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1740397 


REYNOLDS  HISTORICAL 
^fMrAi.OGY  'COLLECTION 


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OUNTY  PU6LIQ.U,P,f\{\'i\X. 


3  1833  02337  277  1 


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M  E  M  O  R  I A  L 


OF 


THE^JFLRST., 

PRESBYTBRIAN  CHURCH 

WILMINGTON,  N.  C. 


L.,„.J 


SHl'HNTY-FIFTH  ANNIl'ERSAR  Y. 

V 

1817-  iSQ2. 


RICHMOXl).    VA.  : 

WniTTET  &   SllKil'KKSuN,    I'lJN  IKKS,    lOOl    .N!a1N    STUr.El'. 

W.-/ 

iiiy3- 

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1740397 


C  O  N  T  F  N  T  S. 

I'Af;E. 
PROnRAMME  OF  Sk\  EXTV-FIFIH   AXNIVKKSARV,  .  .  r 

Flisrouv  OK  THE  FiRsr  Presbvteki w  Church,  by  Rev. 
P.  H.  Hoge,  U.  I)., 9 

St.  Andrew's  Church,  by  Rev.  A.  D.  McClure,     .         .     24 

Imm.vxufl  Ch.apfl,  by  Rev.  \V.  MoC.   Miller,  .  .27 

Persoxal  Remintscexces,  by  Rev.  M.  B    Gricr.  D.  T).,  .     31 

Letter  from  Rev.  H    L.  Sixgleton,     .         .         .         -41 

Presextatiox,      ........     46 

Historical  Sketch  of  the  Suxi>av-school.   by  C.  H. 
'       Robinson,  ........     47 

Old  Days  ix  the  Suxii.w-schooi,.  b}-   Rev.   Sidney  G 
Lav.',  .........      56 

Sermox:   "Yesterday,  To-day  axd  Forever,"  by  Rtv. 
Joseph  R.  Wilson,  1).  D., 68 

The  Commuxiox,  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -77 

PkESBVTERIAXISM   AXD  '1  H  K   Fu'iURE.  by  Rev.    Peyton    II. 
Hoge,  D.  I)., 78 


4  Contents. 

I'agk. 

Roll  or  Mixisieks,       .......     94 

Ministers  who  have  gone  out  from  thk  First  Pres- 
p.vTERiAx  Church,      ......  94 

Roll  of  Ruling  Eldeks,      ......     95 

"      "    Deacoxs, 96 

"         "     CoMMUXIC.A>,'TS,  ......       97 

"      "    Communicants  at  Immaxuel  Chapel,    .         .102 
"      "    Nox-Residexi'  Commuxicants,        .         .         .   10; 


FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CIIURCH, 

WILMINGTON,  N.   C. 

seVeHtY-FiftH  anniversary. 

1S17-1S92. 

PROGRAMME. 

Thursday,  December  8,  8~io  P.  M.  — Reception  at  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Hall. 

FRIDAY,  DECEMBER  gth,  at  8  P.   M. 

Hymn  930,— "A  Mighty  Forire."  i-  our  God,'' Choir. 

Invocation, The  Pastor. 

Rearling  of  Psalm  xcii.    v 

Hymn  244, — "O  God,  the  Rock  of  Ages," Congregation. 

Historical  Sketches -. 

The  First  Church Rev.   P.  H.  Hoge,  D.  D. 

St.  Andrew's  Church, I'.ev.    A.    D    McClure. 

Immanuel  Chapel, \\i:\'.  W.  McC.  Miller. 

Hymn  714,  —  ''How  Firm  a  Foundation," Congregation. 

Personal  Rkminlsckncls  : 

Pastorate  of   1S52   1S61, Rev.  M.  1!.  Grier,  I).  I). 

Pastorale  of  1865-1871, Rev.    H.  I..  Singleton.* 

Presentation, -.. Rev.  J.  R.  Wilson,  D.  D. 

Prayer, Rev.  S.  (i.  Law. 

Hymn  204,  —  "God  of  our  S-ilvation  !    Hear  Ub," CoNc, regation. 

P.cnediction, Rev.   M.   P>.  Griek,  D.  D. 

*  Mr.  ^iii^ii.';i>n  C'juld  nut  be  ^jrc^ent  iv  pfrjoii,  but  hv  iciu  ,1  lctt':r  which  .-i[/p»:ari  ut 
the  firupcr  pl.^Oi:  iu  tht;St;  p.ii^cs. 


SUInIDAY,    DECEr\'iBER    II, 
MORNING    SERVICE,    ii   A.   M. 

VoliiutTiy- -Hymn  76,    "  IIo\r  Pleiised  and  IJlest  Was  I," CaorR. 

UoxoU'gy, CtlNGUEGATlON. 

Invocation, ...RhV.   A.    1).    McClurk. 

I'salni   cxxii. 
Hymn  55,  — "0  L'ay  of  Kcsland  Gladness," Congregation. 

Ivcadin^  of  Hebrew.-,  xiii. 

Prayer, Kev.  S.  G.  Law. 

Hymn  734.  —  ''Jesus,  SliU  Lead  on," Congkkgation. 

AnnouncemeiUs. 
Otlei  lory, --"Calvary," .-. SoLO. 

{ColliCtion  for  I/'::  J\\>r.^ 

Sermon— "  Yesterday,  To-Day,  and  Forever," 

Rev.  J.  R.  Wii.suN,  I).  D. 

Hymn  952,  — "O  God  of  Pethel," Congklg\tion. 

Connnunion  of  the  Lord'o  Supper, Dr.  Grieii  and  Dk.  Wilson, 

Hymn  941,  — "Blest  be  the  Tie  that  Binds," CoNGnLGA-llON. 

Iknedlciion, ...Rev.  J.  R.  Wilson,  D.  D. 

SUNDAY  SCHOOL  CELEBRATION,  3.30  P.  M. 

Hymn  i,  —  "Holy,  Holy,  Holy," Congregation. 

Frayei, Rev.  W.  McC.  Mili.er. 

Scripture  Keeilations, _  .Sckjolp. 

Hymn  54,  — "Ttll  me  Whom  my  Soul  L>otli   Love,". .Congregation. 

Historical  Sketch, Mk.   C    H.  Hoiunson. 

Hvmn  122,    "  lesus,  Sa\iour,  Pilot  Me," Congregai  ion. 

Address,— "Old  Day.,  in  the  Sur.d.ay-school." Rkv.  S.  V,.  Law. 

Prayer,. Rev.   ("r.  W,  MoMili.an. 

Hymn  74,  —  "Tra\eHing  to  the  Belter  Land," XoNCiKEr.ATluN. 

Benediction, Kuv.  S.  G.  Law. 


EVENING  SERVICE,  7:30  P.  M. 


Ilynui  511, —  "Hark,  the  Song  of  Jubilee," Congkkga tiox. 

v. 
Lord's   Frnser. 

Psalms  cxxxiil.  antl  cxwiv. 

Anthem,    "I'laise  the  Loid,  O  my  Soul," CllOlk. 

Reading  of  Ephe.sians  iv.  1-16. 

Prayer, Rev.  M.  B.  Grier,  D.  D. 

Hymn  S67,  —  "  My  Soul,  Repeat  His  Praise," Conguegation. 

Sermon,  — "  Prc.ibyterianisni  and  the  l'^iture,"_  .Rev.  P.  II.  Hoge,  1).  D. 

Response, —  "Jesus  Shall  Reign," M.\le  Quartette, 

Prayer, Rev.  J.  R.  Wilson,  D.  D. 

Hymn  7:^5,  —  "Onward,  Christian  Soldiers," Congregation. 

Benediction, The  Pastor. 


HISTORY 

OF  THE 

FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH^ 

WILMINGTON,  N.   C. 


THE  first  sermon  by  a  Presbyterian  minister  in  V>'ilmington, 
of  which  theie  is  any  record,  vas  preached  l-'ebruary  15, 
17^6,  by  Rev.  Hugh  McAden,  whose  descendants  in  the  fifth 
generation  are  on  the  roll  of  the  charcli  at  the  present  time. 
In  1760  Rev.  James  Tate,  and  in  17S5  Rev.  William  Bingham, 
both  Presb\terian  ministers  from  Ireland,  opened  classical 
schools  in  Wilmington,  and  preached  here,  and  in  adjoining 
counties. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  formal  organization  prior  to 
1S17,  the  Presbyterians  worshiping  with  the  Episcopalians 
and  Methodists,  wlio  alternately  worshiped  in  th.e  Episcopal 
C'hurch.  At  that  time  a  petition  from  ""a  large  and  respect- 
able ntimber  of  citizens  of  WilmiPigton,"  met  to  organize  them- 
seh-es  into  a  Prcbbylerian  congregation,  was  presented  to  Fay- 
etteville  Presbytery,  asking  to  be  taken  under  the  care  of 
Presbytery.  The  petition  was  granted  and  the  cluirch  was 
enrolled.  There  is  no  record  of  the  fornval  organization  of 
the  church  by  a  Comir.ittee  of  Presbytery,  but  it  ma}-  have  been 
done  by  Rev.  Colin  Mclver,-  who  was  a[)pointei.l  to  preach 
there  before  the  next  stated  meeting  of  Presbytery.  At  all 
events,  in  iSio.  Mr.  fohn  .Mc.Xuslan  was  seated  .as  commis- 
sioner from  the  c'r.urch  in  Wilmington. 

