The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-05-11
THE LONDONDERRY SITTER, -. !. :

fnd It, ana the dying sailor scolded him
and said, "Ain't you ashamed of your
self not to read your Biblo?" So the boy
explored the bottom of his trunk and
brought cut the Bible, and his mother
had marked 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 in
peace. So one generation helps another,
and good things written or said or dono
are reproduced long aftorward.
The World For an Audience.
During the passing of the last gener
alton some peculiar events have unfold
ed. One day while resting at Sharon
Springs, N. Y, think it was in 1870,
the year after my settlement in Brock
Ign, and while walking in the park of
that place, l found myself asking tho
question: 81 wonder if there is any spe-
cial mission for me TO execute in this
world? If there is, may God show it to
mel" There soon came upon me great
desire to preach TIE gospel through the
secular printing press. I realized that
the vast majority of people, even in
Christian lands, never enter a church,
and that it would he an opportunity of
usefulness infinite if that door of pub
LEGATION were opened.
And SO l recorded that prayer in a
blank book and offered the prayer day
in and day out until tho answer came,
though in way different from that
which l had expected, for it came
through the Misrepresentation and per-
secution of enemies, and have to re-
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 widens 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 to see and hear what really was
doing. From one stage of sermonic pub
location to another the work has gore
on until week by week, and for about
20 years, l 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 60 now to about 25, 900, 900 of
people in all lands. l 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 in 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
today in the fourth church building
since I began III this city. My first SER
mon was in the old church ON Scher-
merhorn street to an audience chiefly
of empty seats, for the church was al
most extinguished. That church filled
and overlooking, we built larger
church, which after two or three years
disappeared in flame. Then we built
another church, which also in line Of
fiery succession disappeared in the same
way. Then we put up this building, and
may it stand for many years, fortress
of righteousness and lighthouse fol-
the storm tossed, its gates crowded with
vast assemblages long after we have
ceased to frequent them!
A Noble Work.
We have raised in this church over
$1,050,0 900 for church charitable pur.
poses during the present pastorate, while
we have given, free of all expense, the
gospel to hundreds of thousands of stran.
gers, year by year. record with graf.
itude to God that during this genera.
ton Of 25 years l remember but two
Sabbaths that I have missed service
through anything like physical indis
positions. Almost fanatic on the sub
ject of physical exercise, l have made
the parks with which our city is bless
ed the means of good physical condi
ton. A daily walk and run in the ope;,
air have kept me ready for work and il
good humor with all the world. 1 say
to all young ministers of the gospel, il
is easier to keep good health than to re-
gain it when once lost. The reason sc
many good men think the world is go
ing to ruin is because their own physic
al condition is ON the down grade. Nc
man ought to preach who has diseased
liver or an enlarged spleen. There ar,
two things ahead Of us that ought K
| keep us cheerful in our woik-LeaycI
and the millennium.
And mss hay mn n tNf
twenty fifth milestone in my pastor
ate, I wonder how many more miles
am to travel? Your company has beer
exceedingly pleasant, 0 my dear people
and would like to march by your sidl
| until the generation with whom we ar,
| now moving abreast and step to stel
shall have stacked arms after tie las
battle. But the Lord knows best, apt
we ought to be willing to stay or so.
| A Summer Outing.
| Most Of you are aware that l propose
at this time, between the eIose Of my
twenty fifth year of pastorate and be
fore the beginning of my twenty-sixtl
year, to be absent for few months il
order to take journey around thu
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 othel
lands as heretofore. Why do go? tt
make pastoral visitation among people
| whom I have never seen, but to whom
I have been permitted a long while t.
administer. Iwant to see them in theil
own cities, towns and neighborhoods.
want to know what are their prosperi
ties, what their Universities and wha
their opportunities, and so enl;rge m,
| IA