Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-11-24

.AN .H't tA..N .NNAtttAil f9lotN tIl the COLI
.pecf OK Ni1g eile Webster. ana he him
~ VIZ ore ~ the giants OF the bar.
.sr father VAS at that time undevel-
al -ul AInira ture. Yet every Sunday
brdnei, silver tongued orator
~ Fcct IS William +. Gladstone
sit. tle feet OF his own sou in the
ilsleoChucli Of Eawarslen. One day
fr''ul came TO him and said. well,
COX. how 60 you like the young
= - Nisrt' With that the old man an
's..e3'sds"i am "A very old man. l have
e'ii aiad heard much. But L believe
young man is truly trying to serve
- 8T&ster. Therefore l shall do all 1
en- 70 hep him. Besides, my friend,
,''" older a man grows the more he
iSos young men and young mems
G3=pei pulpit. hear IT,, The best friends
: young minister has are the old folks.
( HP3Yare wien the voices of the aged
i .rc Eot needed in your church councils.
81 On q young minister gets out of
touch with the older members of his
,lirsfegjtion he is always out OF touch
u,ln the best interests of his church
END out OF touch with the real teach
fesgs VI Jesus Christ.
- -ct,rc next class of q minister's best
frica2s 81 whom l wish to can your at
II don are the prayer meeting people.
Iailude tothose who. week In ana week
cIt. month in and month out, year In
~ year out every Wednesday night
'&s-gar IS they are able always wenA
theH way TO the week night servIcs as
Regularly and as cOnscientiOusly As
.they 20 to the breakfast table in the
morning and come home after their
business ut night These prayer meet
iog fol6S do not always belong to the
wealthy classes. Their wardrobes are
not always filed with silks and broad
cloths. Some of them during the day
may have had on the overalls OF a car
pentef or mason. or they may have
held il their hands the order book of
g grocery clerk. But these prayer
meeting people. whether they be rich
OF poor. are the most valuable people
Of the chUrch-that is, of course, ex-
tcqtlg some of the older folks, who,
or account of their physical infrTmities.
are ua;lble to be out. 1t is not by run
ricg after silver and gold and social
position that the minister is to build
up ais church.. II is by finding his cabi-
net AMI lhs church leaders among the
men and women of spiritual power,
WHO improve every opportunity to &C
Quaint themselves with the word OF
God aud gain the JUNCTION of the Spirit
at the altar OF prayer.
living the Christ Life.
This WAS the way DIR. Charles H.
Ha,l. the great EpiScopalian rector Of
Trinity church. Brooklyn, built up his
Parishes. Wien he was young man
he went for,h, believe as n mission
airy 10 the negroes OF the Bermudas.
Ear away from home, among these
black mon and women who could nei-
Their read nor write, lie felt he had but
little use for his books of classic lore.
So lie left them all behind and took
along with him his bible. He devoted
himSSltto the study OF the gospels and
the tsachiESs OF Jesus. He not only
rCad onJ ycrCad those gospels, but he
tried % liVc that life among his ig-
n0~Jut congregation. The result was
that WHOM hc came back to America
and some Of the great pulpits OF the
country called him he knew nothing
but Jesus. lie preached Christ. He
lived Christ. SO absorbed was he in
the lie OF Christ that he leaned entire
ly upon those who knew Christ and
wcue trying 10 live this life And the
result was Charles H. Halls churches,
Wherever he Went. speedily took on
new life. The rich and the poor crowd
cd his churches together. not because
he sought the rich or those OF social
position, but because he tried to lead
all men TO be followers OF the Naza-
reno. All. yes. when we place the men
ana the women, OF the prayer meeting
in the prominent positions OF our
churches, then our churches grow
mighty In spite of the sin and the
temptations OF the world. POW.
But how prone the young minister Is
- follow. after those who are rich or
socially strong in a community and yet
aot noted for their Christian eonsecra-
dom lew common IL is for the rich
merchant To be the president OF the
g0ard of trustees. even though he be
act = church member. How easy it Is
ior tie young minister to yield to the
worldly elements OF his congregation
VINO wait fine music In the choir loft,
even though that music has to be rem
derSd by inen and women who never
have protested Christ as their Saviour
and who are notorious for their lndIf-
ference to all things sacred and diyInel
How liable the minister rs to lean upon
those who never lean, upon Jesus and
then TO expect his people to be spiritual
people! God forbid that In any church
tie pastor should seek for his chief adj
visers and leaders those who think
more of the cut OF their outer xarrnents
tllnn they do OF their inner consecra-
tloA, for those who would sooner go to
n bail or Il card party or theater than
TO the house Of prayer! When the lead
ers Of 4 church are unsanctihed they
become the leaven which leavens the
church loaf. .. .rEE.e
Bat there is still another class to
whom | wish TO call your attention.
The new minister's best friends are al
ways 10 be found among those who
were the best friends OF the minister
who preceded him in that pulpit. They
are to be found among those who are
always ready TO praise their last min
lster's virtues and never allude to his
iailinSs. They will tell you their last
pastor had the loveliest wife and the
hhest children and the happiest OF
homes. They VIII say: Yes, our old |
pastor was good man. / never sat at |
hls feet without receiving blessing
from his sermons" And these friends
Oh the OLD minister did receive a bless
ing from every one Of his sermons.
And they viii receive blessing from
every one Of the new minister's SER
mons As dley We're friends to the old |
munster so they will be friends OF the /
new. -'-.. .. NJ. .III
The Now Love Versus the ola.
But there are always some people
who think they cannot prove their love
for the new minister unless they tell
him all the faults Of the old. No sooner
isahs new minister installed than these |
faiSe friends gather around him. AN"