Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-05-05

crime ana perdltlo9 IOC Iac. oI s9nPhtut.
Nav Col give it tn US! FIJI all this pulpit
with il from step to step. Let the sweep Of
these galleries suggest its encircling arms
Fill all the house with IL, from door to
door, and from floor TO ceiling. until there
Is no more room for it, and 1t shall overt flow
into the street and psssers5y on foot AM in
carriage shall feel the throo OF its magnih-
cent benadtction.
Let that be cur new departure as
church. Let that be my new departure as
pastor. Sympathy Gratitude to God de-
rnands that this morning I mention the
fact that during all these 81 years / have
missed but one service through sickness.
When l entered the ministry / was 50 deli
cate l did not think would preach three
months, but preaching has agreed with me.
and think the healthiest thing in all the
earth is the religion of Jesus Christi Bless
the Lord, o my soull What insrates We
are in regard TO our health
must, in gratitude to Col, also mention
the multitudes to whom have been per-
mftted to preach 1t s simply miraculous,
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 a big crowd.
would like to see an audience large enough
TO scare me! II this gospel is good, the more
that get it the better.
Many have received the gospel here but
Others have rejected it. Now, l tell you
what am going to do with some of my
dearest friends who have hitherto rejected
the gospel. You are not afraid of me, ana
am not afraid OF you, and some day, .
brother. will clasp your hands together,
and win turn your face the other way,
and will take hold of your shoulders. and
while you are helpless in my grasp Will
give you one headlong push into the king
you to come in. will compel you to cone
in. Can l consent 20 anything else with
these men, who are as dear TO me as my own
soul? will compel you to come III.
Profiting by the mistakes of the past, l
must do better work for you and better
work for God. Lest I might. through some
sudden illness or casualty, be snatched away
before have the opportunity of doing so.
take this occasion to declare my love for
you as people. 1t is different work it
pastor is placed in a church already built
up, and be is surrounded by established cir
cumstances. There are not ten people in
this church that have not been brought into
the church through my ministry. You are
my family. feel as much at home here as
I do in my residence On Oxford street. You
are my family-my father, my mother, my
sister, my son, my daughter. You are my
jov and crown, the subject Of my prayers.
Your present and everlasting welfare is
the object Of my ambition. have no
worldly ambition. had once 1 have not
now. l know the world about as well as
Huy one Knows nave iedEN Lu6
clapping of its applause, and [ have heard
the hiss of its opposition. and 1 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
nave 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
Almighty God come down.
During these a years there is hardly
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 50 gradually that they
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 children. Oh, how
many have gone out of this church! You
your arms and said: 80 God, cannot
give them up! Take all else, take my prop
erty, take my reputation, but let me keep
this treasure. Lord, cannot bear this"
Oh, if we could all die together! If we
could keep all the sheep and the lambs Of
spring day, the birds a-chant. and the
waters a-glitter, and then we could alto
gether hear the voice of the good Shepherd
and hand in hand pass through the food!
No, no. no, moi Oh. II we only had notice
that we are all to depart together, AMI VIZ
could say 70 our families: The time has
come. The Lord bids us away" And then
we could take our little children to their
beds and straighted out their limbs and say:
Now sleep the lest sleep. Good night I'M
til it is good morning" And then we could
go to our own couches and say: Nov,
altogether we are ready to go. Our chill
dren are gone; now let us depart"
No, mol 1t is one by one. 1t may be in
the midnight. 1t may be in the winter and
in the snow coming down twenty inches
deep over our grave. 1t may be in the
strange hotel and our arm too weak to pull
have no time even to say goodby. Death is
a bitter, crushing. tremendous curse.
play you three tunes on the gospel harp
OF comfort. weeping may endure for
night, but JOY cometh in the morning."
That is one. An things work together Ior
second. And the Lamb which is in the
midst Of the throne shall lead them to liv-
lny fountains of water, and God shall wipe
all tears from their eyes" That is the
third. During these "a years [ have tried
as far as l could by argument, by iilustra-
ton and by caricature TO fill you with dis
gust with much OF this modern religion
which people are trying now to substitute
for the religion OF Jesus Christ and the relig-
ion of the apostles.
have tried to persuade you that the worst
OF all cant is the cant Of skepticism, and in
stead of your apologizing for Christianity
it was high time that those who do not be-
lieve in Christianity should apologize TO you,
an | have tried to show that the biggest
Williams in the universe are those who would
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