Chapter XLVIII · CENTENNIAL SERMON AND OTHER SERVICES IN JOHN-STREET CHURCH, NEW YORK.

On the morning of Sunday, June 27, 1875, Father Boehm preached his centennial sermon in the Methodist Episcopal Church in John-street. It was a notable event, and among the congregation memory and imagination were both busy with the associations and thoughts suggested by it. When he preached what was called his centennial sermon before the Newark Conference, in the preceding April, he had not quite completed his one hundred years; but now he was a genuine centenarian, and the interest of the occasion was heightened by the place in which he preached his real centennial sermon. His first visit to the old church, which stood on the present site in John-street, was made in company with Bishop Asbury on the 7th of May, 1809, of which he wrote: “What thoughts crowded my mind as I entered this cradle of Methodism! What rich and hallowed associations cluster around this original home of Methodism on this continent!”

But to those who were present at the services in question, as well as to the venerable centenarian who revisited the place after so long a period, the occasion was one of singular and peculiar interest. Here was the oldest Methodist minister of the world preaching in the oldest Methodist church—an event which may well be called unique, an incident seldom seen, even once in a century.

The church was crowded. Among the clergymen present were Bishop Janes; Rev. N. G. Cheney, pastor of the church; Rev. Dr. Reid, Missionary Secretary; Rev. Dr. De Puy, Rev. Dr. Holdich, Rev. Mr. Dikeman, and Rev. Dr. Dean, of East Tennessee. After a voluntary on the organ the congregation joined in singing

Dr. Holdich led in prayer. During the preliminary devotional services Father Boehm, accompanied by some of his most intimate friends, entered the church and took a seat in the pulpit beside Bishop Janes. Our senior bishop looked to be in the bloom of youth beside the venerable centenarian. The tender and affectionate manner in which the bishop assisted him in the service suggested the most touching attention of son to sire. After singing the hymn commencing,

the whole congregation showed their respect for Father Boehm by rising as he came forward to begin his sermon. Opening the Bible, he announced his text, and in a clear voice spoke fluently as follows, amid the profoundest silence:—

Father Boehm’s Sermon.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”—Rev. iii, 20.

We have set before us in this passage an astounding condescension. The Great Being condescends to come and stand at the door of our hearts and knock, and wait for an entrance. This is indeed a wonderful condescension; for here it is set before us that the blessed Jesus, who has all power in heaven and in earth, condescends to come down to dependent, sinful beings, and wait at the door for voluntary entrance. “I stand at the door and knock.”

This refers, no doubt, to the impression made upon the mind, the sensibilities aroused with fear and with hope. This sets before us the working of the gracious influences upon the heart of man, and they wait for a voluntary entrance. The Lord condescends to knock, and this knocking implies a call—“If any man hear my voice, and open the door.” Jesus will not break the door; he will not enter by forcible means. There must be voluntary consent on the part of the subject, who must invite the Holy Spirit to come in with his gracious influence and divine power. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice”—that is, attentively hear my voice—“if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in.” “I will turn out all that is contrary to the divine influence. I will sup with him. I will, in its gracious manifestations, enjoy the divine favor; and I will, as it were, partake of the blessings that I have provided.” What condescension! “I will sup with him as though he had prepared all the feast.” Jesus provides all that is necessary, and then he condescends to say, “I will sup with him, and he with me.”

Glory to God in the highest for his manifestations, for his goodness, for his mercy and long-suffering, extending unto us! O, the goodness of God in sparing us, in giving us this opportunity for another call, another gracious touch, another divine influence! O, that our hearts may be opened, and may this be a day long to be remembered, a day of mercy and power in the salvation of many thousands of precious souls! Blessed be God for his divine mercy and goodness! I rejoice that the enjoyment of the favor of God, the love of God, is something that does not get old. It is ever new, it is ever precious. It is as precious to my soul this day as it was many years ago. In the days of my youth the Lord manifested himself unto my soul and led me to see the evil that I should shun, and his grace was sufficient to lead me on; and, bless the Lord! now in advanced years it is the source of comfort, the source of joy and hope to me. Yes! Look beyond and what do we see? A bright and heavenly day, a glorious day, awaits us beyond this vale of tears.

