IniUemorf &m $&, CfrwOmyveskv Stfe&joop B^9 Library of the University of North Carolina Endowed by the Dialectic and Philan- thropic Societies. '* -fSITp UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00042712920 This book must not be taken from the Library building. Form No. 471 I A TRIBUTE OF LOVE By courtesy of Mr. Edwin L. Brown. Jr., of the Brown Book Company, Asheville, there has come into our hands a neat little booklet entitled "In Memory of Rev. Charles Wesley Byrd, D. D." This is really a tribute of love, "published as a memorial to their beloved pas- tor by the members of Central Methodist Church, Asheville, North Carolina.*' Thus it is dedicated as the expression of that peculiar love which only a congregation feels for a pas- tor who has given long years of service in a rich and helpful ministry. The little booklet contains a tribute written by Rev. TV. L. Sher- rill^ giving the salient facts of his ministerial life, together with a beautiful and discrimina- ting estimate of his character as a minister and leader. It contains also a reprint of the prayers from the church bulletin as prepared from week to week by Dr. Byrd through sev- eral months prior to his death. As an expression of holy sentiment and 1 »f ty emotion and desire these prayers have hardly been excelled in all the rounds of sacred litera- ture. Altogether, as the expression of a holy gevition on the part of the congregation which enjoyed his ministry so much and who valued him in his capacity as a great spiritual leader, it is as the box of precious ointment in the home at Bethany. This book was not printed with any commer- cial end in view, but simply as a memorial, yet there are a few copies which may be had by addressing the Brown Book Company, Ashe- ville, N. C, inclosing 15 cents. CENTRAL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH praters OF ftew Qbarles TJPesle? B?r&, IXD, REPRINTED FROM BULLETINS OF CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH JUNE 10, 1917, TO JANUARY 13, 1918 TRIBUTE BY REV. WILLIAM L. SHERRILL SECRETARY OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE PUBLISHED AS A MEMORIAL TO THEIR BELOVED PASTOR BY THE MEMBERS OF CENTRAL METHODIST CHURCH ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA REV CHARLES WESLEY BYRD. D.D. A TRIBUTE TO THE LATE REV. CHARLES WESLEY BYRD, D.D. BY WILLIAM L. SHERRTLL WITH such abundant material at hand it is difficult to compass within limited space the many noble traits which enriched the character of the late Rev. Charles Wesley Byrd, D.D., who served for so many years as the pastor of Central Church. He was born on March 23rd, 1858, in Harnett County, N. C, son of J. A. and Caroline Byrd. In youth he joined the Methodist Church, for he early learned to fear the Lord. He was educated at Jonesboro High School, the University of Xorth Carolina and Vanderbilt Uni- versity. Then in December, 1882, at Raleigh, he was admitted on trial into the Xorth Carolina Conference and has served the following charges : 1883— Scotland Neck. 1884-86— Morehead City. 1887-89— First Church, Salisbury. 1890— Hav Street, Favetteville. 1891-92— Central Church, Asheville. 1893— Presiding Elder, Shelby District. 1894-96— Presiding Elder, Asheville District 1897-99— Central Church, Asheville. 1900 — Settle Memorial, Owensboro, Ky. 1901-04— First Church, Atlanta, Ga. 1905-06— St. John's, Augusta, Ga. 1907-10— West End, Nashville, Tenn. 1911-12— Central Church, Asheville. 1913-16— West Market Street, Greensboro. 1917-18— Central Church, Asheville. During this long period he was Presiding Elder for four years and Station Preacher for thirty-two years. His field of activity was scattered over five annual Confer- ences, viz : the North Carolina, Western North Carolina, Louisville, North Georgia, and Tennessee, in which he served in succession, many leading churches of the Con- nection, distinguishing himself uniformly, as a con- scientious pastor, an able minister of the Word, and a wise and zealous leader of the hosts of Israel. During his pastorate in Salisbury, he was married to Miss Hattie Bobbitt, daughter of the late Rev. Dr. William H. Bobbitt, of blessed memory, and he found in her a stay and support during the remaining years of his pil- grimage. She still survives, with the only son, William Bobbitt Byrd, now in the service of his country, in the Aviation Corps. Dr. Byrd had just entered hopefully upon the second year of his fourth term as pastor of Central Church, seem- ingly in usual health, when the New Year (1918) began. He held the mid-week prayer service on Wednesday even- ing, January the second, and then made a pastoral call before returning to the parsonage. Before the morning dawned^ however, he was mortally stricken, and in a few hours his pure spirit was released to wing its flight to the eternal home. His people were broken-hearted, not only because "a mighty man and a Prince in Israel" had fallen, but because the shepherd of the flock, one whom they loved as a leader and leaned upon as a friend, had been suddenly called away. He departed as he ofen wished he might, in the midst of active service, for he went literally from labor to re- ward. The mortal body was lovingly laid to rest in the bosom of the great mountains, in Riverside, near to the people whom he loved and to whom he had ministered so long and faithfully. He possessed strong native intellect and took the full advantage of splendid school opportunities, so that when he came to the pastorate he was richly furnished in mind and heart for his holy task. The studious habits of his youth were continued to the very end of his life, and his mental vigor increased with the years, so that his wide and varied knowledge, stamped him, in his latter days, as a man of very broad culture. He was a brilliant man without vanity, a scholar without pedantry, a churchman without bigotry, a saint without fanaticism, and so sincerely sympathetic that he held as '"with hooks of steel" the many friends of all classes and conditions, whom he attracted by his gentle and magnetic manner. His genuine warm-heartedness, his cheerful good humor, his human-interest spirit, his thorough familiarity with Biblical and all polite literature, joined with his charming conversational gifts, made him a most com- panionable man. He had a rich Christian experience. u His conversa- tion was in heaven." His words were verily seasoned with salt, and he steadily grew in grace and in knowledge and in capacity for usefulness to the very last day of his life. With all his tenderness and sympathy for others he also possessed a quality of courage which knew no fear and a strength of endurance which conquered opposition. He had deep and fixed convictions about everything worthwhile. He never preached to please the multitude and never fawned in the presence of power. He never flinched or faltered when duty called, and all men knew where to find him when moral standards were assailed. He never sought position or looked with favor on any- one who did, and all the honors which ever came to him were but commands to take up tasks for which he was prepared. "His life was gentle ; and the elements So mixed in him, that nature might stand up And say to all the world : this is a man." He loved his church and gave it his best service. He was a true disciple of Wesley, and an able defender of the doctrines of Arminianism, but withal he was so broad in his sympathies and so tolerant of the faith of others, that men of all communions were his friends. He loved to preach and was a preacher whom the peo- ple gladly heard, for he was not only a man of ripe scholar- ship, but his heart overflowed with love for God and man. Then, too, his rich vocabulary, his clear enunciation, his keen spiritual perception, his vivid imagination, his fervid eloquence and his logical presentation of the truth, all crowned with a deep yearning for the lost, made him a very powerful and popular preacher, and the Lord won- derfully blessed his labors, as evidenced by the record that in nearly every charge he served, the church was strength- ened by substantial additions on profession of faith. He not only loved to preach, but it was