In  May,  iSiS,  tiie  congregation  assembled  in  the  Episcopal 


lO 


'tl^  MeMORI-vI,. 


Church — thc'^.  on  Maiket  strce',  bc'tw.^en  Tiiird  and  Fourlh — 
and  heard  a  sermon  froni  Rev.  James  O.  Andrews,  a  minister, 
and  afterwards  a 'nishcp,  oi'  the  Methodist  Episcoj>al  Church, 
alter  wliicii  a  precession  ^vas  formed  and  marched  lo  the  site 
chosen  for  the  Presbytcri.m  Church,  on  the  cast  side  of  Front 
street,  between  Dock  and  Orange.  'I'here  the  comer-stone 
was  laid  by  St.  John's  Lodge  and  Concord  Chapter. 

On  May  12,  1S19,  Rev  Artemus  Boies,  a  Ucentiate,  having 
been  duly  and  unaniraousl}-  called,  was  regularly  ordained  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  church  bv  Fayetteville  Pre5b}tery,  con- 
vened there  for  the  purpose. 

November  3,  1819,  the  cluirch  was  destroyed  in  a  disastrous 
f:re  that  swept  away  nearly  all  that  portion  of  the  town,  thereby 
wiping  out,  let  us  hope,  the  reproach  upon  tire  chuich  of  hav- 
ing rai::.ed  the  money  for  building  it  by  a  lottery. 

With  commendable  zeal  and  liberality,  in  spite  of  tlie  pros- 
trate condition  of  the  city,  tiie  congregation  went  to  work  to 
rebuild.  I'hcy  were  ger.erously  assisted  from  without,  and 
through  tliC  kindness  of  P.ev.  .-\dani  Empie,  rector  of  St. 
James'  (EpiscojKal;  Church,  they  meanwhile  occupied  that 
building  one  half  of  each  Sabbath-day.  The  corner-stone  of 
the  new  church  was  laid  in  1S20,  and  the  building  was  com- 
pleted in  1S21. 

Mr.  Boies  had  meanwhile  accepted  a  call  from  Charleston, 
where  he  had  ^■is!ted  while  seekiiig  fundus  for  ihc  new  cluirch. 
He  was  a  man  of  taste  and  cultivation,  and  his  wo!  k  in  Charles- 
ton was  greatly  blessed.  (Jn  account  of  his  health  he  returned 
to  New  England,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  (,[844)  was  in 
.charge  of  the  Pine  Street  Church  in  Boston. 

Mr.  Boies  was  succeeiled,  after  an  intcrwd,  by  K(:\-.  Leonard 
E.  Lathro]).  a  native  of  Hel-ron,  Conn.,  who  v.-as  ordained 
and  installed  in  January,  1S23.  At  tiie  first  communion  of 
this  pastorate  fifteen  ladies  were  added  to  tiie  cliurcli,  and  at 
tlu-  second,  one  gentleman — the  first  male  member  received  on 


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RF.V.  mos.    p.   HUNT. 


Historical  Sketch.  ti 

exi'tnination  since  tl'.e  orgaui;:'Ation  of  tlie  church.  In  conse- 
quence of  ill-health  Mr.  Lathrop  re^iyned  his  charge  in  Octo- 
ber, 1S24.  His  very  useful  ministry  was  terminated  by  death 
in  1S57. 

'I'h.e  church  was  supplied  at  intervals  after  the  departure  of 
Mr.  Lathrop,  until,  in  April,  1S27,  Rev.  Noel  Robertson,  a 
licentiate  of  the  Seconil  Presbytery  of  New  York,  was  ordained 
and  installed  pastor.  "I'he  relation  was  dissolved  at  his  re- 
quest in  the  .\pri!  of  tb.e  following  year,  and  in  October  of  the 
same  year  he  died,  at  Manayunk,  Pcnn.,  in  the  2  2d  year  of 
his  age. 

iVfter  this  the  churcl;  sunk  into  a  period  of  great  depression. 
It  v/as  without  a  session  ;  its  pulpit  was  for  a  while  profaned 
by  a  nian  of  scandalous  intemperance,  and  many  families  seem 
at  dns  time  to  have  left  the  church.  In  1S30,  a  ray  of  light 
fell  on  the  darkness.  The  tlrst  amuial  re-jjort  to  the  General 
Assembly  was  seait  up  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  and  is  as  fol- 
lows :  '•  Communicanrs  (at  beginning  of  year),  30 ;  added  on 
examination,  6;  died,  1  ;  dismissed,  i  ;  total,  34;  infants  bap- 
tized, 4.''  The  facts  are  exj.lained  ly  the  \isit  of  Rev.  W.  S. 
Plumer  (then  a  young  niai-i),  as  a  ]_)omestic  Missionary, 

The  better  times  thus  begun  grew  brighter  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  same  year,  \\hen  Rev.  Thomas  P.  Hunt  (a  stepson  of. 
Rev.  Moses  Hoae,  D.  1).),  came  to  W'dmingcon  as  a  temper- 
ance lecturer.  He  remained  with  this  people,  and  under  his 
preachii^.g  tlie  church  was  revived;  a  session,  consisting  of 
Alexander  .\nderson,  William  P.  Hurt,  Jamts  Owen,  and 
Robert  W.  Gibbs,  was  elected  in  March,  1S31,  and  May  13, 
1S32,  Mr.  Hunt  was  installed  pastor.  Petore  his  installation, 
as  shown  by  the  rejiort  to  Presbytery  that  spring,  the  number  of 
communicants  had  been  increased  by  twenty-nine,  a  Sunday- 
scliool  with  forty-nine  scliolars  had  been  orgarii/ed,  and  also  a 
Foreign  Missionarv  So'.'iety.  .Mr.  Hunt  preached  his  farewell 
sermon,   June   22,  1S34,  having  been  appointed   agent  to  re- 


12  Memop.iai.. 

ceive  funds  tor   the   endowment  of    Donaldson  Academy  at 

Fayetteville. 

In  November  of  that  year,  Rev.  James  A.  McXeill  arrived 
in  Wihnington  as  Stated  Supply  for  one  year.  He  was  then  a 
licentiate,  but  was  during  the  year  ordained  s;/u-  titulo.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  he  was  caliedi  to  ti<e  pastorate,  but  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health  was  never  installed.  He  left  Wilming- 
ton in  the  summer  of  1S36,  in  the  hojieof  regaining  his  health, 
and  was  nf\cr  able  to  resume  his  lal'ors.  He  paid  a  visit  to 
his  people  in  the  following  November,  and  then  took  passage 
for  Cuba.      He  died  of  consumption,  September  27,  1S37. 

In  1S37,  tlie  church  was  s.upf.lied  for  a  few  months  b\'  Rev. 
Robert  Southgate,  and  in  1S38,  by  Rev.  Hen^y  Brown,  a 
brother  of  the  now  venerable  Rev.  \\'iHiam  Brown,  1).  D.,  for 
many  years  pernianent  clerk  of  the  General  Assemblv.  His 
labors  of  a  few  months  were  much  blessed.  In  the  end  of  that 
year,  Rev.  W.  W .  Kells,  a  licentiate  oi  Harn^ony  Presbytery, 
was  invited  to  ^Vllmington,  and  after  laboring  a  icw  months 
was  called  to  tlie  pastorate,  and  was  ordained  and  installed, 
April  28,  I  S3  9, 

In  March,  iS^c,  tlie  building  of  a  session-room  in  the  rear 
of  the  church  was  determined  on,  and  it  v.-as  dedicated  October 
22nd  of  the  san-ie  year.  It  was  used.  {C''  tix'  Sabbath-school, 
the  weekly  prayer-meeurigs  and  lectures,  and  contained  a  room 
for  the  pastor's  study.  The  t'lrst  organ  v.as  introd.uced  duriiig 
this  pastorate. 

Mr.  Eclls  was  in  delicate  health,  a-:d  for  that  reason  was 
much  away  from  li:s  charge,  and  resigr.ed  in  Se;.;tember,  1841. 
He  continued  to  supjjly  the  prjpit  at  "die  urgent  request  of  the 
congregation  until  February,  184-'.  a'.;'-;ou.:)i  tiie  pastoral  rela- 
tion had  been  dis-job.ed  the  preceddr.g  Noveinber.  The  mem- 
bership at  the  close  of  his  ministr\-  w.-s  fifty. 

Rev.  Thomas  R.  Owen,  v,  bo  ii.ui  become  a  candidate  for 
the    ministry  frcrn   tliis    church  duriig  the   pastorate  of   Mr. 


HisroPJCAL  Sketch.  13 

Hunt,  frequently  supijlicd  ilio  pnlrif  during  Mr.  ]'',e]l?,'  absences, 
and  was  called  lo  the  -xisiorate  th--  AuL:u^;t  .'ifler  his  resigna- 
tion. The  following  Septcnibtr  (1843),  to  tlie  sivrprise  and  re- 
gret of  the  congregatio.i,  he  tendered  his  resignation  without 
having  been  installed. 

