The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-02-08
Or. John G. Sage Pays Tribute to Or.
r. c. MeiI~ain, Rsesor Emeritus,
in Service Yes
terday.
TELLS OF his LIFE HERE
Ho" He Followed inJunc.ions Of tn.
Master in Dealing with PEG
pie Of Parish.
10 Told.

10 Told
Many of the older parsshloners OF
ST Johns were present Sucday
morning In that church when a suecia,
memorial service for the late rector
emeritus. Rev DR.. McIlwain, was held
and memorial sermon was preached
oE the rector. the Rev. John C. Sage
who came TO st. Johns as his sue.
cessor some FIVE years ago. Rev. MI.
sage took as his texts Led you Forty
Years" For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid. which
Jesus Christ Now il any man build
upon this foundation gold. silver,
precious stones, wood, hay. stubble:
every mans work shall be made mani
rest: for the day shall declare II. be-
cause 1t shall be revealed by fire.
and the fire shall try every mans
work Oh what sort II is" He preached
the following sermon:
We are TO think together this
morning OF one who for forty years
was the priest and pastor of this CON
gregatfon I am not going to attemnt
a eulogy Of Robert McIlwain. priest
and doctor. For eulogy would be
the. last thing that would be conson-
ant with his wtshes; and It certainly
would be the last thing that T shall
endeayor to do. Nor is It nv proyt-
dence. nor yours, dear brethren to sit
In judgment upon the man and his
Character. That is alone reserved for
Cod How thankful We ought to be
that no man is to be our final Judge.
but that God Himself has kept tudg-
ment for Himself-a just, loving God.
VINO KNOWS US through and through.
SO we judge not any man, least OF
all MIN OF whom We are speaking 10
Gay His character, his ideals his
strtvtngs after good, his failures. his
sins, are known alone to God. Let US
leave him in Gods gracious keeping.
And yet. think 1t is proper for US to
think OF mans work after he has
passed away; and it is especially
proper for Us in this congregation to
whom he gave the best years of his
lie. to think Of what that work was;
what he endeavored to accomplish and.
IN some measure, what he did ac-
compiish; and SO you see the text
comes In very appropriately:
He led you forty years, and then
the Judgment upon him, every mans
work to be made manifest, for the day
Will declare it, because It shall be re- |
Vealed by fire; and the fire shall try
every mans work Of what sort IT is |
Came Here IS Years Aao.
"Forty-nve years ago the first of |
next July, there came into this town |
q young. vigorous priest OF God. Ele-
CANT in manner and appearance, en- |
thustastic in his work, he soon formed |
close friendships and gained the love !
and the affection OF his people. This |
young priests training had been OF /
the very best His early schooling had |
been obtained through difficulty and
by hard labor. His college course was
the result, ] imagine, of much self
denial and living upoc the very least /
possible. His training for the min
lstry had been at the General Theo-
logical Seminary. where we are told !.
BY those who had been closest to him,
ne stood at the head OF his classes.
His first work was mission work |:
among the poor and the outcast in the
city OF New York. He has often told
ne OF his early experiences among ,
hose humble and simple people. And
imagine his mind often required to
hose early months OF his ministry
when God permitted him to serve
among the lowiy. His nrst parish was
IF different character. but he did not
'emain long there, for soon he was
'alled to st. Johns Keokuk. He came
o people who were ready to vel.
'ome him Ile came to parish made
lp largely OF men Of standing In the
community, and women Of culture and
ennement. He came to a people who
we're earnest, who were spiritually
who desired that he should
i've them his best and who received
hat best with thankfulness and devo-
Ion. He found upon this site an old
hurch building. 1t was very dear to
he people, because 1t had been the
esult OF the many sacrifices and the
abor of men. It was filled for them Z
Nth tender memories OF loved ones. ..
ONE Of them gone to their reward. !
Now into this work he entered with +
enthusiasm. He labored hard. He +
1ust have labored hard for the re-
ults show. Calls came to him from
Their parishes, and within q year. he
as invited back to his old parish, I
hitch still loved him and was 10th to !,
i've him up. But he refused and re- o
lained in this part OF Gods vineyard. I
imagine that with his intellectual
TITS ana the power or personality that a
e then possessed. he would have ii
cached position of dignity in, and *
worth to the church, had he gone O
ack to the east from whence he came. L
ut he desired to cast his lot among X
lie people whom he had learned to
we. They were his people. He took s,
lem to his heart, as they took him O
, their hearts and say it from per d
q lnIo h. Il <N h.
Id.
The New Church, n
''Soon the building in which they o.
orshipped was too small to hold the "a "a
A church must be built. =
ne ideals of that man were high. s.
eds house should be ample and suf- ~
lent for the congregation. But it > =,