his joy to assist his brethren in meetings, and while generally bur- dened with the heavy duties of a city pastorate, he never seemed too busy to aid a preacher in revival work in a country church or struggling mission. Being warned a little while ago that he was working too hard and that he should conserve his strength for lengthened service, he re- plied that an invitation to preach was a call to duty, and however physically unfit he might feel, he hesitated to refuse to obey what might be a command of the Spirit. He did not do his work in perfunctory fashion, when he preached he stood forth as the prophet of God with a full consciousness of the terrible responsibility, and when he visited a family, his aim was to leave a holy influence behind him, and it was his rule to pray with his people. Sometimes it was difficult to get the family together for prayer, and usually when such was the case, he would offer a brief parting petition with the company standing. His pastoral visits were benedictions long to be remem- bered by many who were under his watchful care. His public prayers were scriptural in expression, trans- parent in their simplicity, and uttered with such earnest- ness of faith that worshippers forgot the sordid things of the world and were lifted into a devout and serious frame. He loved his brethren and was by them loved and recognized as one of the wise leaders of the Conference. They made him President of the Conference Historical Society and of the Sunday School Board, and he was honored as a delegate to the General Conference of 1894 and 1898, and at our recent session at Asheville was elected to the forthcoming General Conference. He was a Trustee of Vanderbilt University and of several of our Conference Institutions. He loved his country and longed to go to the front to minister to the soldiers, but on account of age and phy- sical infirmity, it was not deemed expedient. He loved the struggling young preachers, and his kindly interest and tactful help was an inspiration and strength to many of them who needed and longed for the counsel and encouragement of older and wiser men. He was loved by the people in all the charges which he served, but he was best known and most loved by the people of Central Church to whom he had ministered in the Gospel as pastor and presiding elder for twelve years, or one-third of the full period of his ministerial life. This good man who so faithfully labored among us, we feel sure, has safely entered through the gates into that "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." "Servant of God, well done, Rest from thy loved employ; The battle fough, the victory won, Enter thy Master's joy." Charlotte, X. C, April 1, 1918. REPRINT FROM CHURCH BULLETIN JANUARY 6, 1918 THIS is a day of holy sorrow in Central Church. Our man of God has gone home. Not with sackcloth and ashes nor with emblems of dead hopes do we mourn. We know where he has gone for he has shown us the way. Hand in hand with his Master he walked the shining road and entered the gates of the city whose maker and builder is God. At the battle's front he fell. And thus the good soldier desired to go. Ofttimes he had asked that the end might be like this — that his marching orders might come in one clear call from the King. We knew him well. His life lies like an open book upon the altars of this city. So humble was he that few knew the vast breadth of his scholarship nor of the honors that his church and nation had heaped upon him. But all knew him as the unwearied friend of the lowly, the bearer of light to darkened windows, and the wise coun- sellor of men who were treading in perilous ways. The tears of bitterness flowing from stony griefs were sweet- ened by his words of comfort and the undefiled joys of life became radiant in his smile. Four times our pastor; forever our friend; an influence for good as eternal as the hills upon which our city stands. Little children stopped their play, boys and girls walked in silence, strong men and women laid down the accustomed task and the old sat bv saddened firesides. He pointed the way, took up his staff and started on. The journey is now done and he awaits us There. A mind unmarred by any littleness, a soul unblemished by any stain, a character as up right as the walls of heaven, a love — ah, there he was the strongest and best — a great follower of his Great Leader. Among the hills where he had so often seen the "trail- ing garments of the Most High" he walked with "a God, mighty to save and strong to deliver." Through blinding tears of love and gratitude we follow on. Hail and farewell, O Mighty Man of God. W PRAYERS OF REV. CHARLES WESLEY BYRD, D.D. Sunday, June 10th, 1917 Lord, make this day with its opportunities of rest and worship a day of great spiritual refreshment. Help us to put aside our worldly cares and come to Thee with open minds and receptive hearts so that we may go away from our place of worship with clearer vision, deeper spiritual insight, truer ideals of life, and renewed strength for the performance of its duties. Minister comfort to burdened, sorrowing hearts, pronounce within us the sentence of absolution that will bring peace to our anxious souls and hear and answer the agonizing cry that goes up from all hearts for a warring bleedins world. Sunday, June 17th, 1917 Loving Father, Thy Providence has supplied the needs of our bodies, and Thy grace has sustained our spirits during the work and temptations of another week. We are grateful to Thee for Thy love and care, but we need Thy pardoning mercy for we have sinned against Thee in more ways than we can recall. Have mercy upon us and pardon our offenses. Make us increasingly sensitive to the approaches of evil, that, turning away from it. we may turn to Thee with deeper devotion, and serve Thee with more perfect loyalty. Make the sen-ices of Thy house today useful to all who engage in worship with us. Let Thy love and Fatherly solicitude move the hearts of the unsaved, and lead Thy children to more perfect consecra- tion to the Redeemer that has washed and saved us by His blood. 11 Sunday, June 24th, 1917 Lord, help us to realize the sacredness of this day, and to enter upon the public worship in which we engage with becoming reverence and with that expectant faith which will fit us to receive the forgiveness of our sins, and that bestowment of grace which we need for the duties that await us in the coming days of this week. Endue Thy ministers everywhere with power that their preaching may awaken sinners and comfort and strengthen Thy children in all their toil and temptations. Grant special blessings to the visitors among us today, and make the worship of this hour an epoch in the life of at least some of them. Hear and answer the prayer that goes up from all our hearts for our country in this awful crisis, for the church of God that it may be increasingly loyal to Thee, and for the world that is torn with strife and engaged in war. Sunday, July 1st, 1917 Lord, we desire above all things to feel deeply our need of Thee, and of the gifts that Thou alone canst bestow, for Thou hast taught us that it is only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness that shall be filled. Send Thy spirit into our hearts to awaken in us a consciousness of our incompleteness without Thine indwelling presence. Come into our hearts, O Christ, and dwell there by faith till through this vital union of our weakness with Thy strength we, too, shall be strong: till by Thy transforming power we shall be freed from sin and made pure in heart, Christ-like in purpose, and Holy in all manner of con- versation. Sunday, July 8th, 1917 Search us, O Lord, and know us, and make us to know ourselves this morning with that knowledge which will produce in us a wholesome dissatisfaction with our spirit- ual attainments; then lead us to the Source of all our help. Give us that cheerful piety which will commend 12 our religion to all men. Let Thy special blessing be upon the stranger in our midst. Bless and comfort the sick who are in our city seeking health and help us this day, which is set apart especially to the consideration of the Good Samaritan Mission, to