Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1893-07-03
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
THE CONGR EG ALTON ELECTS
PASTOR.
Rev. H + Campbell Chosen Unan-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Service NAV
Soon he Resumed-Yesterd y
Sermon

-EVenln& service NAV
Soon he Resum med-YesterClax n
Sermon.
At the First Presby byterian church yes
terday morning after the usual opening
service and prayer by Rev. X. 6. Pierson,
Rev. r. F. Campbell prefaced his sermon
by recalling to the congregation the fact
that three months ago the members of
the church had been organized into cGm-
mittees for church work; and that the
reports Of committees had been handed
to him 10 read to the cUnereation at the
close of the mornings service.
Perhaps some copsciences in the con-
gregation stirred little uneasilv when
the pastor read for his text Matthew
Xxx. 6; WHY stand We here all the dav
idle ?" Mr.. Campbell said Christ spoke
to all christians, when he said go We
also into my vincv ard" "Thc Bible is
full of such commands to Christ S people
Some church members seem to think that
when they have hired pastor to do the
church work their responsibility is at an
end. They say: WHY should we trou
BILE ourselves about work we pay some
one else to do TO- us ?? That is very
low conception of pastoral work If |
had no higher idea of the duties of pas
tor and the responsibilities of his office
than that he is hirelng. paid to do a
certain amount OF work, should stop
preaching this morning.
"A discouraged minister once had a
dream-which wasn't all dream 1t
seemed to him that he wasHhitched toEa
carriage that stood deep in mud in front
ot his house. How or why he " as there
he didn't know, but he pulled at the car
riage that wasso heavy he could scarcely
move 1t. As he drew near his church he
became exhausted; this seemed to him
the more strange as he thought he had
seen all the members of his congregation
pushing at tn back of the carriage. At
last he went around to the back and
there wasn't a single person there Hear
ing slight noise, he looked inside and
found that every member of the congre-
CATION was seated there. They were all
riding and he was doing the pulling
In every church there are some who
want " liuS' lSl lIcHl Set OUT ana go
to pulling. There is work for all Coz
had fitted everyone for some special
work. and given him that work to per-
form. To some mothers he has given
large families of children. Their first
duty is at home-the care and duty OF
their children; not running about the
town attending to other peoples chill
drcn. To Others who have no household
cares he has given the outside work OF
the church. We should not complain he.
cause our work is not ust the kind we
would have chosen. The church IS like
the body-made up of ,Hi!ierent members
each with particular function to per
form. When every member docs it's
duty as it should, the body is in per-
feet health. The hand should not com
plain because it has not the work of the
foot to do, nor the ear because it his not
the duties of the eye. The Bible tells us
how not to do the work that has been
given us. We are not to do it negligently
Those who perform t heir duties carelessly
often do more real harm than those who
stand all the day idle. Some one may
say he docs not know what his work is
His attitude then should be that of Paul,
who SAID, Lord, what wilt thou have
me to do| II he will ask the Lord that
question now, earnestly and praycrtully,
he will tnd an opportunity before he
leaves this house, and will meet wi h
opportunities herceforth every day of his
life.
when you have found your work how
must you do it? You have been told
how not to do the work of the Lord
"A h., a l..
heartily as unto the Lord Among
Jonathan Edwards wonderful resolu-
tions was this one: 'R,solFed to live
with all my might while do live What
motto for our lives in this! BE faith
full about the duties not known to men,
and tor whose careful performance you
cannot expect their praise Remember
that God sees, end do your WORK as unto
the Lord. Union with Christ is import
ant to make religious work tfectual.
Some say, we'll why should we work at
all In the first place, because Oh list
tells us to. and that ought to be enough
for Christian. Secondly, because we
need to work. God does not need our
feeble efforts. He gives us work to do tor
our own good; as the body needs physi-
cal exercise. the soul needs spiritual
exercise. Lastly, because there is so
much to he done. Begin at cncc,.. today.
II Christ felt that he must ever be about
his Fathers business, how much moe
oug hit we to be in hurry to work tor
the Lord.
Remember that 'ye knowcth neither
the day nor the hour wherein the SON. Got
man cometh.' o, when the Lord comes
and calls his servants to account NAV he
bc able to say unto each of us We'll
done. thou good and faithful servant