The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-04-03

Of humor. Then he lilsened the aget
preacher to Mordecai, who was once hell
high in esteem because of his~d ~deds q
valor and was later forgotten and fel
an easy victim to the machinations O.
Haman. Mordecai's deeds were recorded
in history. he said, but most men woulS
rather have a little something TO liy,
on than be elnbalmed in history. Ther
there came a time when the King could
not sleep, aud seking to beguile his
wakeful moments read the chronicles Of
his realm, and came upon the record oi
Mordecai's heroism and he asked what
had ben done for him, and the answer
was Nothing" Then the king had called
Maman, and asked what shouldsbe done
for him whom the king delighted to hon
or. And Haman, the black-hearted, think
ing that he himself was meant, said
that he shuld be given royal raiment and
set-upon horse led BY a groom and pre-
ceded by trumpeter, who should an
nounce: Thus shall be done him whm
the king delighteth to honor
And the king did all this for Morde-
cal, and made Haman the groom to lead
the horse. The poor preacher was Nor
decai, said DR.. Henson. He had rem
dered signal service to the. king aud to
the realm, and he had been forgotte1.
DR.. Henson pictured the service done
the commonwealth by the workingman,
the fireman, the policeman, the teacher,
the soldier and the sailor. He under
stood thoroughly the value Of their wrk
he said, and he did mt grudge them the
care that they We're given in old age.
"Bu the man who serves his fellow,
men best" he went on, lis the soldier of
the cross. Underlying all that is good is
this old book. indicating the Bible ssand
the minister that expounds its teachings
in all their purity and powers. OF all
works his is he noblest. Without him
his republic would neer have been
reared, and having been reared it would
have crumbled away. And vet a Chris
tian minister. when he had done his work
is in the most pitiable plight of any one
in the community.
Sometimes the pastor of big, rich
church. in his old age, is made pastor
emeritus His people see to it that all.
his days he shall go in and out among
them and that when he dies he shall die
in honor. Here and there minister
though past what the young theologs
are impertinent enough to call the dead
line, is so tough-fbred and obstinate that
he will neither die nor resign. But. as a
rule, when the minister passes the half
century mark, he is apt to be winded
He is no longer in demand. He Is rele-
gated to the rear. have always dread.
ed being buried before was dead. But
many an aged minister is in that plight.
He is not wanted around. His successor
would as soon see Banquo's ghost. Is it
any wonder the old pastor feels like
Enoch Arden He looks in upon scene
of beauty on which he may not intrude,
upon a happiness in which he has no
part, and he rushes away down the path
to his lonely stone chamber to die
DR.. Henson said he was brought up in
the South, and he maintained that what
ever might be said against slavery, it was
true that the aged slaye who was no
longer able to work was sure of a
home, food and care.
Shall a minister of the gospel in the
Newark Methodist Conference have less
care than an ignorant slave under the old
regime he asked.
There was no doubt" he went on to
say, s'that present conditions tended to
keep young men out Of the ministry. He
also believd that soldier Of the Cross
should be untramIneled in his work, by
thoughts of his wife and children. He
should be assured that the church would
care forthem. The minister should not
be hampered by the necessities of plan
ming for rainy day, It should not be
necessary for him to 60 into fraternal
orders or beneficiary societies.
1Now what are we gazing to do for
them r. he said in conclusion. They
don't ask for anything extravagant. They
only ask to live in decency without the
necessity of going out, hat in hand, to
beg. Shall we not care for them? Shall
we minister unto those who have nainis-
tered unto us, or shall we leave them,
like Mordecai forgotten. Rather let us
ask what shall be done for BIN whom
the King delighteth to honro''
The venerable Rev. William 6. Nelson,
of Plainfeld, pronounced the benediction.