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16 TH]
Contributed
"MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS."
Rev. Henry H. Sweets, Secretary.
Several years ago last May, there was
graduated from one of our Theological
Seminaries, a young man of splendid al>il
lty, who had reached the age of 27 years.
Many churches were open to his ministry,
but he decided to accept the call of
a Home Mission committee, to work
among the miners not far from .
He was soon married to a Christian
young woman who was also deeply interested
in the work in which he was engaged.
Two little children were given
to brighten the home. His labors were
abundantly blessed. The church prospered.
and he soon won the confidence and
the esteem of the entire community.
Some labor troubles came into that
region. The men of the town were persuaded
to strike, and it was exceedingly
hard for many of them to keep the
wolf from the door. His financial support
from the congregation was diminished.
Many of his friends advised him
to leave. Several stronger churches
which were able to pay him a better salary
sought his services. Realizing that
if he left this field, great injury would
result to the church, and to the cause
of Christ, he cheerfully decided to remain.
His self-denial more deeply endeared
him to the hearts of the community,
and among those poor neglected
people, he was accomplishing a great
work for the Master.
About two years ago he became sick,
and a physician was summoned. He was
informed that he had tuberculosis of the
larynx and that he must immediately go
to , or he could hope to live
but a few weeks. As most of our ministers,
he came from a poor home, he
had received throughout his whole ministry
an insufficient salary, and had been
able to lay by nothing for this time of
need. The Committee of Ministerial Reli#*f
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notified of his condition, and an appropriation
was made, sufficient to take him
to the mountains of . Just as
soon as he reached his new home in this
far-away state, he wrote as follows:
"Your letter with enclosed check came
this morning as a very pleasant surprise
indeed, and I assure you both were fuily
appreciated. Bro. had hinted
the possibility of further aid from the
Committee, but I said I was afraid it
would be taking it from some one who
needed it even more than I did, and so
thought no more of it. I am truly grateful
for the aid and only hope that it will
not cause the all-too-meagre donations to
be cut elsewhere. They can't tell me
the world's getting worse, or that the
Father overlooks His trusting children.
we can't sometimes tell why, but there Is
a why and I am only waiting to see It."
Since that time, we have been ministering
to him and his wife and the little
children as best we could.
For a little while he was able to serve
? *
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUT
a small mission church in that distant
state. It was in a poor community, and
he never received more than $5.85 in
the collection on Sunday. This was the
only remuneration that he received for
his labor. While enduring the privations
tnere, and with the earnest longing in his
heart to again enter the active service
of the ministry, we received a letter from
him in which he wrote:
"Dear Brother Sweets: I sincerely
thank you for again thinking of us at
this time and assure you that your kind
interest and that of your friends is most
highly appreciated. The only thing that
has made this fight for life, and this
long, long, weary wait endurable, has
been the exceeding goodness of God the
r ather and the wondrous kindness of
friends through it all. May He richly
reward each one. No one who has not
passed through a similar experience can
ever know anything of how hard it is
to have to sit helpless and useless, a
burden to friends and to the church that
I nad so earnestly hoped to serve faithfully
and long. If He will only somehow
bring good to His cause and glory to His
name out of it all, I will not complain."
Last summer we received a letter from
his wife telling us that the physician had
declared that the altitude there was too
great for her husband, and that he must
return to his home in : From
what we have heard, we are almost confident
that he has returned to his for
mer home to die. In the letter received
from his wife, she said:
"He has been going down all summer.
If we stay here longer am afraid it
would not do much good to make the
change. Tne change may not now do
any good, but you know one likes to do
all she can to save her loved ones.
After I wrote my letter to you, I was
afraid you would think I was asking too
much, as the Committee is doing so
much for us all the time. I know he
must have a change, and I am willing to
beg this of you, am willing to do anything
for his good. I have been working
all summer at sewing. I can't do
anything that would take me away from
him or the two little boys."
The two boys in the home are ' both
fine, stout fellow about the average size
for children of their age. The older one
was five years old the 23rd of last July
?the younger one will be four years old
me urm uay 01 nexi r eDruary."
Eight or ten ministers and many elders
from his Presbytery who have known
this brother and his wife intimately, who
were acquainted with his work, and have
seen the results of his consecrated life
and labor, bear testimony to the worthiness
of this family and their need. I am
sure you will count it a great privilege
to minister to Christ In the person of
these His worthy children who are in
need.
What a blessed privilege to minister tor
such as these! Possibly the vefy reason
the Master has left this faithful minister,
and the many other ministers and needy
widows and orphans who are equally de
serving of our gratitude and love, is that
we may have this gracious opportunity.
H. June 30, 1909.
In his conversation with the Ephesian
Liders, the Apostle Paul said: "I have
shewed you all things, how that so laboring
ye ought to support the weak, and
to remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said. It is more blessed to
give than to receive."
"We give Thee but Thine own
Whate re the gift may be
AH that we have is Thine alone
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
' And we believe Thy word
Tho' dim our eyes may be
Whate're for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee."
The General Assembly calls for $50,000
for the work of Ministerial Relief this
year. $15,000 of this may be expected
from interest from the Endowment Fund.
The remainder, $35,000, must come from
the July offering. Help us to help these
weary saints in Christ's name.
122 Fourth Avenue, Louisville, Ky.
A YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONVENTION.
There is no element in our church life
so much neglected as the work of our
young people. Some of our churches
have Christian Endeavor Societies, some
have Westminster Leagues, and some
have no young people's organization at
all.
The General Assembly has legislated
on the subject a number of times, and
there the matter has ended.
The committee in Richmond have done a
splendid work in developing our Sundayschool.
but have done practically nothing
for our young people's work.
The difficulty with Christian Endeavor
societies in the Southern Presbyterian
Church is that they exist in only a minority
of our congregations, so that in
District and State Conventions they bring
a minority of our young people into fellowship
and co-operation with the Campbellites
who are the main denomination
other than Presbyterian having Christian
Endeavor Societies in the South. We
might not object so much to such fellowship
if we had all our people together,
but fellowship and co-operation
among our own folks is infinitely more
desirable.
There are two difficulties in the way
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ui me num ui iuc neaiuiiiiaier Lieagues.
One is that they secure no fellowship
at all of the young people of different
congregations, so that the edification
and inspiration that come from conferences
are lost. The convention idea
may be over-emphasized in these days,
but there is good In it which can hardly
be found elsewhere. The second difficulty
is that the Westminster Leagues
are not provided with as good literature
as the Christian Endeavor Societies, unless
they use the Endeavor literature.
Our committee Issued "Onward" to meet
this need, but when It made its appearance
it looked so much like a patent
medicine sheet that its usefulness would
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contained more excellent subject matter.
The Synod of Alabama is taking a step