The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1897-03-13


istry. Since entered the profession have
seen more of the goodness of God than l
will be able to celebrate In all eternity.
know some boast about their equilibrium,
and they do not rise into enthusiasm, and
they do not break down with emotion, but
confess to you plainly that when l see
man coming to God and giving up his sin
feel in body mind and soul n transport
When sec a man bound hand and foot In
evil habit emancipated, I rejoice over 1T as
though it were my own emancipation.
JOY of Saving Souls.
When in one communion service such
throngs of young and old stood up ana IN
the presence of heaven and earth and hell
attested their allegiance to Jesus Christ,
felt a Joy something akin to that which
the apostle describes when he says:
whether in tho body cannot tell, or
out Of the body I cannot tell; God know
eth" Oh, have not ministers right TO
rejoice when u prodigal comes homer They
blew the trumpet, and ought they not DC
glad Of the gathering of the hostv they
pointed to tho full supply, and ought they
not to rejoice when thirsty souls plunge
as the hart for the water brooks9 1hey
| came forth, saying, Can things are now
ready" Ought they not to rejoice wn ats
| the prodigal sits down ut the banquet.
| Life INSURANCE men will I'LL tell you that
| ministers of religion AS Il class live longer
| than any other. 1t is the STATISTICS OF OIL
| those who calculate upon human longevi-
| ty that ministers of religion as u class live
| longer than any other. Why Is 1t? Ihero
| Is more draft upon the nervous system
| than in any other profession, and their
toll Is most cxhausting. l have seen min
listers kept OH miserable stipends by parsi-
monious congregations who wondered nj
the dullness of the sermon when the men
of God wero perplexed almost to death by
questions of livelihood and had not enough
! nutritious food to keep any fire In their
temperament No fuel, no fire. have some
times seen the inside of the life of many OF
tho American clergymen, never accepting
} their hospitality because they cannot afford
, It, but have seen them struggle on with
, salaries of fire on 5000 u year-the average
less than that-their struggle well depict
! ed by tho western missionary, who says in
: letter: "Thank you for the last remit
] lance Until it came we had not any meat
D in cur house for one year, and all last Win
ter, although 1t was u severe winter, our
G children wore their summer clothes" And
q these men of God find in different parts
G of tho land struggling against annoyance
. and exasperations innumernble, some OF
them week after week entertaining agcnts
v who have maps or lightning rods to sell
q and submitting themselves to all styles Oh
% annoyance and yet without compiafnt aho
q cheerful of soul.
9 How do you account for the TACT tha'
q these life insurance men tell us that min
3, listers as class live longer than any other
q It is because of tho Joy of their work, thu
Joy of the harvest field, the joy of greeting
prodigals home to their Fathers house
" Oh, we are in sympathy with all innocen
,e hiIarities. We can enjoy hearty song, ant
le we can be merry with the merriest, bu
ID those of us who have toilcd In the serves
ID are ready to testify that all these joys ar
We tame compared with the satisfaction G
A. seeing men enter the Kingdom of God
Vi The great cras of every ministry are tn
~ outpourings of the Holy Ghost, and
ee thank God have seen 16 of them. IMAM
I'll God thank God!
u Short Prayers.
= I notice also when the prodigal come
-, back all earnest Christians rejoice. If 20
~ stood on Montauk point, and there was
- hurricane at sea, and it was blowing te
!, ward the shore, and n vessel crashed int