The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-04-30

people were converted and joined the
church, and there seemed to be very
general reverence for the sabbath
day.
But when the briar patches and
the thickets We're flied witt o
shine distilleries, the change was SO
marked it could but be noticed. sun
day schools languished. church inter
ests were almost wholly neglected; or.
If thought of at all, they were treated
with that degree Of Indifference which
manifested an almost total disregard
of the solemn covenants that had been
made by church members.
In such q community it is hardly
worth while to preach the gospel-it
is like casting pearls before swine
one Of the most impressive, and, |
must add. one of the most ingenious
sermons | ever heard, I listened TO a
year or two ago h text was the 14th
verse Of the 9th Psalm: wait on
the Lord; be of good courage and he
shall strengthen thine heart"
After repeating the text two or
three times the preacher began by
saving:
I'm afraid, my dying congregation,
o wont like my discourse. for the
text itself seems tObe q sort Of hin that
somebody and q great many some
body's at that, hain't been a doing
Of their duty.
LNtIN DodN MaiIt ~ Slt u Gil
and walk the golden streets. and set
Oh thrones; but my dying congrega-
ton look around you and
see how few there is that's waiting
On the Lord'-trying to do the lords
Work-for that's the meaning of the
text.
There's some people living in this
EabOrhood and, | expect there's some
in this congregation, who ain doing a
thing; and when l ask 'em why they
arn't up and ADDING, they say they
amt got anything to do: that eVerg-
thing is predestined and for~eordainei
and, in Gods W good time, it Will
come out all right. and uhey's just
waiting for" the Lord to do the
whole business.
for people as amt got any more sense
than to think that waiting on the
Lord" is to set down and 60 nothing.
But, its all because Of their igno-
rance. They just don know what
waiting on h Lord means. | used TO
be that way, myself; thought waiting
on the Lord meant waiting for the
Lord"-but. glory to God, | got my
eyes @open, and, instead of setting
down, as | used to do, and waiting for
God to do everything, I've got to b
q waiter myself, bless the Lord. Yes,
my friends, l used to be too proud to
wait on the Lord; L thought it was a
kind OF disgrace to be Il waiter
But now I'd rather hand around the
bread and pour the water, as it We're,
and wash the dishes, too, for my Lord,
than to sit down at the first table and
be waited on.
To wait on the Lord you've got TO
know VIA the Lord wants you to do;
and, 50, in the first place, old Saul,
you must go to him and say: Lord,
want to wait on III; what Will you
have me to dO?" And then, my be
loved. pull off your coat. and put ON
your long apron, and do just l1ne
Saul did: wait according to directions.
There are some good walters, some
fair 10 middling, and some that are
so lazy as not TO earn their salt.
was down in e Bern, one time
! and stopped at q hotel, which l never
do, if | can help it; and III give you
my word, my dying congregation, that
sat at that table q whole half hour
before [ got q mouthfui to eat. n all
because the walters either didn't know
how to wait on q table or We're toe
law to fly around as they ought to a
done
Just so, my friends, many a poor
soul gets: disguised and goes off mad,
and gospel hungry, because those who
pretend to be waiting on the LOrd
don't half attend to their business. i
tell YOU my friends. sorry walters Will
ruin any hotel: and it stands to rea-
son that the Lords business vii
| uncOncerned