Milford chronicle., 1904-12-16


families as patients; as a merchant, to
have a big store. That pulpit or Of
fee or store is to the man his chief
thought He works for it by day; he
dreams of it by night. If he goes off
ON a summer vacation his mind and
heart are still anchored to that work
shop, even as a ship out in harbOr tugs
at its chains, though it is unable to
break away from its mOOrings. But
though a 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 a warmer climate and saved her
physical life, predlspOsed 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 averted
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-
tion of the vast amount Of good
simple sermon may do when he arises
to preach? OF course some people
after a single sermon may praise it to
his ears, as some parishiOners are al
most sure to do, but the greater work
of a 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 a ser
mon appear when a minister has gone
back to his home, his bed or his study.
The direct results of a Christians
professional work can never be fully
estimated by the agent of a gospel
miracle. Let me illustrate my thought
from my own experience. remember
some years ago when preaching in
Pittsburg there came up one Sunday
a terrific storm. The wind blew and
shrieked through those city streets.
The snOwfakes were piling themselves
up so that traffic was impeded. l came
out from my study that afternoon and
said to a member of my family: 1T
does seem absurd to preach tonight.
No one will be there. If l do preach,
have half a mind to save that sermon
l have been 50 busily writing for the
past six days. 1t does seem a shame
for me to practically throw it away"
NO" answered my wife; you had
better preach it, You have always
made it 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" l |
said: "Yes. that is true. 1 will give /
them the best l have. l will preach /
the sermon" That night the audience
was very small. But while the few
people were gathering I saw one wo-
man enter the church and come down
the aisle to the left of the pulpit. She
seemed to be intensely interested in
the sermon. When it was finished and
the benedictiOn pronounced she came
to the pulpit and said Il will send you
a letter SOON" Then she passed quiet
ly out.
went home feeling that the night
was wasted. But some time afterward
I 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 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 l had said. That letter
was one of the most impressive lessons
I ever had, for it taught me that no
Christian mans work is unimportant, |
even under the most unsatisfactory
and discouraging conditions. Our un-
suspected and unreported influences |
are so great for good that only Gods /
recording angel has a ledger big enough F.
to keep the records. Never, o minis
ter, lawyer physician, neglect your
work because of its seeming insignifi-
cance. AS with Peters shadow, it
may, all unknown to you, reach some
whose sin sick soul may be healed by /
the Holy Spirits power working
through it.