The  great  need  of  the  church  during  all  this  period  was  a 
settled  pastorate.  In  less  than  thirt\-  \ears  it  had  had  seven 
pastors  or  regular  s'lpi'lics,  all  be.t  two  of  whom  were  ordained 
in  coni^.ection  with  Lhis  riiurch.  Of  its  first  four  pastors,  Mr. 
Boies,  Mr.  Lathrop,  and  Mr.  Hunt  were  still  living  and  labor- 
ing successfully  elsewhere.  If  any  one  of  them  could  have  con- 
tinued with  tliis  church,  it  would  have  de\-elo[;ed  into  much 
greater  strength  before  this  time.  Uut  it  is  evident  that  the 
proper  de^•elopment  and  training  of  the  congregation  could  not 
take  place  under  these  con.ditions.  The  male  members  were 
few ;  the  session  was  small ;  there  were  no  deacons ;  and  the 
affairs  of  the  church  were  almost  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the 
trustees — a  j)ablic-s}nrited,  high-toned  body  of  men,  but  for  the 
most  part  not  communicants. 

In  January,  1S45,  Rev.  J.  O.  Stedman  began  his  labors 
here,  for  reasons  of  his  own  preferring  to  act  as  stated  sup[)ly. 
He  remained  with  the  congregation  tor  six  }-ears,  and  under 
his  care  t!ie  growth  of  the  clmrch  was  rapid  and  substantial. 
Great  attention  was  [)aid  to  tlie  cateclietical  instruction  of  the 
children  of  the  Sabbath-sciiool  ;  a  Sabbath-scliool  for  colorctl 
persons  was  organized;  the  monthly  concert  of  prayer  for  mis- 
sions was  rcuularlv  observed  ;  a  Juvenile  Mi-;sionar)-  vSociety 
was  foimed.  an:l  also  a  Domestic  Missionary  Society. 

March  2^,  1S47.  a  congregational  meetiiig  resoh-ed  on  the 
remodelling  oi'  tlie  interior  of  the  church.  Previous  to  tiiis 
time  It  had  had  upon  the  slides  next  tt^  tlie  walls  the  old-tasli- 
ioned  box-pews,  with  scats  upon  th.ree  sides,  and  the  high  pul- 
pit, elevated  upon  Ionic  pillars  and  reached  by  v.-inding  stairs. 
All   this  v,-as  changed,  and   a  modern  pulpit  and   comfortable 


14  Memorial. 

modern  pews  were  introduced.  A  new  bell  was  ndtled  in 
1S50,  costuvj;  $|,4''^''.  'l'l>e  old  l)e!l  was  given  in  jiarl  payrner.t, 
and  Captain  Oillicrt  I'otter  gave  tlie  rest.  In  the  latter  part 
of  this  year  a  protracted  meeting  was  held  by  Rev.  Daniel 
Baker,  tlie  Texas  missionar)-,  and  fourteen  or  fifteen  souls  were 
hopefuli)  converted. 

Mr.  Stedman  in  1S51,  on  account  of  the  ill-health  of  his 
wife,  declined  the  regular  call  tendered  him  by  the  congrega- 
tion, and  in  Angiii-t,  preached  his  tarewel!  sermon.  During 
the  period  of  Mr.  Stedman's  services  (si.x;  years  and  si.\  months) 
there  were  admitted  on  examination,  34  white  and  i6  colored 
members:  and  on  certificate,  30  white  and  5  colored.  The 
dismissals  were  13,  and  the  deaths  7.  'I'he  membership  re- 
ported the  following  spring  was  84.  'J1ie  contributions  for 
benevolent  objects  (Foreign  Missiuns,  W'aldenses,  Colonization. 
Society,  Education,  Union  Seminar),  Domestic  Missions,  ]]ible 
and  Tract  Societies,  etc.).  amounted  to  $2,450.16. 

'J'he  changes  in  the  session  presious  to  the  close  of  Mr. 
Stedman's  term  of  service  were  as  follo'.\s:  In  1S35,  William 
P.  Hort  remo\ed  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  congregation,  and 
in  1S36,  Mr.  Ilervey  Law  ap|)ears  as  a  member  of  the  session. 
He  was  at  one  time  the  effi<:ient  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  but  reino\-e(.l  North  in  the  summer  of  1S50.  Mr. 
Ale.xander  Anderson,  who  had  jiresided  over  the  original 
meeting  that  petitioned  Presbyter}-  for  the  organization  ol  the 
church  in  1S17,  died  in  \ovember,  1S44,  just  before  Mr. 
Stedman  came.  On  January  10,  1850,  Mr.  John  C  Patta, 
previously  a  ruling  ekler  in  the  Fayetteville  Church,  was 
elected  to  that  office  by  tliis  congregation. 

Rev.  .M.  1>.  Grier,  of  l!ie  Presbytery  of  Baltimore,  liegan 
labors  liere  as  Slated  Supply,  Jul}'  iS,  1852,  and  tlie  hjllowing 
February  'A'as  elected  pastor,  but  was  not  inslalledi  until  May 
iS,  18^4.  In  1S54.  a  brick  dwelling  (jn  Front  street,  near  Red 
Cross,   was  purcliased  for  a  manse   (destroyed  in  tlie  fire  ot 


H^f.      -tfT 


-:t-^^ 


..i'TtJUR-;^-    •;;■;!  ^,-, 


r^'^^^ys^tv-' --^ii-swy';-'^^'*^:;' ;:,?;^ .  ^  ■>. 


't  li 


-a-3K-~--,-» 


L=fe?iSLt*--tiiB^ . 


}Iis'ro:<icAL  Sketch.      ,.  15 

18S6),  and  by  1S55  the  congrcgr-tio.i  had  p.-^id  !^ .1,000  on  this 
account,  and  the  same  year  contn'oiUed  s  1,1  00  to  U'lion  Scni- 
inarv,  and  $3,000  to  tht;  Seamen's  FrL.nd  Society.  In  1857  a 
new  orcan,  costing  $.',;,oo,  \\as  placed  in  the  ch.i.rch,  the  old 
one  being  used  in  part  paymerit. 

In  1S58  the  chiijch  was  visited  with  a  memorable  revival. 
One  of  the  elders  returned  froni  a  con\-ention  of  ciders  and 
deacons  in  Greensboro  with  qvnekened  zeal.  .A  prayer-meet- 
incr  was  called  to  consul:  and  pra}'  together  o\-er  tlie  interests 
of  the  churcli.  The  pastor  was  absent  on  missionary  duty, 
and  when  he  returned  found  the  tide  of  interest  and  feeling 
risinc'-.  'Prayer  and  preaching  services  were  arranged  at  once, 
the  families  of  the  church  were  visited,  and  many  went  daily 
to  the  pastor's  study  to  receive  counsel  and  guidance.  Special 
meetings  were  arranged  for  t'ne  colored  people,  who  could  not 
attend  the  day  services.  The  immediate  results  of  tliis  work 
of  grace  were  great.  In  three  months  forty-two  white  and 
twenty  colored  persons  were  received  into  the  communion  of 
the  church,  many  of  them  young  men.  A  mission  chapel 
(situated  on  Chesnut  street,  between  Seventh  and  Eighth)  was 
erected  as  a  thank-'offering  for  God's  mercy,  and  used  for  a 
time  as  originally  designed.  On  .\ovember  6,  1S58,  fourteen 
persons,  including  one  of  the  ruling  elders,  Mr.  John  C.  Latta, 
were  dismissed  to  form  the  Second  l'resb_\terian  Church,  and 
the  new  bi  ilding  was  surrendered  to  them  for  a  house  of 
worship.  On  November  29th  the  session  was  enlarged  by  the 
election  of  Dr.  James  H.  Dickson,  John  N.  Andrews,  Barzillai 
G.  Worth,  George  Chadbourn  and  James  C.  Snuth.  At  the 
same  time  the  fir.-^t  Board  of  Deacons  was  elected,  consisting 
of  Cai)tain  Gilbert  I'ottcr,  j'.hn  W.  K.  Di\,  Tliomas  C.  Worth, 
Malcolm  Mclnnis,  Joseph  G.  Russell,  Sanniel  Norihroi),  anrl 
James  1).  Cunnning.  These  officers  were  ordained  December 
iS,  1S5S.  Anotlier  fruit  of  the  revival  was  tiie  organisation  of 
a  Young  .Men's  I'rayer  Meeting,  liiat  was  kept  ui.  until  the  v.ar. 


1 6  Memorial. 

and  was  useful  in  inaugurating  nii^^sion  work  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  city. 

April  13,  1S59,  tlie  chuicli,  '.\liich  was  valued  at  about 
$10,000,  and  on  uiuch  there  was  no  insurance,  was  burned  to 
tlie  ground.  A  subscri])tion  was  liegun  on  the  s|)Ot,  and  a  meet- 
ing was  heM  in  Dr.  1  >ic!;soi:'s  oflKC  the  same  evening  to 
initiate  proccedi!;gs  for  rebuilding;  a  committee  v.as  ap]:)ointed 
to  secure  subscripiions,  and  at  the  next,  ineetiiig  of  th.e  ofticers  a 
subscrii",>tion  of  $14,000  was  reported.  Citizens  of  all  denomi- 
nations contributed  liberally.  .'^er\icc  was  held  in  the  lecture- 
room  (which  was  still  standing)  tlie  next  Sunday,  and  Mr. 
Grier  preached  froiv:  }:<\.  l\iv.  ri.  Tliu  lecture-room  was  too 
contracted  t"or  liie  congregation,  and  so  the  use  of  the  City 
Hal!  was  obtained,  and  v.'orship  Y>as  held  there  from  May  22, 
1S59,  until  the  new  church  \vas  completed.  'l"he  S}-nod  held 
its  sessions  in  rhat  room  in  the  fail  of  the  same  year. 

