Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and WorkAlexander, Gross
Religion
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work
Alexander, Gross
Holcombe, Steve P., 1835-; Methodists -- United States -- Biography
My dear brethren, in the Mission work, we must remember that all who
have ever done any mighty work for God have been trained for it, and
trained slowly. Moses, you remember, when he was going to his work down
in Egypt, commenced killing people. He was the great chieftain, and was
going to deliver his brethren by killing his enemies. This was not the
way God wanted it done. God saw that there was good material in Moses,
and that He could use him, but he must be trained. So He sent him away
to the solitudes of Horeb and Sinai, and kept him there forty years.
Then when God called him to go down and bring His people out, he had
learned the lesson God wanted him to learn, had gotten down in the dust,
was humbled, and he said: "Who am I, Lord?" Moses had gotten more of the
Holy Ghost. The more we get of the Holy Ghost the closer we get to God.
The more we see of Him, and the more we see of God, the less we think of
ourselves; the more insignificant we become in our own eyes.
The Twelve had a grand work to do, but they were slowly trained for it.
So, then, let us young converts, whose work God has honored and blessed,
be very careful how we magnify ourselves, and underrate the regular
ministry. These men are doing a noble work in their respective fields,
and they are just as ready and willing to take hold of the poor outcast
as we Mission workers are.
There are preachers who are occupying pulpits, where they are getting
twenty-five hundred or three thousand dollars a year, and they are doing
just as much to save poor drunkards as we ignorant, humble Mission
workers are.
You who were at the Chicago Convention last year remember what Dr.
Lawrence told us about taking one of these poor, wretched drunkards to
his beautiful home; how, notwithstanding he was full of vermin, he had
him take a bath, burned his clothes, put clean ones on him, gave him a
bed and took care of him as a brother. I tell you, my friends, I was
touched by that story as well as taught a valuable lesson. I know of
many instances of the same kind that I might tell.
You remember Dr. John A. Broadus, a well-known Baptist minister in
Louisville. I know him well. He has been one of my best friends. Not
very long before I left home, a drunkard came to the Mission and showed
me a note from Dr. Broadus, saying: "This man has called on me for help.
I do not like to give him any money, as he is under the influence of
liquor. Give him whatever you think best, and I will settle the bill." I
asked the man, as I knew him well: "How did you happen to go to Dr.
Broadus?" "Because I had heard so many say that he had helped them." I
gave him nothing. My friends, we must not underrate the willingness of
the preachers to help the poor outcast, for they are much interested in
their very welfare.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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