Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1894-05-12

and said. "Ain't You ashamed of Your
self not To read ymr Bible" So the boy
explored the bottom of his trunk and
brought ont the Bible. and his mother
had marked "A passage that just fitted
the dying sailors case, The blood of
Jesus Christ. his son. cleanseth from all
sin. That helped the sailor to die ia
peace. So one generation helps another,
and good things written or said or done
are Reproduced long aftcrward.
The World For an Audience.
During the passing of the last gencr
alton some peculiar events have unfold
ed. One day while resting at Sharon
| Springs, n. y, think il was in 1870
the year after my settlement in Brook
lyn. and while walking in the park Of
that place. | found myself asking the
question: Il wonder if there is any spe
cial mission for ne To execute III this
world: If there is. may God show it To
mel" There soon came upon me great
desire To preach the gospel through the
secular printing press. realized that
the vast majority Of people, even i'll
Christian lands, never enter Il church,
and that it would he All opportunity of
usefulness infinite if that door of pub
lication We're opened.
And So | recorded that prayer in u
blank book and offered the prayer day
i'll and day out until the answer came,
though iii way different from that
which l had expected, for il came
through the Misrepresentation and per
Il of and I h.u. ~.
cord it for the encouragement of all
ministers of the gospel who are misrep-
resented, that if the misrepresentation
be virulent enough and bitter enough
and continuous enough there is moth
ing that so widcns ones field of useful
ness as hostile attack, if you are really
doing the Lords work The bigger the
lie told about me, the bigger the de-
mand tn See and hear what really was
doing. From one stage of sermonic pub
lication 10 another the work has gone
Oh until week by week, and for about
23 years, | have had the world for my
audience, as no man ever had, and to-
day more so than at any other time.
The syndicates inform me that my ser
mons 90 now Ia about %, 900, 900 of
people in all lands. / mention this not
in vain boast. but as a testimony To the
fact that God answers prayer. Would
God had better occupied the field and
been more consecrated To the work!
May God forgive me for lack of service
in the past and double and quadruple
and quintuple my work III future.
In this my quarter century sermon |
record the fact that side by side with
the procession Of blessings has gone a
procession of disasters. l am preaching
to-day in the fourth church building
since legan in this city. My first ser
mon was in the old church Oh Scher-
merhorn street to an audience chiefly
Of empty seats. for the church was al
most cxtingnishcd. That church filled
and oyeriiowing, we built larger
church, which after two or three years
disappeared i'll fame. Then we built
another church, which also i'll line of
fiery succession disappeared in the same
way. Then we put up this building. and
may il stand for many years, fortress
Of righteousness and IA lighthouse for
the storm tossed, its gates crowded with
vast assemblages long after we have
ceased to frequent them!
4 Noble Work.
We have raised in this church over
81 $50, 900 for church charitable pur-
poses during the present pastorate, while
we have given, free of all expense, the
gospel Ia hundreds Of thousands of stran
gers, year by year. record with graf
al. "A. L..
tion of a5 years | remember but two
Sabbaths that 1 have missed service
through anything like physical indis-
positions. Almost Il fanatic ON the sub
ject of physical exercise, l have made
the parks with which our city Is bless
eel the means Of good physical condi
ton A daily walk and run in the open
air have kept me ready for work and in
good humor with all the world. l say
To all young ministers of the gospel, it
is easier to keep good health than to re
gain il when once lost. The reason So
many good men think the world is GO
ing To- ruin Is because their own physic
al condition is Oh the down grade No
man ought to preach who has a diseased
liver or an enlarged spleen. There are
two things ahead Of us that ought to
keep us cheerful III our work-heaven
and the millennium
And now, having come up to the
twenty fifth milestone III my pastor
ate, | wonder how many more miles !
am to travel: Your company has been
exceedingly pleasant. q my dear people.
and would like to march by your side
until the generation with whom we are
now moving abreast and step To step
shall have stacked arms after the last
battle. But the Lord knows best, and
we ought To be- willing to stay or go
a summer Outing.
Most of YOU are aware that propose
at this time, between the close of my
twenty fifth year Of pastorate and be-
fore the beginning of my twenty sixth
year, To be absent for few months in
order 10 take journey around the
world. expect to sail from San Fran
cisco in the steamer Alameda May 81.
My place here on Sabbaths will be fully
occupied. while on Mondays and every
Monday will continue to speak through
the printing press in this and other
lands as heretofore. Why do go: To
make pastoral visitation among people
whom | have never seen, but to whom
have been permitted long while to
administer. want to STE them in their
own cities, towns and neighborhoods. |
want 10 know what are their prosperi-
ties, what their adversities and what
their opportunities, and so enlarge my
work and get more adaptedness. Why
do 60: For educational purposes
want to freshen my mind and heart
by new scenes, new faces. new man
ners and customs want better to un-
derstand what are the wrongs to be
righted and the waste places to be- re-
claimed. will put all l learn i'll ser
mons to be preached to you when i re-
turn. want to see the Sandwich Is
lauIc unf 81 unucL in the lipht nf rno1-