Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-23

uuNlce vi vut UIu iOihS 10 uCUuluK
ward almost certain shpwreck. The
older members Of the church intuitively
know when any proposed course is
right, and they intuitively know when
1t IL 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 Endeavorcr. "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
sympathlxe with us!" 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
IRE rash and imprudent. Furthermore,
of all admirers and helpers whom the
young minister has In his congregation
no class ia 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 PEG.
pies homes and associate with old PEG.
pie, but they want to associate with
the young. Especially do they love to
have q young man for their pastor.
When my father, a very young man,
was called to Syracuse, ~ ", the most
prominent man in that part of the
state was 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.
self was one of the ginnts of the bar.
My father was at that time undevel-
oped and immature. Yet every Sunday
this big Drained. silver tongued orator
sat at his feet. us William l.. Gladstone
sat at the feet of his own son in tho
little church of IIawarden One day O
friend came to him and said, "Well,
senator, how do you like the young
preachcr?" 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 10 serve
his Master. Therefore ] shall do all
can to help him. Resides, my friend,
tuG d nun t-iVNS tit tlOkC AC
likes young men and young mems
preaching" Oh, We young men in the
gospel pulpit, hear it. The best friends
Il 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 OK Jesus Christ
But the next class Of 4 minister's best
friends to whom wish TO call your at
tention are the prayer meeting people.
allude to thope who. week in and week
out, month in and month out. year in
aud 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 20 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 oN eralls Of q car
penter or u 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'
cepting some Of the older folks, who
ON account of their physical infirmities,
are unable to be out. 1t ia 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 &C
quaint themselves with the word OF
God and gain the JUNCTION Of the Spirit
ut the altar OF prayer
Living the Christ Life.
This was the way Or. Charles II
Hall. the great Epi>copalian rector OF
Trinity church. Brooklyn, built up hi'
parishes. When he was young mar
he went forth, believe. as n mission
AIRY to the negroes of the Rermudas
Far away from home among these
black men and women who could mel
ther read nor write, he felt he had bu
little use for his books Of classic lore
So he left them all behind and tool
along with him his Bible. He devoted
himself to the study Of the gospels ant
the teachings of Jesus. He not only
read and reread those gospels, but h
tried to live that life among his ig
norant congregation. The result wa'
that when he came back to Americs
and some of the great pulpits Of thu
country called him lie knew nOthin;
hut Jesus. He preached Christ. HI
lived Christ. SO absorbed was he II
the life of Christ that he leaned entire
ly upon those who knew Christ ant
were trying to live this life. And tn
result was Charles II. Halls churches
wherever he went. speedily took OF
now life. The rich and the poor crowd
ell his churches together, not becaus
he sought the rich or those Of socia
position, but because he tried to Leaf
all men to he followers of the Naza
rene. All, yes. when we place the mel
and the women OF the prayer meeting
in the prominent positions Of OH
churches. then our churches grow
mighty in spite Of the sin and tn
| tpmnt tiona If the world