Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-10

cupled the field and been more consecrated
10 the work. Nav God forgive me for lack
of service in the past and double and quad
ruple and ouint,lple my work in future
In this my quarter century sermon I
record the fact that side by side with the
procession Of blessings has gone process
sion of disasters / am preaching today in
the fourth church building since began
in this city. Ny first sermon was in tho
old church on Schcrmcrhorn street to an
audience chiefly of empty seats, for the
church was almost extnguishcd. That
church filled and overlooking, we built u
larger church. which after two or three
years disappeared in flame Then we built
another church. which also in a line Of fiery
succession disappeared in the Same way.
Then we put up this building, and may it
stand for many years a fortress of right
cousness and lighthouse for the storm
tossed, its gates crowded with vast assem-
blages long after we have ceased to FIRE
quent them.
The Free Gospel.
We have raised in this church over ST..
O3O 600 for church charitable purposes dur
ing the present pastorate. while we have
givcn. free of ali cxDcnsc. the uospel to
hundreds of thousands of strangers wear
by wear. I record with gratitude to God
tIat drr;nc THE ycpnrutin, of % voars 7
remember but two SahbathS that have
. missed service through anything like phys
zeal indsSposltion. Almost fanatic on
the subject of physical exercise, | have
made the parks with which our city Is
blessed the means of good physical condi-
ton. A daily walk and run in the open
Hir have kept me ready for work and in
good humor with all the world. / say 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 condition is on 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 in our work
! heaven and the millennium.
And now, having come up TO the TWEEN
! ty-tfth milestone in my passionate, l won
der how many more miles l am to travel?
Your company has been exceedingly pleas
! ant, o 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. BIT tho Lord Knows
best, and we ought to be willing to stay
| or go.
Pastors Vacation.
Most of Won are aware that I propose at
this time between the close of nv twenty
fifth year of pastorate and before the be-
ginning of nv twenty sixth wear. to he alb
sent for a few months in order TO take a
Journey around the world. cxpect TO sail
from san Francisco in the steamer Ala.
media May 81. Ny place here on Sabbaths
will be fully occupied while on Mondays,
and every Monday, l 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 I have never seen, but to
whom have been permitted a long while
to administer. | want to sec them in
their own cities, towns and neigh borhoods.
/ want to know what are their prosperi-
ties, what their universities and what their
opportunities, and so enlarge my work
and get more adaptedness Why do | go?
For educational purposes Iwant to fresh
en- my mind and heart by new scenes, new
faces new manners and customs. T want
better to understand what are the wrongs
to be righted and the waste places to be
reclaimed. l will put all learn in ser
mons to be preached to you when return.
l want TO see the Sandwich Islands, not so
much in the light of modern politics as in
the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
which has transformed them, and Samoa
and those vast realms of New Zealand and
Australia and Ceylon and India. ] want
TO see what Christianity has accomplished.
l want to see how the missionaries have
been lied about as living in luxury and
idlcn",s.
want to know whether the heather re
lipions are really as ,olcrable and ms com
mcndablo as they were represented hv their
adherents in the parlismont of religions at
Chicago want to see whether Noham-
mechanism and Buddhism would be a good
thing for Reconsideration in America. as
it has again and again been argued I
want to hear the Brahmnns uray 7 want
To tost xvbat han tbe p,ciGr ,,toon trootc !, :
guests any better than does the Atlantic
| want to sec the wondrous architecture of
India, and the Delhi and Cawnpore where
Christ was crurificd in the massacre of his
modern disciples, and the disa bled Jugger-
naut unwheclod by Christianity, and to see