The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-01
)R. noAGLAND IN PULPIT
Methodist Pastor Delivered His First
Sermons Sunday to Large Con-
gregatiOnS.
gregauon.

Sermons Sunday to Large Con-
gregations.
DR.. j. S. Hoagland, who is to pre-
side over the destinies of the Metho-
dist church, arrived in the city Sat
urday evening and began his duties
Sunday morning as the pastor. There
was a large congregation present to
greet the pastor and he was receiv-
ed with much cordiality.
DR.. Samuel Weir shared the pull
pit With DR.. Hoagland and lead in
the devotional exercises. On intro
ducing the pastor DR.. Weir referred
to the duties of the pastor to his
flock as ministering to them in their
sorrow and in their JOY; preaching
to them on Sunday and meeting them
in their mid-week sessions; helping
to carry forward the church move
ment with all his energy. All of this
DR.. Weir thought required a vast
amount of work from a pastor. Then
he said he wanted the people to UNI
derstand that they had a work to
perform in connection with their
pastor-that they must not think all
the responsibility was removed from
their shoulders and is shifted to the
pastor-that it was their business
to stand behind him and make him
feel hat his work was their WORK
to perform also. DIR. Weir spoke
with great sincerity when he tried
to impress these thoughts on the
minds of the members.
DR.. Hoagland made a few personal
remarks concerning his coming to
Mitchell stating that by next Sunday
he and his family would be station
ed in the parsonage. He added he
reached the city Saturday evening
Notwithstanding the fact that he and
and the reception committee did not
meet each other, failing, perhaps, be-
cause he did not wear a white necktie
as a mark of the cloth.
DR.. Hoagland took his text from
Matthew 1894: Think not that L
am come to send peace on earth; I
came not to send peace, but a
sword" 1--WE are changeful and IN
even in our OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES like
the landscape under the setting sun
we love contrast and variety although
IL ~, n " 1No ,-;o1oy+ - coi1 Nv Hoo o1 n :, n
as the opening sentence of his adj
dress. which throughout was an eX-
position of conflict for the predom-
inence of the Christian religion. As
the greatest leader in this conflict.
he characterized Jesus as the most
heroic man of the ages, not even eX-
certing the men who responded to
the call of the country in the days Of
the civil war, and whose memory is
soon to be honored, and which e
considered a perfectly proper thing
to do. The spirit Of conflict, the pas
tor said, was in every mans heart
it appeals to him with great force
along every avenue of life. The Cos
pei of Jesus has been a mighty mill
tant force moving from generation
to generation giving no quarter on
the mighty march through the ages.
The pastor mentioned a few fund.-
mental things which are necessary
in the conflict, and referred to some
of the non-essentials in the religious
life. The pastor said that it made
no difference whether we kneeled or
stood in prayer, or whether we We're
baptized in water or without, the
main point being that we use it as
a universal beverage. He believed
that all the reforms that have come
down through the ages have been
fostered by the gospel, and that moth
ing of that character can progress
| without it. Speaking of the conflict
of the soul, the pastor said hat the
mistake is made when a man kneels
at the altar and asks forgiveness for
his sins in believing that the fight is
over with when it has just begun.
The commission that a sailor receives
from Annapolis or the certificate
from West Point does not make the
man a fighter, nor does the piece Of
paper one receivea from the church
make a man a Christian soldier 81
the church. We must illustrate the
aggressiveness of Jesus to become q
Christian, for there is a place fol
every one in this conflict.
Dr.. Eoagland IS a very interesina
speaker and he made a fine impress.
ion on his audience in the morning
which was heightened in the evening
sermon. He speaks with strength o.
conviction and great sincerity, and
there at once zones a feeling Of sym
patby between himself and his aud
fence to give added effectiveness tc