The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-01-06
Mr.. LEY's INTRODUCTORY SER.
MON

An almost packed house elf that ex-
preston is permissible) gathered to
hear Rev. j. B. Legs initial sermon
at the Methodist church Sunday morn
ing, and if he had been vain man
he could not have helped being fiat
tered by the size of the congregation
and the marked attention that was
given to his discourse.
Before he announced his text, Hon.
w. K. Zewadski, chairman of the
board of stewards, announced that
pressing Indebtedness was hanging
over the church for certain incidental
expenses, long past due, and proposed
that the church begin the New Year
with a clean balance sheet. He then
called for donations to liquidate this
obligation, and sixty-six of the seven
ty-eight dollars was quickly subscrib-
ed.
While the collection was being ia
ken up Mrs. H. M. Hampton and Mrs.
L. F. Blalock sang very pretty duet
The subject of Mr.. Legs sermon
was Soldering" The text was quite
an appropriate one, and in it's arrange
ment anad delivery he made very ia
vorable impression upon his audi
ence.
He said that profane and sacred his
tory were full of descriptions of bat
ties and that war terms found fire.
quent employment by the sacred writ
ers, and that they were used with
great beauty and force in depicting
the conflicts, the acts of heroism, the
loyalty and devotion Of the Christian
soldier. For instance, as in the
text: The "breastplate" of righteous
ness; the Shield" of faith; the "hel-
met" of salvation; the Sword" of the
spirit, etc., were all military terms,
and were employed to emphasize great
truths. All through the Scriptures,
he said that these beautiful and per-
spicacious illustrations were employ
ed most effectively, and were partic-
ularly appropriate when applied to
the Methodist church because it's or
ganization was so like an army, and
the preacher, with some degree of
pathos and tenderness, referred to
his own case. Eighteen years ago, he
said, he was the pastor of the church
of Ocala; that it was under his pas
torate that the present church build
ing was erected; that he had learned
to love his congregation and the
whole people of Ocala, but that the
official head of the church thought
that he could do more effective ser
vice in some other field, and did not
hesitate, without consultation, to
give him his marching orders, and as
a loyal soldier he was compelled to
obey without murmur. Again, he
had learned to love his congregation
at Quincy, where he was recently sta
toned and expected to fill out his four
years service there, but again he
was commanded to take up the work
in Ocala.
Mr.. Ley said that he hoped that the
pews would show the same loyalty
and devotion to the church that was
expected of the pudpits and if both
would work in harmony and love, new
vigor and life would be the result;
the congregation would receive a new
baptism and great spiritual good
could be accomplished.
Mr.. Ley then had distributed among
the congregation the pastoral let
ter" which was printed in our edi-
ton of Sunday, and the following
cards:
A New Years Wish for My New
Pensioners
MAY the three. hundred and sixty
five steps of 1911 be a golden stair
way leading you onward and upward
by the pathway of helpful, cheerful
service, to fulness of joy and victory,
through the Only Name and when
the year is past may your memory of
| it be as bright as are your good wish
es for it now AffectiOnately your
friend and pastor.
JOHN B. LEY"
"Ocala, Fla, Jan. 1, 1911"