Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-04-28

Christ under his preaching in the
Brooklyn tabernacle, where he passed
the most active years of his life's min
istry, yet for years he was misunder
stood man.
Swept Away All Pulpit Cobwebs.
With one wave of his hand he swept
away all the cobwebs which had accu-
INFLATED around the traditional meth
DDS of sermonic oratory. With his
mighty original personality he broke
the shackles of ecclesiastical slavery.
He proved to the world that the minis
tiers of the twentieth century could
plead with sinners to come to Christ
with the energy and enthusiasm and
intensity with which the lawyer could
plead for the life of defendant false
ly charged with murder. He proved to
the religious world that it was not so
important what kind of a white linen
operating gown the gospel surgeon
wore as it was that the nerve Of the
operator be firm and the hand steady
that held the keen, sacred blade with
which he cut out the cancer of sin.
He dispensed with the ministerial
old fashioned pulpit, but he still chung
to the old truths. He spoke the Cos
pei message in its simplicity. Because
the story was so simply told it was told
with originality.
My father was gospel minister who
completely consecrated himself, body
and mind and soul, to his work. For
thirty-fve years his pulpit was the sole
business Of his life. He lived and
breathed and ate and slept and walked
and nursed his strength only for that
| He had the most tremendous capacity
for work of any man ever knew, and
even after he was turned seventy his
form was as straight as a mountain
pine, his eye as clear as the eagles and
his mental force undated. On that
last gospel journey upon which he set
out on Feb. II he preached in rapid
succession to great audiences at Ma
con, Charleston, Richmond and New
Orleans with his wonted eloouence
and power, and it was not until the
deadly Mexican climate had sapped
his strength that he succumbed. Never
from the first day of his ministry till
the day of his death did he put off the
harness of the Lords service. When
he went on lecturing tours, it was not
to make money or to take pleasure, but
to get awas from his home tasks, so
that he could come back refreshed to
do more valiant service for Christ.
Every family physician who entered
our home declared that the rest of rail-
road travel had been his physical sal
vation. 1t forced him to the repose
that he would not otherwise allow to
himself.
A Woodworking Genius.
He was : genius, but he developed
every one of his ten talents by the
hardest kind of mental and physical ap
plication. No labor for him was too full
of drudgery. Morning, noon and night
found him in his study. He took phys
ical exercise not for pleasure, but to fiji
himself for the pulpit. He lived not tC
eat, but he ate so that he could live. He
placed his standard very high, and into
every sermon he put his best thought
He used to say to me: Crank, do not
make the mistake Of many literary
men. They say to themselves, l will
save that thought and put it into anoth
er speech or article. Give to the world
the best you have. Crowd everything
in that strengthens an argument, but
always strive for quality and not fol
quantity" When a theological student
/ wanted to occupy for some weeks the
pulpit of a small country church. He
uttered his protest, saying, You ough
to spend at least three months upoI
your first sermon, writing upon it from
six to ten hours a day." What q test
mony is this to his own careful work
coming from the cold lips which ar
now closed in the casket. What :
homiletic lecture it is for the youn!
ministers, for the young lawyers AM
budding statesmen who maintain tina
the oratorical art is a divine gift which
has no need for struggling upon tn
rough mountain side of drudgery. Wha
q clarion note it is, summoning all me-
and women to do their best under a.
conditions. The lesson is as powerful
for the merchant of ten talents as 70
: the clerk Of two talents. To him tina
. hath shall be given. From him tina
hath not shall be taken away even tina
which he hath.
There is. however, warning tina
comes from my fathers intense appli
: cation to work which deserves the al
D tention of all those who are bendin
y their physical, mental and spiritua
e energies to accomplish something i
Y life's struggle. My father had one o
I the most robust physical frames eve
I given to man. He had a wonderfu
q mind. He had a wonderful body. II
/ could speak out of doors for two lon
D hours and address 10000 auditors. Ye
e the last sentence would be heard a
/" distinctly as the first. He could do
q ten mile tramp more easily than som
q men could walk around city square
} His chest was broad and deep. HI
g heart went on with the steady regl
Ii ioritv Of p1p1DiDO oOUiDo He thOuOl