REV. JOHN JAY DELIVERS HIS MESSAGE.
THE Rev. John Jay was not satisfied that he had been true to the older
members of his flock. As a watchman he had only faintly blown the
trumpet on some points, fearing the consequences.
Now in deep humility of soul, he plead for grace to declare all the
counsel of God. If the spirit gave him utterance, need he have fear as
to the result? Was it not written, "For as the rain cometh down and the
snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and
maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and
bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Now he would cry aloud and spare not; he would lift up his voice like a
trumpet, and show the people their transgressions, and thus deliver his
own soul.
With firm steps he ascended the pulpit, that Sabbath morning, and with a
heart full of holy resolve. But as his eye fell on the whitened locks
and wrinkled faces of many whose years almost trebled his, involuntarily
he cried: "Oh Lord God, I am but a child! how can I do this thing?"
We know how quickly human love runs to protect and comfort the little
trembling one, so when the cry was heard, there was a tender gathering
up into the arms of the Compassionate One, and there came a heavenly
calm and holy boldness. There was no sleepers in church that morning,
although some questioned whether they were not dreaming, as this youth,
hitherto so modest, and unassuming, in authoritative tones pointed out
to them their mistakes and the fearful consequences arising from them.
We want men and women to go from house to house, to gather in those who
have wandered from God. But whose fault is it that they have wandered?
Answer it, ye fathers and mothers. Your judgment is better than the
Almighty's.
When the woman was taken in sin, he said: "Martha do I condemn thee! go
in peace and sin no more." Didn't He open up heaven just then, even to
that sinner? He who 'knew no sin.' But it does not do for us, standing
in our strength and wisdom, to say to the weak and erring, to the young
and foolish, "We feel for you; our hearts are not too old--we are not
too far removed from you by grace, to know what snares surround you. But
we will gather about you with loving hearts; we will give you kindly
counsel, not sharp reproof; neither will we condemn you.
"How many little ones do you carry to Christ every day, my brother, my
sister? Remember He expects you to lift them up by your prayers and
efforts, and bear them to Him. He waits with open arms. Whom by kind
words and loving deeds, and earnest prayer, have you drawn toward Him?
Or whom have you driven from Him, by reproof, fault-finding, and holding
yourself aloof? You are afraid the church will be desecrated by the
gathering of our young people; they will have such a pleasant, happy
time in their weekly meetings, that they will not reverence God's house.
Think you, you are more pleasing in His sight, you who turn out of the
way the lame and the blind. Ah, it were better never to have been born,
than by narrowness of soul, by false reasoning, and warped judgment, to
have led astray, or turned aside from God one of these youthful souls.
As fathers and mothers, should you not rejoice that your children are
among you; that they are improving the gifts bestowed upon them by God,
and fitting themselves to fill higher places in the church and the world
than you.
"And now, dear friends, fathers and mothers, men and women naming the
name of Christ, by His love I beseech you, go out to-day stripped of
your prejudices, and your robes of self-righteousness; go out with
humility, with yearning, Christ-like love, and say: 'We are all sinners;
we need each other's help, and the Saviour has need of all. We will go
hand in hand through joy and sorrow, through toil and temptation, up to
the gates of the Celestial city, up to the joys at God's right hand.'"
So the Rev. John Jay delivered his soul. So he scattered good seed,
leaving the budding, the blooming, the fruit bearing to God.
But it did not all fall on good ground. Some fell by the way-side, and
Satan, snatching it up, sowed seeds of discord in its place. So that in
a short time it became evident there were two parties in the church.
Those who claimed to espouse the Lord's cause, when in reality they were
trying to hold the doors of the kingdom of heaven, so that none but
those they thought fit should enter, and others, whose watch-word was:
"All souls for Christ. Being all things to all men if by any means we
may win them to Christ." The former said the Rev. John Jay was
intolerant, and a stirrer up of strife; that he was too much of a
radical for them, and consequently he must leave. The latter talked to
the Lord about it, and determined to stand by His servant. Their numbers
were greatly augmented by the young people, who declared if the minister
were dismissed not one of them would ever enter the church. So the old
and young were brought together sooner, and in a different manner than
was anticipated by the young pastor. But the "right" prevailed, and the
Rev. John Jay remained. He soon began to miss a number of familiar
faces, while at the same time he observed, with great satisfaction, many
for whom he had heretofore looked in vain; some of them the young men
who had been induced to spend a social evening with him each week in his
study, and among them was Guy Gorton.
Upon inquiry he found that brother Smith, as leader of the movement, had
decided to worship God in a room of "their own hiring, where there was
no young boy to teach them their duty."
As the croakers went out, the young people flocked in, and never did
Fourth street church witness such a revival as during that winter. Side
by side were found gray-haired parents and their children seeking to
learn of Jesus' love, and many a heart that had long resisted all other
influence, was led by youthful pleading to forsake sin and turn to
Christ. Old and young were secretly drawn together in the bonds of
Christian love and sympathy. Even the Association became a family
gathering at which the young people did the work and entertained the
older folks, they, good, simple souls thinking there never were such
talented young men and women, and there never could be such a society as
the Association of Fourth street church. "But," they added, "all this
and much more, would never have been but for our dear, faithful pastor,
the Rev. John Jay."
[Illustration: Decoration]