Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-25

They may be almost ready to give up theif
mission. They may be almost in despair
because of the seeming lack OF results.
One word from you may be an ordination
that will start them on the chief work of
their lifetime. a Christian woman said
to her pastor: My usefulness is done. I
do not know why my life is spared any
longer, because can do no good" hen
the pastor replied, You do me great good
every Sabbath" She asked, How do l
do you any good:' and he replied, in
the first place you are always in your seat
in the church, and that helps me, and in
the second place you are always wide
awake and alert, looking right up into my
face, and that helps me; and in the third
place l often see tears running down your
cheeks. and that helps me-" What a good
thing he did not wait until she was dead
before he said so,
He1pfulness of Appreciation.
There are hundreds of ministers who
have hard work to make sermons because
no one expresses any appreciation. They
are afraid of making him vain. The mo-
ment the benediction is pronounced they
turn on their heels and 20 out. Perhaps il
was 4 subject on which he had put espe-
cial pains. He sought for the right text,
and then did his best to put the old thought
into some new shape. He had prayed that
it might go to the hearts of the people.
lie had added To the argument the most
vivid Illustrations he could think of. He
had delivered all with n power that left
him ~nervously exhausted. Five hundred
people may have been blessed by it, and
resolved upon Il higher life and nobler pur-
poses. Yet all he hears is the clank Of
the pew door. OF tAe shuffling of feet in
the aisle. or some remark about the wealth
er, the last resort of inanity. Why did
not that man come up and say frankly,
"Iou have done me go0d:' Why did not
some woman come up and say, Il shall
go home TO take up the burden of life
more cheerfully:" Why did not some
professional man come up and say:
THANK you, dominic. for that good ad-
vice. L will take it. God bless YOU" Why
did they not tell him so? | nave known
minister's, in the nervous reaction that
one to some after the delivery Of n SER
mon with no seeming result. 10 go home
and roll on the floor in agony.
But 10 make up for this lack of out
spoken religion there needs to be and will
be a great day when. amid the solemni-
ties and %grandeurs OF a listening universe,
God will SAY So" No statistics can
state how many mothers have rocked
cradles and lowered over infantile sick
nesses and brought up their families to
manhood and w%omanhood and launched
them upon useful and successful lives and
yet never received one THANK you.' that
apan,,pfnI - o,-.l:.. M. 1-lz-.
became queens in social life or were affi-
anced in highest realms Of prosperity;
the sons took the first honors of the uni
versity and became radiant in monetary
or professional spheres. Now the secret
of all that uplifted maternal influence
must come out. Society did not say so,
the church did not say so. the world did
not say so, but on that day of all other
days, the last day. God will say so.
There are men to whom life is q grind
and a conflict, hereditary tendencies TO be
overcome. accidental environments to be
endured. appalling opposition to be met
and conquered. and they never so much as
had 4 rose pinned To their coat lapel in
admiration. They never had n song dedi-
Gated to their name. They never had a
book presented to them with a compli-
mentary word on the fly leaf. All they
have to show for their lifetime battle is
scars. But In the last day the story will
come out, and that life will be PUT in holy
and trarscendent rhythm. and their cour-
age and persistence and faith and victory
will not only be announced, but rewarded.
"These are they that came out of great
tribulation and had their robes washed
and made white in the blood of the Lamb"
God will say SO.