do that which Thou wouldst have us do. Make our worship today a season of great refresh- ment and so order it that we who are accustomed to wor- ship here together with visitors from other sections of our country, may be refreshed and brought close to Him who alone can save from the temptations that are incident to common life. Lead any unsaved one among us to sur- render his life to Christ this morning. Amen. Sunday, July 15th, 1917 Our Father, in Thy love, compassion and long- suffering, Thou hast borne with us another week. Thy sun has shone upon us, Thy rain has fallen, and Thy bounties have supplied all our needs. If there has been in any of us a spirit of complaint and repining we pray that the memory of Thy love and care may humble us and lead us to repentance. Minister to us today great Spiritual bless- ings, so that we may overflow all the week with Christ-like love and helpfulness . May those who abide with us under the same roof, and those who toil with us at the same task, see in our faces the light of Thy countenance and hear in our speech the ring of Thy voice. Give wisdom, patience, and patriotism to all the people of this our native land. Grant special blessings to those who administer its laws. Let those who interpret them have the help and guidance that Thou hast always given to devout, God-fearing men in even* land. Put Thy hand in a beneficent way into the Legislation that is now pend- ing in the American Congress. We know that Thy pres- ence and power can be traced in the currents of human history as well as in the starry skies. Protect and defend our Armies, and give them success against the enemies of human liberty and the oppressors of helpless women and children. 13 Lay upon our hearts Thy quieting hand in these times of anxiety and solicitude, and help us with confidence in Thy wisdom and grace to go to our daily tasks with the sweet assurance that Jesus Christ is still Head over all things to the Church. Amen. Sunday, July 22nd, 1917 Almighty God, Thou hast assured us again and again that Thou art love, but w T e do not even know what that means. We always feel our need of One greater and better than the best of us, therefore we feel after Thee praying for the manifestation of Thy presence. Our cry has often seemed to be in the darkness, but sometimes we have seen Thy face, heard Thy voice, and felt Thy touch. Help us to see Thee today in every blooming flower, and to hear Thy voice in every whispering breeze. Thy sanctuary is well known to all of us, but oh! how seldom we enter it. Thou art in the Christ and the Cross of His Redemption is ever accessible to us. To Him we turn our eager eyes today, and our hearts are filled with expectation. Surely Thou wilt not disappoint our look of trust, for the prayer of the simple has always reached Thy heart. Our plea is for pardon, our cry is, "O God, be merciful unto me, a sinner," and forgive us our transgressions and cleanse us from our sins. To this appeal, if made in penitence and sincerity, Thou hast only one reply; and may we be made to rejoice in a pardoning God. We know Thy mercy, and realize that there are tears in the very eyes of Thy judg- ment. We come not to Thy judgment this morning, but to Thy mercy and Thy compassion. We desire to stand be- fore the cross of the Saviour rather than before the throne of the Judge. We plead the mysterious blood and the wondrous sacrifice which no man can explain but which we all can feel, and which touches our hearts and awakens our love. Let none of us depart from this place without a blessing, but may the bounty of Thy house satisfy our hungry souls and may we go to our toils and temptations with the consciousness of Thy companionship and help. Amen. 14 Sunday, July 29th, 1917 We realize, O Father, that great and incomprehensible as Thou art Thou dost desire to hold fellowship with us, and to know that our hearts respond to that desire. It is a great thing to feel that there is something in us that Thou dost deem worthy to work along with Thee. Our sen-ice has no strength in it but Thou dost accept our desires to be strong. Thou knowest the impotence of our best efforts but Thou art always saying to us "Will thou be made whole?" Lord help us this morning in our worship to yield the one peculiar gift with which Thou hast endowed Us a willingness to be. If we are so earth-bound that we cannot work with Thee let us, at heart, wish with Thee. As we sit in Thy house today may our imaginations take wings and bring to us great etilaying and uplifting dreams for what we would do if we were only free. Help us here, in this holy place to plan for the race that is before us when we shall no longer linger in impotence and despair about the porch of Bethsaida. Show us the road of beneficence in which we have never walked, and let Thy Spirit point our hearts to those labors of love which Thou art waiting to enable us to perform. Kindle in us the desire, and accept it till such time as we shall perform the deed. Infold in us the beautiful fragrant flower of noble desire and cherish that flower till the fruit matures. Lord write in Thy book of remembrance that there waits before Thee today a con- gregation that desires to be made whole. Amen. Sunday, August 5 th, 1917 Almighty God, by love alone we can know Thee. Help us to send out our hearts after Thee and to come back with them all aglow with Thy Grace and pulsating with Thy life. The world to us has proven a great emptiness, its cup has been unsatisfying in the hour of our supreme need. But in Christ we have found the Bread for which we hunger and the Water for which we thirst. He is the cen- ter of our security and the Source of our peace. We open our hearts to Him today that He may restore and complete 15 our fellowship with God. We listen for the voices that are grand with the music of the time in which we have been lifted to the Mount of Transfiguration — voices that are tremulous with answers to our present needs. Make us willing to serve, patient to endure, alert to reach out a helping hand to the helpless, the sick and the tempted. Many among us are filled with sorrow and pain, some have been chilled with strange bereavement, and many are anxious for loved ones who are called to places of danger and death in the service of our country. Comfort such souls and make their sorrows the roots of an enduring joy. Amen. Sunday, August 12th, 1917 Loving Father, how shall we approach Thee today? We are deeply conscious that we dare not rely on our own merit, for we have been absorbed, during the week, in tasks that were sordid, in thoughts in which Thou hast had no place and we have been caught in the grip of material interests that have kept us back from the pursuit of Spirit- ual Ideals and the maintenance of fellowship with Thee. We are here to seek Thy pardon and to pray for that purity which will enable us to see Thee and that power which will fit us for the tasks before us and that wisdom that will direct us in all our duties. Make Thy word a source of comfort to Thy people today and clothe it with power to convert sinners and lead them into the Kingdom of God. Lay Thy loving hand upon the hearts of the vast numbers of young men that are being called to the colors of our country at this season. Help the church to successfully point them to Christ and lead them to enlist in the highest service before they go to the fields of conflict. Comfort the hearts of their kindred and friends from whom they must be separated in the service to which they are called. Give them courage to fight like heroes and crown with success their efforts to overthrow autocracy, militarism, and oppression. Let their lives be precious in Thy sight and save by Thy Grace those who shall fall on the field of conflict and those who are to return to their homes. Amen. 16 Sunday, August 19th, 1917 Almighty God, we would listen to the voice divine this morning and turn a deaf ear to all others. The varied music of other voices assail our ears; but may we detect in them the hollowness, the selfishness and the worldliness with which they are filled, and may our spiritual hunger and thirst cau^e us to turn to Him who said. "I am the bread of life, I