Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-22
BID FAREWELL TO
HONORED PASTOR
BISHOP M'INTYRE breaches
LAST SERMON
CHURCH 10 CROWDED BY LOVING
FRIENDS
Minister Weeps as Strains of Hymn
Arise, and with Trembling Voice
Pronounoea Words of the
Benedictlon


TO hear the farewell sermon by
Bishop Robert Mcintyre, to hear his
last words to his people, the First
Methodist church was filled to Its ut
most seating capacity and hundreds OF
disappointed people were turned away.
At 8 o'clock the main auditorium was
filled and at e:30 the gallery was
thronged with worshippers. and after
that people were constantly turned
away. The aisles were thronged, al
though the ushers did everything pos
sible to avoid 1t.
At the close of the Sunday school
session the auditorium was thrown
open and was crowded with enthusiast
tic admirers of the new bishop.
/. It had been arranged the president OF
the official board should lead Bishop
Mcintyre down the main aisle, while
the choir sang See the Conquering
Hero Comes" amid a Chautaudua
salute on the part of the congregation.
but few minutes before the time for
opening the service Bishop Mcintyre
made his way quietly down side
aisle, SIS he has done for the last SIX
years, and was on the platform before
the congregation realized It.
He was accorded an enthusiastic
salute, which he smilingiy returned.
This was the attitude taken by the
famous bishop throughout the whole
service, and 1t was as "a general SUPER
intendent" and supervising preside
ing elder" that he referred to himself
as bishop.
cdr. Mcintyre" as he Is still lovingly
Known, took for the text of his farewell
sermon Acts 20:25-27. "And now, behold,
know that We all, among whom have
gone preaching the Kingdom of God.
shall see my face no more.
Wherefore I take you to record this
| day that ] am pure from the blood OF
L all men.
s.Fror I have not Stunned to declare
! unto you all the counsel OF God"
He said In part:
Must Have Sympathy
"Any man who is At to be minister
must be person of deep feeling. He
must have sentiment In himself and he
must have sympathy for others or he
win be a conspicuous failure. The
Scotchmen know a man often answers
another mans call, and they call these
'sticket Minister'S or In our dialect,
"a stick The backwoods Americans
circuit riding days they called these
men wet logs I think that Is the
finest descriptive phrase ever heard.
What Is more beautiful than q crack
ling log in fireplace. glowing and send
ing its flames up he chimney and
spreading a IOydi f<dTpbt ONCA lAfC hOOt
for the children to romp on. But what
could be more desolate than wet
log-no warmth, no sparks, only smoke.
a sizzle and a splutter. That Is what
Is called an unequipped preacher, a wet
log. ... ..xo Iva.
much, must suffer much. and such q
man as that was Paul, whose words
have taken for my text. He was bid
ding good by after three years service
in his little church among the Ephesians
and it nearly broke his heart
Breaks Pastoral Tie
1T am come to the place whore
break the pastoral tie with this glorious
church-not only with you, but forever
will never again have charge, never
again a people to pray Tor me as the
leader of their flock. never again Will
/ go In and out among the homes OF
my own people.
s.If Paul was ready TO faint, what do
you think of my feelings? Paul never
had such a church as this-he never
saw one-ha1f SO good. He only had a
handful of heathens. without culture
and influence, who had nothing except
the love of God. So after three years
he leaves them; 1t is sad scene. When
I compare myself to Paul say 1t is my
church that is the glory; Compared 70
primeval forest, and he is the mighty
mississippi watering half continent,
mirrowing the clouds by day and the
stars by night.
Feelings the Same
"But the water In the little brook Is
the same as in the river, and my feel
iugs and Pauls are the same In essence.
MY small heart Is filled with the same
conficts that Allied the great heart OF
the apostle. My light Is the tallow dip
compared to the great seashore beacon,
but the essence Is the same. I am
doing in my measure what he did in
his; saying what he said 1900 years
ago. -,
down and out and I will never return
as your pastor nor do expect to
sneak here again for long. long time.
Here where I have been for nearly six
years, where / have been the happiest
man alive, where have known celestial
low and unspeakable sorrow-here
have preached as nowhere else, where
I have ministered to the thousands
hereI am to break all those ties today,
and they will never be knitted together
again.
der outside the ties OF the family circle
and no relation SO intimate as that held
by the minister. livery time baptiEe
a child baptize myself into the friend
ship of that family; every time marry
a couple / join myself into that new
family; every time ] stand by casket
and go with them to the grave where
the loved one Is laid away I make a
place for myself in that family.
paul In the text tells what am
how dear he-church Is to the pastor.