Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-11-25


In that winding srua!a. Now, my
friends. whose advice should the min
lister most willingly follow-the young
men who know but little about Christ
and who have only been church MEM
beers FIR II few months. the younger
mcn who have not risen to the high
Diane where they can drop their selfish
ambitions. or the old men who know
that their lives are nearly run and
whose only object Is TO serve their
church during the few years that are
left? want To tell all ministers and
nll church members that any minister
ar any church which gets ont OF the
hall. =! !:.;iJTIiig and following the
advice Of the old folks Is heading to-
ward almost certain shipwrcck. The
older members OF the church intuItively
know when any proposed course IL
right and they intuiilvely know when
IL Is wrong. Better. rather. heed the
advice of the old Christians than any
other class of laymcn.
Love of the Old For the Young.
'l'ut." says some young minister or
Christian Eu,lcavorcr. 1.-The difficulty
with the Old folks is that they are out
of sympathy with the young folks.
What are we TO do when they do not
synpathizc with u.s." My young
friend. you are mistaken. The old
church members are not out of sympa-
thy with the young folks when they
are acting wisely. II is only when they
are rash and imprudent. Furthermore.
Of all admirers and helpers whom the
young minister has in lis congregation
no class Is more loyal to him than the
white haired elders and their wives
As II rule when men and women grow
old they do not want 10 go TO old peo-
pies homes and associate with old peo-
pie. but they want TO associate with
the young. Especially do they love to
have young man for their pastor
When my father. very young man,
WAS called TO Syracuse. y. V. the most
prominent man In that part of the
state was member of his congrega-
ton. lie WAS nj that time over eighty
years of age. In Legislative halls he
had sat the contemporary and the COM
peer Of Clay and Webster. ana he him
self was one of the giants Of the bar.
My father was ut that time undevel-
opcd aud immature Yet every Sunday
this big Drained. silver tongued orator
sat ut his feet. as William H. Gladstone
sat III the feet of his own son In the
little church of lIawar,len. one day u
friend came Ia him and said. well.
senator, how do you like the young
prcacilcr:" With that the old man an
swcrci: Il anI n very old man. | have
seen and heard much. But | believe
the young man is truly trying to serve
his Master Therefore | shall do all
can TO help him. BESIDES. my friend.
the Older Il man grows the more he
likes young men and young mems
pre- ching" oh. We young men In the
gospel pulpit. hear il. The best friends
young MINISTER has are the old folks.
Beware wipa the voices of the aged
are not needed in your church councils
When young minister gets out Of
touch with the older members of his
congregation he is always out of touch
with the best interests of his church
and out of touch with the real teach
ingS of Jesus Christ.
But the next class Of a minister's best
friends To whom wish 10 call your at
tention are the. prayer meeting people.
alludc To those who. week In and week
out. month in and month out. year in
and year out. every Wednesday night
rs far rs tllcy are able always wend
their way to the week night service as
regularly and as cOnSCicntiOusly as
they ~ 10 t.lc breakfast table in the
morning and come home after their
business III night. These prayer meet
ing folks do not always belong 10 the
wealthy classes Their wardrobes are
not always Tiled with silks and broad
cloths. Some of them during the day
may have had on the ovcralls of car
pcntcr or mason. or they may have
held In their hands the order book OF
grocery clerk. But these prayer
meeting people. whether they he rich
or poor. are the most valuable people
of the church-that Is. of course. ex-
ceptlng some of the older folks. who.
on account of their physical infirmities.
are unable To he out. Ii Is not by run
ming after silver and gold anu social
position that the minister Is 10 build
up his church II Is by finding his cabi-
net and his church leaders among the
men and women OF spiritual power.
who improve every opportunity to ac-
quaint themselves with the word OF
God and gain the JUNCTION of the Spirit
at the altar Of prayer.
Living the Christ Life.
This was The way Dr. Charles IL.
Hall. the great Episcopalian rector OF
Trinity church. Brooklyn. built up his
parishes. When he was Il young man
he went forth. believe, ms mission
nry to the negroes Of the Bcrmudas.
Far away from home. among these
black men and women who could nei-
ther read nor write he felt he had but
little Use for his books of classic lore.
SO he left them all behind and took
along with him his Bible. He devoted
himself 10 the study of the gospels and