The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1894-04-07

yet it seems but little in the distribution.
4 The amount of pastoral visitation that is
desired for such large congregation is
beyond the capacity of any one man. The
only way that this can possibly be real
lied is by having the membership smaller.
The amount of pastoral visitation re
quired would be realized only by divid-
ing this church into, say, three or four
churches. There are those who claim
that this would be the better way. be-
lieve that in many towns Methodists
have been stronger and accomplished
vastly more from having the enthusiasm
of a large number. But no man could
do the amount of pastoral visitation that
is often thought necessary and | do not
deny that it is esirable-without neg
lecting somethingof his work. Oh, these
details of administration, thinking and
planning and watching! In many cases
| know that they have exhausted my en-
ergies and lowered my nervous force un-
1 til | have come before you really unfit for
my work. That has spoiled many SER
mon that under better nervous condi-
ton would have been far better. To
give you some idea, within the past two
months [ nave written with my own
hand 226 letters and postals Some of
! J
| sary amount of correspondence But, my
| friends, upon my table is still pile of
unanswered letters that causes me dis
turbance every time look at it, and l
suppose some person is wondering why in
the world a man who has nothing to do
doesn't answer that little communication
sent weeks ago. I am not finding any
fault. [ love the work 1t is the grand
est work that any man was ever called
to, but tell you that it requires all
mans force and energy. These are
things that have to be stated in self de-
fense against criticisms sometimes made.
And now, in closing, I certainly am
not fool enough to suppose that l have
pleased everybody during this pastorate
of five years Men who are far better
than l am and who do far better service,
have never succeeded in doing that. Nor
am | unreasonable enough to even claim
that I have done all that ought to have
been done. / see much that | am dis
pleased with. But l want to say this,
that while these things are true, have
been sustained by the entire church.
I have been treated with universal kind
ness and my services have been appre-
ciated far beyond their merit. Many
thanks are due under God to the entire
CuuICu. 1lO llOG GIdllll dlIy tIlllis9 do
springing from my work or from my
preaching They are the results that
have come from the united movement of
the whole We have worked together
without discord Let us accept the or
der of the church as it is, and let us move
forward along its appointed lines rather
than to modify or to change. I do not
say that no change ought to be made.
Such questions are debatable but for the
present let US believe in the church and
stand up for it and work for it. Let me
urge you my dear brothers and sisters,
to be very true and very faithful In the
work of the church, hereafter, in every
department
When the new pastor comes he will
not understand these details as I under
stand them. There are many things
upon which I can give advice and which
1 could direct which new man could
not do. The one thing to do is to stand
to the work assigned and keep moving in
complete armor and in continuous march
until the new pastor is fully installed and
knows what changes he wishes n make
Fate. Fate ''''''i nav
And finally, let us now think ofAthis
completed record turned over to God.
| Oh, how imperfect it is And yet, it
will not be by lamenting over its i'm
perfections that we shall make it better
We can only pass it on to God, whose
wisdom and power will make our sincere
service acceptable. The years will speed
away. Many that are here to-day will
have gone into another world before the
close of another pastorate, if it covers a
period of five years. One after another
will fall, but let us so live and work
that when that time comes we shall pass
from labor to reward. Yes, the blessing
that l would have for myself and for
you is that when we shall stand before
God at last he may say to each one of
us, individually, "Well done, good and
faithful servant; enter thou into the
Joy of thy Lord