Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-17
BANQUET GIVEN
FOR Or. NOTHROP
INSTALLED PASTOR OF FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH
Interesting, Humorous and Pathetic
Talk by Guest of Honor-cov-
ers Laid for Large
Number

Or. Stephen A. Northrop, the newly
installed pastor of the First Baptist
church, was 'the honored guest at a
: banquet given last evening by the
Los Angeles Baptist Social union at
the Woman's club house. Covers were
laid for 157.
4 T. 5. Tompkins. president of the
! union, presided and introduced the
4 speakers. They were Rev. DIR. North
rop, A. b. snow. president Of the e'f Ban-
tist social union of San Francisco.
and Rev. A. S. Phelps, pastor of tho
central Baptist church of Los Angeles.
Il Dr. Northrop, the principal speaker
took for his topic Humorous and Pa
thetic in the Clerical Life" He said
In part:
1.-THE clerical profession. because of
its many-sided relations with all
phases of humanity, knows more of 10y
ana sorrow, lights and shadows, than
l mat OF most any other The man of
God often steps from the house of
mourning to the house of feasting, and
vice versa. He sees the '1a' of life
spelled backward into the All as he
comes i'm touch with the world. Con-
stantly he 'weeps with those who weep.
and rejoices with those who rejoice,
and meets those whose weeping en-
dureth for a night, but joy cometh in
the morning. Under his ministry the
tremulous 'Miserere' is chanted in SOL
emn requiem today while tomorrow 1t
gides into a rapturous tie Oeup.
| Pessimism and optimism are still rum
ming side by side in the race OF life as
| you and / experience 1t.
Mission of Preacher Optimistic
But the mission of the preacher is
decidedly optimistic If he is true to
himself and his high calling. He must
l1n 1nIA
happiness and hope into the ear of
fears and tears. This is not going to
be the devils world, but God AL
mighty S. The hand pierced on Cal
vary is yet to swing this sin cursed
universe into the realms of redeeming
love. Sunshine and flowers and fruit
are to grow in this new kingdom. The
eastern sky is already radiant with
the crimson and gold of a brighter day;
it's western horizon in meridian splen-
dor will soon flood this world with
superna1 glory.
Your mission and mine, therefore,
is to usher in the glad day of peace,
goodwill and love, and to drive back
1.-THE clouds of discord, discomfort and
despair, and above all to hush the
wall of sorrow and wipe all tears from.
the eyes of the passer-by. In the words
of Alexander Hamilton. let us here
declare: 1T is ours TO be the pillar of
cloud by day that shall pilot the race
into millennial glory In this glorious
service the church is now entering with
renewed vigor, fair as the moon.
clear as the sun and terrible as an
army with banners
Sorrow and Joy Make Character
"But it is after all best that the
mountain range and the fruitful val
ley, the rocky hillside and the billowy
II IL
The contrasts of sorrow and joy make
character and beautify holiness and
purify the soul. 1t is well that Job had
his shadows, that he might better APP
preciate the sunshine; better that
David should hang his harp on the
willows, that he might better enjoy |
the dawn of brighter days for Israel. I
We need the rain that we may have
the fruit by and by. We need the tears
that we may glorify sainthood. The
hardened heart mast have the clods
broken, or there can be no harvest by
and by. The heart must have it's ago
MES that there might be victory at
last. Gethsemane must come that Cal
vary might perform it's mission of
for lost world.
"It is easy to weep with those who
weep; much easier than to rejoice with
those who rejoice. We can stand by
the caskets of the departed and SYM
pathize with the mourner, or at least
we think we can, but can we rejoice
with him when prosperity is his and
we are in adversely. Can the man who
walks rejoice with his neighbor who
speeds along with spanking team of
bays? Can the laborer in the ditch
applaud the capitalist who revels in
luxury? Can the young man at the
foot of the class rejoice at the valedic-
torian's honor on graduating day? Can
the woman in calico, as she rustles
by the lady in silks do so with smile
Of approval and glance of love? I
Lrow not. Can the brother of low de-
gree rejoice with the brother of high
degree? Can the pesslmist rejoice at
The hopes of the optimist? Can the
nan at the bottom of the hill shout
oud and clear at the man who has {
reached the top? I think not. {
"Life as | Have Seen 1t" {
"But let me consider further this
humorous and serious side of clerical
ife / hold in my hand two canes; :
lot that 1 intend to raise Cain tonight s
lnless it be sugarcane, and distill I
sweetness on this joyous occasion, but I
'ather to show In contrast life as ! I
lave seen it. This unique staff that l 7
,old in my hands was made in the
not by my wifes rela-
ives, but one that makes all OF us kin, :
or we be brethren. He was placed be-
lind the walls on a serious charge of
a bank he was the I'M 9
ortunate that had to suffer for the /
,rimes of others. He came from the1
ity where l was once pastor; my SER 0
mons in the daily press We're read by t
linn as they found their way into his C
ell. l corresponded with him monthly a
or year; his brave little wife, true
IS steel to him. like thousands have II
,een for centuries, came TO me more a
han once and sought my. influence to o
ecure his pardon.
Carefully Investigated his case, in
eresting men Of his own calling and S
" persistent correspondence with our
trenuous president l was at last de- I,
lighted to bring about his pardon, as y
have been permitted to do many r
lines for other frail mortals caught in 2
he Ineshes of the law. That was the n
erious side Of my high calling, but
lorious privilege to enjoy. And be-
ause of what l was able to do for
i'm and for his, this cane of his own
make, set in pearls, was placed in my o.
lands by his loyal ana loving wife. IN
Tells Good Story b.
",rhls other cane, a gold headed ane 81
as q funnV side and at the Same Nine III