It  was  decided  not  to  rebuild  on 'the  old  site,  so  the  lot  with 
the  lecture-room  upon  it  wa:^  sold,  and  also  the  manse,  and 
the  present  lot  with  the  buildings  on  it  was  purchased  for 
$7,5<'io.  Out  of  tiiese  buildings  a  manse  was  fitted  up.  The 
plan,  for  the  new  cliurch  was  diawn  by  Saniuel  Sloan,  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  the  estimated  cost  was  ^20,000.  Mr.  James 
Walker  was  the  contractor  who  erectetl  it.  The  bell  Avas  the 
gift  of  Mr.  Crcorge  II  .rris.s.  and.  tlie  oigan  (winch  was  not  put 
in  until  after  the  late  war)  was  cjiietly  t!ie  .dft  of  Mr.  ¥A\  Murra\'. 
The  new  kiouse  was  dedicated  April  28,  1S61,  the  pastor 
preacliinc  the  sermon. 

It  was  with  mutual  regret  that  during  this  year  pastor  and 
peoj.ile  recognized  the  necessit}'  of  sefiaration,  on  account  of 
.their  diffe'-ent  attitudie  t»ward  the  greai  struggle  tlien  impend- 
ing. Mr.  Grier  left  \^'iImlnL;to^l  abor.t  June  i,  iS6r.  and  the 
pastoral  relatiun  v.as  severed  by  I'rcsbvtery  the  following 
Octi.)ber. 

I)urii>.g  tliis  pastorate  there  were  57  white  pel  sons  and  41 


IX  \   t 


^1 


I'J!^ 


^-   :,a    Ah 


LJr-J       it! 


OLD  FIRST  PRESr;VTERlAN  CHURCH. 


Historical  Sretcii.  17 

colored  received  on  examination,  and  34  white  persons  by 
certificate;  25  persons  were  dismissed  to  other  churches,  and 
the  membership  reported  the  following  S[)ring  was  195.  In 
1857  there  were  130  scholars  in  tire  Sal)bath-school,  and  iSo 
in  iS'So.  From  1853  to  1861,  $846  was  contributed  for  Foreign 
Missions,  $845  for  Sustentation,  $882  for  Fducation,  and  S169 
for  Publication.  Mr.  Grier,  on  leaving  Wilmington,  became 
editor  of  The  Presbyterian^  of  Philadelphia,  and  has  remained 
in  connection  with  it  to  the  present  time.  The  ])eriod  of  his 
pastorate  was  one  of  great  blessirig  to  the  church,  tlie  inlliience 
of  which  we  rejoice  in  to  the  present  time.  The  churcli 
entered  upon  a  higher  plane  of  usefulness,  from  which  it  has 
never  since  descended. 

During  the  civil  war  the  church  was  without  a  pastor,  but 
on  the  temporary  suspension  of  tlie  Seroud  Clvarch,  its  pas- 
tor, Rev.  Martin  McCjueen,  supplied  this  church.  This  was  in 
1863  and  1864.  Ill  the  latter  ])art  of  1S64.  and  a  few  months 
of  1S65,  it  was  sni;plied  by  Rev.  A.  D.  Hejiburn.  During 
this  period  four  white  persons  were  received  on  examination, 
and  tv.-o  colored;  by  certificate,  four  wliite  persons.  The 
period  was  not  yiropirious  for  outward  giowth.  The  numerical 
decline  was  material.  Put  in  the  turnace  of  aflliction  the  faith 
of  many  shone  brighter,  and  whether  doing  their  duly  on  the 
.field  of  battle,  or  in  the  plague-stricken  town,  there  were  not  a 
few  who,  proving  faithful  unto  death,  receixcdlh.e  martyr's  crown. 

Rev.  Horace  L.  Singleton,  of  tiie  Presbytery  of  PnUiinore, 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  Xcn-euiber  21,  1865,  having  already 
entered  ujwn  his  labors,  and  was  installed  May  6,  1S66.  He- 
served  the  chur.di  until  October  i,  1871. 

Seasons  of  re\ival  are  reported  in  the  spring  of  1867,  when 
special  servic-es  were  held,  and  10  jersons  made  profession  of 
their  faith  l)etween  t'le  sjiring  aivl  summer  rominunion ;  in 
1S69,  wlien  morning  pirayer-nieetings  were  held  for  a  week, 
and  16  were  received  at  the  i^i'ring  communion;  aiid  in  1870, 


iS  MfMORTaI,. 

when  t6  made  viroft'ssion  of  their  faith  at  the  same  season. 
In  all,  70  -.vere  adiu'd  '.o  the  cliuroh  on  fxariination,  and  57 
on  certificate  during  this  jjisiorate.  The  tola!  membership  at 
the  clos'j  was   i  7  2 

In  the  first  3'car  of  Mr.  Singleton's  ministry  tlie  debt  of 
$10,000  resting  on  the  church  was  cancelled,  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  churcli  lot,  with  the  buihlings  on  it,  being  sold. 
In  Januar\,  1S7  i,  the  lecture  room  was  reported  ready  tor  use 
The  practice  of  takmg  stated  collections  lor  the  benevolent 
operations  of  the  ch.urclr  had  not  been  commenced,  but  in 
1870  a  balarice  of  S310,  and  in  1S71,  of  $438,  was  distributed 
among  the, diiYerent  causes.  On  Apiil  21,  1867,  the  Chesnut 
street  Presbyterian  Chuich  (colorec'.),  in  connection  witli  the 
Northern  General  Assembly,  was  organized  with  thirty-four 
members,  most  of  whom  came  by  letter  fro!n  this  churcli.  They 
purchased  from  the  Second  Church  tlie  building  originally 
erected  by  this  congregation  as  a  mission  chapel. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  pastorate  there  were  but  two  el- 
ders,* George  Chadbourn,  and  J.  C.  Smith  Robert  W.  Gibbs 
Gibbs  had  died  in  iS6i,  Mr.  Andrews  had  removed  from  the 
city.  Dr.  Dickson  had  laid  down  h.is  life  in  the  yellow-fever 
scourge  of  1S62,  and  Gen.  Owen  had  died  in  1S65.  Of  the 
board  of  deacons,  Dr.  \Vortli  and  Mr.  Dix  were  also  \  ictims 
of  the  yellow  lever,  and  Cap.t.  I'otter  died  in  1S61.  The  re- 
maiiiing  deacons  were  Samuel  Northrop,  James  D  Gumming, 
Joseph  li.  Russel,  and  .Malcolm  Mclnnis.  February  2,  iS68, 
A.  .A..  Willard.  John  McLaurin,  James  D.  Cummiiv;,  Samuel 
NortlT-O;-!,  and  C.  11.  Robinson,  were  elected  ruling  elders, 
and  Thomas  W.  Pla\er,  G.  W.  Williams,  D.  G.  Worth,  W. 
AN'hiteliead,  and  K.  P.  George,  were  elected  deacons.  A  few 
weeks  later.   C.  P.  Mebane  was  elected  deacon,  Mr.   .\lclnnis 


•Mr.   B.  O.Worth  bad   r.movca  to  tli- North   at   t!i.    c!i's,;(;f  the  war,  but,  n- 
turniuK  .-Lortlv  ut't.rv.MrJ.-^,  \v;>.-  r-.-t-Kctt  <l  to  th.-  tl-lL-rship. 


^;?!a^:.-3?^.?J«^^5j;S%^srf^  «^^ 


L^n 


RhV.  Wil.l.I.VM  .-.    I'l.UMl.K,   I).   U. 


Historical  Sketch.  in 

having  remcr/ed  to  BrookI\-n,  X.  V.  Stej)s  were  shortly  after 
taken  for  tlie  more  thorough  oiganizatioi;  o*"  the  coivreuation 
for  Christian  work. 

In  the  ]~)L-cen-iber  following  Mr.  Singleton's  reinoval.  Rev. 
A.  F.  Dickson  began  to  supply  the  pulpit,  and  was  called  to 
the  pastorate,  March  20.  1S7.?.  Up  to  this  time  eighteen  per- 
sons had  been  received  into  th.e  church  upon  profession  of 
faith.  He  was  installeil  June  r.  but  his  pastorate  continued 
less  than  a  year  from  that  date.  The  church  was  at  this  time 
distracted  by  a  piainfid  division,  anrl  in  Abiv.  1S73,  the  congre- 
gation united  v.ddi  Mr  Dickson  in  his  request  to  Presln'tery 
for  a  dissolution  of  the  relation,  bcaiing  unanimous  testimony 
"  to  his  ardent.  hund)le  piety  ami  to  his  entirely  faultless 
Chri;,tian  cliaracter  and  deportment,"  and  expressing  their 
•■'lull  appreciation  of  the  earnestness,  zeal  nnd  fidelity  witli 
which  he  discharged  his  duties  as  pastor  of  tliis  chr.rch."  'I'he 
membership  at  the  close  of  this  pastorate  was  one  hundred  and 
ninet3"-one 

During  this  time  I'k  P.  George  was  dismissed  to  Denver, 
Col.,  and  James  Sprunt  was  elected  deacon  in  his  place. 