am the water of life."' Thy goodness has preserved us. and Thy tender compassion has kept us. Thy love stooped to save us. Thy Son came to show us the way back to Thee and today we are the objects of Thy mercy. If Thy blessings are continued to us we shall never die. Help us to see Thy image in man, and then shall we know that we are indeed the temple of the Holy Ghost, and we shall welcome Him into our inner man and be sanctified and enlightened by His presence. We desire to carry the battle of life to triumph, but we can do this only through Thy pity and Thy love. May our medita- tions of Thee be sweet in Thy house today. We need Thee at all times, on the mountain top where the sun shines, and in the deep valley where all is dark. We need Thee in the heat of Summer and the cold of Winter. May Thy hand lead us through life's stress and storm and tempta- tion, till we reach the peace, the joy, and the security of Heaven. Amen. Sunday, August 26th, 1917 Loving Father, we need Thy help this morning more than usual. We have allowed worldly cares and secular interests to dominate us until we are not in the mood that ought to characterize us when we come into Thy house or undertake to engage in our accustomed worship. Forgive our sins and breathe into our hearts a spirit of worship and true devotion. We have not been suitably affected by the tragedies that are J)eing enacted in the world in which we live. They have not touched us in a very real way up to this time, but we know that we ought not to wait till our own homes are 17 draped in mourning till we awake to the awfulness of the things that are transpiring. God be merciful to us as individuals, visit us as families with Thy grace and saving power and look with favor upon the land in which we live. Spare our young men and forbid that they shall die upon the field of battle if it is possible that honorable, righteous and enduring peace can be restored to the world without this sacrifice; but while we make this plea we are deeply conscious that there are things worse than war and death, and if we know our own hearts we would lay on the altar of human liberty the fairest and best that we have if by doing so we can make our contribution to the peace that must ultimately come. Pour out Thy Spirit upon our soldiers, save them from sin, give them the courage of noble men and prepare them in heart and mind for all the events of Thy Providence. Amen. Sunday, September 2nd, 1917 Almighty God, our Father and our Saviour, we come to Thee empty-handed this morning. The cisterns that we have hewn out for ourselves are empty too, for they can hold no water. It has been difficult for us to learn this truth, but we know it now. There is no help for the individual, the state or nation, but in God. Our Wisdom has turned out to be folly, our state-craft has proven futile in the banishment of sin and wretchedness from society. Our diplomacy has failed to establish peace and maintain international comity. In our extremity we come to Thee renouncing our various inventions, and conscious of a great aggravated wickedness, we cast ourselves, just as we are, upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ uttering, each for himself, the prayer of the penitent publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner." To this prayer, if offered in sincerity, there can be but one answer. We are sure that Thou wilt bestow Thy pardon and Thy love and take us back into Thy service, bending down Thine ear to listen to Thy praises. We would give ourselves to Thy work with the zeal of genuine saints and with an expression of 18 our love, by doing Thy will with earnestness, simplicity, and Christian fidelity. Oh! how heavy are the burdens that we must bear! Help us to bear them. Our necessi- ties are more than we can enumerate. Supply them from Thy bounty. Lift our eyes up from the earth in which they grope for what this world can never supply and turn them into a constant prayer that will bring blessings from the all-hospitable heavens. Many hearts are cast down by ever-recurring distress. Lord, give comfort to these burdened hearts. Help those who are about to despair, and appear to them as a shining light, and let them turn again to their tasks with fresh courage and renewed strength. Be with us in our business, and save us amid our temptations. Our pathway is beset with sins and snares. We cannot go safely unless Thou wilt hold our hand and direct our steps till the journey is ended and we enter into Thv rest — the life eternal. Amen. Sunday, September 9th, 1917 Our Father, we want to be true Disciples of Jesus Christ, and learn with fidelity the lessons He teaches us. Help us to fix our eyes on the goal He has set for us. We know that He alone can reveal to us the true ideal. There is much pain and suffering in this world, and we must bear our part of them, but when Thy will points to the path that is crowded with thorns, help us to realize that it is only because flowers grow farther on. We would not shrink from sacrifice if it is necessary to cleanse Thy tem- ple. When sorrows come let us know that they are a part of Thy great plan to smooth the path of those who are to come after us. If we are called to walk in the road that leads to the poverty of the Manger help us to carry with us treasures richer than those offered by the wise men of old. Some times conditions drive slumber from our eyes and we are forced to keep watch in the night. At such times give us ears to hear with the Bethlehem Shepherds the Angels' song, When we are called to bathe in the chilly waters of the Jordan may we see over the head the open 19 Heavens and hear the Spirit's voice. There is no sacrifice that is too great for us to make if we can only realize that it is to prove a ministry of love that will issue in nobler, purer, sweeter life for succeeding generations. The yoke is indeed easy, and Thy burden is light when we are filled with the joy that Thou dost open up in the hearts of those who love Thee. We offer our prayer this morning for all men, but we make special intercession for those who have responded to the call of our Country in these trying days and are sub- jected to the hardships, temptations, and dangers of a soldier's life. Amen. Sunday, September 16th, 1917 Almighty God, help us to enter into Thy courts with praise for Thy great benefits, and into the secret place of Thy dwelling with a vision that has been made clear by Thy Spirit, so that we may behold Thy glory and get the inspiration of a great, new ambition, even the ambition to see Thee with hearts that have been purified, to love Thee with ever deepening love, to read Thy truth with clearer understanding, and to fulfil Thy purpose in all the ac- tivities of our daily life. Out in the work-day world we have been stung by pain, exhausted by toil, maddened by hunger, and overwhelmed with disappointment. These experiences drive us back to our Father's house, and we look up into Thy face and plead with Thee to abate the agony of our pain, to rehabilitate our exhausted energies, to appease our hunger with the bread of life, and to lift us up from the overwhelming burden of our disappointment. Let us hear from the voice of Thine own Spirit the answer of redemption rather than of judgment. Help us to take heart from the fact that tomorrow will come with new chances, new opportunities, and new openings into clearer light, nobler liberty, and higher service. Breathe into our souls the noble charity of Christ's own Spirit, and then we shall forgive our enemies, return good for evil and be filled with that abounding charity which is the highest manifestation of religion. Amen. 20 Sunday, September 23rd, 1917 God, our Father, we have once more turned our steps to this place of worship. We pray Thee to help us to lift this coming together above a mere conformity to custom. Let the preacher's sermon be a message of strength and inspiration from Thee. Let the hymns and prayers bring us into Thy very presence, and make the service of the house today more than an intellectual and aesthetic delight to all who gather here. We need to see Thy face and hear Thy voice, that we may go out from this place with