The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-30
CLAIMS OF THE PULPIT.
Rev. DIR. Fair Urges Young Men to
Dedicate Themselves to God.

Dedicate Themselves to God.
At the Independent Presbyterian
Church yesterday morning the pastor,
Rev. DR.. ]. Y. Fair, preached his first
sermon after returning from his vaca-
ton. The collection was for the sup
port of theological seminaries and ed
ucating young men for the ministry,
and the sermon presented the claims
of this cause.
The text was Nehemiah, S:4: And
Ezra, the scribe, stood upon a pulpit
of wood, which they had made for the
purpose
This" said Dr. Fair, sis the first
mention of the pulpit in history. 1t
made it's appearance in the time of
Ezra about 500 B. c. The age was
one of the most brilliant and memoir
able in the annals of time. 1t was Pc
culiarly an age in which the founda-
lions of great and lasting movements
were laid. Socrates. the founder of
philosophy, was enunciating those sim
pie but sublime truths, which, in their
purity and aspiration, contain such
close approximation to the Gospel.
Herodotus, the father of history, was
beginning to write. Hipprocrates, the
father of medicine, was laying the
foundation of the healing art.
I'm poety such men as Aeschyeus
and Euripides and Sophocles were sing
ing their wonderful songs. In art
Phidias was carving his great statues
and XenXis was painting his great pic
lures. In Athens, the mighty voice of
Pericles was expounding the princi-
pies of political science. In Rome,
Cincinnatus was giving to the world
one of it's noblest types of integrity
and patriotism.
Amid these great factors that were
working for the body, and the mind,
and the state, the pulpit energies and
begins its work for the spiritual and
immortal part of man. Its object, as
we learn from the context, was to ex-
pound the law of the Lord, word by
word, to give the sense and cause the
people to understand.
But even a greater antiquity may
be ascribed to the office of the minister
of religion. Before Ezra assembled that
pulpit of wood, Noah was a preacher
of righteousness. The shining line
may be traced back al
most to the gate of Eden.
Before poetry began it's rude minstrel
sy or music had sung it's first song,
while science lay slumbering In its IN
FAINT cradle, before it's wondering eyes
were turned to the stars, the voice of
the minister of religion sounded out OF
the dawn of time"
DIR. Fair next spoke of the power of
the pulpit. That first pulpit was made
of frail, perishable wood, perhaps a
few rough planks nailed together, yet
how strong. AS Ezra stood upon 1t,
he was greater than a throned mon
arch He held in his hand no sword,
only the Word of God which is the
sword of the spirit quick and power
full And from that distant day to
this, the pulpit has always stood.
"Kings have sought to pull 1t down
and burn 1t in the fire." said the pas
tor, "but it abides. Who can measure
it's influence? Like the needle to the
pole, 1t has ever pointed to God and
duty and the higher welfare of man.
May it ever remain true to its purpose
and it's history. May it never degen-
may it know nothing but Christ and
Him crucified"
In conclusion, DR.. Fair pressed the
claims of the ministry upon the atten.
ton of young men and urged Chris
tan parents to dedicate their children
to the service of God. whether in the
home or the foreign field. He dwelt
with emphasis upon the fact that
while the work of the ministry might
be arduous and at time discouraging,
yet is opened noble field for useful
ness and offered the sweetest pleasures
a human being could enjoy.
DR.. Fair returned last Monday from
his vacation, which was spent princi-
pally in the North. During his alb
sence he preached in Richmond, Sara
toga, Washington, and Charlotte.
The music was exceptionally fine and
elected much favorable comment from
The