From  Sep>tcrnber,  1S73,  until  the  vacancy  in  the  pastorate 
was  filled,  the  church  was  tavored  with  the  regular  ministra- 
tions of  that  venerable  servant  of  Crod,  Rev.  William  S. 
Plumer,  IX  I).,  v.ho  tbrty-ti.ree  \ears  before  had  \-isited  the 
church  in  its  time  of  tlecpest  darkness.  Now  as  then,  the 
church  was  greatly  conitorted  and  blessed  by  his  inini^trations. 
Dr.  Plumer  (-ontinued.  to  come  over  weekly  from  Columbia 
and  preach  on  the  Sabbath,  until  in  March.  1S74,  Rev.  Joseph 
R.  Wilson,  D.  D.,  of  Columbia  Seminary,  having  received  a 
unanimous  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  entered  upon 
his  labors.      He  was  insialled.  Xosember  1,  1874. 

The  beginning  of  this  j^astorate  (the  bir.gest  iri  thehistor)  of 
tlic  church)  was  marked  by  a  gracious  outi)Ouring  of  the  Hoi)- 
Spirit,  and  during  the  first  year  36  persons    were  received  on 


2  O  MkMOHI  AL. 

profession  of  faith  and  20  by  letter.  Again,  in  the  year  ending 
April,  iSSo,  the  special  presen'C  of  the  Holy  S])i;it  is  indicated 
by  the  atUlitio:-;  of  2^  on  profession  of  tailh.  During  the  whole 
])asturate  121  were  received  on  profession  of  fnilli  and  66  on 
certificate.  .Amrjug  the  more  important  e\-ents  of  this  period 
are  the  followin- :  The  re-])urchase  (in  1S74)  of  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  church  lot,  witli  the  handsome  residence  that 
iuid  meanwhile  been  erected  ujjon.  it  ;  the  entire  extinction  in 
i87(;  i^\  the  debt  <->f  Si -1,552,  tinough  the  labors  of  (7.  \V.  Wil- 
liams, chairman  oi'the  board  of  deacons  ;  the  building  of  the  an- 
nex to  the  lecture  room  in  i<SS3.  for  tlic  use  of  the  infant  ciass; 
the  abohtion  of  pew  rents  and  the  inauguration  ol  the  present 
S)Stem  of  svdi-cription  and  weekly  contributions;  and  the  adop- 
tion ol  the  Asscmbh's  system  of  stated  collcclions  for  the  be- 
neficcnl  cau.ses  of  the  church. 

Under  this  last  pbm  tlie  contril-utions  to  these  causes  greatly 
incrciscvl.  and  were  for  the  whole  ].)eriod  as  folUnvs:  Foreign 
Missions,  ^^4.132:  Sustentation.  S762  ;  l^vangeHstic,  $1,250; 
Education.  S.-oo  ;  Invahd  Fund,  S755  ;  Publication.  $311; 
Tnsk:doo>a  InsLitute,  S272.  Ihe  increase  may  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  VM^l  for  these  objects  reported  April,  1S75, 
$459,  with  the  total  of  S9S6  in  1SS5.  These  figures  would  be 
larger  if  cert.iin  special  contributions  had  been  included  m  die 
rci>i-rls. 

The  iollowing  changes  occurred  during  this  time  in  die 
session  ainl  boaul  of  deacons  :  James  \).  Cumming  in  1873 
was  dismissed  to  Tarboro,  and  James  C  Smith  in  iSSi  to 
Cala!) ;  bo-'i  h;i.l  served  as  clerk  of  session  for  many  years  Of 
the  deacor.s.  Mr.  Whitehead  was  tlismissed  to  layetreville  in 
1S74.  Mr.  Russed  moved  to  Charleston,  and  in  1S79,  author- 
ized his  n.v.v,e  to  be  dropped  from  the  list  of  deacons,  and  in 
the  same  ye.-.r  Mr.  Player  v/as  removed  by  death.  C)n  Decem- 
ber 21.  iS-e.  r>.  F.  H:dl  was  elce-ted  n  ling  elder,  and  James 
Alderma-.u  jo:-.n  D.  Taylor,  H.  II.  Munson,  and  W.  R.Kenan, 


Historical  Sketch.  21 

were  elected  deaccns.     In  Tvlnrcli,   iSS^->    Mr.  Alderman  was 
removed  by  death. 

In  Febnui->,  18S5,  Dr.  Wdson,  l-,.iving  been  elected  Profes- 
sor of  Th-ology  in  the  Southwestern  University.  Clarksville, 
Tenn._.  and  dfemingit  his  duty  to  accept,  sorrowfully  requested 
the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  tie.  The  churcli  as  sorrowfully 
united  in  the  request,  and,  on  April  ist,  tlie  relation  was  termi- 
nated. 

In  September.  1853,  Rev.  Peyton  H.  PTcigc,  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  was  called  to  the  j.astorate  of  the  church.  He  formally 
began  his  labors,  December  ist,  and  was  installed  January  24, 
1SS6  Again  God  uvis  pleased  to  set  the  seal  of  his  approba- 
tion upon  thei)astoul  rcl  ition  by  graciuusly  outpouring  his 
Holy  Spirit.  The  week  betbre  the  installation  a  Mothers' 
Prayer-meeting  was  held  daily,  and  such  v/as  the  interest  de- 
veloped thit  the  pastor  preached  every  niglit  of  tlie  following 
week.  The  next  Sunday  22  made  public  profession  of  their 
faith,  and  during  the  year,  39  in  all  were  received  on  profession 
of  faith  and  15  on  cevtihcate.  Frequent  seasons  of  revival 
have  since  gladdened  the  hearts  of  pastor  and  peoi)le,  especially 
in  connection  with  tb.e  spring  communion,  when  morning 
prayer-meetings  are  held  daily  for  one  or  two  weeks.  The 
most  memorable  revival  season  was  the  sj;ring  of  1S8S,  wlien 
our  city  was  blessed  by  tlie  presence  and  labors  of  Rev. 
R.  G.  Pearson,  evangeiist.  The  meetings  were  held  in  the 
warehouse  of  the  Champion  Comp-ress  Company,  and  consisted 
of  Bible-readings  at  1 1  A.  M.,  and  preaching  at  8  P.  M.,  fol- 
lowed by  an  inquiry  meeting.  Meetings  for  pra\er  and 
preaching  had  i)reviously  Iteen  hehl  in  all  parts  of  the  cit\-,  and 
much  thorough  work  was  doi^ie  in  jjrefiaring  for  the  meetings 
both  rnarerially  and  sp'iritually.  In  all  this  the  pastor  and 
people  of  this  church,  took  an  active  pait,  andi  with  other 
Christians  of  th.e  city  v.-iited  upon  tlie  Loid  in  prax'er  K^r  his 
blessing.     The  city  v,as  stirred  to  its  deptlis,  audiences  of  two 


2  2  Memorial. 

and  three  thousand  crowded  the  buiUhiig,  and  liundreds  of  new 
converts  and  backsliders  reclaimed  revealed  the  power  and 
blessing  of  the  Holy  Sjiirit,  while  Christians  were  wonderfully 
quickened  and  a  nen-  imj)ulse  gi\'en  to  every  good  work.  That 
year  the  additions  to  this  church  were  69  on  profession  of 
faith  and  21  on  certihcate — the  largest  number  in  the  history 
of  the  church. 

During  the  present  pastorate  the  corigregation  has  been  re- 
organized for  Christian  v.-ork.  'i"he  Young  Ladies'  Missionary 
Society,  previously  contributing  to  both  home  and  foreign 
work,  now  devotes  itself  cxxlusiwly  to  the  industrial  schools 
and  other  work  in  connection  with  Imman.uel  Chapel.  'I'lie 
Ladies'  Foreign  Missionary  Societ).  assisted  by  the  Gleaners  (a 
society  of  }-oung  girls),  sufiport  a  missionary  in  the  foreign 
field,  while  the  F.dgar  Woods  Society  (composed  of  rnen),  sup- 
ports the  medical  missionary  for  whom  it  is  named.  The 
Ladies'  Aid  Society  does  benevolent  and  missionary  work 
among  the  poor.  At  tlie  same  time  that  the  church  began 
the  support  of  Dv.  \\'oods  it  vuidcitook  the  support  of  an 
evangelist  for  our  Mission  Chapel. 

Among  the  events  of  this  [lastorate  may  be  noted :  The 
building  first  of  the  school-house,  and  later  of  the  chapel  for 
the  mission;  the  renovation  and  remodelling  of  the  interior  of 
the  church;  the  building  of  the  ^'oung  Men's  Clu-i?tian  .Asso- 
ciation Hall,  to  whicli  dus  congregation  was  the  largest  con- 
tiibutor;  and  tlic  opening  by  a  meniber  of  this  church  of  the 
commodious  reading-room  in  the  Seamen's  Home. 

The  following  changes  in  the  Session  and  Hoard  of  Deacons 
have  taken  place:  in  1  SS6  John  I).  'I'aylor  was  elected  ruling 
elder  in  place  of  Jaines  C.  Smitli,  dismissed,  and  the  vacancy 
thus  caused  on  the  Uojrd  of  Deacons,  and  tliat  due  to  the 
death  of  Mr.  Alderman,  were  filleti  \>y  the  election  of  H.  C 
McQv.een  anrl  J.  11.  Currie.  I'pon  tlie  death  of  George 
Chadbourn,  v.hose  long  and  useful  services  to  the  church  ended 


Ktstorical  Sketch.  23 

July  8,  iS.jT,  David  G.  Woriii  vras  elecLed  ruling  elder,  and 
James  11.  Chadhourn,  jr.,  to  his  place  on  the  iJoard  of  Dea- 
cons. On  the  removal  of  J.  H.  Currie  to  Fayelleville,  Novem- 
ber, 7,  1 89 2,  W.  A.  Riach,  W.  M.  Cummin^;,  and  E.  S.  l"en- 
nent,  were  elected  deacons,  the  niunber  of  the  board  bein'-f 
increased  to  ten. 

