The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-04-18
AT GRACE M. E. CHURCH
4 LARGE CONGREGA ATION HEAR
 THEIR NEW PASTOR.

Rev. A. c. EggIeston No Stranger to New Hnven-Pastor of Wesley Chapel Eighteen Years Ago-ExpIoins Rela- ton of Pastor to His People-Duty of the True Minister of Christ.
 At Grace M. E. church Sunday morn ing a large congregation greeted the new pastor, Rev. A. c. Eggleston, on the occasion of his first sermon to them. Although a large number of those pres ent listened to him for the first time, not few were friends of from eighteen to twenty years standing, having been members of his congregation either i'll the West Chapel street church or the Wesley chapel, over both of which he presided years ago. At that time 1t was greatly through his instrumentali- ty that the two churches were merged into one, a consolidation which was the beginning of what is now Trinity M. E. church.
 MT. Eggleston selected as his text IL. Corinthians, 4-5, "We preach not our selves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake" He spoke in part as follows: what can we do better than to think over briefly the work of the minister and his revelation to the people. This is not an inaugural address. l have no personal policy of state-craft nor priest craft. No personal scheme of earthly gain or ambition am I sent to work out. come as Methodist minister. l be- lieve in the general polity of Methodism When I say this do not say that l can see no room for improvement. l think I can. But there is also way to change and to improve all our ecclesias- tical work, so that on the whole l be- lieve that our working polity Is worthy of full credit, and that it is really prov ing itself so. Again I believe In the great doctrine of Methodism. l believe that our distinctive method of Bible in- depreciation and teaching commends it. self to all men. And I believe also in the usages of Methodlsm. I believe this so-called ecclesiastical machinery of ours is worthy of being more diligently worked than it is. These usages have grown up by the grace of God and have been blessed to the good of multitudes of souls. They are worthy to be held sa- cred by us. But while I am a Metho- dist and intend to do my Christian work in this way, I have none but the kind and most fraternal of feelings to- ward my brethren of other churches l regard these various reforms as great divisions of the grand army of the Lord, and would help rather than hinder them in their work And so in our army, each division by it's earnest work and it's enthusiasm for its flag, helps in battle every ether division; so that the more faithful we are as churches to our own work, the stronger the whole army of the Lord is.
 "But said I had no personal eccesias- tical policy. I mean that I do not come here with any especial plan of work in my own mind which I intend to carry out. I am here to help you to do the Lords work. Now it may be that you will find yourselves called to submit to some dry sermons, some that are dull, some that you don't believe in at first, and some that you don't want to be- leve in. But let us remember, as I have said, that in the matter of preaching by the very office that he bears, the true minister of Christ must endeavor to dis o1o ho wh of God ic reasonable in view of the great certain ty of death and the interests of eternity that some be set apart whose work shall be to call the attention of all to the great thoughts of God concerning our salvation, I would like to walk among you all the year through, watch ing for your souls, realizing that I must help you If possible to a more perfect trust in God. But my labors would avail me little if you did not keep up your church attendance regularly.
 Brethren, when I first entered the ministry this was a subject upon which it pained me to talk. As I would think of the hard, hard work undergone in the week by many of the men and women of my congregation I would stop and ask myself, What right have you to n- flct an additional burden upon them? But as years rolled by I found that those who attended the Sunday services and the class meetings regularly grew older the less quickly. grew better intel lectually, better in every way; and I de- cided that there is nothing to be gained by man in staying away from church. This I am sure will help you in your church attendance. For though it may be labor for you to attend church, yet when you think "my soul ought to be stirred up with Gods thoughts I ought to know more about God. I ought to help others to learn of God" it will help you to go.
 This is the work of the Christian min istry We are sent to help all men to understand and to receive Christ in this great world of ours