Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-12-19

Results of Christian work.
Examine first the direct results of q
Christians work. Every man, if he Is
q true man. has consecrated his mental
and physical and spiritual energies to
some great purpose. The Christian
man. as a minister, is trying to build
up church; as a lawyer, To build up
courtroom or an Office practice; as Il
physician. to have large number OF
families as patients; rs merchant, to
have big store. That pulpit or of
fee or store is II the man his chief
thought He works for it by day; he
dreams of it 10y night If he goes off
OH Il summer vacation his mind and
heart are still anchored to that work,
shop. even as Il ship out in harbor tugs
at its chains. though it is unable to
break away from its mornings. But
though Il Christian man may work
night and day for his professional
or mercantile purpose in life do you
for an instant suppose he is able to see
the infinite spiritual results that may
come from that life'S work? DO you
suppose that physician has any con-
ception of the amount of misery and
family trouble he saved when he per
suaded that young wife and mother to
go TO Il warmer climate and saved her
physical life predisposed to cOnsump-
tiOn-saved it for her husband and her
children! Do you suppose that lawyer.
when he drew up the will and last
testament, had any conception of the
| amount of family trouble he ayerted
by making that last testament so
strong and true that it could not be
broken in the courts? Do you suppose
that a minister has any true cOncep-
ton of the vast amount of good a
simple sermon may do when he arises
to preach? OF course some people
| after q single sermon may praise it to
his ears, as some parishiOners are al
most sure to do, but the greater work
of Il sermon, as with an authors pen is
never seen or heard by the preacher or
writer. Like Peter with his shadow,
most of the spiritual results of SER
mon appear when Il minister has gone
back to his home, his bed or his study.
The direct results of q Christians
professional work can never be fully
estimated by the agent of gospel
miracle. Let me illustrate my thought
from my own experience. remember
some years ago when preaching in
P1ttSburg there came up one Sunday
a terrific storm. The wind blew and
shrieked through those city streets.
The SnOwfiakes were piling themselves
tI.,t +,,of IoI 7
out from my study that afternoon and
said to a member Of my family: "It
does seem absurd to preach tonight.
No one will be there. If do preach. |
have half a mind to save that sermon
l have been 50 buSily writing for the
past six days. 1t does seem Il shame
for me to practically throw it away"
NO" answered my wife; you had
better preach it. You have always
made it Il rule to give your people the
best you had. If any one comes out
| tonight he deserves your best. Be-
! sides that. God has always most bless
ed your work on stormy nights" |
said: Yes. that is true. l will give
| them the best | have. | will preach
the sermon" That night the audience
was very small But while the few
people We're gathering | saw one wO-
J man enter the church and come down
| the aisle to the left of the pulpit. She
seemed to he intensely interested in
the sermon. When it was finished and
the benediction pronounced she came
to the pulpit and said Il will send you
letter sOOn." Then she passed quiet
~ out.
| went home feeling that the night
was wasted. But some time afterWard
l heard of the result of that sermon.
| That woman that night was deciding
| whether or no she should desert her
| home. Her temper even then was by
| her side. urging her to Il life of sin
! That one sermon on that stormy night.
under the power of the Holy Spirit
turned the tide She wrote to thank
me for what | had said. That letter
was one of the most impressive lessons
l ever had, for it taught me that 10
Christian mans work is unimDOrtant
even under the most unsatisfactory
and discOuraging conditions. Our I'm.
suspected and unreported influences
recording angel has a ledger big enough
to keep the records. Never, Q minis
ter. lawyer. physician. neglect youl
work because of its seeming insignifi
canoe. As with Peters shadow, i
may. all unknown to you. reach som,
whose sin sick soul may he healed b!
the Holy Spirits power wOrkin:
through it.
Unconscious Influence.
The public man has his shadow. Th
! private man has his unconscious in
fiuence also. The Christian lawyer
doctor, merchant. minister. have the
direct influence when they are dom:
their public work. They also hay,
their unconscious influence when the!
are walking through the streets, anC
sitting in the elevated trains. and eat
ing in their home dining room or il
public restaurants. when they think III