Before  the  beginning  of  the  present  pastorate  the  session 
instituted  a  thorougli  revision,  of  the  rolLs,  revealing  263  names, 
of  which  27  v.-cre  placed,  upon  the  re'dred  list,  inquiry  failing 
to  elicit  the  informatioii  necessary  to  their  dismissal  to  other 
churches,  \\hile  20  others,  followed  up  with  similar  inquiries, 
were  dismissed,  droppedi,  or  suspended,  as  the  case  required, 
thus  leaving  a  membership  of  2  1 6.  To  them  there  liave  been 
added,  on  profession  of  faith,  215,  and  on  certificate  loS. 
There  have  died  55.  and  been  dismissed,  dropped,  or  sus- 
pended 61;  making  die  net  gain  207,  and  the  present  mem- 
bersliip  423. 

Tlie  contributions  for  the  seven  years  have  been  :  Home 
Missions,  $18,214.58;  Foreign  Missions,  $9,944.95;  Educa- 
tional Causes,  $4,056.24;  all  other  benevolences,  $21,985  91; 
total  of  benevolence,  $54,201.68;  congregational,  $47,984.67; 
grand  total,  $102,186.35.  Tliis  includes  a  legacy  of  $5,000 
in  the  hands  of  the  trustees  not  yet  expended 

Here  then,  for  the  present,  we  raise  our  Ehenezcr,  thanking 
God  tor  what  he  has  done  tor  us  in  the  past,  and  trusting  the 
same  hand  tliat  has  brought  us  into  this  grace  vv'herein  we 
stand  to  lead  us  through  whatever  trials  ma\"  be  before  us,  and 
to  enable  us  to  do  greater  things  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  his 
name.     Amen. 


ST.  ANDREWS  CHURCH, 

Bv  REV.   A.   D.   McCLURE. 


This  church  was  originally  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church 
of  our  city.  It  was  organized  b\-  the  Presbytery  of  l''a_\etteville, 
November  21,  1S5S.  Of  llic  fourteen  founders,  original  com- 
municants, but  six  still  survive,  and  but  two  of  these  are  now 
members  of  this  church.  Three  who  united  with  the  church 
in  1859.  ^^^'^  one  in  1S61,  are  still  aciive  members.  For  the 
first  sixteen  years  the  tenure  of  life  was  frail,  only  forty-three 
members  being  added  during  this  tinie.  There  were  two  made 
ruling  elders,  and  four,  deacons,  at  the  organization.  Of  tliese, 
but  one  of  the  deacons  is  with  us— now  an  elder.  Rev.  Mar- 
tin McQueen  v/as  tlie  fitst  minister,  serving  as  supply  from  Jan- 
uary, 1S59,  until  December,  1863.  For  the  seven  years 
immediately  succeeding,  the  church  had  no  minister. 

For  three  years  fron)  November,  1S70,  the  puljiit  v,-as  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  H.  ]].  Purr.  The  church  was  again  without 
supply  for  seven  uionths.  June  i,  1S74,  the  first  pastor,  Rev. 
C.  M.  Payne,  D.  I).,  began  his  ministry,  to  continue  for  3  term 
of  almost  ten  years  of  usefulness.  During  his  ministrv  the 
church  made  stead)  progress — reporting  fifty  members  in  1S75, 
and  136  in  April,  1SS4.  There  were  no  sj>ceial  ingatherings 
in  this  time,  the  largest  number  of  new  members  reported  at 
any  communion  Ix-ing  fifteen  ;  but  a  steady  growth,  sucli  as  the 
church  has  co.itinued  to  liave.  During  this  period  our  records 
make  special  mention  of  Mr.  Alexander  Sprunt  and  Mr.  John 
Cohill  as  ruling  elders,  whose  term  of  service  ex])ireij,  the 
first  by  his  departure  to  be  with  Christ,  the  other  by  removal 
to  serve  the  Mastej  in  other  jdaces. 


\i 


■n. 


/ 


St.  Andrew's  Church.  25 

During  the  fev.-  months,  until  the  election  and  coming  of  Dr. 
Primrose,  services  weie  conducted  Ity  the  elders.  Rev.  J.  W. 
Primrose  was  installed  pastor.  January  1 1,  1SS5,  and  continued 
inactive  and  efficient  service  until  his  release,  December  31, 
1890,  to  become  evangelist  of  the  Synod  of  Missouri.  During 
his  i)astorate  the  church  had  the  same  steady  growth  in  mem- 
bership, with  an  especially  large  number  added  in  the  years 
i<S87_'S8-'89.  Several  new  elders  and  deacons  were  added 
also.  During  the  six  montiis,  uiUi!  the  coming  of  the  present 
pastor  (Rev.  A.  D.  McClure,  who  prepared  and  read  this 
paper),  the  church  held  together  earnestly  under  the  faithful 
leadersliip  of  its  ciders. 

The  present  pastorate  began  July  i,  1891,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  two  hundred  a.nd  twenty-si.x,  and  has  added  fifty- 
nine  snice. 

The  building  in  v>-hich  the  congregation  worshiped  from 
its  origin  until  1867,  was  erected  by  the  First  Church.  In 
1 86 7  it  was  sold  to  the  First  African  Presbyterian  Church  of 
this  city.  Thenceforward,  until  May  4,  1S73,  the  congrega- 
tion worshiped  in  Brooklyn  H:d!.  In  this  time,  under  Mr. 
Burr's  ministrv.  the  tiuihhng  now  used  as  lecture  room  and 
chapel  was  er-jcted  as  the  church  building,  and  so  used  until 
18S9.  It  was  dedicated  May  4.  1873,  and  Mr.  Burr  left  in  No- 
vember of  tlvj  same  year.  During  the  ])astorate  of  Dr.  Payne 
the  manse  wns  built  where  the  nev,-  church  now  stands.  During 
the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Pri^lro^e,  additional  property  for  a  new 
manse,  yet  to  be  built,  was  bought,  and  the  old  manse  removed 
to  an  adjoining  lot.  to  give  place  and  room  lor  the  erection  of 
the  commodious  and  modern  church  building  we  now  occupy. 
The  (hurch,  Iw  a  two-thirds  vote,  changed  tlie  name,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1 888,  from  Second  Church  to  St.  .Andrew's.  A  new 
building  was  at  once  erected,  and  dedicated  June  9,  1SS9. 
This  church,  widi  its  ;)resenl  i)asior,  lour  ruling  elders  an^l  ten 
deacons,  and  a  m.enibershii)  of  two  hundred  and  si.xty,  con- 


2  6  Memorial. 

tributed  last  year  the  sum  of  $4, 103.  The  income  of  tliis  year 
will  be  at  least  $1,000  more  than  last  year. 

We  maintain  a  Sabbath-school  of  more  than  two  hundred, 
with  a  Bible-class  of  young  men  of  twenty-four,  and  a  young 
ladies'  class  of  tifteen. 

The  Church  Aid  Society,  working  for  the  poor  of  the  church, 
and  the  care  and  improvement  of  the  church  property  ;  a  cir- 
cle of  King's  Daughters,  working  specially  for  our  orphans' 
home;  and  the  Ladies'  foreign  Missionary  Society,  are  our 
organizations  of  women  in  church  work. 

We  have  an  interesting  children's  society  calling  itself 
'■  Eai'nest  Workers,"  using  its  income  for  Foreign  Missions. 

A  Brotherhood  of  Andrew  and  Philip,  composed  mostly  of 
young  men,  and  working  specially  for  young  men,  has  a  meet- 
ing on  Sabbath  mornings  f^r  prayer  and  the  study  of  our 
Confession  of  Faith.  This  meets  once  a  month  for  business. 
With  fifty-five  members  this  brotherhood  secured  one  lecturer 
this  3"ear,  and  is  arranging  for  several  next  year.  They  have  a 
nucleus  of  a  library,  and  mean  to  issue  a  monthly  paper. 
They  hope  to  have  a  reading-room  and  to  do  some  other 
things  in  this  line  besides  that  already  named,  and  thei.  special 
work  of  inviting  strangers  to  our  services  and  securing  the  at- 
tendance of  young  men. 

On  the  whole,  the  outlook  for  om'  church  is  encouraging, 
and  we  ask  you  to  pray  for  us. 


M  M  A  N  U  E  L  C  H  A  P  K  L. 

By  rev.  \V.  McC.  miller. 


In  the  revival  of  1S5S,  one  of  the  forms  in  which  the  quick- 
ened spiritual  life  of  God's  people  manifested  itself,  was  a  deep 
interest  in  city  mission  work.  Active  etforts  were  at  once  put 
forth  in  that  direction,  which  resulted  in  the  building  of  a  mis- 
sion cha])el  on  Chesnul  street,  between  Seventh  and  Eighth. 
Thus,  the  memorable  year  of  1S5S  was  the  beginning  of 
organized  mission  work  in  the  city  by  the  First  Church.  After 
the  new  chapel  was  surrendered  for  a  house  of  \^  orship  to  the 
colony  that  fornved  the  Second  Church  (November  6,  1858), 
the  mother  church  looked  elsewhere  for  work.  So,  on  March 
I,  1859,  it  was  determined  to  build  a  house  in  the  lower  part 
of  town.  Mr.  John  A.  Taylor  donated  a  lot  on  Wooster 
street,  between  Fiftli  and  Sixth,  a  building  was  erected,  and 
there  a  Sabbath-school  was  organized,  under  J.  A.  Andrews 
as  superintendeiit,  and  niaintained  until  the  demoralization  of 
war  times  rendered  it  impossible  to  continue  it  longer. 

