The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-02-07
IPAsroH or TuST UNITED -
BYTERrAN CoH011oA31oA -
HKWw AccorJ@
sCoHH OF uA1S S11y1o1
rours OUT THAT II u 1A1U 1o0
TEARS OF NEW aR1V1@

church as its pastor delivered an I'M
p~ressive sermon to his congregation SsSa
terday morning.
DR., Robinson tool his text from tbs
t~wenty-eight chapter Of the book
Acts the fifteenth verse. the theme be-
ing: Gratitude as an incentive to cour
agcous faith" He said in part:
The scene Of my text this morning
IS one for the painter. The Place Is the
common room Of a we'll known inn"c
tavern. the first stopping place out OF
Rome on the great Appian ROAD.
AT a table sits On illustrious travel
lcr whose name is in all the great cities
Of the world. his face thin. his hair
gray. his form bent but in his eye tho
fire Of an unQuenchable enthusiasm.
Around him Is gathered a company
Christians which has come out from
Rome to meet him. They are bent Tor
ward In the attitude Of listenerS-thetr
lips parted. their faces flushed, their
eyes fixed upon the face or the kreat
Christian here whose wonderful letter
to the church at Rome they have reAAs
and reread. but whose magnetic per
sonality they ave never before 1elt-
The intensity OF the scene Is pre-
duced not more magnetic by the pres
ence of the apostle than by the nara
tive so graphically LOU Dy hILhs"0
rative Of adventure and peril and heroic
endurance which still thrills the Christ
Ian heart, but the impressive part OF
which to Paul himself was Its revela-
ton Of the %providences Of God IN his
life work.
ITO him, as he looked back, MODS.
chains. storms. reptile bites and ship.
wrecks were but the signals OF the d.
vine interposition-perils by land %
sea but opens door OF opportunity.
events .untoward and otherwise, but q
part Of the plan by which God WaS
bringing him to the fulfllment OF 'H10'
supreme ambition. Out Of It all ne "a
theirs abundant material for the conn
pleteet Christian optimism-An opti-
mism that found expression In the 1ast,
here recorded by the historian, Whom
when Paul saw he thanked God and
took courage" .',ah
Il boldly appropriate these words -
nv text this morning. for while cir
cumstances with us are wholly disstn-
liar 10 those attending the Apostle At
April Forum, yet the words themselves
are apt and appropriate. fitting without
strain or friction into the niche OF the
present occasion.
LAS pastor and people we have just
completed twenty years Of work and
fellowship together. Unlike that
shorter period Of which the apostle
spoke 10 his new found friends at the
inn near Rome, the years have been
without storm or struggle. or untoWGrd
circumstances. Through them the life
Of the congregation has flowed quietly
but uninterruptedly. We have Wor-
shipped together and worked together.
We have had our times Of sadness as
one and another have gone out from
us. n we have had our times OF re-
joicing as others nave come in with US
from without. We ave learned what
il is to be defeated in cherished plans
and we have tasted the sweet Joy Of
triumph and reward Of toll. ~,
The Years Ahead.
we have made mistakes together.
doing something that we ought motto
nave lone and emitting to do much
that We ought to have done, but. withah
the years OF our retrospect nave been
years Of the right hand of God. and the
predominant sentiment in our hearts as
we look back over them Is the senti-
ment Of gratitude. But. 1 take 1t. this
gratitude is not a mere sentiment. It
is an incentive. There are years 66.
hind us. there are also years ahead Of.
us. Fronting the past with gratitudess
We should. and I trust do, front the fuN
ture with that faith and that courage
Of faith which such gratitude inspiresA
Whom when Paul say he thanked
God and took courage The note to-
which ! v'oul key the worship of eAi3-
hour. then, is that most compete.
Christian optimism-not s~elf-congratuL
lation. for there is absolutely no
grounds for that. but that spirit Of 1u;-
bilant faith which, inspired by what
God has already done for US. dares to-
expect OF US yet greater things from
him to the glory of his name. /.
Record Of Twanty Years. =
Looking backward over the yearsr
We find 557 persons have been received
into membership Of the congregation OF
the present passionate. The growth ha4
been slow but substantial to the present.
membership, despite heavy losses. DEATH
and removal being approximately tWoA
and one-half times greater than at the
beginning Of the pastorate. OF this in
crease. SOC were by confession Of faith
in Christ, and 20 percent Of this num-
Der was from families outside Of thu
church. :
"Eigthy-one Of our members hAvse
IN these years passed to their W1r
including every member Of the sessions
as constituted when the present pastor.
took charge. Two hundred and unity.
five persons have been certified to the
fellowship Of other congregations.
Tho congregation now has 1ouS =
missionary societies doing splendid buzz
ness for the Kingdom. The Sun6Ay~-
school. under the splendid managenDnt
Of Superintendent Walter n. Mcclure.
assisted by a cabinet Of live up-to-datSu
young men. never was in better condi-@
ton than now. =
1T has been said that three human~
forces upon which the spirit OF Code
lcv!es in the business OF bringing the.
world TO Christ, are first. prayer second.
personal work; and third, the consecra-.
ton Of money. BY reference to tho sta.
~tistical tables of the minutes OF ,thsa
general assembly It is found that the-
contributions Of tho congregation fors
the twenty years aggregate approx
mately $4,000 or an average OF Wa
500 4 year. for the whole period. OF.
his aggregate amount approximately.
g. per cent has been given to purposes
outside OF the congregation. while ap-~
proximately IS per cent has been Eivenn
TO purposes within the congregation. Z
Bsaut1ful Spirit. Z
The spirit that has prevailed the,
collective life of the congregation has
been sweet and beaut!ful-the spirit Of
a United family in the Lord. B!ckeTinE.
and strife have been unknown. There's
have been no factions-no d~isEruntied~
people and OF those who have lcft~ears
fellowship for that Of other congrcgat-
lions. not one has left in a pet OF !.
through piquc." .
The pastor closed his sermon 1ull oIs
"reminiscences of the past years oyr
,njorI,. o,,d FAILING yeferrinR 70 tina