The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-02-03
NINTH ANNIVERSARY SERMON

anniversary on which / shall / hope, ever
appear before you as the sole pastor of
this onurch. ! wish TO say ia the hearing
OF all that my only purpose IN life Is TO
serve my day aud generation as well as
God VIII give me The grace aud wisdom 20
do &c that 1 have for all OF you very cordial
| feelings. and that j harbOr rtsentments
asAiust none. l am ready to cooperate
The pastor then gave a brief history OF
the effClt which eliminated ~ constructing
ana paying Tor the magnificent Ouinlhs
owned. Tree from debt. bg the congregation
Of tie First Presps tciinn church with at
most no outside aid. Tho story OF the cree
you ~ tht CANAcA uAlluluE was WY IN
ttlesths dhu showed uetet minatlQn aud
work UPON the part OF both pastor aud
people which is worthy OF emulation aud
example. lie then continued;
The membership OF tIe CAurch has grown
steadily from about $50 members at the last
or le92 70 something more than zoo mem
the past niue years Daring our Brst Pres
hSieua! 3ear oi fourteen moths we re-
ce!red into ne church tulrty.igur on con-
fesslon aud lo4 eJ letter MAKING a total
OF loS, The second year. tois time or
twelve months 0e received siXty.cight on
confession Gnd seventy by letter; making
TO-. O. one on confession and hftA f0ur by
!,tirr maAng q tool Of nihey.dte. The
confession and forty.clght by letter max
lug total Of scventy-two. The NTH year
W. ltevNeI twehti Two on confession and
t"ehlE-l Pr letter. making total OF
rory orr. The sixth year We received
ttty-hyc on confession and twenty eight
~ letter, making a total OF eghty-lhIee.
on confession and eighteen MS letter. max
ing "a lutal o. thiriy.nYe. The eighth year
we received three on confession ana fwCu-
ty-eight hy letter making q total OF thir.
ny one. I1e DlN'h year. with two months
ser rcmHIuinr until the preshvtery. we have
It'e}"a thFtfcn on confession and twenty
I'VE br lcftrr. mHEigG a total ~ thirty
eight Outing the nine years we have re-
ccjvei 2T1 ON confession ana 3g7 hy letter.
meWNft7nip with us during The present
passionate OF nine years duration. We have
the number VIC received. 50 that today the
melnhcr7hip ot The church, active and In
active. stands at g little above 100 mcm-
bcrs-to be exact 7O5.
Nine years ago this church ranked about
! Elt,eth among the churches OF our southern
ffcsbytcriAn denomination. Today there
are only ave Churches la the cutire denom-
\ hauoH larger thdu ours. only three or four
eush IKE prosperity. Not only have we re-
, Celycd more members both on confession
, ana by letter during tue past nine years
: lhan any other Presbyterian church or
= Texas, but only a few churches Of our de
nomination In Tho whole South have re-
p ceived SO many during the same period II
8 u were wise, honest and gentle 10 compare
4 onr growth in detail with that Of other OF
! our churches In the State OF the South you
s The marked favor We have rerrlvcj from
r the hands Of God. But Ii is enough TO saw
ma ann pjisoli ngfe Peeh Tegsiyeu
Il OF uinc wears and mai Inc "ay,,,n M II W.
- r1pE 81 'ts f,,sti Ia. VIZ N..'isspNIattt =
. GffiofG in i'm" e" que a 9,t "uGeu from ne
. Southern Presbyteripn deDo,pinsfion '"'
l. financially. our church mas been pros
. petrl OF the Lord IN a manner quite az
y pnst MIN. wears fhia rnperasatt nr b9S a.
e pended about $4,000. Or his sum Sl35
l. 900 was paid In cnsh by the members OF
t the congregation, the remainder camc non
Il the sale ol tho old property The congrp
IA Raton ho. given au average Of about SIS.
n go year for al purposes building be
HeVolences and current expenses The small
u 'St sum raised during any oue year WA
It nhont 5000 lor l%9 The largest sum wa
~ something NOR" than $4,000 during 1901
K. IVY some or that money came from tn
~ Sbb 1NH I 9fItah realty owned 10y IN
y, an{urch, n3weEer There Is one matter o.
Re ggi!s 'onturgAp'e EHtNtaetlon tn the wor
Sc Vi,,,t ~, ~ sr'I ntWlthSl9hdinS the iac
"a nav oE ny S,, nutHeHta YIN the effort +
"a c1i M n6 W"'tVIiu,f onr iHtEe debt ne honeyc
I'd -,rs, h,. ''- ,Is vi W.. ,u.Slt%at ION "
or Ia me various missio5 rgS,s ~ Tx E' 4,
] uouinotiop gaJ ,.iSts Wv T1ns,s OF no ~,
Us .- wore Hrr,r Iust ,,or t ,,i ~ '','
os prey IONS yogr or The ,-rs.rt n,st,.nE a.
N other unique thing was thai. while noyin
ne on onr hig dom wa ei. nsil al 20 ~.
rent oypcnFos ana auJsd ma vcqr o,,,i,, ~
no man anything "but to love him ,, I nnfirr
OF too iuat tho plate collections for ip6t eS
me- coed those OF any other wear OF this pnstoI
81 Rte ''''''
is For nj these filings yyo rive tho rrsls
us 10 God. who made MS and who usos a.
1t to accomplish His own purposes.
IN How far the individuals among Won b1v
Dt co.operatcd with your brotbrcn In thcir co
be operation with God i'm bringiu. about tbcs
20 blessed rcsults Is very well known 70 vnrr
er self II you have honestly done your hrsi
OF l congratulate YOU for Won have snr.l
I'd your share In the blessing Of COD
Il, In all our Publications lrt ma alwovs 70
NJ, member Tint. whatever orr socrIareS an,
.s frnm me soo1ness NV, ,uSuuS G"Ee com
lis let us always render INTO Him onr ,, %m
ot grateful aud hearty thanks
M Our gratitude should stir ne nm tn largo
n, endeavors, that we may omen tha yyav 70
=; God to do among us very nuch moro in En-
N days to come than Ue bnS bcen cnabio,
es TO do In the mast There 10 No Jrrht ~ y
no we can limit the operations OF God omon,
us by our own course, II il said ~ Jnsu
be Christ that He could nor do rnepv p,icbV
ry works In NaYareth bscsuee ~ tbo go,
es lShing unbcicf Of the people rnnto ~
re doubt that God will Do Tnigbtier tbi,,a
er among us, II we viii only make mo condl
RE lions favorable Tor Ti' 80 ,mv IN. .i
ANA certainly MI tbpt wa need ~ bts :
no larger faith and dilirnncc mn -,
rs and mechanical situation Is more ro,,ecnit
IL 10 us than nj any prcyIous TINA durjn. ~,
nj present pestoratc W. boro svt ,e ~