Milford chronicle., 1903-05-01

spiritual power Of gospel letter writing
is seen every where that it has been
tried. To what could Maltbie Bah
cocks wonderful spiritual influence be
mostly attributed? He was without
I doubt one Of the most successful min
/ listers in the American pulpit at the
time of his death. To his marvellous
/ and yet simple eloquence, which sun
day after Sunday crowded the famous
Brick church of New York city to the
doors? No. not chiefly. To his sweet
and winsome personality in personal
contact? No, not principally. The
greatest part of his influence was won
by the power Of personal letter writ
ing One of lis old classmates and
most intimate friends told me that Dr..
Babcocl never let a member of his
congregation get out of his reach. He
kept a book filled with dates On the
birthdays of his boys at college he
would drop them each a short letter
telling them to improve their oppOr-
tunlties and how much their parents
and pastor were thinking and praying
p
the death ef children he would drop
sympathetic note to the brC':en hearted
parents. telling them bow thankful
they ought to be that their little ones
have now been able to spend one or
two years i'm heaven. telling them how
happy they ought to be that the part
ings would not now be very long.
When the anniversary Of a young girls
advent into the church came. he would
drop her letter. hoping that her year
of faith in Christ had been a happy
year. In this way Or. Babcock reached
out everywhere and bound his people
to him with links Of steel. By this sys-
TEN Of simple gospel letter writing the
late pastor of the Brick church was
able to make his Christian influence
felt all over America. My brother and
sister, you and | have wasted many
glorious opportunity for gospel letter
writing VIII you not here and now
consecrate your pen to do for Jesus
what you can: VIII yOu not conse-
crate the pen as well as the voice and
the seUse of touch? Remember, Paurs
epistles were only Pauls gospel letters,
written to his absent friends. We by
the power of gospel letter writing can
accomplish on Il smaller scale what the
tired travelling missionary by his pen
did on a hemisphere scale.
Innrence of "a Gospel Pen.
Oh, the infinite influence Of a gospel
pen! Infinite in reference to time!
Some of us have seen the Assyrian
histories written upon the slabs of
burnt brick by pens thousands upon
of years ago. We have seen
leaves Of grass upon which the Greeks /
used to engrave their laws, and the |
shoulder blades of a dead sleeps skel- |
eton upon which the ancient Arabs |
used TO write poetry. The sides of the /
Egyptian Obelisks are covered with /
of the ancients. The /
first pen welded by man was a chisel. /
and the first leaf was a sheet of solid .
rock. But though such writings may .
last hundreds ana thousands of years,
vet they will not last as long as the
gospel words written upon the human
heart by a gospel pen. Such words
shall last long after this earth is dead
and our souls have passed cycles of
eternity in heaven. Infinite in refer
ence to wonders accomplished! In our
national museums some of us have
seen pens worth a thousand times
more than their weight in gold. They
ire the pens that have been held in
he hands of presidents and kings
pens of peace or Of war. pens of liberal
ion or enslavement, pens which decid-
ID the material advancement or re-
ardment of nations But the sacred
zen of gospel letter writing may be
wen greater in its farreaching results.
It may be the means for the liberation
# immortal souls from sin. for their
coronation in the heavenly redemption.
Thus, in closing. would impress up
IN you all the influence of a cOnsecrat-
d pen May you learn to use for God
fright that pen which as a schOolbOy 4
'Ou once held in your chubby fingers
when ii would sputter and twist and
~ to squirm out of your hands. Use
right that pen by which rs young
nan you used to record the secrets Of
our heart when the old, old story of
owe became new story to you in the
Learn TO use Alright for
'hrist that same pen with which you
ave again and again written a name
Ipon black bordered envelope. Use
right that pen with which you made
last will and testament. and use
right that pen with which you can
vim immortal souls to Jesus Christ in
he gospel invitation of private CORE
pondence.
Copyright 1908. by Louis Klopsch.l