renewed religious enthusiasm and fresh inspiration. Bless and sanctify all Thine appointed agen- cies to this end. We know that Thou art ready to forgive our sins, but we want to hear the voice of Thy Spirit pro- nounce the sentence of absolution which no earthly priest can utter, however devoted and consecrated to Thy service. Bless the homes in which we live and the families of which we constitute a part. Help us to be loving parents and obedient children. May our love be like Thine, O Father! and may our obedience be like that which Thy Son rendered to Thee. Open our ears to hear the call of the Spirit to return to Thy service if we have gone astray. Confirm in us our purpose to achieve high character and live unselfish lives. Fit us by Thy grace for the place we must occupy in the church and in the state. Continue, we pray Thee, to exalt our national ideals ■and help those who are called to official positions to formu- late them with clearness, force and precision, so that they may kindle in the hearts of our people a spirit of pure patriotism and sane solicitude for the peace and pros- perity not only of our own country but of all the world. Protect and defend our soldiers from the innumerable dangers, moral and physical, that are incident to their calling. Help them to lead clean manly lives, and bring back to their homes better and stronger men than when they went away; for we dare to ask that the discipline of war may purify and exalt the whole nation. Amen. 21 Sunday, September 30th, 1917 O God, our Father, Thy love has been extended to US day by day during another week, and we are here today waiting for the touch of Thy hand. We know that Thou dost look upon us in our sin and helplessness with a great yearning compassion. We have had our nights of weep- ing, but our tears have banished with the morning and Thou hast come to us with renewed tenderness and gentle ministry, so that our nights of weeping have proven the beginning of a better and brighter time. For all this we render to Thee hearty thanks, and with penitent hearts we plead for pardon — the pardon that comes to us through the suffering and intercession of Thy Son, our Saviour. Let Thy blessings and benefits, and especially the blessing of pardon fill, at least for a season, the whole horizon of our life, shutting out ever} 7 other consideration and destroying the light of every other attraction. Abide with us, loving Father, and Divine Son, and save us from the awful tragedy of sin which we are prone to renew with even 7 sunrise, and which we mourn with bitter- ness every sunset. Let the time speedily pass when we shall be bound by these fetters, and let the morning of our complete deliverance break upon us, when our hearts shall be pure enough to see Thee, when we shall rise in the nobleness of moral freedom, and when we shall be radiant with the Spiritual illumination which is caught from un- broken fellowship with the Sun of Righteousness. Remember in great mercy our sick ones at home, soothe and comfort the old man dying, fill with comfort the young mother pining, put Thy strong protecting arms about the little child that he may be safe and in due time come to positions of high service and noble consecration. Seek out by Thy Spirit the Prodigal out of our reach, so far away in the far country that he is beyond the range of every good influence save the far-reaching mercy of Thy love. Take under Thy constant, loving care our soldiers and sailors and let Thy mercy go out with them and Thy blessing fall upon them according to their need. 22 Bless the land we love, give wisdom to all our executive Officers and legislators, and teach our judges wisdom and mercy. Prosper the honest endeavors of all business men and laborers, and let them eat the bread of plentifulness with clean hearts and unstained hands. Some of us see the shadows of the evening of life lengthen. Tomorrow we shall be gone. May our going be to the radiant country, the verdant land, the sweet para- dise, the unending summer. Amen, Sunday, October 7th, 1917 O Lord, our Saviour and Friend, Thou didst enter into our experiences and we desire to enter into Thine. We know that Thou didst become a partaker of our nature and subject Thyself to supreme human suffering that Thou tnightest sympathize with us. We cannot sympathize with Thee without living Thy life. We must partake of Thy sorrows if we would understand them so that they may move our hearts and transform our lives. And while we stand awed and shrinking at the gates of Thy Gethsemane, help us to enter in and learn its meaning. We have not felt the pain of the world's sin as Thou didst in the Gar- den, and therefore we have tolerated and condoned it in our lives and in the lives of others. Lord, make each one of us to feel its horror, and then we shall not, like the Disciples, sleep away the hour of privilege and come to our great trial unprepared. We would enter into Thy Galilee with all its wonderful experience of joy and triumph as well as of pain and disappointment, but in order to enter into Thy Galilee we must go with Thee through Thy Samaria where we shall learn something of Thy weariness, thirst and hunger. Help us to wait at the well this morning and then shall we be able to blend our griefs with Thine, and experience that great compassion for sinners that called forth Thy wonderful words to the woman of Sychar. We plead this day, and even- day, that we may do Thy work with efficiency, suffer Thy will with patience, and learn to know the real significance of that 23 atoning sacrifice which is found at the heart of all Thy words and works. Amen! Sunday, October 14th, 1917 Almighty God, we dare to besiege Thine ear with un- ceasing prayer, for our wants never end, and when Thou hast granted our request for today we are still unsatisfied, and experience the joyous pain of Spiritual hunger, and the welcome, grateful fire of Spiritual thirst. We pray that this hunger may bring us again to the bread of a Father's table and that our thirst may drive us to the river of God. We do not seek satisfaction for that would prove an insuperable barrier to progress. We pray for deliver- ance from dissatisfaction, for that would paralyze our efforts. But we do welcome the state of being unsatisfied for that will stimulate our longing to be more Christly in character, more active in service, and more devout in wor- ship. We want to experience a continued growth of our soul's life, an unceasing expansion of our Spiritual ca- pacity, a perpetual yearning after the boundless and un- attainable, while Thou dost minister to us according to our necessity, capacity and aspiration. We offer to Thee humble praise for all Thy tender mercies and loving kindness. Receive these praises. Thou art above and beyond our song even as the light is far beyond the birds which sing in its luster. We dare not restrain our song, feeble and halting though it be, for we feel that Thy mercy will respond to it and kindle the glow of Thy love in our cold, unfeeling hearts. Thou knowest our need. Thou seest our hands hang' down in impotence, our heads confused with bewilderment, and our hearts burning with unsatisfied longing. We are conscious of our poverty and sin, and we trust that we are really penitent. Thy grace has richly provided for all our sad conditions, and we know that the blackness of our life is still amenable to the blood of Christ. Day by day we grow older. May we become better. W T e have written so little of real significance upon the flying days, and for 24 sortie of us our opportunities of usefulness Will soon be" gone. Help us to rise and work while it is called today, and ere the sun goes down may we do something that will proclaim a high purpose and a noble resolve. Amen! Sunday, October 21st, 1917 Almighty Father, we approach Thee in the name of Him, through whoin alone we may hope to find access to Thy mercy and Grace. For our sins and shortcomings we lead His merit, making mention of no good thing that we ave done or attempted to do, for we know that our best deeds deserve nothing at Thy hands. We live because Thy compassion never fails. Thy pity alone can explain the continuance of our days, and