Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-10-04
memorial Tablet
Unveiled

I
March 10th, 1906. Mr.. Collins was the
first pastor of the Grove Presbyterian
church and was in charge from 1886 to
1860.
4 feature of the services was the un-
yelling of a memorial tablet presented
to the Grove church by the widow and
three daughters of the Rev. Charles
Jewett Collins, full description of
which was given in these columns Sat
urday.
The sermon Sunday morning,
which was preached by the pastor
Rev. W. G. Mccormack, d d., had
as its subject: "Other Men Labored. "
and was most eloquent AMI appropri-
ate discourse.
The text was from John ", 3Sth
verse "Other men labored ye are en-
tered into their labors
The Savior uttered these words to
his disciples when the result of his
own teachings to the woman at Syc-
hars we'll began to be seen. He wish
ed to stimulate the disciples to effort
to show them that they were only
joint workers in n great harvesting
that they were the routinuers in the
work began by others. He did not
even claim as altogether his own the
evident results of his words to the wo.
man at the well, who became a mis-
sionary. He knev that others had
labored before he came in the flesh.
He with divine humility put himself
on a level with the Others.
The passage teaches Us how to esti-
mate spiritual effort and our debt to
the past Our Lord noticed ali that
had been done for him aud $ghtly
estimated it -" Others had IaboIcd. "
He did not say others had done lit
tie, but "they laborod -
Privileges come to US all in such an
easy way that we are apt to forget at
what cost they have been obtained.
Continuing Dr. Mccormack said: IF
we who worship in such a church as
this look back we shall see that behind
the noble men who have filled its pas
torates since its erection there were
many who worked with them-worked
by suggesting the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ed together in the nucleus of a congre-
CATION and a Sunday school. And many
more worked before them, by tongue
and pen, by purse and influence, by
suffering and loss. These men may lie
now in forgotten graves, but they once
labOred and their work is not forgot
ten. We honor them for what they
did The debt that we owe to them
and to our divine Master we can never
repay The minister who can be un-
moved at the thought of what he owes
to others is not worthy to fill the
office. All honor to those who have
labored and into whose labors we have
entered "
Christ shows Us in what spirit any
new work is to be undertaken. Pros
pective influences rather than immedi-
ate are to be considered. Our Sayior's
disciples were already longing for
thrones and kingdoms, but He wanted
them to build on a rock and build for
the eternities He taught them not to
act on the principles OF small profits
and quick returns, rs are followed in
too many of our churches today. To
make sensation, "A spiurge may give
brief success but bring final failure.
Success is often in proportion to the
struggle Christianity never occupied
a more prominent position in the eye
of the world that it does today. The
church, too, is on its mettle. The
calm tries as much as the storm. To-
day the church must take account of
the tidal wave of democracy. The
church must get into line; it has to
guide, for people now think for them.
selves.
Christ not only wanted His disciples
to put their aims in the future, but he
wanted them to have an increased
sense Of responsibility because others
labored.
This morning, the speaker con
tinued, eve mveil a tablet to the
memory of one who labored IN the
Lords vineyard in this place-the
ID -. frI,,rl.r- Ta-,-,tt (',IrF,. a., q r.t
pastor of the Grove Presbyterian
church. Dr. Collins ministry during
the formative period Of the church was
eminently successful The period of
his pastorate was nine years, during
which time the country was plunged
in civil war. The pastorate and the
sermons preached by DR. Collins are
still recalled by many of the members
of this church. He lahored and we
have entered into his Iabors. 80
During the sermon Dr. Mccormack
very effectively applied the lessons
drawn from the text to show that the
first pastor Of the Grove church had
very closely lived up TO Christ 5 ideal
The church records bear ample eyId-
ence, he said, of steady growth and in
fluence during Dr. Collins pastorate.
Among its members were found
deepseated conviction and a courage
Gus adherence TO all that the church
stood for. One might look in vain, the
speaker said. for a record of revivals,
for sensations and splurges with their
quick profits and small returns, but
Evsy.,
foundation was laid. In Dr. Collins
pastorate men and women of Cody
devoted lives came into the congrega.
tion and stood as pillars in the church
during the years Of its subsequent
history. As to Dr. Collins. himself,
the pOlitv of the church is as he
-, III u nnL Ii -.n1.,. l f. md rhnr-