large/4379/acres_of_diamonds_1008_librivox_64kb_mp3/acresofdiamonds_06_conwell_64kb_104
large/4379/acres_of_diamonds_1008_librivox_64kb_mp3/acresofdiamonds_06_conwell_64kb
English
4379
"And it was there in Lexington, in 1879, that I determined to become a minister. I had a good law practice, but I determined to give it up. For many years I had felt more or less of a call to the ministry, and here at length was the definite time to begin. AND IT WAS THERE IN LEXINGTON IN EIGHTEEN SEVENTY NINE THAT I DETERMINED TO BECOME A MINISTER I HAD HAD A GOOD LAW PRACTICE BUT I DETERMINED TO GIVE IT UP FOR MANY YEARS I HAD FELT MORE OR LESS THE CALL TO MINISTRY AND HERE AT LENGTH WAS THE DEFINITE TIME TO BEGIN
g one hundred dollars, he said, ‘But you haven’t got the money yet!’ “‘No,’ I said; ‘but I am going to get it to-night.’ “‘You’ll never get it,’ he said. ‘He’s not that sort of a man. He’s not even a church man!’ “But I just went quietly on with the work, without answering, and after quite a while he left; but he called back, as he went off, ‘Well, if he does give you that hundred dollars, come to me and I’ll give you another hundred.’” Conwell smiles in genial reminiscence and without any apparent sense that he is telling of a great personal triumph, and goes on: “Those two men both paid the money, and of course the church people themselves, who at first had not quite understood that I could be in earnest, joined in and helped, with work and money, and as, while the new church was building, it was peculiarly important to get and keep the congregation together, and as they had ceased to have a minister of their own, I used to run out from Boston and preach for them, in a room we hired.  WHEN I TOLD HIM OF THE LIVERY STABLE MAN CONTRIBUTING ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS HE SAID BUT YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE MONEY YET NO I SAID BUT I'M GOING TO GET IT TO NIGHT YOU'LL NEVER GET IT HE SAID HE'S NOT THAT SORT OF A MAN HE'S NOT EVEN A CHURCHMAN BUT I JUST WENT QUIETLY ON WITH THE WORK WITHOUT ANSWERING AND AFTER A WHILE HE LAUGHED BUT HE CALLED BACK AS HE WENT OFF WELL IF HE DOES GIVE YOU THAT ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS COME TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HUNDRED CONWELL SMILES IN GENIAL REMINISCENCE AND WITHOUT ANY APPARENT SENSE THAT HE IS TELLING OF A GREAT PERSONAL TRIUMPH AND GOES ON THOSE TWO MEN BOTH PAID THE MONEY AND OF COURSE THE CHURCH PEOPLE THEMSELVES WHO AT FIRST NOT QUITE UNDERSTOOD THAT I COULD BE IN EARNEST AND JOINED IN AND HELPED WITH WORK AND MONEY AND WHILE THE NEW CHURCH WAS BUILDING IT WAS PECULIARLY IMPORTANT TO GET AND TO KEEP THE CONGREGATION TOGETHER AS THEY HAD CEASED TO HAVE A MINISTER OF THEIR OWN I USED TO RUN OUT FROM BOSTON AND PREACH FOR THEM IN A ROOM WE HIRED
large/4379/acres_of_diamonds_1008_librivox_64kb_mp3/acresofdiamonds_06_conwell_64kb
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