May God in his infinite mercy add his blessing, and may his name be glorified in the salvation of many precious souls! O what a change has occurred since I was first at this place—not the same church edifice, but a church was in this place—in 1809 with the venerable Bishop Asbury, and many other brethren who have gone home to their reward! Bless the Lord that he has still a people here to serve him! O, may their numbers increase many fold, and may thy name, O Lord, be glorified here in the salvation of hundreds of precious souls! Amen.

When Father Boehm had resumed his seat Bishop Janes added the following remarks:—

Bishop Janes’ Address.

Elderly people usually appreciate aged men and aged things. They usually see in them interest, and have for them veneration, and perceive that there must be in them some strength, some power, some excellence which sustains them. Younger persons are more taken with new things, and those that perhaps have more of show, more that excites present admiration. And this is not unphilosophical. Our experiences would naturally lead to this difference of feeling and of regard.

No one, however, can contemplate the spectacle that we have before us this morning without the conviction to which I have referred—that there must be something in the constitution and character and life of our dear father that has contributed to his great longevity. The British fortress of Gibraltar has stood through so many continental wars because of its great strength, because it was impregnable to all the military powers and forces that were known and employed in those wars. Those very ancient cathedrals in the Old World that have stood for centuries, and to-day look as if they were likely to stand for centuries more, convince us that they were built with great care and with great strength, or they could not have stood so long the exposure to the elements and the influence of time. If you go to the mountain side and look upon the oak that has stood there as long as our father has lived, and that has battled all the storms of a century and is still strong, and covered with foliage and beauty, we know that there must have been perfect soundness in the tree, and that there must have been great strength in its roots, or it could not have thus lived, and grown, and still possessed such beauty in its old age. If there had been the least defect in the tree that defect would have been seen in its increasing decay long before this. And if you go into an orchard and look upon a tree that has given fruitage to two generations, and perhaps is being covered with moss—some of its topmost boughs may be leafless, and perhaps sapless—and you see it is still bearing fruit in its old age, you know that tree was a sound one, and had been cared for; and because of its perfectness, and because of the care it has received, it has reached this great age, has been so fruitful and has benefited so many, and given pleasure to such multitudes.

The same is true of this individual who has lived one hundred years. He must have inherited a good constitution, and during his youth he must have avoided all excesses, and during his manhood also he must have been, in the language of Scripture, “temperate in all things.” There can have been indulged no consuming lust, no excessive indulgence. There can have been indulged no appetite to excess, but all these bodily appetites, and passions, and lusts, have been held in abeyance. He has kept his body under. He has governed himself in all his physical habits, and in all his physical enjoyments and exercises; otherwise this “harp of a thousand strings” would not have been kept in such perfect tune so long. More than this: his mind has been under government, controlled by right principles and by proper motives.

There has been no consuming ambition, no burning desire for wealth, that consumes the vitality both of body and soul. And when the secrets of human life are understood we shall find how many of those sudden deaths, and of those suicides, have resulted in consequence of this terrible ambition to be rich. And equally corroding, and consuming and destroying, is the desire for honor. I do not refer now merely to that extended fame after which the soldier and the statesman and the poet aspire. Those little ambitions which exist here among us, in our families, in our social circle—to excel one another in our condition and surroundings in life, in the furniture of our houses, and the style of our living—those petty ambitions in families are just as corroding and destroying as are those grander ambitions to which I have referred. And, in order to such a life as our father has lived, and such an age as he has reached, and such an evening as he enjoys, a good conscience is an absolute prerequisite. There is not one of us here to-day who believes if he had had a reproaching conscience, one that disturbed his hours during the day, and prevented rest at night, that he would enjoy this tranquil, serene, beautiful old age. One single cause of remorse would destroy all this beauty and blessing that crowns his life.

Now I make these remarks in order that we may learn wisdom from his example, that the youth who are here may see the importance of the strictest bodily habits—eating, drinking, sleeping, all bodily exercises, and especially the avoiding of all bodily excesses, and all unlawful lusts, and passions, and appetites. Avoid them as you would death and hell, for they are the cause of destruction both in this world and in the world to come.

