Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-06-11

lice captain on small salary, living
every day in fear that my official head
would he decapiiated Suppose that by
shutting my eyes upon n few houses Of
evil resort | could have an income OF
$4,000 O year Would tnke II? do
not say that I would but | THINK God
I have never been placed in such DO
sition of temptation whore had the
chance. Suppose wanted To become a
physician. Suppose ] had TO enter. one
of our modern medical schools in which
are crowded among many students the
inhdcl the blasphemous and the lewd.
If I should take such a medical course
would 7 come ont as pure morally as
did after had lived for three years in
n Christian seminary? My young
friend n God calls you to be lawyer
or doctor or legislator or police captiin
or merchant go ahead and be what he
intends you to be. He will give you
strength TO rosist any temptations that
may come in your way If you viii only
ask him. Eut If he calls you to be a
Christian minister and you deliberately
turn a dcaf ear TO that call tremble IN
reference TO your future. I tremble for
your spiritual life when you have to
face the temptations that beset the av-
eragc man in the outside world.
trcmblc when you shall not have the
guarding. guiding. protecting influence
of praying men about you, such as sur
rounds the average life Of the Christian
minister.
An Appeal to Young Men,
] have preached this sermon. show
ing tho joys, the spiritual safeguards
and the infinite usefulness Of the Cos
pei ministry, for two distinct reasons:
The first. there never was greater
need than at the present time for
young men to- enter the gospel pulpit
\ fcw years ago the capitalist, tha
statesman. tho merchant prince and
leading lawyers considered it an honor
to sit in the aldcrmanic chairs of our
great cities. Now, for the most part,
these positions are despised by the in
tellectual and financial leaders and arc
filled with professional politicians and
men who are weaklings and often dis
the greatest honor that could come to
family was the honor of son dedi.
eating his life to the gospel ministry.
Now the current of popular opinion
is running counter to this line of nob4
service. our strong young men, In.
stead of entering the pulpit. are giving
their lives to law. TO merchandise, to
railroads. to electrical sciences. Who
are to fill the future pulpits of Amer.
lea? "Give us mem" cry our theolog.
ical professors. Their classes are grow.
ing smaller year by year. Give IA
men," cry the churches. 1--WE cannot
get the right kind of men for our pul.
pits" Give US men, cry the synodicni
missionaries. The harvest is ripe, but
the laborers are too few" II Is all
nonsense for some of our religious
writers to declare that the reason our
theological students are becoming less
and less in number year by year Is be-
cause we are now getting quality in
stead Of quantity. The reason our
seminaries are becoming depleted is
because the young men who ought 10
enter the ministry refuse to come.
Men, Men, We want men, We need
men for the gospel pulpits, to save the
sinful world.
The second reason for preaching this
sermon is that would appeal 70 those
young men 10 enter the gospel ministry
who many years ago heard the call
and who have stified It by an indiffer-
ent, hayward life When my uncle, the
devoted missionary, Rev. John Tai
mage of Annoy, China. was boy of
twelve he read the life Of David Brain
erd. After closing the book he went To
my grandmother and said, Mother, |
am going to be a missionary" Time
passed on, and he entered college. He
lost his high ideal and led an indisfer-
ent life. He never mentioned the word
minister from that day until toward
the end of his college career. Then the
old pledge came back. Then and there
on the night before his graduation
from Rutgers college, he gave himself
up anew TO his glorious life promise.
Young men, YOU who have heard this
call to the Christian ministry years
ago, will you not hear the call now2
Will You not be brave enough, noble
enough, Christian enough, 10 do what
Christ bids you do2 The church needs
you. Christ calls you. Come, offer your
life and consecrate il at the altar of
Christian ministry.
copyright. 1905 by Louis ESlopschl