Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-11-20

men who know but little about Christ
and who have only been church mem
bers for a few months. the younger
men who have not risen to the high
plane 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
all church members that any minister
or any church which gets out of the
habit of honoring and following the
advice of the old folks is heading to-
ward almost certain shipwreck The
older members of the church intuitively
know when any proposed course is
right, and they intuitively know when
it is wrong. Better, rather, heed the
advice of the old Christians than any
other class of laymen.
Love of the Old For the Young.
but" says some young minister or
Christian Endeavorer, '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
sympathize 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. 1t is only when they
are rash and imprudent. Furthermore,
Of all admirers and helpers whom the
young minister has In his congregation
no class is more loyal to him than the
white haired elders and their wives.
AS a rule when men and women grow
old they do not want to 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 a young man for their pastor
When my father, a very young man,
was called to Syracuse, n. Y, the most
prominent man in that part of the
state was q member of his congrega-
ton. He was at that. time over eighty
years of age. In legislative halls he
had sat the contemporary and the COM
peer of Clay and Webster, and he him
My father was at that time undevel-
oped and immature. Yet every Sunday
this big Drained, silver tOngued orator
sat at his feet, as William E. Gladstone
sat at the feet of his own son in the
little church of Hawarden. One day
friend came to him and said, "Well,
senator, how do you like the young
preacher?" With that the old man an
swered: Il am very old man. l have
seen and heard much. But l believe
the young man is truly trying to serve
his Master. Therefore | shall do all |
can to help him. Besides, my friend,
the older man grows the more he
likes young men and young mems
preachingr Oh, ye young men in the
gospel pulpit, hear it! The best friends
a young minister has are the old folks.
Beware when the voices of the aged
are not needed in your church councils.
When a 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 q minister's best
friends to whom l wish to call your at
tention are the prayer meeting people.
| aIlude to those who, week in and week
out, month in and month out, year in
and year out, every Wednesday night
as far as they are able always wend
their way to the week night service as
regularly and as conScientiously as
they go to the breakfast table in the
morning and come home after their
business at night. These prayer meet
ing folks do not always belong to the
wealthy classes. Their wardrobes are
not always filled with silks and broad
cloths. Some of them during the day
may have had on the overalls of car
penter or mason, or they may have
held in their hands the order book of
a grocery clerk. But these prayer
meeting people, whether they be rich
or poor, are the most valuable people
of the church-that is, of course, ex-
cepting some of the older. folks, Who
On account of their physical inirmities,
are unable to be out. 1t is not by run
ming after silver and gold and social
position that the minister is to build
up his church. 1t 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 II.
Hall, the great Episcopalian rector of
Trinity church, Brooklyn, built up his
parishes. When he was a young man
he went forth, / believe, as mission
airy to the negroes of the Bermudas.
Far away from home, among these
black men and women who could nei-
Their 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 to the study of the gospels and
the teachings of Jesus. He not only
read and reread those gospels. but be
fried to 1.-Two that life among his TO-