eeL as n mothers. and In His words
about the birds and the flowers you hear
the tones of o lover. He loved the lakes of
sweet Geiilee. her hills. her fields and
her olive groves, and among them often
took his disciples apart TO rest awhile. He
was present as an invited guest at u mar
rage festival In Can of Galilee, and
when, by some blunder or accident. the
customary wine was prematureiy exhaust
ed, and hot bushes were coming to the
cheeks of host and hostess. He turned the
lnsipid water into wine and made the end
ing of that banquet more Joy Gus than had
been Its beginning.
It is plainly Gods intention. as in ma
ture ami history. that our human life
should grow better q more Joyous
as It advances. and that the best
shall not be at the first, but shall wait
until we are ready for IL. The highest and
largest Dressings can come to men only
when the men are fitted TO hold and to use
them. III you are going To give u man n
purse or a diamond you oan thrust &c into
his hand IN his youth. or or ,he street. or
even whom he 10 asleep; ont If you would
u We TO him a great truth OF yirtne. if you
wouid max him q noble character you
must wait upon the mans growth and be
content If after many years you see only q
flash of what yOu would give appearing in
him. Christ would make in US n perfect
manhood and of Us u perfect society. HIS
gIft 10 90 great. vital and complex that He
cannot bestow 10 ali In the beginning. He
would make our life an increasing ly joy
OILS life. and give US the best OF It's wine at
the last of It's feast Christ would have us
always increasingly hopeful and joy ous.
ana neye: OF a sad cOunteuance. All onr
faculties were designed to minister to our
joy. All the great world of
life below is q happy world.
The children of the nlr and the
water are all baptized into Joy. Even the
solitary creatures that carry their narrow
houses with them have their Joys. which
are we'll known TO their intimate acguain-
tances.
so in the world of adult man that we find
the JOY OF life disproportionate TO condi-
tion and TO faculty. In the faces of the
men we meet oil the streets We SEQ many
scars and dark lines of storm and care:
only seldom do the faces we meet there
wear the rainbow. Men are without 10Y
because they have violated the laws of ma
ture; they have subordinated their manly
power reason aud conscience to their ami
mai Instincts: they have lived by wrong
theories and wrong methods. and for I'M
manly ends. and thus have exhausted tho
and continuous Joy only IL his lite is con-
~. He must put away childish things and
live for truth and right, for love and lin.
mortal vIrtue.
Ii our hearts sadden az our years increase.
and our thoughts widen. it is because there
has been u defect in our vision and u soph-
istry in the logic of our conduct.
III the roHin corn comes only to the
blade and co the ear and not TO the full
golden corn IN the ear. We may DO sure il is
because there has been something wrong in
our gardening.
Christ comes into our wasting life to give
us O new, a higher and q better iOv: TO give