Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-04

you that the value of a distinctive
creed is not altogether in what it on
tainS but in the respect and adherance
in which It. is held. The denomina-
tIonai church has a message. Who
shall deliver it if not her ministry?
Every regiment of the church army
has a banner. Who shall carry it If
not her ministry? Every division of
the militant host has a position from
which to fight the devil and to which
to win men. Who shall hold it if not
her ministry? If the UNCONVENTIONAL
message goes a begging for want of a
messenger. If the regimental colors
are trailed in the dust for want of a
STANDARD bearer. If the distinctive po-
sition is betrayed or surrendered by
the c%owardice of her defenders the
outrage must lie at the door of the
ministry. l would have no such out
rage lying at my door and therefore
at the commencement of my ministry
among you l confess not only my own
personal attachment to the United Pres
byterian church but my purpose by
every courteous argument of I words
and deed to commend it with all that
it stands for to this community. But
again, 1 take it, you have sent for me
to preside over and lead in all the va
rious work contemplated by your or
ganization and at the same
time to represent you in what
ever work of God appeals to
us from the outside. l have been
told that | am come to a congregation
that is harmonious and active and
that has a mind to work. If this is
true,-and l believe it is, the problem of
my usefulness among you is greatly
simplif1ed. 1 have not come here to do
the work of this congregation, but to
lead you in the doing of it and in this
capacity / will remind you that the
efficiency of organization is always to
be measured by what it is able to do.
The great plant with it's power and
machinery and operatives is vindi-
Gated by the finished product that it
puts forth. 1t is so with the organiza-
ton and machinery of church work.
1t is a means to an end and the
way it serves this end is the measure
of it's justification. To keep this end
before you, to keep, to help
encourage, stimulate and inspire
you to it's accomplishment, in
a word to get the machinery of this
church when the dynamos of spirit
ual power shall york in it n through
it to the establishing of the kingdom
of God within and without is no small
part Of the purpose which | set before
myself. / want to be identified in
some way with every part of our work.
I expect that, if possible. personally
present in the Sabbath school and
vOJno ppnnlac' v1oafin0c IN fbnCa
departments where my presence is
not expected because not needed l
would at least touch hands and heart
with those who labor there in all my
work whatever and whenever it may
be. | invite and confidently expect
the cordial and enthusiastic cooper
alton Of every individual member of
this church. And ! realize too, that
the range of my duty as pastor Of this
congregation is wider than the boun-
daries of the church. The field of any
Christian minister is larger than that
in which he is primarily called to
work. His field is the world. The great
commission reads go We into all the
world and preach the gospel to every
creature" and the last words of Christ
to those disciples whom he had trans
formed into apostles was land We
shall be witness unto me both at
Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Sa-
maria and unto the uttermost part of
the EARTH" | have just been reading
the biography Of Phillip Brooks who
perhaps, as we'll as any other man of
the past century filled out the true
ideal of the ministry Of Jesus Christ.
( IT,, -ooo,r +h4 ,.aato nf TTrinifEy
Echurch, Boston, his usefulness con-
stantly overlooked his appointed field
Of labor. His parish was the world.
A patriot and p~hilantrophist he was
in sympathy with every movement OF
God in the world, the champion of
every forlorn hope that proclaimed It's
wearyness in the name of Christ, in
slant and instinct in season and out
OF season with sympathy aH help in
the cause of humanity and so at
length when in the fullness of his self
sacrificing labors he laid down his life
not only did all Boston fill Trinity
church and the square outside and
every avenue leading thereto, with
tears and lamentations, but on both
sides Of the Atlantic from pulpit and
press come the worlds testimony. to
the broad sympathetic and splendid
usefulness Of this eminent man of
God. In such a career as this any
minister, however humble. may see
how extended are the boundaries of
his field and how splendid the posi-
billties of his ministry therein. Your
call has summoned me to citizenship
in a no mean city. l would remind
you, that this city has claims upon
me. Upon it's streets as elsewhere in
our great cities sin stalks stalwart ar
rogant and glutted with prey.
Against this power of evil as an apos-
tie of that Christianity that is a dis
tinct declaration of war against sin.
l may be expected at times, and as l
have opportunity to life up my voice