The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-07
THE MISSION WORK
OF THE BAPTISTS
Continued From Fifth Page.)

for any year since its organization for
the greater part of them are missing:
also the minutes of any of the older as
sociations of the church in the State. or
any pamphlets, sermons. manuscripts, or
church records whatever. and early is
sues Of the State periodicals of the de-
nomination.
Now, ct the end of a century. is the
time when we make retrospects and
prospects. The last ten years have been
history making epoch in the life of our
Seminary During the last nine years we
have lost four of our greatest professors.
That our college can lose the services of
four men like these. and still keep on
its great career apparently unimpaired
tends to encourage us and at the same
time to make us feel our own littleness
1t strengthens us in the conviction that
God is behind us, and does not allow the
loss OF any man to impair the work, and
it shows us that if the Seminary can
prosper even after such blow, how easily
it could survive the loss OF any one of us
We have this year 220 students, which
is above the average. and more than last
year After all our doubt and anxiety on
the subject of q president DR.. E. Y. Null
comparatively little of him before his
election, but the longer he stays and the
more we know about him. the more
we see that he abundantly iustifies the
wisdom of the trustees in his selection.
1t is true that | have come here for
money, but we want men more than
money. During the last few years North
Carolina has largely increased the num-
Der of young men she has sent to us.
am glad to invite the young men of your
State to come TO us because of the kind
of men we nave had from there and the
kind have sent back there. I have
talked within the last dav or two to
great many young men here about going
TO the Seminary. Some do not think it
important that they should go and some
think they lave not the time. that the
work at home is too pressing. There is
enc part of the parable of the Prodigal
Son that l like to recall to young men
and it is this: When he came to himself
Then it was for the first time he realized
who he was ard what his possibilities
were. From that time on he felt his
sense of responsibility in his position
Just so you do not know what is in you
what your possibilities are. Your pres
ent idea of your life work may undergo
radical changes. The question is asked:
Gould not a young man get a theological
education without going to a Seminary
Yes. | could have walked here from
Louisville, but it would have taken Inc a
long time and would have been unpleas-
ant for many reasons. Then too there
are some things you never could get by
yourself | ask you. pastors, if your ex-
perience tells you that you have time to
devote to homletical exercises and theo-
logical doctrines in the midst of your
everyday work To be sure. a man can
preach without studying theological
Many of you have such natural power
and knowledge of human nature that you
could be a great force for good if you
never saw the inside of Seminary Bot
still YOU can do better more abiding ser
vice, if you have wider preparation. IN
cur generation God wants every man who
enters his service to take a full college
CT seminary course, unless He prevents
1t by force of circumstances. Do not con-
slider that you go there to fit yourself to
fill a bigger place. There is not place
IN North Carolina or anywhere else that
is not too big for any one of us to fill. ]
have found on the part of a good many
young men IN the State hesitancy to
accept the benefit of the student fund,
This is a very laudable sort of pride, and
shows that the idea that the minister is
a different sort of being from other men
is passing out. But those who give their
hard-earned money for this purpose do so
because they want an educated ministry,
and they had much rather you would lay
aside your pride and accept it. You owe
it to God and yourself to accept this
offer
Last year North Carolina had 20 stu
dents with is, and of those 10 were sup
ported by the fund you pledged to give
for this purpose, 1857 This year you
have about the same number of students
at the Seminary, and our treasurer
wants about $500 from you. 1t costs about
$50 to pay for what we undertake to give
to the men who need help most. l am
going to ask as many churches as can to
give $50 each during the coming year"
In response to this CALL Rev. w. G.
Tyree announced that the First church OF
Durham would pledge $50, Rev j. w, Jones
said he would be responsible for $25 from
Chapel Hill; Rev. A. A. Marshall prom
ised S25 from the First church. Raleigh
Prof Poteat pledged $25 from Wake For
est. the West Chowan Association SIS,
and the Eastern Association $25. Many
other smaller amounts were pledged, I'M
til total of about $500 was reached.
The following resolution was then Of
fered by Rev. w. H. Rich:
Whereas, there will be a vacancy on
the Board of Trustees of our Seminary on
account of Brother John e. Whites go
ing away from our convention;
Resolved, That we recommend DR.. w. c.
Tyree as a suitable man to take his
place.
The next business was the report of
the Committee on Sunday Schools and
Colleges, which was as follows
The past year has been witnessed the
largest output of energy and the larg-
est income of money in it's history Our
field secretary, Rev. B. w. Spilman, has
been interchangeable in his efforts, and
many schools had the efficiency of their
teachers and the number of their Bible
students increased by his visits, in addi
tion to many new schools organized His
work as a statiscian is of priceless
value to our church of the present and