The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-03-23

sublime solace. this magnificent beatl-
tude. The night after the battle OF
sailoh. and there were thousands OF
wounded on the field. and the ambu-
lanees had not come. ono Christian SOL
der lying there a-dying under the
starlight. be ian 10 sing:
There Is a land OF pure delight"
And when no came to the next line
there we're scores Of voices singing:
Where saints immortal reign"
The song was caught up all through
the fed among the wounded until II
was said there we're at least 10000
wounded men uniting their voices a.
they came to tho verse:
"Thero everlasting Spring abidos
And never whitening flowers:
It's but a narrow stream divides
This heavenly land from ours"
At the opening OF the Exposition In
New Orleans I saw a Mexican hutist,
and be played the solo. and then after
ward the eight or ten bands OF music.
accompanied by the great organ, came
In: but the sound OF that one flute as
compared with all the orchestras was
greater than all the combined Joy OF
the universe when compared with the
resoundlng heart Of Almighty God. For
ten years a father went three times
day 10 the depot. His son went on In
aggravatlng circumstances. but the
father said: "He will come
back" The strain was too much
and his mind parted. and three times
day the father went In the early
morning he watched the train. It's Arri-
val. the stepping out OF the passengers.
and then the departure OF the train.
Al noon he was there again watching
the advance OF the train. watching the
departure. At night be waa there
again. watching the coming. watching
the going. for ten years. lie was sure
his sen would come back. God has
been watching and waiting Tor some OF
you, my brothers. ten years. twenty
years. thirty years. forty years. per-
haps afty years. waiting. waiting,
watching. watching. and II now the
prodigal should come home. what a
scene OF gladness and featiyity. and
how the great Fathers heart would re-
, jolce at your coming home. You will
. come. some Of you. viii you noil You
4 will. yGu viii.
. I notice. also that when = prodigal
. comes home there is the JOY Of the
ministers OF religion. Oh. Il IL a grand
!. thing to preach this gospel. know
, there has been a great deal said abou
!. the trials and the hArdships Of th'
. Christian ministry. wish somebody
!. would write q good. rouSing book abou
. the Joys OF the Christian ministry
. Since I entered the profession. hav'
. seen more Of the goodness Of God thar
. will be able 10 celebrate In all eter
4 nifty. I know some boast about theil
i equilibrium. and they do not rise int,
I enthusiasm. and they do not breal
/: down with emotion; but I confess {,
. you plainly that when ! see a mar
II coming 10 God and giving up his sir
[" feel IN body. mind and soul a trans
i. port. When see a man bound hant
. and foo, In evil habit emanclpaied.
o rejoice over Il as though Il were my
il own emancipation.
' waen IN one communion service suci
u ,hrongs OF young and old stood up ans
J. IN the presence Of heaven and eartl
? and he'll attssted their allegiance {,
y Jesus Christ. l felt Joy something akiI
D 10 that which the apostle describe
when he says: Whether In the bod
10 I cannot tell: God knoweth." Oh. hav
Il not ministers right 20 rejoice when
I. prodlgal comes homer They blew IN
" trumpet. and ought they not be gla
. Of the gathering Of the hostl The
i polnted to the full supply. and ough
a they not TO rejoice when thirsty soul
e nlunre a. the hart for the waite
/: brookss They came forth. saylnr
a IAN things are now ready"-ough
10 they not to rejoice when the prodigu
% ats down az the banquet Life IN
,l mranee men will tell you that minis
A. ters OF religion. az a class, live longs
. than any other. II Is the statistic
- of ali those who calculate upon huma
a longevity that ministers OF religion
II Al a class. lie longer than any othe
a WHY IL ~ There Is more draft upo
Ar the nervous system than In any oth,
y, profeaslon, and their toll Ia most Q,
n haustinE. I have seen ministers kel
n. on miserable stlpends by paralmoniol
n. congregations who wondered az q
\, dullness OF the sermon when the m,
10 OF God we're perplexed almost to doaN
IA By questions OF livelihood and had n
All enough nutritious food TO keen any a
N IN their temperament No fuel, no a.
I. have sometimes seen the inside OF q
~ llfe OF many OF the American clorg
n. men. never accepting their hospl,all
- because they cannot afford a. but
- have seen them struggle on with q,
aries Of i've or six hundred dollars
" year-tho average len than that-th,
~ struggle well depicted by the wcsto
=. missionary. who says In lett,
IA. Thank you Tor the last ftmltiAn,
"a until q came We had not any meat
=. our house for one year. and an %
~ winter. although q was a severe vi
NJ. ter. our children wore their SUNNI
Y. clothes" And these men OF God ! a
y, IN different parts OF the land strugrli
ns against annoyance and exaspcraiio
innumerahle. Some OF them We
a. after week entertaining agents VI
A.. have maps or lightning rods 20 So
'er and submitting themselves TO all styl
n. Of annoyance. and yet without COT
~. plant and cheerful Of soul How
"A you account for the fact that these II
ne. insurance men tell us that ministers,
We class, live longer than any othery
en- Is because OF the Joy Of their work. Z
a.. / fov ~ fha harvest frld the iOy