November  19,  1S67,  a  Young  Men's  Prayer-meeting  was 
again  begun,  and  it  was  determined  to  rebuild  the  mission 
school-hou.se,  which  was  entirely  destro\'ed  during  the  war. 
The  new  building  was  nrbt  used  iSIarch  31,  1S69,  and  a  weekly 
prayer-meetiiig  ard  Sunda\ -school  maintained  with  encourag- 
ing success,  until,  in  1871,  the  work  was  suspended,  and  some- 
what later,  the  building  again  destroyed. 

About  18S4,  a  Sunday-school  and  some  industrial  classes 
were  imdertaken,  in  small  rented  rooms,  l.^y  some  of  the  Young 
Ladies'  Missionary  Society,  at  tlie  expense  of  the  society.  The 
work  grew  until  larger  quarters   were  necessary,  and  in   the 


28  Memorial. 

summer  of  iS86,  the  lot  on  \Vooster  street  was  exchanged  for 
the  present  lot  on  Front  street,  and  the  congregation  erected 
the  building  which  stands  in  the  rear  of  the  present  structure, 
and  is  still  used  for  some  purposes  by  the  mission.  At  the  same 
time  the  Sunday-school  was  taken  under  the  care  of  the  ses- 
sion, and  the  Yourig  Ladies'  Society,  relieved  of  the  expense  of 
rent,  enlarged  their  industrial  work.  In  November,  1SS7,  tlie 
congregation  subscribed  the  money  for  tlie  su].)port  of  a  mis- 
sionary. ()n  the  first  of  January,  iSSS,  Mr.  J.  M.  W.  Elder 
entered  upon  his  labors  as  a  lay  missionav)-,  and  for  ten  montlis 
labored  faithfully  and  successfully,  preparing  the  way  for  an 
ordained  minister.  In  October,  18S8,  the  Rev.  William  McC. 
Miller,  of  Greenbrier  Presbytery,  was  elected  evangelist  of 
the  mission  by  the  session,  and  entered  u[)0n  his  labors,  Jan- 
uary, I,  1SS9,  giving  his  whole  time  to  the  work. 

The  v,-ork  performed  by  the  evangelist  was  similar  in  nature 
and  extent  to  that  of  a  regular  pastor.  A  Sunday-school, 
superintended  by  Elders  Samuel  Northrop  and  James  D. 
Taylor,  and  supplied  wiUi  more  than  a  dozen  teachers  from 
the  First  Church,  was  in  regular  and  successful  operation. 
The  young  children  were  gathered  in  industrial  classes  several 
days  in  the  week,  and  trained  in  maimers  and  useful  arts  by 
members  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Missionary  Sijciety,  Miss  Bessie 
T.  Willard  *  being  the  head  and  leader  of  tlie  work.  Under  the 
blessing  of  God  on  all  tliese  labors,  the  work  pri)S[)ered,  and  the 
numbers  increased,  till  it  became  evident  before  the  close  of 
the  year  1SS9  tliat  more  room  was  needcel  to  accommodate 
the  work,  and  allow  for  its  expansion. 

Accordingly,  through  the  efforts  of  Lr.  Hogo,  pastor  of  the 
First  Clr.srch,  as  th.e  moving  spirit,  plans  were  inaugurated  and 
successfully  operated  in  brin.girig  alunit  the  need.ed  improve- 
ments. On  May  23,  1S90,  a  congregatioiial  meeting  v,-as 
called,   and    it   v.-as   decided   to   erect   a   new  bmlduTj;,  to   l)e 


•  Since  her  removal  succeciied  by  her  sibtcr,  ?*U3S   Loitic   -May  WiUarcl. 


Immanuel  Chapel.  29 

called  Tmmaniiel  Cliapcl.  A  building  committee,  with  Mr. 
Samuel  Northrc'p  as  chairman,  was  a})pointed.  The  com- 
mittee engaged  Mr.  A.  1!.  Cook,  a  member  and  one  of  the  first 
fruits  of  the  mission,  as  the  contractor  and  builder.  Ground 
was  L'roken  for  the  new  building  on  May  2G,  1S90,  and  before 
tlie  end  of  the  year  it  was  completed.  The  neat  new  chapel, 
so  admirably  ada[)ted  to  its  purposes,  measured  forty-five  feet 
in  length  by  thirty  in  width,  with  two  wings,  each  ten  feet  by 
twelve,  at  the  pulpit  end  of  the  church.  It  comfcirtably  seated 
more  tlian  three  hundred  people,  and  was  erected  at  a  total 
cost,  including  furnishings,  of  about  S3, 500.  Of  this  amount 
$i,gSo  was  deiived  frtnn  a  legacy  left  for  the  purpose  by 
Mrs.  E.  E.  Burruss,  to  whose  memory  a  handsome  memorial 
window  occupies  the  front  end  of  the  building.  The  remainder 
of  the  cost  was  met  by  private  subscriptions  from  the  congre- 
gation of  the  First  Church.  The  tlrst  service  was  held  in  the 
new  chapel  on  January  4,  1891,  and  on  February  i,  1S91,  it 
was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Cod,  Dr.  Hoge  preaching  the 
sermon  from  the  illuminated  texts  on  the  walls  of  the  build- 
ing. 

The  work  of  the  mission  in  all  its  departments  has  been 
■well  sustained,  and  is  now  in  a  satisfactory  condition.  The 
evangelist  holds  the  regular  Sabbath  services  morning  and 
night,  and  the  weekly  ])rayer-meeting,  and  engages  largely  in 
house  to  house  visitation.  The  Sunday-school,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  about  one  hundred,  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
'l"he  industrial  classes  and  other  branclies  of  work,  under  the 
care  and  conduct  of  the  young  ladles  of  the  Missionary  So- 
ciety, are  kept  up  with  increasing  interest,  and  are  of  great 
practical  value,  in  the  four  years  (^1888-1892)  since  the 
present  evangelist  began  his  labors,  more  than  600  religious 
services  have  been  held  in  the  mission;  51  persons  have  been 
received  into  the  church,  and  35  {)ersons  have  been  baj:>tized. 
This  work  lias  been  sustained  at  a  total  cost  during  the  four 


30  Memorial.  ^ 

years  of  not  far  from  $10,000  ''' — a  wise  expenditure  in  view  of 
the  results  accomplished,  all  of  which  arc  not  apparent,  and 
c.mnot  be  put  dovvn  in  fic^ures.  This  wtjrk  of  the  First 
Church  nearest  home  has  ever  enlisted  its  warmest  interest 
and  received  its  generous  support.  May  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest  evermore  a.dd  his  blessing,  to  whom  be  all  the  glory 
now  and  forever.      Amen. 


*  Including  the  cost  of  building. 


.'^Oi 


..-:<■'       '■>.. 


L  jiL- i-ii^itViffl 


v/3Afytm^ 


-^i 


PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES. 

I  S3  2  -  iSoi. 
By  rev.  II  B.  GRIEK,  D.  D. 


I  first  saw  Wilmington  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1S52.  An 
invitation  had  reached  mc  in  my  home  in  EUlcott  City,  Mary- 
land, to  preach  l:ere  for  two  Sabbaliis,  in  the  Presbyterian. 
Church,  then  without  a  pastor.  I  did  not  know  at  the  time, 
but  learned  afterwards,  that  the  invitation  was  the  result  of  a 
suggestion  made  to  tlie  session  of  this  church  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Plumer,  then  of  Baltimoie,  a  man  well  known  to  many  of  this 
congregation,  especially  for  his  services  to  the  church  in  later 
years. 

When  1  arrived  in  Uilmington  I  was  taken  to  the  house  of 
Captain  Gilbert  Potter,  in  whose  hospitable  liome  I  t:Lrried  dur- 
ing my  stay  in  the  place.  A  few  days  after  my  return  to  ]Mary- 
land,  I  received  a  proposition  from  the  elders  to  remove  to 
Wilmington  and  become  the  minister  of  the  church  for  the 
term  of  one  year.  After  some  deliberation  I  accepted  the 
proposition,  and  beg-an  my  regular  ministry  here  in  the  month 
of  July,  1852.  The  reason  for  the  limitaliou  of  time  to  one 
year,  wl:ich  I  was  quite  ready  to  accept,  was  the  precarious 
state  of  n:iy  own  he:Jth,  which  made  me  reluctant  to  enter  mto 
a  long  engagement,  and  probably  made  the  jjeople  of  the  church 
of  the  same  mind. 

