The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-08
WELCOMED PASTOR
REV. ,. w. O'HARA DELIVERED
 FIRST SERMON YESTERDAY.
At Night Welcome Service Was Had in Honor of New Pastor, Other
 Churches Participating.

Rev. J. w. O'Hara, formerly or wy iam yesterday assumed the duties or his new pastoral charge, the Clayton Street Baptist Church. To e large ana attentive congregation which had as- sembled in spite of the extremely in element weather, he preached his first sermon from the pulpit of his new church.
 MT. O'Hara selected his text from the o,d Testament which described the land that had been promised to the children of Israel He outlined the duties. the privileges and the responsibilities of Christians to carry on Gods work. He had a hopeful and inspiring message to deliver to his people.
 A welcome service in honor of Mir O'Hara was substituted for the night service. Tie evening services In all other Baptist churches of the city were suspended in order that the members and pastors might participate in the Clayton Street service.
 Rev. ". B. Crumpton presided dur ing the service. The Scripture was read by Rev. A. F. Dix. Prayer was offered by Rev. J. W. Stewart of the Baptist Orphanage at Evergreen. Earn est and moving words of welcome for the young minister at his new charge were spoken by Rev. A. F. Dix on be- half of the Southside Baptist Church, MT s. B. Sightler for the Adams Street Baptist Church, and Rev. Charles A. Stakely for the First Baptist Church MT. O'Hara was welcomed to Mont gomery on behalf of the orphanage work of the State.
 To the hearty greetings which had been extended him Mir. O'Hara respond ed most feelingly. His earnestness, his hopefulness and his appreciation made most favorable impression upon his hearers.
 At the morning service Mir. O'Hara took his text from Number xiii 30; Joshua i. g. 16; And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said let us go up at once and possess 1t. for we are well able to overcome it. Have l not commanded thee; be strong and Of good courage; be not affrighted neither be thus dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.~ And they answered Joshua. saying, all that thou hast com manded us we will do. and whitherso- ever thou sendest us we will go." MT. OHara said:
 These words come to us as q word of command freighted with abundant promise. The land of Canaan had been promised to Abraham and passed down the long line of descendants by primo genital and divine law. The dark ness of Egypt had been dissipated by the dawn of early fulfillment of the promise as they were even at the time on the march. At Kadesh Barnea, however. the clouds again arise. The spies have gone up to search out the land and have returned with a majori- ty and minority report. It is about the minority report and how 1t was at last obtained that I desire to call your attention to today. This presents to our minds three things. first the land, second. the leader and led and third the victory.
 l. The land. It was a rich territo- ry. The Lord chose the best for his faithful people and with skill led them to it. We get some idea as to the richness of the land from the report of the spies. "A land flowing with milk and honey."' And they come to the valley of Eschol and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes and they bare it upon a stan between two; and they brought also pomegranates and figs. The words explain themselves. It was a land enriched with every temporal blessing. It was for Gods chosen peo- pie. He has left to his people of all generations a rich heritage. To each belongs not only a vast treasure, but the permission, yea even the command to go up and possess it. He gave to Philip the privilege of travelling q des- ert highway in quest of a soul and his search was not in vain. the Eunuch be- came follower of Jesus. He sent Dothan's dreamer away as a slave to make of him a prince second in pov- CT in the Egyptian court, and to save for service his elect people. What has he assigned to Clayton Street Baptist Church? A section broad and lengthy, thickly populated with immortal souls, to be saved and trained This of itself Is sufficient to call forth all her efforts and at the same time we have a part In the great world wide fight against sin and In the effort to carry the worlds Christ to its gates and doors.
 Again it was a land possessed with dangerous men and fortified cities difficulties. When the spies came back they reported that the sons of Anak, Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai were there and that the cities were as strong stone could make them How ever. notwithstanding the danger, Ca leb and Joshua said Let us go up.' A great truth comes to us here. the Christians life is not one of fiowery beds of ease, free from temptations, losses and danger. He meets his dan gers and faces his difficulties every day. In fact the most of our time we