The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-01-27
A CHURCH..
A Missionary From P~leasantville Tells
OF Some Travels.

~Pleasantville Press Folks:-
Some of you were kind enough to
tell me you enjoyed some former arti-
cles, so | will answer the encore. l
used to make many people sad in
~Pleasantyille, so if | can write
thing to please them it makes me hap
ply. Friend Whitman kindly does his
part by giving me space.
There may be some religion in this,
but | will try to give it to you in pal
atable form, like some Of DR.. Craw-
ford's sugar-coated pills. You know
you have to hand religion to people
the same as you would any other kind
of medicine. To some you give sooth-
ing syrup, some need a bitter dose
which makes them squirm for a time
but does good in the end, some need it
in homeopathic doses, some need it in
capsule form "a joke with a moral).
Believe me, doctoring souls is a great
job and you must study your patients.
Well, | am well known in scores of
places in many states, but | always
considered myself a P'ville institution,
so as long as | am talking to home
folks and its all in the family, | will
take you somewhat into confidence.
Mr.. Moody advised men not to make
a preacher of themselves, but to wal
until the Lord made a preacher OF
them. That Cooked good to me- so !
waited and one morning | woke up and
realized the Lord had made a preacher
out of me by sanctification (setting
apart for His use) and that my ups
and downs had been the best of train
ing for real ministry. So | took the
world for a workshop; faith, hope and
charity for my tools, souls for the ma
terials to work with-some jobi
| didn't have any church, in fact
didn't have much but bad health, some
debts and a bad reputation. But l
also had experience, faith and love.
So | decided to leave everything be-
hind and be a travelling church, preach
to the people | met, supported by vol
untary contributions. So l have
preached in churches, missions, rescue
homes, jail, school house, court house.;
on street corners, from house to house,
on boats, trains, along country roads
for hundreds of miles, in barns, lodg-
ing houses, wagons and various other
places. Just a Christian hobo, as Paul
and the Apostles would be called to-
day. Why, Jesus might be arrested
for vagrancy right here in New York
City. l haven't missed many meals,
but l have postponed some.
AS far as l know I have answered
every question asked me about the BIZ
BILE, to preachers and others on down
Cor up, according to how you look at
it,, among all kinds of sects. 1t was
my daily custom to reason with people
on the scriptures. Did you ever no
tice that nearly everybody has ques-
lions on the Bible they want answer
ed? Well, if you are able to answer
everybody, without the least hesita-
ton, month in and month out, day
and night, its a good sign that the
Lord is with you and you are in the
right business. Praise the Lord for
the wisdom.
How much good did I do? That's
none of my business; I'm supposed to
do my best and leave the rest to the
Lord know people used to come
out to the gate and watch me as far
as they could see me, children wanted
to follow me; people would cry as l
left them and beg me to come again.
There are people in cabins who would
go hungry to feed me. l have been
the guest of honor in fine homes when
looking like a tramp. People are glad
to have someone around them who can
tell them the hidden secrets of the BIZ
! BILE in a simple way.
Once | walked so miles to talk Bible
to a woman, chopping wood and
preaching along the way. You see my
business is Christianity and l try to
be attending to business all the time.
In one town l wrote my notices, put
them in stores, etc, lighted the lights,
rung the courthouse bell and did the
preaching. l never took up a %collec-
ton and when a nan came up and
gave me 15c that night l thought it
was Xmas.
Once l was driven Z miles in a mule
cart to preach in a little school house,