The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-30
SYNOPSIS OF
sermon OF REV.
R.PENDLETON
PASTOR or THE FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH DELIVERED INTER
EsTINo DISCOURSE SUNDAY
MORNING, WHICH WAS HEARD
BY LARGE coNeREeArioN-
ALSO TALKED ABOUT FLORIDA.

u
sion that Pensacola is the best city in
the state. according to a statement
made to his congregation at the be-
ginning Of his sermon Sunday morn
ing.
Mr.. Pend1eton prefaced his sermon
Sunday morning with some general
remarks on the subject Of Pensacola
and Florida, which, together with the
sermon, are printed below:
Predatory Remarks.
In this connection, Mr.. Pendleton
II have come to the conclusion that
Pensacola is the best town in F1orida,
among all those I have seen. I have
seen Jacksonville, and DeLand, and
Tampa, and Milton, and Ocala. and
Also I am beginning to appreciate
more and more what have in the way
Of q church. ! ind none with more
enthusiasm. and more workers, and
better promise than the First Baptist
Of Pensacola.
Florida grows on me- 1t is a state
beauty and colossal enterprises. 1t is
500 miles from here to the convention
anywhere 1t meets. There is the Key
West feat OF engineering which gives
Florida the eighth wender of the
world The Pharos light house of
Ptolmey is small by side Of it.
The climate is unexcelled, and
even Californians come here for the
winter. for a party of them were ce-
turning on the train which brought
me home. It is the playground Of
America and filled with breath Of
Paradise. AS one glides over Silver
Spring in a glass bottom boat ne
realizes that the Catalina Islands can
not offer any greater variety Of color.
-. Z. ~.
her unique situation among the states.
Problems Of church and state are very
much alike. The religion problem, in
addition to the usual ones, is two
fold in Florida: The unstable or
changing. ministry. and the changing
population. People come to Florida
for their health or for pleasure or for
gain, but rarely come specifically to
build up the state but to be built up
by it. They do not make the churches
their speciality. The ministry is rest
less and becomes discouraged, and
too many have come in for their
health and make the churches a con-
venience.
Also the climate which is so fine
for tourists is not conducive to hard
work and progress. / heard the story
told Of q man who had come to Flor
IDA and caught the usual disease, and
became box whittier. A tourist saw
him one day seated on q box whiting,
and little child on the ground by
him crying. The interested tourist
asked what allied the child. II he were
not sick. No. said the man on the
box. Well. what ais him.? Got the
hook-Worm. was the reply. Does the
hoolk-Horm make them cryg No.
Well, what Is he crying aboutT sit
tin on sand spurs and too lazy to git
up. said the whittier.
-
shrewd men the chance to profit at
her expense She Is also growing so
fast that she Is like a big boy, all out
at once.
Baptists have grown to be the
largest denomination Of professionals IN
the state. do not know as to Catho-
lies, as the figures are not before me.
we have about fifty thousand. Each
convention has steadily set the mark
q little higher up. This year we had
several features Of interest to Bap-
lists: The ONCE of the state board
was ordered moved to Jacksonville,
where It will be combined with ali
the other state offices of Baptists; the
Sunday school board, the woman's
work. and suitable ofice men en-
ployed 80 as to free our most valu-
able secretaries from clerical duties
and let them have more time for de-
veloping work.
The state paper was placed in the
hands Of this state board, of which
two members are members Of Pensa-
cola First church. and the board was
instructed to sell or lease to proper
individuals or a stock company by
April arst so that it may become a
larger and better organ. and not be a
handicap on the state board.
The time of meeting was changed
to the second Tuesday in December. .
The Sermon.
Following Il q synopsis Of the ser
mon delivered by Mr.. Pendleton yes
terday morning. and which was
listened to attentively by large con-
gregation:
Davids sin with Bathsheba. The
Fall Of Good Man, and his Confession.
Text: Renew a right spirit within
me-" Psalm 51:10.
Here comes before us for investiga-
ton q good man who has fallen, a
man so tender that he has spared his
own Interest foe, a man who had
sung so sweetly that he had charmed
away the evil spirit from the tor
mented king, 3 man chosen to lead g
great religious congregation in mel
ody. one who sung SO divinely. that
his hymns have become the hymn
book OF the world: man who was
said to be after Gods own heart.
In an unguarded moment when al
the very pinnacle OF his earthly sue
cess, he had yielded to the tenpter
and to his lower nature. q great hocl
Of evils had rushed in upon the cita-
del OF his soul, and led him to com
nit e double crime. murder and adui-
terry. To KIN poor soldier by deceit
and taxa his beautiful young wife fol
himselE
For nearly year he had carried ths
guilty secret IN silence. whilst thu
hammer Of remorse knocked away re-
Hentlessly like time and would never
tease. until his very bones ached anC
Panied him with the strain OF it, and
his natural moisture was turned intC
the drouth of summer. and his hear
had become an arid plain denuded o.
foliage and shade, without springs
and streams
His joy in religious affairs hat
gone, his harp was silent. and he wht
had known what it was to dance and
axult before the ark of God sits desc.
late. without a song. just a common
coarse libertine and murderer.
Gods favor was withdrawn, and HI
felt like some kings favorite who hat
been cast off. until Nathan appeared