"I live for those who love me, For those who know me true; For the heaven that smiles above me, And awaits my coming too. For the wrongs that need resistance, For the cause that claims assistance, For the future in the distance, For the good that I can do." Engagements at Home. of public career. MANY thoughts are awakened by the death of a man Questions such as these may be asked: What has been his life purpose, and has he accomplished it? What were the motives which actuated him, and what the spirit in which he sought to accomplish his end? Will his private life bear investigation, and has it been one by which others may be quickened and strengthened? It is to answer such inquiries as these that Christian biographies are written; that the young and earnest hearted may learn lessons from the history of those who have passed from earth, while they are learning the way of God more perfectly amongst angel companions, and the spirits of the just made perfect. It is no small privilege to watch the life of one who esteems it to be a sacred duty to do everything well. Our father always took pleasure in accomplishing thoroughly whatever he undertook, as some of the particulars introduced into this chapter will show. All systematic ministers have some means of knowing at once whether they have ever preached from a certain text, and if so when and where. Our father's arrangement was the following:-Every text from which he preached was entered in two books. The last number in these books was 8,900. Date, Oct. 13th, 1872. Text, Acts iv. 12. The plan of the other book was to head the page with the names of the Books of the Bible as follows: By comparing these columns, it will be seen that by looking at the second book, it was easy to know if a particular text had been taken-by turning to the corresponding sermon number in the other book it was equally easy to know when and where it had been used. The MSS. of sermons themselves were placed on shelves divided into compartments, labelled Genesis to Joshua. | Joshua to 2 Chron. | 2 Chron. to Psalms. and thus through the books of the Bible. One compartment was reserved for sermons preached on "special occasions," such as Addresses, Speeches, Ordination sermons, etc., and another for discourses on Types and Miracles. Every sermon had its title with the text written out beneath it: then the hymns to be sung at the service, and below them the author's name, with the date and place of preparation. After the fly-leaf came usually the sermon in outline, then the sermon in full. The pages of paper were neatly sewn together each Saturday evening.* The titles of sermons were happy in their choice: a few examples are given :— "The Flight of Sighs." Isaiah xxxv. 10. "And sorrow and sighing shall flee away." "The Last Census." Psalm lxxxvii. 6. "The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there." "The Unconscious Backslider." Hosea vii. 9. "Yea, grey hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth it not." "Sin and Suffering." "And whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." *The needle had become quite like an old friend, having done duty for more than forty years. It was always rethreaded and kept wrapped in wash-leather. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth ?" "Christ Gathering Lilies." Song of Sol. vi. 2. My Beloved is gone down into His garden to gather lilies." (Preached after the death of two children in the congregation.) "My Happy Home." Hebrews xii. 22. "The Heavenly Jerusalem." "The Short Bed." Isaiah xxviii. 20. "For the bed is shorter than a man can stretch himself on it." "The Rescued Captives." Isaiah xlix. 24, 25. "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away." |