Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-04-17
THE F0REWORD
BY DIR. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN.

have the greatest possible joy and
delight in the successful ministry of
the Rev. w. A. Sunday. / consider
him one of the most genuine, true
hearted men l have ever known and
[he has almost In perfection what be-
1ieve every minister must have If he
lis to be a success in his preaching.
namely, a consuming passion. 1t Is
not possible for everyone to possess
the great gifts with which Mr.. Sunday
has been naturally endowed, but it is
possible for everyone to be dead in
earnest and without in any way de-
tracing from him, mentally, physic-
ally and spiritually. / shall not be
misunderstood when I say that much
of his phenomenal success is Ato be
traced to his downright earnestness.
IA half-hearted minister has never yet
done much in the cause of Christ, and
Mr.. Sunday is setting the minister's
of the United States a noble example
in throwing himself into his great
work with such tremendous zeal. I
do not know how long he can last
working under such heavy pressure,
hut I have no doubt that he has
counted the cost and that he has fully
decided that it will be far better to
preach IS he is preaching for a Inn
nted time and to have the conscious
mess that he is being blessed Of God
in his work, and turning multitudes
to Christ, than to live a. less strenuous
life and see comparatively few come
to Christ.
If a fair proportion of the ministers
OF the Church could preach with the
spirit of abandonment which possesses
Mr.. Sunday, l believe the whole world
could be turned to Christ almost in a
generation. 1t is one of my great
Joys to realize that I may have
had some influence in determining
MT. Sundays life work. He came to
me many years g to assist in my
services. He was ready to do any.
thing, to sell books, to direct ushers.
to look after the inquiries. to make my
work easier In every way, and he had
the same hearty enthusiasm in these
ordinary things which he did which Is
now displayed in his most remarkable
work.
One day years 6 in Urbana, Ohio,
4 had q request from someone out Of
town for q speaker, and / asked MI.
Sunday to take the meeting. He
seemed greatly frightened, said that
he could not speak and that he was
mot the man for the place. Finally 1t
was determined that he. would tell the
story Of his conversion. Following
that Sundays service the most inter-
Iesting reports were made to me of the
impression which he had made upon
his audience, and l then had the con-
viction that he ought to do more of
the work, and I suggested to him that
he ought to go to a number Of smaller
places and stay just a week. When
he told me that he did not have SER
mons / asked him to make s of any
thing that he had heard me say, and
told him that / should feel highly
honored at his doing SO. 1t was thus
that he started, SO far as / a re-
member. His successful work from
that day to this needs no descriptive
word Of mine for however much men
may differ with him as regards
uu6tnou, al Will dBI0o bn0y AAo"
him at all that he is absolutely honest
and sincere as well rs being a great
lman. / consider Mr.. Sunday very
generous. / cannot think Of any time
that he has met me and had oppor.
tunity for conversation that he has
mot said to me-"Do you need any
Imoney?" And that he has not told
me that II 1 did need it he would
gladly give It to ma. Fortunately Tor