Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-01-15
Rev. John Lake Preached in
Greenville.

A writer in the Baptist Courier
last week had the following to say
concerning sermon preachedsat
he First Baptist church in Green
vile by Rev. John Lake:
The text was The sower SOW
eth the word" Mark Ala. There
ls something quite charming about
vi. Lake. His face wins YOU, and
there is an honest ring in his voice.
He is simplicity itself; and has the
happy faculty Of being able to Sc
lecr few things out of many, a
few that illustrate his point. There
appears to be nothing especially
gifted in his method of telling his
story, but it has been long time
since I saw an audience as deeply
interested in missionary narratives.
There were all classes of people out
on Sunday morning but if there
was lis.less auditor in the house
he was not in my range of vision.
The sermon gave illustrations
from the missionary's own expert
ence of the various classes of hear
ers spoken of in the parable. But
before he began with these illustra-
lions he dropped a word that might
we'll sink into the heart of those
who were opposed TO missions. He
said, You have all seen men SOW.
ing, who could ill spare the seed
they were scattering over the
ground; and yet they dared not stop
sowing. Their very bread depend-
ed on it."
I'VE have discouragements in
our work." There are "by-path"
hearers. Many a time the mission!
.arys had sat in aqboa aud preach
ed to teeming hundreds upon the
shore; aud in the very midst of his
most earnest appeals, would be
stopped by some listener with u
question about the price Of his
clothes! And this not from mere
curiosity. 1t is just now becom-
ing fashionable in China to wear
the Western garb and the price is q
matter of useful information.
'As an illustration of the stony
ground bearer" the preacher told of
a young princess, who while in
school in England had Joined a
Christian church and after returu-
ing to China became an attendant
upon the Queen Dowager, that won
derful but monstrous old woman
who hated fercely all things Chris
tlan and foreign. Tie young pri..-
cess won the old woman. One
evening when the two were walk
ing together the queen said, Il love
you. But, while in your Western
school, did they induce you to be-
come Christian" The young
princess said No." and the two
continued friends.
There was also fine story to
illustrate the thurny ground hear
or; and, best of all, two others to
illustrate those who received the
Word into good and honest hearts.
But these last can't be reduced i'll
compass without killing them. One
was of a poor, and, remarkable TO
relate, an honest, servant, who was
as ignorant as he was ugly but who
slowly and surely came to oonver-
sion and afterwards to a devoted
and useful life. The other was of
u great scholar who became
Christian after he became a profess
sor in Christian college; and who
later: reading the Bible translated
by Baptists and printed in our Chi
nese publishing house, noticed that
baptizo was translated by the Chi
nese word for immersion. Mrs.
Lake had but little trouble in lead
ing him to the light; and to hear
was TO obey. That man was bap-
tized in a pond before. a jeering
crowd and is today deacon preach
er and one of great power.
'Ihe missionary explained that
the version of the Bible which con-
verted that man is now out of print
and that he wants to raise Sl0,OOO
10 enable our publishing house to
issue another edition"