Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-05-24

hSipSu Tue sdilof 10 ule III ptiCc. ~
one generation helps another and good
things written, or said, or done are re-
produced long afterward.
During the passing of the last gem
GRAFTON some peculiar events have I'M
folded. One day while resting at
Sharon Springs, n. Y. think it was
in 1870 the year after my settlement
in Brooklyn. and while walking in the
park of that place, l found myself
asking The question, 81 wonder if there
is any special mission for me to execute
in this world? If there is, may God
show it to mer' There soon came upon
me great desire to preach the gospel
through the secular printing press. |
realized that the vast majority of
people. even in Christian lands, never
enter a church, and that it would be
an opportunity of usefulness infinite if
| that door of publication were opened.
And so 1 recorded that prayer in
blank book. and offered the prayer
day in and day out until the answer
came, though in a way different from
that which had expected, for it
came through the misrepresentation
and persecution of enemies, and
have to record it for the encouragement
! of all ministers of the Gospel who are
misrepresented that If the misrepre
| sentation be virulent enough, and bit
ter enough, and continuous enough,
/ there is nothing that so widens ones
| field of usefulness as hostile attack, If
you are really doing the Lord S work.
1 Tho l,, e,1I Al tho
| bigger the demand to see and hear
what | really was doing. From one
stage of sermonic publication to am
! other, the world has gone on. until
week by week and for about twenty
three 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 to about twenty-five mil
lions of people in all lands. ] mention
this not in vain boast, but as a testi-
mony to the fact that God answers
prayer. Would God | had better occu-
pied the field and been more conse-
rated to the work. May God forgive
me for lack of service in the past and
double, and quadruple aud quintuplc
my work in the 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. ! am
preaching to-day in the fourth church
building since l began in this city.
My first sermon was in the old church !
on Schermerhorn street, 20 an audi
ence chiefly of empty seats for the
church was almost extinguished. That |
church filled and overlooking, we built |
a larger church, which, after two or
three years, disappeared in flame.
Then we built another church, which |
also, in a line of fiery succession, dis |
peared in the same way. Then we
put up this building, and may il stand |
for many years a fortress of righteous
ness and lighthouse for the storm
tossed, its gates crowded with vast as
semblages long after we have ceased |
to frequent them.
We have raised in this church over
one million and thirty thousand dol
lars for church charitable purposes
during the present pastorate, while we
have given. free of expense. the Gospel
to hundreds of thousands of strangers.
year by year. | record with gratitude
to God that during this generation OF
twenty-five years remember but two
Sabbaths that / have missed service
through anything like physical indis-
position Almost a fanatic on the sub
iect of physical exercise, have made
the parks with which our city is
blessed, the means of good physical
condition. 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 regain it when once
lost. The reason so many good men
think the world is going to ruin is be-
cause their own physical condition is
on the down grade. No man ought 10
preach who has a diseased liver, or 30
enlarged spleen. There are two things
ahead of us that ought TO keep us
cheerful in our work. Heaven and the
Millennium.
And row, having come up to the
twenty-fith milestone in my pastorate,
wonder how many more miles / am
20 travel? Your company has been ex-
eedingly pleasant 0, nv dear peo-
tle, and would like to march by your
side until the General 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
Most of you are aware that pro
pose at this time between the close of
my twenty-fifth year Of pastorate,
and before the beginning of my TWEEN
tv-sixth year. to be absent for a few
months. in order to take a journey
around the world. l expect TO sail
from san Francisco in the steamer
Alameda May 81 Ny place here on
Sabbaths will be fully occupied. while
on Mondays, and every Monday, will
speak through the printing press in