the yearning love of Thy great heart calls forth our praises. We wish to make our very breathing a song of praise for Thy care and love and our lives a perpetual sacrifice unto Thee. Thou hast declared Thy counsels concerning us in the simple and tender words of Thy gospel. May these loving counsels of Thine find a willing, ready response in our hearts and in our activities. The passion of our thank- fulness is great and we come into Thy court with loud, sweet songs that well up from hearts fired with love and gratitude. We would lift these songs high above the winds of passion and strife that rage about us and within us. We make our best effort to put Ourselves and all that is dear to us in Thy hands, saying "send us what seemeth best in Thy sight." If the light fall upon us from Thine own face we will welcome it and greatly rejoice, but if it be Thy will that great darkness should, for a time, make our way fearful we will not murmur, but wait patiently for the coming for the promised day. Only let Thy Holy Spirit abide with us and keep us, and there will be light within and Heaven's own calm will fill our souls. Help us all to do our work with both hands diligently. Establish us in righteousness and fill us with the expecta- tion of a faith that will never sink into despair. Thwart all the counsels of the wicked in church, state and nation* 25 and bring to naught all their deliberations of malice, hatred and revenge. Have compassion on our enemies whether personal or National, and help us to rise above all temptations of littleness, meanness, envy and hatred. Our ever-darkening guilt calls for the constant application of the blood of jesus Christ and for a never-failing vision of His cross lifted above the clouds. Amen! Sunday, October 28th, 1917 Loving Father, we come to Thee once more with our praise and thanksgiving for what Thou hast done for us. All our blessings have come from Thee and we desire to trust all to Thee. We can never hope to understand the mystery of our being with all its varied experiences, but in our seasons of agony and pain we catch glimpses of the greatness of Thy purpose in causing us to pass through fiery trials. In times like these may our vision be cleared so that we can still trace Thy hand in all that is trans- piring in this bleeding, agonizing world. Thou art con- stantly opening up to us ever enlarging spheres of service and sacrifice. We know that this means great glory and honor if we have the courage and consecration to enter in and do the work and make the sacrifice to which Thou dost call Us. We are all Thy children, and Thou knowest our whole story. We know that we shall not be left with- out a friend for Thy name is Love. We sometimes wonder Why we are here, but when we experience the mystery of the patience which Thou hast sometimes wrough within us, we are content to abide in our little spheres, saying, "Not my will, but Thine be done." Lord, Thou hast bestowed upon us, as a nation, multi- tudinous wealth. Help us to use it for Thy glory. We realize that our wonderful resources and our great accu- mulations have betrayed us, as a people, into great self- indulgence and into habits of luxuriousness, that have been sapping Our manhood and destroying our morality. We face conditions today in our National and individual life that bring to us a great opportunity to rehabilitate by 26 sacrifice and service the physical, moral, and spiritual manhood of the Nation. Help us to see our opportunity, give to us dreams that are inspired, and flash upon us visions that gleam in the light of Thy countenance. We dare not sink into despair, but in the strength that Thou alone canst impart we would gird ourselves for the conflict, for it is worth while to fight all the battle and endure all sorrow, that at the end we may feel the peacefulness of peace and the restfulness of rest. We offer all our praise and prayer in Christ's name. Amen. SunSAy, November 4th, 19117 Lord, in the course of Thine earthly ministry Thoii didst experience the depression and disappointment of faded hope. We are glad that Thou didst enter into this experience too; for this is an ever-recurring experience of our own lives. And withered hopes are worse than withered flowers, for withered flowers have fulfilled their mission, and drop away in the natural course of nature, but hope's fulfilment has never come. Our ideal dreams have faded from our vision and left us in depression and deep bereavement. It cheers us to know that Thou hast shown us the crossing of this river too. Great indeed would have been the blank if Thy thoughtfulness and care had failed us here. Thou wast tempted in all things and Thou didst not forget to enter into those innumerable tempta- tions of our withered dreams. Blighted hopes for our- selves, our children and our friends are no unfamiliar experience to the most successful of us. Let the memory that Thy blighted hopes did not wither Thy heart, cheer us and enable us to keep our hearts fresh and green. As we contemplate the fading of Thy hope ours is enlarged, for we learn that the moment of disappointment may be a Divine moment fraught with highest interests and con- training the inspirations of noblest ideals. We make intercession this morning for the sick and sorrowing everywhere, for our country, with all the dan- gers that threaten it, for our President and all officials 27 both high and low, that they may have the guidance of Thy Spirit, the courage that springs from a lofty idealism and the hope that is born of faith in God. Remember especially, in great mercy and tenderness, our sons and daughters that are enlisted in the dreadful war into which our country has been drawn. Hasten the coming of honor- able peace, defeat, if it be Thy will, all the purposes and plans of oUr enemy and give Us success in Our efforts to achieve victory for the ideals that we believe are in har- mony with the will of God. Pour out Thy Spirit in rich abundance upon the Church of God, make its membership humble in heart, Christly in character, and holy in all manner of conversa- tion. Amen. Sunday, November 11 Tit, 1917 Lord, we are gathered in Thy house today and are ask- ing the question, "What are we here for?'* The answer that comes is, "To be fitted for a place in the ranks of Thine army." We crave for ourselves Thy best robe, be- cause we know that it is the soldiers' robe. We need a true Military spirit — the spirit that banishes fear. That spirit is the spirit of love, and it alone can fit us for our seasons of waiting. Lord, it is the silence and not the con- flict which makes us tremble with fear. We have some- times thought that if we could be freed from the allure- ments of the world and escape its scenes of temptations, we might dispense with the soldiers' garb, but when we have tried it we have still felt the need of our armor; for the scene of the most trying temptation is within us, and we have fought our bitterest battles in the silent field of our inner nature. It is when we stand face to face with self that we most need Thy grace and power. The ap- plause of the multitude oftentimes makes sacrifice easy, but when the multitude is gone, when the spectators have withdrawn, and we see no banners and hear no trumpets, but are alone, then it is that we need the armor of God. When in the darkness we are alone with our own erring 28 souls, we need the armor that can withstand the great battle where there fights but one. The sword is for our seasons of solitude, the spear is for life's great silences, the helmet is for the hours that we are called to spend in the hermitage. We need quickening for our periods of silence, we must be fortified for the fireside, strengthened for the study and inspired for the inland calm as well as for the storm-tossed main. Clothe us with Thy might, lead us with Thine own hand, and save us in Thy kingdom for Christ's sake. Amen. Sunday, November 18th, 1917 Lord, we would approach Thee this morning filled with the sense of our great need, seeking the golden gate into that perfection for which our hearts are hungry. Some- times we have dared to think of our own virtues and to imagine that we had some light of our own but