Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-14
LOCAL DIVINE GIVES.
EXPLANATION Of HIS.
RETURN TO THIS CITY.
REV. G. w. CHESSMAN, WHO RE.
GENTLY RETURNED TO or
TAWA AFTER ACCEPTING BET
TER PASTORATE, EXPLAINS HIS
RETURN TO DUTY HERE.

On his first sermon after returning
10 Ottawa from Pittsburgh, Rev. G
W. Chessman, pastor of the First
Baptist church, spoke on The Man
Who Came Back" The sermon was
not reported at the time and many OF
the communicates or the church who
heard the sermon have urged that che
story be told. Rev. Chessman has
written brief summary of the ser
mon, which tells Of his leaving the
local church in August to accept a
more remuneratiye field and of his re-
turn, the news Of which was received
with great Joy by the entire city
! which had made every effort to keep
him here
The summary is published In full
below:
"A number Of my friends who heard
me relate to my church the story
OF The Man Who Came Back have
prevailed upon me to publish a di
gest OF that sermon. | do it not to
parade any virtue or because | de
, light to retell the story. told ii once
with the hope that | might forget i
and bury myself in work tell il
again, condensed, to remove the in.
terrogation in some peoples minds
who continue TO wonder why came
| back.
Il was a modern Jonah who tried to
run away from a divinely appointed
duty, and. like my ancieit prototype
discovered the futility of attempt
ing to escape from God. God pursued
me in my flight and caused me co
see the enormity of the wrong in dc
serting the Ottawa church in these
war-torn and heart-torn days. Even
| before | left Ottawa the conviction
| began to grip me that | had made Z
mistake in resigning. Duty seemed
| to be here.
AS | motored eastward through
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsy
rania something within me kept say
| ing over and over again, You are
choosing seltishly. You are going &C
a bigger church and a bigger salarl
and you are deserving your real pos
Of duty in these war days | ha,
made the dominant note of my preach
ing sacriticial living in the light o.
what the boys overseas were doing
| had said again and again from my
pulpit that we, too, must sacrifice
And here | was refusing to do my
| self what | had been asking others
to do. | felt myself to be despicable
Conscience SmOte me. ! told mysel
that if persisted in my unholy choice
| would not be blessed of God in m,
new field. In vain | argued with my
self that had my own way to make
that | was in the prime Of life ant
owed it to myself to move up higher
lnescapable conscience convicted m,
of choosing the neshpots, and wher,
shall man flee to escape conscience
Il cannot tell here the whole story
In Pittsburgh the second night | wa
in my room in the hotel while a man
moth Fourth Liberty Loan parade wa
passing in the street be.ow. The bant
began to play Keep the Home Fire
Burning Til the Boys Come Home
This intensified my despair | ha
run away from the home fires. Blu
| would return, cost what it may i
money and humiliation or anythin
else. would do the unheard of thin
: of refusing to enter the pastorate a
: Pittsburgh. would 90 back to III
nois and my old church, and if the
, would receive me back ! would try
stick to my post until the boys cam
: home.
: Il acted upon the new formed d
cision the next morning. wrote OF
my resignation of tie pulpit had NJ
ytJ OtCupltu anu luIHtu lHe nose
e my Buick westward and kept going a
9 most day and night for $50 mile
9 back to Illinois.
II felt happy because | had r
nounced the tleshpots. said to m
self that even If my old church wou
not want me back | had gained
= victory in my own soul A clear co
: science is better than bigger salar
| consoled myself with the thougl
Il that | was not returning because
4 had failed in my new field. WI
@ coming back because was under co
4. pietion that had chosen sefishly
s a day when such choosing is abol
g Unable in the sight of God and man.
And now | am back and n
1t church received me in way tn
Ie exceeded my highest hopes. 1t W