Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-04
TAKES UP CHARGE
Rev. o. w. Lawrence Assumes
Passionate at Memorial
Church.
GREETED BY LARGE CONGREGATION
Delivers Sermon Last Evening or
Protecting Power of a Great
Work.

Rev. o. w. Lawrence yesterday took
up his regular duties as pastor of the
Memorial Christian church. to which
he comes from Brookfield, Mo. He
preached morning and evening to
congregations that taxed the seating
capacity of the house and the impress
sion he made was uniformly favor
able. Rev. Lawrence, though young
man. is graceful, forceful and ready
talker. His sermons are pointed, his
illustrations apt and his argument
convincing.
At the evening service Rev. Law
renee took for his text the words of
Nehemiah: Il am doing n great work,
therefore | cannot come down." As
a prelude to the discourse the speaker
dwelt upon the admiration the public
has for greatness as recognized in
such men as Washington, Peter the
Great, and others. Even as great as
these, to their respective people, said
he, was Nehemiah to the ancient Is
raelites. Then followed a sketch of
that parsonage. from his humble
birth as a slave, through his rise in
the court of the Persian king. till he
became cupbearcr and trusted leu
tenant of the great monarch. Learn
ing of the disaster that had overtaken
his native city, Jerusalem, he told the
king and with the latter's leave went
back across the deserts to rebuild
| the walls of the capital of the Israel
ties. 1t was at this work he was en-
gagged when, after vainly trying to
dissuade him by force his enemies at
tempted to seduce him by vile, and
he replied in the words of the text,
Il am doing a great work. therefore
| cannot come down.
Saving Power of Work.
With this as the basis of his ser
mon the speaker dwelt upon the saw
ing power of work, the protection
which it affords to weak humanity
against the temptations with which
the world is beset. Criminals always
come from the idle class who are
without the protection of Il regular
occupation and who therefore fall
prey to evil thoughts. Parents who
desire their children to be kept in the
paths of righteousness should heed
the moral so plainly set forth and see
to it that their children are not allow
ed To grow up in idleness.
Rev. Lawrence held that the worlds
opportunities were never so great as
now and the young should he trained
TO meet conditions. He expressed the
belief that it was the duty of every
person to learn craft or trade, even
as the ancient Hebrews did. so that
they would always be able to MAIN
tain their independence. The saving
power of work was the blessing that
was conferred upon man when Adam
and Eve were driven from the garden
of Eden. BY that act. the speaker
held. the duty of a great work was
laid upon each and everyone of us;
work that no other could accomplish
and the carrying out of the manifest
will of the Creator was the highest
duty that man can perform.
In Memory of Bishop Taylor
Services were conducted at Trinity
Episcopal church yesterday morning
in memory of the late Bishop Freder
ick William Taylor. of the diocese of
Quincy. They were in charge of DIR.
Rudd. of the Knoxville Episcopal
church, who officiated yesterday in
place of the rector, DR.. II. +. Sweet,
who * i'll