REMARKS
A Sermon Delivered by ELEAZAR BALES on 8-22-1880 at the Westfield, Indiana,
Wesleyan Church
Previously Unpublished Material Transcribed from Archival Manuscripts by Tom Roberts,
Made available to the editor by Edsel Burdge.
This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part 3: The 19th Century.
I have lived something over 80 years and have been a firm believer in the doctrine of salvation of
Jesus Christ for about 60 years. In my advanced age I want to say that my faith has not failed me,
neither has my desire or concern abated for the good of souls. What I want to say is a word of
encouragement and stimulation, seeing that many of you are young in years, just embarking on the
journey of life, and you will have as I have had many trials and besetments on that journey. We
are told that "in the world ye shall have tribulation". you will meet with losses and crosses and
sometimes it will seem on every hand as though you must be left, as it were to dwell alone in the
wilderness. I do desire that there may not be a turning away from the way of the Redeemer, where
there are no enemies to contend with, where God has promised to be with us himself and wipe
away all tears from their eyes, where there is no more sorrow and pain. Do we believe in the
promises? if so, is it not enough to stimulate us on our journey through life, with the promise of a
glorious and peaceful rest at last, but we have to endure and bear the crosses. These crossings of
the natural inclinations that we have inherited from Adam; the cross of our sinful nature and
proneness to sin. There must be a denying of ourselves of indulging in these things, take up our
cross and follow the Redeemer. It is a great atonement, seeing how frail and feeble we are by
nature. I believe if the eye is kept single to our blessed guide and leader we will be enabled to see
ourselves just as we are poor and helpless, nothing that we can do towards supporting, even these
tenements of clay. We are furnished with the beautiful land to cultivate but have no power to
control or govern the elements. It is God who sends the refreshing showers to nourish and bring
forth food for the support of these bodies We have no power to bring forth rain and we see our
fields drying up for the want of it. Just so with our souls. unless we look to Him daily there will be
a falling away drifting along into the broad way that leads down to the chambers of death. O have
we thought of our condition and seen ourselves just as poor and helpless as a little child and as
dependent upon our Heavenly Father as a little child is dependent upon its parents for care.
(Note: At the time the above remarks were delivered it was an extremely dry time The crops were literally burning up for
want of rain.)