The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-01

| have brought about great result.
| S-me years before the civil war he held
| the pastcrate OF this the first church OF
Houston. And now after more than forty
years hear men say that his preaching
was so powerful In those early days that
the Intellectual men Of this young com
munity waited with delight upon his In
structive ministry.
But u Is not my purpose TO preach a
memorial sermon, and SO ! will not go
into ths details Of his long and useful
career in this state Ny purpose is rather
TO draw from his life and character GER
tain lesosns that NAV prove useful 10 us
who remain and who have LIES battle TO
fight and iife's labor TO do. DR. Byers was
in many respects A very remarkable man
He had one quality IN large measure that
seems to be the inyarisble accompaniment
of greatness--simpllcity | have known not
a few men of great power and they have
been uniformly men Of simple tastes and
habits, eschewing ostentation Of every
sort. believe Il Is the judgment Of all
sober minded people that simplicity IS a
necessary quality Of greatness. for they
see so many ostentatious people who GER
tainly are not great and they see so few
great people who are ostentatious that u.s.,
not simple in heir manner OF life. 50
much Is this true that a man must have
peculiarly great abilities even among the
great il he can be ostentatinus and at the
same time impress other thinking people
with his greatness. ! may have happened
once or twice In the history OF men: but
the rule Is that great natures are not os-
tentatious are not fond OF display. but
are on the contrary simple and unassum-
Ing. Their own simplicity makes them
intolerant OF what Is not uuassuming.
They resent display. And 1t Is practically
impossible to get them to think that men
who love display. love to make show. are
right thinking men, are much worth
while
Now. in a marked way Dr. Byers was
without any element OF the spectacular in
the competition OF his nature. Indeed,
were
THE elements 50 mixed in him that ma
ture might stand up
And say 10 all the world This was a
mani"
So he has set before US in this thing
very worthy example None Of US can
hope 10 develop powers that would better
warfan; our exhibition Of ourselves before
our fellows than we're possessed by this
venerable man Of God-aud vet ne was
characterized by simplicity, the simplicity
thai Is in Christ His final request was
IN keeping with hat simplicity. Few men
who have lab1red here in Texas could
have better deserved 10 have his funeral
services made the occasion for the mani
Hesitation Of the honor in which we held
MIN But no; be was simply a minlstE
Ct Christ he was only a sinner saved by
grace. and in his mind the only appro-
prlate way TO lay him away was to do 1t
without ostentation. And so he was hu-
ried In the simple manner that was con-
s0nant with his simple life
In another respect he taught me a most
useful lesson. never heard word of
dissatisfaction thai II was In the proyi-
dence OF God his lot to labor in the less
prominent pulpits OF the church. There
is some human nature in all of us and IL
Is both natural and common for men con-
sclous OF possessing marked abilities to
wish for those opportunities that gain
wide attention to their services. In itself
such desire Is not wrong and is NOT nee
essarily Injurious to the usual tone. In
our profession the place TO secure such
general attention to our words and SER
vice Is the pulpit Of some church promi-
nent In the denomination I do not sun
pose that ] make an unworthy charge
against my brethren Or make an altoget her
new revelation, when say that our min
iisters do seek the more prominent and dis
tnguished places of the church Indeed
40 not think 1t unbecoming to publish In
the papers accounts OF their successes and
so call public and general attention TO
their efficiency. Some. indeed carry
this TO an extent which Is disapproved Of
by others who indulge in the same thing in
small way
NOW | venture TO say, that few minis
lers nave ever served the church with less
of self-seeklng than DR.. Byers. ventura
10 nprldrp that in al l.
ne never once sought conspicuous pulpit
where his abilities would he more likely
70 claim attention to themselves and
where his material situation would he
rendered easier. He beloved that the
providence OF God should be unhampered
and that We should never presume IN
force His hand. and 40 was content 10
Iahor where God was content to put him
He could but see and recognize the fact
that other men Of Gar less ability and
worth were occupying places Of larger
prominence and opportunity than he was
called TO MI and which he knew his pow
ers htted him to occupy and vet in his
estimate of such men which was, as
have occasion to know 2 slngnlarIy fair
estimate there was never shadow of
disappointment that God had not called
him TO similar prominence He rose 10
indeed hu; II was IN no ssnse
seious OF strong powers disciplined by long
and hard study and these he freely and
iphy conseerated to the service OF his
Master.
have fclt more than once that had no
been called 10 a professors chair 10 one
OF our theological seninaries the efficiency
OF our ministers would have been greater
The thing want 10 emphasize is that he
was content to serve where God was con
tent TO have him serve
TO his latest hour he had a 10Y in pre- |
pairing sermons and preaching the gospel
ot Jesus Christ that was as eager as that
oi tne youth who hrst enters the great
service The gospel was always good
news to him and he loved 10 dig down
INTO the underlying principles upon which
y was based and then, by most clear
aiueldaton, exhibit the Sweet reasonabIs-
moss Of the truth He was always seeking
some tresh view OF the old gospel BY which
20 oouiu unehain the attention OF careless
'sarers ana bring them to a saving knowl
fdee OF ire truth Up to the very las,
le was working al new sermons. and woula
,lten surprise me with some striking ana
Iesn conception, When he could scarce.
ger about he would struggle M Ia INV
itudy and SAY, tBro. Leavell what Is vonr
nlerpretation Of this passage9 Have Won
'ver preached upon III" He wonIa n,,nta
ne scripture passage and then enter unon
"a outline OF his thought. telling ms boa.
,sms 70 MIN and how he proposed 10 use
IN tne sermon he was then preparing
'nu many time he would inSnire nv
,wn mind with "A desire 10 WORK ~. s,,.