Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-27
REv STEVENSON SAYS FAREWELL.
breaches His Final Sermon i'm Second
Presbyterian Church.

breaches His Final SermOn in Second
Presbyterian Church.
Rev. r.. NJ. Stevenson, who has occupied
the pulpit Of the Second Presbyterian
church, near Twenty-fourth and Cunning
streets, for the past three years, closed his
pastorate yesterday. He took for his text
yesterday morning, First Corinthians, third
chapter and fourteenth verse; "If any mans
work abide which he hath built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward"
Rev. Stevenson said in part: Structures
are weak that are built upon a weak
foundation. You would not build a struc-
ture upon a foundation Of reeds and expect
it to stand. The structure that is built
upon a substantial foundation will endure
permanently. The foundation becomes
stronger with the passing years and the
building continues as a monument to It's
builder and is his reward. So 1t is with
human character. And so It is with the
church. The pastors duty is to minister to
it's spiritual growth and organization and
II he does his duty we'll the church will
endure.
'In the past three years that l have been
with you here / have tried to build per-
manently with my church, city and nation.
The church Is the nursery Of the best Of
human character and makes men strong. II
men are to be made strong in their moral
character II must be through the church
Of Jesus Christ. 1t rests upon the boys
and girls of our Sunday schools to deter
mine the future of the good or bad OF our
commemorative. Shall We anchor to a
rock or to an iceberg. We are too prone
to anchor to some passing fad such as
Theosophy or Christian Science, which Is
like the iceberg, brilliant in its passing
glory, but In the sunlight Of Christ's truth
melts away and leaves us laundering in
the sea of doubt, uncertainty and moral
misery. have tried in my ministry to
anchor you to the faith of Jesus Christ.
The other fads have no use for the CROSS,
but delude themselves in dwelling upon the
beautiful personal character Of Jesus Christ
as a mortal man. No man can go beyond
me in magnifying the beauty of Christ's
character. We need a Saviour who is at
once human and divine, and such is the
Christ that I have taught and love. l have
tried to anchor you to the word Of God. l
expect to see this church become a great
power in this community. Sometimes min
listers preach as though to a procession
passing by. l desire to express my sincere
pleasure in this pastorate Of three years
with this church, which is the most beauti-
full of my life. Never has there been one
unpleasant word between the pastor and
the church heard, nor one unkindly feeling.
There may have been a difference of views
at times but they never. crystalized into
an open difference. There has been no
| stabbing in the back. l acknowledge a
great debt Of gratitude to the teachers and
the Sunday school and to the different
church societies. There are no stings in my
heart. If any have been offended by me
they have kept still about It. l hope for
the betterment Of the church. If / have
said things sometimes that have hurt ones
feelings 1 most sincerely ask pardon for it.
Who God may send you to succeed me ]
know not. This pulpit will become vacant
tonight after the evening service. Rev.
Joseph Lampe Of the Presbyterian GEM
mary, as moderator, will take charge for
the present. In conclusion let me say that
IL 1t is not permitted for us to meet here
again we can be assured Of a reunion in
heaven"