We also call your attention to that source of strength and power which has so greatly influenced the character, and governed the life, and made perfect the experience, of our venerable brother. As he has told us, he was converted to God in his youth. He gave his heart to the Saviour in his early manhood, and he has had through all these years the peace of God, a tranquil soul. O what a treasure! How rich a boon religion gives in this life! How sweet the experience which grace imparts! In this governing, controlling, harmonizing power of religion we have one of the greatest means of bodily comfort as well as sources of spiritual delight and joy. And having lived in all good conscience—for I can say that of him; I have been with him by day and by night; in the sanctuary, and on the camp ground, and in almost all the varied circumstances in which itinerant ministers are placed; I have been thrown intimately with him at times—and I am prepared to say that he has lived in all good conscience until this day. He has its sure reward, perfect peace, now. Would God that were true of all!

O that these young people would appreciate the great blessing of a good conscience, that gives us serenity, tranquillity, joy, peace, hope in all conditions, and in all periods of life! A good conscience! O, as you would be blessed living and blessed dying, I charge you in no case, under no temptations, allow yourselves to do that which conscience condemns. Of all the terrors to be avoided in this world or the world to come remorse is the most terrible. And I beseech you be so watchful, so circumspect, so guarded in all your ways, in all your doings, as to escape from this terrible calamity.

But if any one here to-day has this troubled conscience, let me point him to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. There is forgiveness with God. The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. Here bring your guilty conscience, here bring your sinful heart. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:” saith the Saviour: “if any man”—a guilty man, an unholy person—will “open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Fellowship shall be restored between him and his God.

And let us who feel that we are the disciples of the Saviour, that we have the religion which has done so much for our brother, and enabled him to do so much for his fellow-men—let us who stand, take heed lest we fall. O, how many mighty have been slain! What evidences have we of the frailty of men—even Christian men—and how fitting and appropriate are the admonitions of Christianity to watch and pray lest we enter into temptation; and how much need have we to say daily to our heavenly Father, “Lead us not into temptation.” Let not our providential circumstances be such as to afford temptation; let not our spiritual adversaries approach so as to be permitted to make their foul suggestions that we fall from our steadfastness and into sin, and bring reproach upon Jesus, and upon ourselves a gloomy and miserable old age—even though we should be saved “as if by fire.” Let us take the admonition, and though we cannot live as long as our dear father, let us live as long as we can, and let us live to good purpose.

We might just as well be in our graves as above the ground, provided we are not useful, and useful to others. The one great motive for earthly life is usefulness; and I repeat, we might as well be in the grave as above the ground if we are not living to a purpose, if we are not glorifying God, honoring our Maker, and doing good to our fellow-men.

Now let us not only heed the very gracious language of the text this morning, (and I am sure none of us will ever forget it, or forget where we heard it preached from, or by whom, nor shall we forget the simple, plain, and touching sermon that was delivered to us from it,) but let us not only heed it and come to God for personal and present fellowship and fruition, but let us take the lesson which his example furnishes us of temperance and carefulness in life, of devotion to God, of maintaining such a spirit as secures us peace, that we may be enabled to do our duty with joy, consolation, and success, and come down to the evening of life with a sweet spirit, with a calm mind, with a joyous heart, and with a hope full of immortality. May God give us all his blessing, and whether we live shorter or longer upon earth, grant that we may live for evermore in heaven, with all the good and glorified through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dr. J. Morrison Reid, Missionary Secretary, had been requested to make some remarks, but declined, thinking it better not to prolong the services by delivering an address.

Bishop Janes, after announcing that fact, made merely a passing allusion to this happy meeting in sweet Christian fellowship of the oldest Methodist Church Society with the oldest Methodist Pastor in America, and, in conclusion, pronounced this benediction on the people and the pastor: “May the presence of God always abide with this people. And [turning to Father Boehm] may the presence of God always abide with you, our dear father! Not only in life, but when you come down to the valley of the shadow of death, may you have our God with you, his rod and his staff comforting you; and when your eyes shall have closed upon the scenes of earth, may you be translated to the beatitudes of heaven, through Jesus Christ. And through Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Ghost, we will meet you there, and share with you that endless felicity in the presence and beatitudes of God.”

The seventeenth Hymn (“Before Jehovah’s awful throne”) was then sung by the congregation, together with the doxology, and Father Boehm pronounced the benediction. The congregation, by request, remained seated until the venerable man of God had passed out of the church to return to his home in Jersey City.

THE END.