The Penn's Grove record., 1894-05-11

heaven. Had we been born in celestial
realms we would not be able to appreciate
the bliss. 1t needs a s good many rough blasts
In this world to qualify US to properly esti.
mate the superb climate of that good land
where 1t is never too cold or too hot, too
cloudy or too glazing. Heaven will be more
10 US than to those supernal beings who were
never tempted or sick or bereaved or tried
or disappointed. So you may well take my
text put of the minor key and set 1t to some
sune in the major key. "0ne genera.
ion passeth away, and another generation
.ometh."
Nothing can rob us Of the satisfaction that
amounted thousands Of the generation just
past were converted. comforted and har-
vested for heaven by this church, whether
IN the present building or the three proceed
tng buildings in which they worshiped. The
.wo great organs of the previous churches
went down in the memorable fires, but the
nultitudinous songs they led year after year
we're not recalled or injured. There is no
power in earth or hell to kill n halleluIab.
It Is impossible to arrest a hosanna. What a
| satisfaction to know that there are many
thousands In glory on whose eternal vel.
are this church wrought nightly! Moth
ng can undo that work. They have ascend.
ID, the multitudes who served God in that
generation. That chapter is g%loriously
snded. But that generation has left Its i'm
preston upon this generation.
A sailor was dying on shipboard, and he
said to his mates "My lads, I can only
:hink of one passage of Scripture, 'rhe soul
hat sinneth, 1t shall die and that keeps
| ringing in my ears. THE soul that sinneth,
I shall die Can't you think of something
slse in the Bible to cheer me up?" Well,
| yailors are kind. an | they tried TO think OF
some other passage OF Scripture with which
% console their dying comrade, but they
could not. One Of them said "Let US call
| up the cabin boy. His mother vas a Chris
dan, and / guess he has a Bible" The cabin
boy was called up. and the dying sailor
isked him II he had a Bible. He said eyes"
but he could not exactly find it, and the dy-
ing sailor scolded him and said, "Aint you
ashamed Of yourself not to read your BlbleY'
| 30 the boy explored the bottom OF his trunk
md brought out the Bible, and his mother
lad marked a passage that just fitted the
lying sailors case, "The blood of Jesus
| Christ, His Son., clelnseth from all sim"
That helped the sailor to die in peace. SO
one generation helps another, and good
| Kings written or said or done are repro
iuced long aiterward.
During the passing Of the last generation
lone peculiar events have unfolded. One
lay while resting at Sharon Springs, N. Y,
[ think 1t was in 1870, the year after my set
.lement in Brooklyn, and while walking in
L.:he park Of that place, 1 found myself asking
| me question. Il WDuuer IL tntEe 10 any
special mission for me to execute in this
world? II there is, may God show it TO me p
There soon came upon me a great desire to
preach the gospel through the secular print
ing press. I realized that the vast majority
Of people, even in Christian lands, never
snter a church, and that 1t would be an OPP
portunity of usefulness infinite If that door
ot publication were opened.
And so 1 recorded that prayer in q blank
/ hoOlr and nffAFaI the nray yer lnv In and daV
but until the answer came, though in a way
different from that which l had expected,
'or 1t came through the misrepresentation
and persecution of enemies, and I have to
record 1t for the encouragement of all minis
:ers of the gospel who are misrepresented,
that If the misrepresentation be vlruleni
enough and bitter enough and continuous
enough there is nothing that so wideus ones
ield Of usefulness as hostile attack, II you
are really doing the Lords work. The
bigger the lie told about me, the big
ger the demand to see and hear what | really
was doing. From one stage of sermoniC
publication to another the work has gone on
antil week by week, and for twenty-three
years, l have had the world for my audience,
is no man ever had, and to-day more sc
.han at any other time. The syndicates in
form me that my sermons go now to about
IS, 0O0, 900 of people in all lands. mention
his not In vain boast, but as q testimony to
The fact that God answers prayer. Would
God l had better occupied the field and beer
more consecrated to the work.! May Goo
forgive me for lack OF service in the past anc
double and quadrupie and quintuple my
work in future.
In this my quarter century sermon I re-
,ord the fact that side by side with the pro
session OF blessings have gone a procession
of disasters, am preaching to-day in the
fourth church building sinceI began work ii
this city. My first sermon was in the ole
church on Schermerhorn street to an audi
snce chiefly Of empty seats, for the church
was almost extingutshed. That church tllleC
and overlooking, we built a larger church
which after two or three years d~isappeare;
In fame. Then we built another church
which also in a line OF fiery succession dis
appeared in the same way. Then we put NJ
this building, and may it stan.t for many
years, a fortress of Righteousness and
lighthouse for the storm tossed, its gate
crowded with vast assemblages long alter w
lave ceased to frequent them!
We have raised in this church over 81,
$50, 900 for church charitable purposes dur
ing the present pastorate, while we hav
given, free OF all expense, the gospel to hun
dreds Of thousands Of strangers, year b.
year. l record with gratitude to God tina
during this generation of twenty-five years
remember but two Sabbaths that l hav
missed service through anything like physica
~indispositions. Almost a fanatic on the sui
ject Of physical exercise, 1 have ma lie tn
parks with which our city Is blessed tn
means OF good physical condition. A dali
walk and run in the open air have kept m
ready for work and in good humor with a
the world. say to all young ministers G
the gospel, II Is custer to keep good healt
than TO regain it when once lost. The reaso
40 many good men think the world is goin
10 ruin is because their own physical cor
dition is on the down grade. No man ougt
to preach who has a diseased liver or an eI
larged spleen. There are two things ahea
OF us that ought to keep us cheerful in on
work-heaven and the millennium.
And now, having come up TO the twenty
fifth milestone in my pastorate, l wondt
| how many more miles | AN to travel! You
company has been exceedingly pleasant,
my dear people, and l would like to marc
by your side until the generation with who
we are now moving abreast and step 10 SIC
shall nave stacked arms after the last BATH
But the Lord knows best, and we ought
be willing to stay or go.
Most of you are aware that I propose
this time, between the close of my twent,
lhfth wear OF pastorate and before the begll
ming of my twenty-sixth year, to be absel
for a few months in order to take a tourn'
around the world. l expect to sail from 81
Francisco in the steamer Alameda May 5
NV place here on Sabbaths will be iully o
cnpied, while on Mondays and every Monde
| will continue to speak through the printir
press in this and other lands as heretofor
why do 1 go2 To make pastoral visitatit
among people | have never seen, but
whom | have been permitted a long while
administer. 1 want to SEQ them in their oV
cities, towns and neighborhoods. l want
| know what are their properties, what the
adyersities and what their opportunities, al
II --z.l-. an frnf mara nd 1ntR
ness. WHY do I COY For educational pa
poses. Iwant to freshen my mind and hea
by new scenes, new faces, new manners an
customs. I want better to understand WIN
are the wrongs to be riShted and the was
, places to be reclaimed. will put all l lear
In sermons TO be preached to You when l r
, turn. I want to see She Sandwich Island
not so much in the light Of modern poiiti'
, as in the light of the gospel of Jesus Chrl
: which has transformed them. and samo
I and those vast realms of New Zealand, IN
!, Australia and Ceylon and India want
! see what Christianity has accomplished
: want to see how the missionaries have pee
lied about as living in luxury and idieness.
I want to know whether the heathen r
ligions are really as tolerable and as con
mendable as they were represented by the
adherents in the parliament OF religions
- a m