Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-15

OURAGE. brother. do not Stun
$@A bic
Though thy path be dark as
night
There's a star to guide the humble,
Trust in God. and do the right.
some viii hate thee. some win love thee
Some viii flatter-some viii slight.
Cease from man-and look above thee,
Trust in God. and do the right"
How we do need the old Gospel message
70 set men and women on the right track
in these latter days,
Il Is said that Mr.. Sturgeon on his sick
bed in his last Illness. remarked: If ever
I preach again win leave out every bit
OF flourish and preach nothing but present
and pressing truth-hurl IL at the people
with all my might. live at high pressure
and direct all my energies at the saliva
ton OF souls"
It does seem as II the world has grown
very lax and uncertain about the sober
truths OF the Gospel. and the whole bent
OF our church people appears 20 be toward
fine edifces and fine preaching appurte-
nances: when the majority OF those who
really go to church for the benefit Of their
souls. are hungering and thirsting for the
simple Gospel that gives them clean
heart and a right spirit. when accepted
in penftence and faith
Twenty odd years ago the Baltimore
conference OF the Northern Methodist
church held its annual session in Wash
fngton City. ID. c. All the pulpits in the
city were turned over 10 the preachers.
Ny regular place OF worship was with the
Southern Methodist church at Mount
Vernon Place. and we had one of the
visiting preachers in the pulpit that day.
he was a small. plain-loOEing man and
his voice was not very attractive, and
-
70 hear one of the bishops at another
church The preacher read out his text,
"And Jesus Christ came into the world
10 save sinners and started on his ser
mon A friend sitting by me remarked,
1--WE have struck duh time expect"
But after awhile the sermon was NOS
duh and IL grew better as he went along.
The speech was as simple as IT could be-
plain and easy 10 be understood; but ii
was certainly well spoken in earnest tones
that made you like the little, plain preach
er better and better.
To make a long story short, the brethren
soon begun to say Amen. and directly
Il was ike a, Georgia campmeeting, with
Bless the Lords" and before he sat
down the tears of gladness were run
ming down my own cheeks like rain and
everybody else I noticed was moved.
looked at my friend. who was swab-
hing his eyes Ike he too was in an ex-
s.He is a good one. 10 be sure.'
And vet there was no parade of learn
ing He did not rise in any flight Of ora
tory. He was plain and simple in speech
20 the end. but he had that large crowd
completely magnefized by his earnest pre-
sentation OF the "old. old story" 1t was
a royal feast OF good things. that carried
the hearts Of men and women far away
from the frivolities and hollowness Of gilt
ter and vain show to the earnest truths
q our Saviour's Gospel The little, plain
preacher had no ''ego's' in his discourse,
but he strtck ones mind as a rare, good
person 10 stand beside you in deep grief
or under the pressure Of heavy calamity.
Truly. truly he glorified his heavenly
Master and the servant OF God was lost
in the service he rendered with such dill
gsnce and faithfulness 10 that waiting,
eager and comforted congregation
We carried something away with US
that was enobling and satisfying; and in
ali my life I DO not remember TO have
heard the story OF Gods loving kindness
more forcihly related than when this
Southern Methodist pulpit was filed by
one Of our northern brethren on that &C
casion.
His own soul was so irradiated by his
theme and the occasion that we never
once remembered the split between the
= two churches away back in 1874. and am
led TO suspect that the conference authOri-
ties had sent US one Of its most conse-
Grated men and finest pulpit orators that
they possessed or that occasion.
On. why does not the ministry under
stand that the greatest glory OF the pull
Pit is the simple story Of the crosse
some viii hate thee. some viii love thee.
scme viii fatter and some will slight"
but no sermon is worth the name that
does not convince the hearer that the
messenger is in dead earnest about his
Masters business.
And that sort OF earnestness is not pick
ed up in a moment OF haste and furry.
The very superfine quality OF the sermon
herein noticed lay IN the preachers mas
terry Of his subject II was oiled so well
that we never suspected the size and pow
er OF the machine.