The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-23

IN this world to qualify us to properly estf.
mate the superb climate Of that good land
where II Is never too cold or too hot, too
cloudy or too Rlaring. Heaven will be more
to Us than to those supernal beings who were
never tempted or sick or berea7ed or tried
| or disappointed. So you may we'll take my
tent out Of the minor key and set It to some
tton passeth away, and another generation
cometh."
Nothing can rob Us Of the satisfaction that
| uncounted 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 preced-
Ing buildings in which they worshiped. The
two great organs Of the previous churches
went down In the memorable fires, but the
multitudinous songs they led year after year
we're not recalled or injured. There Is no
power in earth or hell to kill halleluiah.
It is impossible to arrest q hosanna. What
satisfaction to know that there are many
thousands in glory on whose eternal wei
fare this church wrought nightly! Moth
ing can undo that work. They have ascend
ed, the multitudes who served God IN that
generation. That chapter Is glorlously
ended. But that generation has left Its I'm
preston upon this generation.
A sailor was dying on shipboard, and he
salu 10 LIS mhteS: Ny i1os' Cau ouly
think Of one passage Of Scripture. The soul
that sinneth, it shall die and that keeps
ringing In my ears. The soul that sinneth,
It shall die Can't you think OF something
else In the Bible to cheer me up2" Well,
,anors are K1nd, and they tried to think OF
some other passage Of Scripture with which
to console their dying comrade, but they
could not. One Of them said: "Let US cali
up the cabin boy. His mother vas Chris
t1an, and guess he has Bible" The cabin
boy was called up, and the dying sailo.
but he could not exactly find 1t, and the dy-
Ing sailor scolded him and said, "Atn't you
ashamed OF yourself not to read your Blble?"
30 the boy explored the bottom OF his trunk
and brought out the Bible, and his mother
had marked passage that Just fitted the
dying sailors case, 1.-THE blood Of Jesus
Christ, His Son, cleanseth from all sin."
That helped the sailor to die In peace. So
one generation helps another, and good
things written or said or done are repro
duced long afterward.
some peculiar events have unfolded. One
day while resting at Sharon Springs, n Y,
think It was In 1870, the year after my set.
Element in Brooklyn, and while walking in
the park Of that place, found myself asking
special mission for me to execute in this
world2 II there Is. may God show It to mel
There soon came upon me great desire te
preach the gospel through the secular print.
Ing press. realized that the vast ajority
OF people, even In Christian lands, never
enter church, and that It would be an op-
portunity of usefulness infinite II that door
OF publication were opened.
And 80 recorded that prayer In blank
nd nfY ho dory In do
out until the answer came, though In way
different from that which I had expected,
for II came through the Misrepresentation
and persecution OF enemies, and have to
record 1t for the encouragement Of all minis
ters OF the gospel who are misrepresented,
that II the Misrepresentation be virulent
enough and bitter enough and continuous
enough there Is nothing that 80 wldens ones
field Of usefulness as hostile attack, Il you
are really doing the Lords work. The
bigger the lie told about me, the big
ger the demand to see and hear whatI really
was doing. From one stage OF sermonio
publication to another the work has gone on
until week by week, and for twenty-three
years, I have had the world for my audience,
as no man ever had, and to-day more so
than at any other time. The syndicates In
form me that my sermons go now to about
$4,000, 600 OF people In all lands. mention
this not In vain boast, but as testimony to
the fact that God answers prayer. Would
God had better occupied the field and been
more consecrated to the work! May God
double and quadruple and quintuple my
work in future.
In this my quarter century sermon T re-
cord the fact that side by side with the pro-
cession of blessings have gone procession
OF disasters. am preaching to-day In the
fourth church building since began work In
this city. My first sermon was in the old
church on Schermerhorn street to an audi
ence chiefly of empty seats, for the church
was almost extinguished. That church dlled
and overaowing, We built a larger church,
which after two or three years disappeared
In flame. Then We built another church,
which als9 t9 4, line q fiery HS succession dig.
this building, and may it stand for many
years, fortress OF righteousness and
lighthouse for the storm tossed, its gates
crowded with vast assemblages long after We
have ceased to frequent them!
We have raised in this church over S1,.
03O, 600 for church charitable purposes dur
ing the present pastorate, while we have
given, free OF all expense, the gospel to hun.
dreds OF thousands OF strangers, year by
year. Irecord with gratitude to God that
!
remember but two Sabbaths that I have
missed service through anything likephysical
indisposltlons Almost a fanatic on the sub
ject of physical exercise, have made the
parks with which our city Is blessed the
means Of good physical condition. daily
walk and run In the open air have kept me
ready for work and In good humor with all
the world. soy to all young ministers OF
the gospel, It Is easier to keep good health
than to regain 1t when once lost. The reason
so many good men think the world Is going
to ruin Is because their own physical con-
dition Is on the down grade. No man ought
to preach who has diseased liver or an en-.
larged spleen. There aretwo things ahead
q Us that ought to keep US cheerful In our
work-Ieaven and the millennium.
And now, having come up to the twenty
fifth milestone in my pastorate, ! wonder
how many more miles an to travel? Your
company has been exceedingly pleasant, o
nv 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 20.
Most OF you are aware that propose at
this time, between the close OF my twenty
fifth year OF pastorate and before the begin
ming of my twenty-sixth year, TO De aosent
for few months in order to take a journey
around the world. expect to sail from San
Francisco In the steamer Alameda May 81.
NV place here on Sabbaths will be fully oc-
cupied, while on Mondays and every Monday
I will continue to speak through the printing
press In this and other lands as heretofore.
why do go2 To make pastoral visitation
among people have never seen, but to
whom have been permitted long while to
administer. want to see them in their own
cities, towns and neighborhoods. I want to