I was sent to the Morristown station to fill out the unexpired term of
the Rev. Mr. Smith deceased. We spent the night at the parsonage, then
Mr. Henry Ader, a prominent contractor and steward in the church,
came to see us and took us to his house until the parsonage was put in
shape for us. We were most pleasantly entertained by him. While in this
field of labor I sought out a secret spot where I might meet with God
and talk over with Him all the work that I was entering upon in this
field. I realized that such an arrangement with God was best and one
that every Christian who is doing business for the King, should have.
So I regularly kept my engagements with God in this place. I put before
Him all my plans and went over them, seeking His wisdom and help. It is
wonderful how He brings to our assistance His strength and grace when
we honor Him as we should in this way. The Saviour Himself taught that
we should have our closet, that is, a secret place, where we talk with
God about everything that interests us. That we should not do as the
Pharisees and Scribes, who loved to talk with God on the street corners
and public places that they might be seen of men. “When thou prayest
enter into thy closet and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward
thee openly.”
Mr. Henry Ader, Lansing Furman, George Yates, Nicholas Miller, Henry
Johnson, Robert Gale, Preston Garland, together with their wives, were
the active members in this church and they were indeed a noble band of
workers. There was harmony in the church between the members and a
zeal marked with wisdom in their work. I was soon able to have my wife
and children come on from Little Rock, Ark. This getting together again
was a happy reunion of my home. I found the Y. M. C. A. in this place
to be a noble band of workers and very much interested in the colored
people. Such influences as this are very inspiring to my people. I
met and had the pleasant acquaintance while here of the pastor of the
Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. Erdman (white). I found him to be a
noble Christian man and very deeply interested in the uplifting of our
people. He not only used his influence but contributed of his means
for our welfare. I had the pleasure of preaching for him in his own
pulpit. I might mention also a Dr. Owen, a physician (white), who did
a great deal for our people and cause. He assisted us in paying off
the mortgage on our Church and in getting the Church out of debt. In
all these things I was able to see the gleams of the light of God’s
love shining down upon us every day. For we must remember that the love
and the friendship of our white friends are but the sunshine of God’s
love falling upon us to bless us and to teach us that God has His own
chosen ones in this world who are living on the table land of Christian
thought and activity, far above the swamps of prejudice and racial
animosity. We, too, should daily seek to live on these same highlands
of God’s love and peace.
[Illustration: REV. J. W. COOPER,