Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-24

ctOou AbNhs
Swept Away All Pulpit Cobwebs.
With one wave of his hand he swept
away all the cobwebs Which had accs.
mulated 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. lie proved to
the religious world that 1t was not so
important what kind of white linen
operating gown the gospel surgeon
wore as II 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
gown and hurled from the church the
old fashioned pulpit, but he still chung
to the old truths. He spoke the gos-
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
opd purcod btc cfropoth opJp for <bo
He had the most tremendous capacity
for work Of any man l ever knew, and
even after he was turned seventy his
form was as straight as 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. IL 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 Slapped
from the first day Of his ministry till
the day of his death did he put off the
harness of the Lords service. Which
he went on lecturing tours, it was not
to make money or to take pleasure, but
to get away from his home tasks, SC
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.
walton. 1t forced him to the repose
that he would not otherwise allow to
himself.
A HardworkinE Genius.
He was {. genius. but he developed
every one Of his ten talents By the
hardest kind of mental and physical ap
plication. Nc 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 Al
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: Frank, do not
make the mistake of many literary
men. They say to themselves, l viii
save that thought and put it into anoth
er speech or article. Give to the worlt
the best you have. Crowd everything
in that strengthens an argument, bu
always strive for quality and not fol
quantity" When theological student
l wanted to occupy for some weeks the
pulpit of a small country church. HI
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 a testi
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 younl
ministers, for the young lawyers anC
budding statesmen who maintain tina
the oratorical art is divine gift which
has no need for struggling upon thu
rough mountain side Of drudgery. Wha
clarion note it is, summoning all mel
and women to do their best under al
conditions. The lesson is as powerful
for the merchant Of ten talents as fol
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 that
comes from my fathers intense appli
cation to work which deserves the at
tention Of all those who are bending
their physical, mental and spiritua
energies to accomplish something IN
life's struggle. My father had one OF
the most robust physical frames ever
given to man. He had wonderful
mind. He had a wonderful body. Ht
could speak out Of doors for two Ions
hours and address 10000 auditors. Ye1
the last sentence would be heard al
distinctly as the first. He could do 6
ten mile tramp more easily than some
men could walk around city square
His chest was broad and deep. His
heart went on with the steady regu
larity of n pumping engine. He thought
he was taking care of himself, but ht
was not. About twenty-five years age
the first danger signal was lifted wheI
insomnia, like hideous specter, sat a
the foot of his bed and refused to lie
him sleep. Night after night he would
be up four and five times walking tn
floor. After awhile the children be
came used to it. We would greet hin
at breakfast, saying, "Father, how di(
you sleep?" and when he answered
mot very WELL" he would look 81
fresh and vigorous that we, too, wer