The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-19

"r1
DIR. II. III. Whitaker.
ment that, God will never, no never,
no never forsake" /, his foes. one who
leans on Jesus.
The elder preaches-talks O sin
and Of that wrath which abides upon
the sinner; Of conviction for sin; con
triton Of hear and 4 Cody sorrow for
Sin.-of repentance; OF 1t
faith Which works by love and puri-
as the heart: If conversiOn-the kind
that makes men fall out with and turn
away from the old sinful life; Of jus
~tifcation and the witness Of the Spirit;
and right along here he begins to
emphasize ana enlarge on the fact
that Il blind man knows when his
eyes are opened; a deaf man knows
when he hears, q lame man knows
when he can leap, and blessed be
God, my brethren and sisters he
says-a look OF joy bcaming in his
face. 1--WE know when we a pass
ed from death unto life Some one
begins to praise God, and, seeing that
the Holy Spirit is moving upon the
congregation, he breaks out IN song.
with:
How happy every child of grace,
Who knows his sins forgiven?
This earth he cries is not my place,
| seek my place in heaven
What q time they do ave for half
an hour They forget all about its
being old. Two or three have been
converted who Will, tomorrow, be re-
ceived on probation, at which time
S)me children Will be baptized; and,
after the sermon the Lords Supper
Will be spread. AS it's growing late,
the quarterly conference will be held
at early candle light, at brother John
Smiths, to which all the people are
invited as the elder wishes to meet as
many OF the people, in q social way.
as possible.
Sunday is a busy day. Children are
baptized, new members are received
into the church, q sermon is preached
and the Sacrament of the Lords Sup
per administered
The sun is getting low. but the
preacher in charge wants the elder to
perach at Brother Needham Jones's,
this evening, ten miles down the road,
as some people in that community are
anxious to start a society.
Tina was the way the old time pre-
siding older brought things to pass,
making himself felt and seen for good,
a hundred years go. He had no par
son2ge and no home, perhaps, "a
in the saddle, nor did he have a sal
airy; but, in the spirit Of Paul. he went
from place to place sowing the seeds
of Goodness.
WHAT 1t contrast between the cOndI-
tons OF a hundred years & and now!
h a contrast between the labors
of the presiding eldership of a hum
dred years 6 and now, A hundred
years ago only one district and one
presiding elder, in the State. No sal
airy guaranteed to that presiding elder.
Ii he had a family no provision could
be made for those who must be left
behind. He must mount his horse and
ride the whole length of the State,
being in the SADDLE fully three
months perhaps before he could re-
turn. Was a cold? He must go. Was
It hot? Appointments had to be filled.
Was there q flood in the stream2 He
had. to be over there at II O'Clock,
anyhow; 50 into the stream he
Pfunges and swims his horse to the
other shore the mounting lets the
water drain from his clothes as he
Joys alone to the church. Through
heat and cold and sunshine and
shoWer; over good roads and bad
roads. all the year round he was
making good the promise he had made
to serve his district.
He got meat and bread. and some
times q feather bed to sleep uDon:
but he had to make the best he could
Of the thousands of privations and
h~ardships of which the world has
never heard.
Yes. conditions have changed. Cir
cumstanceS nave also changed. In.
stead of one. there are twenty Pre-
siding Elders districts in North Car
DINA: and. instead of starting a Pre-
siding Elder out Denniless. he has
the comforting assurance before he
goes that he is TO have a salary OF
eighteen hundred dollars and a par
sonage. He's got no use for a horse.
The railroads will haul him for tw
cents a mile, and when he leaves the
railroads the circuit preachers will
bear the expense of his trips to the
lions. Bethe1S, EbeneZers and Asburvs
so thai travel is neither tiresome no
!. expensive as compared with the
rough experiences of the old time
elders.
=, The old-time elder had one suit O.
clothes which had 70 do for all occa-
Sions when travelling, and if he has
: more. he could not carry them along.
! but the elder of this day and tim,
!, can have his sunday suit. his Sun.
dayest suit and a conference suit be.
SIDES; and then have a kind of buSi.
ness suit to wear around home. He.
not away from home two or three
months at a time as was the old Pre-.
SldinS Elder. It's next to nothing a:
!, compared With the olden time. for !.
, Presiding Elder TO hold a quarterl,
:. meeting in this day.
, Buying a two cent rate ticket ane
seating himself in the car, he looks z
: his watch. AT 10 O'clock" he SAYS
: I'll be at Dover. Brother -- vii
he there with his buggy, and II be a
Bethel exactly at IL o'clock" And
sure enough ne is; breaches a shor
sermon on the grace of giving. il
! which he a es occasion to urge upo
, the people to give and TO be sure I,
: brlng up h collections in full thi
year; holds the quarterly conference
gets ms pro rata of the eighth cues
d ton and then, in a short hour he i
slttlng at some brothers we'll file,
table picking chicken bones. Sun
day morning he breaches and admin
listers the communion and thus en-.
G the labors of the trip. Monday morn
q ing, after feasting upon fried chickel
e and all the ct ceteras of a goo,
n breakfast he goes home.
If the old presiding elder VIII,
: braved the seasons and fought win,