this has been when we have compared ourselves with others like us. When we have stood in the dazzling light of the Sun of Righteousness our little flickering candle has been eclipsed and become invisible. At seasons like this, de- pression has thrown its shadow over us, and we have wept because of our imperfections, but our weeping has been a glorious weeping and our tears have turned out to be happy tears, for they have had in them the rainbow of higher hopes and worthier aspirations. Lord consume our self- complacency with the fire of Thy judgment, and while we stand dumb before the whiteness of Thy holiness, help us to rejoice that our little torch is extinguished by Thy glory, and that our faded colors are exposed by the light of a love that encompasses us with its beneficent atmosphere. Speak to us this morning by the voice of Thy spirit and we shall be strengthened for the conflict that is before us. Gird us with Thy power and we shall enter into the battle that we must fight with the confidence and courage that will bring victor}- over all the foes of our spiritual nature. Let the experience that shall come to us this day be such as shall leave upon our characters a permanent impression 29 of holiness. Set us apart afresh for service and sacrifice that those of us whom Thou hast called into the sacred office of the Ministry may go away from this place con- scious of quickened energy and renewed powers. May the experiences through which we are passing as a nation purify our social life, deepen our spirituality and cause us to rely more firmly upon Thy grace and power. Amen. Sunday, November 25 th, 1917 Almighty God, we call this Thy day, we are here to study Thy book, and to bow in homage and expectation at Thy altar. We sing to Thee with our tongues and speak to Thee with our lips, but in the hidden places of our heart there are desires that can never find expression in either song or prayer. But, Lord, Thou canst hear even our unuttered desires. We feel the burden of our guilt and the sting of that remorse that would render life intolerable but for the expectation that Thy spirit inspires within us — the expectation that we shall be more than satisfied by the rich provisions that Thou hast made for us in the cross. Thy mercy has been tender and Thy kindness con- stant and loving. We lift up our hearts and voices in praise to Thee for them. We can never understand the mystery of Thy power by which we have been brought into being, nor can we fathom the mystery of Thy providence by which we have been preserved; and the mystery of Thy grace by which we are being saved is infinitely beyond our comprehension. We can neither understand the present, passing, dying moment, nor can we forecast the future, but we know Thee and are willing to leave ourselves in Thy hands, for Thou hast gathered the lambs of Thy flock in Thy arms and hast led the flock up the steep places and caused Thy loved ones to lie down in green pastures. Thou hast opened up wells for us even in the wilderness and caused the stars to shine upon us in the darkness. We find ourselves in great perplexity, and we some- times stare through blinding tears into an unknown future, but our very tears are intended to clear our vision and 30 enable us to see the hidden beaut}- of Thy movement and the sacred grandeur of Thy purpose. Knowing this, we would rest in Thee. O God, and wait patiently for the re- ward that Thou hast in store for them that trust Thee. Make us to realize how swiftly and silently the years are stealing away, and how rapidly some of us are coming to responsibility, some to maturity, and others to old age. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Forgive our sins, we pray, in the name of the one Life, the one Death, the one Blood, the one Priesthood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen, Sunday, December 2nd. 1917 Gracious Father, we need Thee today and even- day, but this is the day set apart for our moral and spiritual education, because it is the day set apart for the reading of Thy word and the offering of prayers at a throne of grace. We desire to come to Thee in a spirit of penitence and humility. In the estimate that we have set upon our- selves we have often pitched our tents dangerously close to the Pharisee, we dare not claim anything for ourselves. Humility knows not that it is humble, and only the egotist thinks of his own spiritual attainments. The good man is unconscious of his goodness as is the rose of its per- fume. Lord, we yearn for unconscious goodness, for we know that this alone can commend us to Thee. We want to know that we love Thee, O Christ, but only as we know that we love those that are dear to us here and for whom sacrifice and service are the joy of life. When we think we are good we may be worse than the drunkards and harlots as were the Pharisees in the days oi our Sa- viour's earthly ministry. Help us to not only remember the tender words of Christ but may we also dwell upon His terrible words. Teach us the subtlety- of our temptations. Save us from the deadly sin of self-righteousness. As we approach Thy table today help us to approach it in peni- tence lest there come to us a rude awakening when Christ 31 shall say, "I never knew you." When the man of the streets tells us that we are no better than our rude, un- cultured neighbor from the slums may we ponder his mes- sage, for though unordained is language, plain as that of John the Baptist may have in it the sting and boldness of that great prophet. Let us be suitably affected by the teachings of Christ on the subject of sin and may our hearts break as we medi- tate upon His word. Then shall we be prepared to hear His tender appeal and His gracious invitation. We would do Thy will so that we may know Thy truth and enter into fellowship with Thee. Remember, protect and purify our sons that bear arms in the war in which we are engaged. Turn their thoughts to Christ and save them in the midst of the temptations through which they are passing. Forget not Thy church but purify it, exhalt it, and intensify its influence for Christ's sake. Amen. Sunday, December 9th, 1917 Almighty God, we belong to Thee, for Thou hast cre- ated us by Thy power and preserved us by Thy provi- dences, but Thy sovereign right to us has not always won our love and led us to a full recognition of Thy rightful claims, but when we have rebelled against Thy will and resisted Thy authority, Thou hast condescended to give us such a manifestation of Thy love and solitude through the mercy and grace secured to us through the gift of Thy Son that the very contemplation of it moves us to respond to the silent appeals of Thy spirit for service and sacrifice. So we come this morning moved by no external constraint, but impelled by that love which makes us long to give our- selves to Thee in a service that has in it no element of slavery, but which is the exercise of the highest and sweetest liberty. We pray for a deep realization of that possession of us which will fill us with a desire to consecrate all our capacities and powers to Thee, and cause us to realize the richness of our inheritance of high fellowship, perfect 32 safety, inestimable treasures of grace, and immortal life that are involved in the mutual indwelling of Christ in us and us in Christ. Give wisdom and guidance to the President of the Na- tion. Help him to cling with ever-deepening devotion to the lofty principles of generosity and justice that he has just proclaimed in his message to our National Legislature, to which are committed the interests of a great nation that Thou hast so abundantly blessed, but which, in Thy provi- dence, is called upon to make great sacrifices of blood and treasure for the maintenance of these principles. Help us to trust in Thee, and so consecrate ourselves to Thee as a Nation, that Thou wilt continue to spread above us Thy protecting care, give success to our armies, shield our soldiers from harm and danger, and shape them, by the discipline through which they are passing, into men of moral strength and spiritual power. Comfort and strengthen the hearts of those families whose sons and loved ones have been called into