Evening journal., 1899-11-20
THE CHURCH
WITH A MORTGAGE
1t is the Opinion Of Rev. W. F.
Lewis That the Almighty Will
Not Bless Ii.
SERMON ON CHURCH DEBT

PRESBYTERlAN CHUHCH BY litE
PASTOR YESTERDAY MORNING.
Rev. William Frederick Lewis, pastor
of Rodney Street Presbyterian
Church, preached a rarely interesting
sermon on How Shall We Contribute
to the Presbyterian Debt" yesterday
morning. His text was from the thir-
teenth verse, chapter nineteen, Of St.
Luke, Occupy Till l Come"
In part the preacher said:
II would seem that the responsibility
of our stewardship grows apace every
day. We cannot leave it, desert 1t or
shirk its duty. About 100 years ago
there was day of unutterable dark
ness in America, when some people
said the end of this world had come.
The members of the Legislature Of
Connecticut were in session and shared
in the fearful awe and dread. In the
fear of the hour it was moved to ad-
iourn. A pious Puritan then arose and
said that if his last earthly moment
had come he desired to be found at his
post, doing his duty, and he would
move that the house would Immediate
/ ly proceed to business as soon as the
candles were brought in.
For this reason l am again preaching
TO you upon the matter we have al
ready taken in hand, matter that dur
i ing this year we are resolved to carry
| through, the raising of every cent Of
debt in our church with a conscious
knowledge that everything we have be-
| longs to God. We have avowed its
| conservation to Him. He has returned
L to us, only saying: Occupy till
come" / am glad to see the enthu-
siasm manifest in this matter. l think
| that God must have delight in it. 1t
| ieems almost like a new field which he
| has opened for US. Shall there be
,mongst us then any empty vine bring
| ing forth fruit unto himself alone2 Are
| you not satisfied that this sense of
| stewardship is a great part of the Cos
| Del, that the law of giving is the true
law of our being? Has it never come
to your mind that it is hopeless to
strike against the adamant of those
tendencies which God has wrought into
our frame? We shall only be dashed tC
| pieces. It seems a law of paradox. But
is true and occupy till I come
seems to be the very kernel of those
'hristian opposites that we save by
loosing. and live by dying and receive
by giving.
A story of some pathOs came to me
the other day. BY the dishonesty Of
his son an honorable merchant wa:
brought to financial ruin. His small
means were inadequate to meet the
vast liabilities incurred But he sum
mOned his creditors to his house. They
came and sat around. Presently thl
merchant, with home gone and hear
broken, entered that strange company
and opening a box before them anC
emptying its contents of some deed
and bonds he desired to make settle
ment. 1T is" he said, "all | have il
he world; deal with it as you will,
II an do no more" He left his belong
: ngs in their hands. But all that com
/ )any did was to take an inventory anl
o record his securities and to hanl
3 hem back to him in the decision o
s heir judgment that he could carry o.
! | lis business better than they, and s.
T. hey told him to go on with his OWL
d but to remember that they would as
O Or an account. You all have don
hat Heaven has heard from your lip
s he most sacred tender and bindin
oath in which you have committed int
J thes afe keeping of Gods hands a
Is your gains and possessions. He'll hear
Y it, too. IL pierced the regions OF etel
l. nifty. The Lord has not touched any
d thing that belongs to you. He has ser
r no one to remove them yet. They sti
ir stand in your own name. For th
;; completeness and fullness of your we
J: being He has asked you hereafter
N manage your own affairs in His intei
rs est and to give Him final accoun
re and He has left you alone and has eI
1t stamped on the whole framework
I'd your being-"Occupy till / comet
{! I come to get an account, till l come
Is, take you to My own house, till / con
d. TO see how you have managed the tru
Sc committed to your charge. Occupyl
h. We have determined to clear u
e. loating indebtedness and the mortgal
II, Of our church, and to contribute to Il
ne general fund of $4,000 to clear Il
ly debts of the other Presbyterii
he churches and chapels in our city. IL
il. a time of dire extremity. l am begi
ming to believe as l have thought
OF long ago, that the Almighty won't bic
it a church that has a mortgage. G.
OF Oh, the multitudes, the millions W
OF are going down every day within sig
he lof the kingdom of heavenl They ha
tn withstoOd the storms of financial el
nd barrassments, have steered through {
ed rocks OF home sorrows and difficult
of and weathered the gales of ridicule a
lily Islander, but their soul struck this ro
he almost" and, like Agrippa, We
wn down. II we are not going
is clear that rock in our present cour
ow may God help MS to seize the helm q
ew port the ship" into the deep cham
nat Of grace. so that the zephyrs Of heaN
asst may hasten us on and up to the dc
hat of the paradise of God. where
the shall join our friends and kindred "
lde now await our coming. We all hi
lay loved ones there, who, by the grace
for God, cleared the rock almost" and
lis ius to fail means to disaDDoint tn
ws, and lose our own souls. Let us s,
ew, them a message this morning to
and them know we are coming Shal
in I1poaIy fo, .ro,to Than - cbolI hn iI