the ser- vice of their country. Find Thy way into the homes and hearts of those who sit under the shadow of bereavement, and minister to such the comfort and consolation which the kindest and the most considerate of human friends can never bestow. Make the services of Thy house this morning especi- ally helpful and refreshing to the weary anxious spirits that are here to be fed. To this end bestow a blessing of power and spiritual perception upon him who shall preach the word today. Amen. Sunday, December 16th, 1917 Almighty Father, we have hewn us out cisterns but they hold no water. And our efforts at independence have been sad indeed, and our dependence upon man has been as disappointing as our self-dependence, and we are re- motely conscious, at least, that there is no help for us, either as individuals, or as a nation, but in the living God, the loving Saviour. We want to surrender to Thee, and 33 we do here and now renounce the various inventions on which we have dared to rely, and come to Thee empty- handed, feeling our burden of sin, conscious of our aggra- vated wickedness, and cast ourselves upon the atoning merits of Jesus Christ. When we have done this heretofore we have found Thee ready to pardon, and when we have said each for himself, ''God be merciful unto me a sinner," Thy answer has al- ways been an answer of love. When we have grieved Thee and felt ashamed to ap- proach Thy throne of grace Thou hast brought us back to Thy side, and we have dared to take part in Thy praise and to become active once more in Thy sendee. Lord, we are tired of sin this morning. It has never satisfied the longings of our hungry hearts, so with earnestness, sim- plicity and humble trust would we gird ourselves for the work that lies before us, and with burning zeal, constant love, and unwavering faith, would we do Thy will. The necessities of life are indeed great and as numerous as the moments but Thou canst supply them all. We lift up our life which is a great crying want to the all-hospitable heaven till it shapes itself into a great appealing prayer. We refuse longer to grope on earth for that which earth can never supply. We have our burdens and shall con- tinue to have them, no doubt, but we shall forget them as we experience that increase of strength which Thy spirit waits to supply. Cast our sins behind Thee, make duty a great delight, and life a glowing sacrifice. Guide the per- plexed, sooth those who are worn out by daily distress, save the despairing who think that they have knocked at every door, and shed upon them that glorious light which will reveal to them Thy great deliverance. Guide us in our business and help us to realize that Thy loving hand is upon us every step of the journey. Hear the agonizing cry that goes up from some of our hearts for loved ones that are subjected to the dangers that are incident to a soldier's life. Bring them back to us in safety, if it be Thy will, if not, accept the sacrifice which we make for the world's good. Amen. 34 Sunday, December 23rd, 1917 Almighty Father, let us hear Thee speak to us today, for the music of Thy voice and the tenderness of Thy tones bring peace to our listening hearts. We want to stand in the broad light of a boundless day. We can do this only through faith in Christ who disperses the clouds of sadness and intolerable depression that settle down upon us in a time like this. While we celebrate the advent of Thy Son, who came to save us from our sins, let us experience the plentitude of His redeeming power. Help us to receive Him as the weary, watching soul receives the light for if we receive Him thus He will bring to us rest, security and peace. We hear the call of strange, new duties. May we be prepared for them by the inspiration of rekindled hopes. May there be a rebirth every day in our hearts of the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, and may they become the Bethlehem of His incarnation. Dwell in us, O, Christ, inspire our service, and make our lives the sphere of Thy illuminating and redeeming ministry. We give ourselves to Thee to be used as seemeth best to Thee. Send us where Thou wouldst have us go, give us such prosperity or such adversity and chastening, as will bring out the best that is in us; for we will welcome adversity, poverty and dis- appointment if these are necessary to establish Thy king- dom in our hearts. Pity this smitten, bleeding world in its distress, restore peace if it be Thy will to its warring nations, protect and defend our country and our loved ones in the danger that threatens them. Amen. Sunday, December 30th, 1917 O God our Father, we have come to the last Sunday of another year. It has taken us into strange, new experiences, but amid all Thy goodness has supplied all our needs, and Thy grace has been richly ministered to us. We have felt the hand of discipline, but in all we have been able to trace a Father's love. Thou art training us for new duties and 35 responsibilities. Thou art equipping us for larger service, greater firmness in our resistance of temptation, and greater courage in the dangers and crises of life. We are grateful to Thee for this fatherly discipline. Help us to love all men, and give to us those spiritual graces which will make us strength to the weak, hope to the despondent, joy to the sorrowing, and power to the tempted. Give us a fresh baptism of Thy spirit with which to enter upon the New Year which is just before us. We await the touch of that hand that brings healing to our diseased spirits, and listen for that voice which allays our fears and quiets our anxieties. Lord, bless our country in the hour of its trial, and help those who direct our govern- ment to solve with wisdom the problems which confront them. Protect our army and the armies of our Allies while they fight for the principles of human liberty. Comfort the hearts of all who have given sons, husbands, or loved ones to this great world conflict. Come into the hearts of our soldiers and dwell there, thus preparing them for any event of Thy providence. Amen. Sunday, January 6th, 1918 O God, we know Thou art the God of light, liberty, love and life, and we ask Thee to illumine our hearts, and send us forth to the duties of this new day and new year with the joy of faith, the gladness of obedience welling up in our hearts, and with a vision of truth and duty that will equip us for better service. Thou hast given us the sublime and awful gift of the freedom of the will. Make us to know the responsibility that is involved in this endowment. And help us to realize that our will is ours that we may make it Thine, and may enter into the highest liberty by becoming AMEN! (These are the last words penned by Dr. Byrd, found on his study desk. He left the task unfinished and has "entered into the highest liberty.") 36 Sunday, January 13 th, 1918 "Our Father, we so often address our prayers to Thee feeling that Thou art in some remote place which we call heaven, but sometimes we realize that Thou art with us and even in us. Make this realization peculiarly vivid today as we unite in our accustomed worship. We need a God that is near at hand and whose ears are always open to our cry. We are sinners, though we are trying to trust the merit of our Divine Saviour, that we may be cleansed from our sins, consecrated to Thy service, and endued with great spiritual power. This is our hope for usefulness here and for a blessed immortality hereafter. If we know our own hearts we cannot be satisfied with bare salvation but we long to rise to heights of usefulness and service that will bring honor to Thy name, advance the Kingdom of which we are subjects and the family of God of which we are members. Let our hymns of praise and our prayers all have in them the inspiration of Thy spirit. Make all our worship today so sincere, simple and fervent that all hearts shall feel its influence and have upon them an abiding impres- sion. Awaken the indifferent, bring those who waver to a decision for Thee, and help us all to hear Thy call to a deeper and more effective Christian life. Amen!" (This prayer was written by Dr. Byrd several weeks ago and laid away to be used at some future time). 37