When  1  began  m)'  work  in  mid-summer  of  the  year  1852,  I 
looked  around,  first  of  all,  to  see  what  m.iterial  I  had  in  the  peo- 
ple who  had  called  me,  whcrewitli  to  build  up  a  Christian  church 
of  the  Presbyterian  faith  and  order.      I  found  that  the  church 


32  Memorial. - 

had  reported  to  the  Presbytery  of  Fayetteville,  at  its  spring 
meeting,  that  it  had  ughty-four  members  in  all.  Twenty-tour 
of  these  were  of  the  colored  jieop'c.  There  were  three  elders, 
General  James  Owen  (wlio  resided,  howe\  er,  for  the  most  of  the 
time  on  his  plantation  in  Alabama),  Robert  \\'.  Gibbs,  and  John 
C.  Latta.  'I'here  were  no  deaeons.  A  very  good  board  of  Trus- 
tees was  caring  for  the  fmances  of  tire  church,  and  I  was  not 
hindeied  in  my  work  by  any  indebtedness  resting  upon  the 
property.  There  were  a  number  of  male  members  of  the 
church,  but  the  mosi  of  them,  as  I  rem.^m.ber,  were  somewhat 
of  tlie  kind  which  recalled  the  story  of  a  lad  in  Kentucky, 
who,  when  he  was  asked  whether  his  f^ither  was  a  religious 
man,  replied,  "Ves;  I  suppose  he  is.  but  he  is  not  i^urki/ig 
very  ha?d  af  it  Just  iiowT  xMy  men  in  tlie  church  were  work- 
ing hard  at  turpentine,  and  at  sawing  lo^£'-s,  and  at  buying  and 
selling,  and  getting  gain,  and  tliey  had  little  time,  and  not 
much  heart,  f(jr  acti\-e  work  in  the  church.  'I'he}'  wislied  me 
well,  however,  and  were  hopeful  for  the  future  of  the  church. 

Of  devout  women  there  were  not  a  few,  and  1  very  soon 
heard  of  a  female  jjia^er  meeting,  wliich  met  at  stated  times  to 
pray  for  fathers,  brothers,  and  sons  who  were  standing  away 
from  Christ.  I  imjuired  about  this  meeting,  but  could  find 
out  very  little  about  its  history.  No  one  seemed  to  knou-  when 
it  was  started  ;  it  had  a]wa\s  been.  Sometimes  the  attendance 
was  very  small,  but  the  two  or  three  wh.)  came  held  on,  and 
waited  and  prayed.  '1  hen  the  numbers  swelled  again,  and 
the  earnestness  deejiened.  When  1  heard  of  t!ie  existence  of 
this  gatliering  of  saintly  women,  I  ^'th.anked  God  and  took 
courage."  Somebody  was  inaying,  I  knew,  and  I  could  afford 
to  work  on,  in  the  assuiance  th;U  in  Clod's  good  tmie  blessed 
answers  to  th.ese  [)ra)ers  would  come. 

The  first  sigm  of  forward  movement  in  the  (dnirch,  and  the 
foreshadowing  of  further  progress,  was  the  purchase,  in  the 
year  1S53,  of  a  house  as  a  residence  for  tlie  pastor — a  manse. 


PeRSON/M.  RoMiXISCENCES.  33 

It  was  a  small,  but  plensant  resiiieiiCe,  iit  tlie  corner  of  Red 
Cross  street  and  Front  street,  very  near  the  railroad  station  of 
that  time.  I  aiigh*-  possil;)ly  l^ive  i'ltcrpreted  the  choice  of 
that  location  ;is  a  siibxlc  iutimation  that  if  I  di^l  not  behave 
myself  nisely  in  a  perfect  way,  tliere  was  a  very  ready  and  very 
accessible  way  of  getting  out  of  the  town  If  it  was  so,  I  never 
took  the  hint.  1  v.-ent.  away  at  times,  but  I  always  came  back 
again,  and  for  sis  years  this  pleasant  manse  was  my  happy  home. 

As  the  church  advanced  in  its  facilities  for  work,  and  gathered 
strength  for  its  own  support,  it  began  also  to  exert  sinritual 
influences  upon  the  men  and  women  of  the  congregation,  and 
to  draw  them  within  its  pale.  In  1S54,  the  membership  had 
increased  from  S4  to  ir5.  In  1S55,  the  membership  had 
grown  to  125  ;  in  1S56,  to  132  ;  in  1S57,  to  143  ;  in  1S5S,  to 
170.  The  growth  was  slow,  but  it  was  steady,  and  it  brought 
precious  souls  into  the  kingdom. 

The  reminiscences  I  am  called  to  give,  will,  I  fear,  grow 
somewhat  desultory,  ai"-d  to  avoid  this  I  will  group  them,  in 
what  I  have  }et  to  say,  around  two  chief  events  in  the  history 
of  the  church  in  m\'  pastorate,  namely,  the  great  Revival  of  1S5S, 
and  the  burning  of  the  church  and  its  rebuilding  in   1859-60. 

The  revival  came  to  me  most  unexpectedly,  though  there 
were  premonitions  of  it  in  the  prayers  of  some  of  the  people, 
and  in  other  things  not  fully  understood  until  the  gracious 
v.'ork  explaint-d  them.  One  of  the  elders*  of  th.e  church  had 
been  at  a  meeting  of  elders  and  deacons  of  the  Synod,  held  at 
Greensboro.  He  came  back  deeply  moved  by  what  he  had 
seen  and  heard.  I  had  given  notice  that  1  would  be  absent  on 
the  Sabbath  after  his  return,  doiiig  some  missionary  work  in 
the  county  of  Columbus,  which  had  been  assigned  to  me  by  the 
Presbytery.  \>ut  the  ehlers  gathered  many  oi  the  i)eoi)le  to- 
gether in  the  small  lecture  rotjin  l^ack  of  the  church,  and  talked 
and  i)ra}ed  with  them.     'Ihere  was  a  perceptible  stir  in  the 

•J.  C.  Laita. 


34  ■ '  Memorial. 

congregation  that  morning.  The  elders  thought  it  best  to  ajv 
point  a  meeting  lor  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  when  I  arrived 
at  home  they  came  and  told  me  what  they  had  done.  I  went 
down  to  the  meeting  the  next  aUcrnoon,  greatly  wondering  at 
all  that  had  come  to  pass  which  had  been  related  to  me. 

I  found  the  room  full.  I  began  to  think  that  something  was 
moving  the  people  to  an  unwonted  degree.  .\  yorng  married 
woman  was  silting  in  the  seat  nearest  to  the  pulpit,  and  as  I 
gazed  upon  her  face,  I  saw  there  a  look  I  had  never  seen  in  it 
before.     ^Vhen  we  rose  to  sing  the  hymn — 

"  Depth 'i  of  nierc}',  c.in  there  be 
Mercy  btill  reserve  1  (ov  me?" 

I  noticed  that  the  tears  v/ere  coursing  down  her  cheeks.  I 
looked  at  other  faces  in  the  roi^m  ;  they  were  solemn  and 
thoughtful,  as  if  impressions  of  eternal  things  were  deepening 
in  the  hearts  of  all.  As  the  meeting  went  on  the  numbers  in- 
creased, many  standing  round  the  door,  and  I  appointed  a 
meeting  for  the  next  afternoon  at  four  o'clock,  and  closed 
the  service.  As  soon  as  I  could,  I  hastened  to  the  home  of 
the  young  woman  wliose  tearful  face  I  had  noticed.  As  she 
saw  me  enter  her  door,'  she  lifted  up  her  hands  and  said, 
"  Oh,  my  pastor,  1  am  self-condenmed.  Is  tliere  niercy  in 
God  for  such  a  one  as  I  am  ?  "  We  sat  down  together  to 
talk  of  the  most  momentous  questions  wliich  the  hiunan  soul 
can  ever  entertain.  She  passed  through  the  veil  into  the 
heavenly  land  years  ago,  but  I  do  not  doubt  that  she  looks 
back  from  the  paradise  of  God  tu  tltat  evening  as  the  turn- 
ing point  in  her  earthly  life. 

The  at'ternoon  meetings  at  four  o'clock  were  continued  for 
several  weeks.  Services  on  Sabbath;  the  meetings  in  the 
afternoons  of  the  week;  attendance  upon  the  union  meetings 
in  otlier  churches  ke|>t  one  very  busv.  But  it  v.'as  a  business 
that  was  very  grateful,  and  which  did  not  bring  the  weariness 


1740397 

PiCRSoxAL  Rr^riyiscLNCES.  35 

that  comes  vith  unsucci=^ssful  labor.  Life  was  worth  living  then. 
'Die  most  plea.saiu  tiling  of  all  wa<^  that  (  very  one  was  willing 
to  tall;  upoii  the  subje<u  of  jicrsonal  religion.  Xo  one  avoided 
you;  no  one  turned  ar.grily  away  when  you  addiessed  them. 
I  was  passing  one  nion.ing,  after  receiving  my  mail,  along  the 
wharf,  arid  as  I  crossed  Market  slreet,  I  met  a  young  man  in 
whom  I  felt  a  special  and  constant  interest.  We  were  about 
to  pass  each  other  with  the  salutations  of  the  day,  when  I 
stopped;  at  th.e  same  time  lie  stopped  al?o.  I  looked  him  in 
the  face,  and  he  looked  at  me,  and  I  said,  "  George,  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  passeth  by.  I'eriiaps  this  is  the  set  time  for  you  to  seek 
Him."  Not  another  word  was  spoken.  We  went  our  respec- 
tive ways.  Eut  I  saw  him  in  tlie  afternoon  at  the  meeting. 
He  sought  me  out  in  the  evening,  and  came  again  and  again, 
until,  before  the  week  ended,  he  came  out  into  the  light  and 
comfort  of  a  blessed  hope,  and  began  then  the  Christian  life, 
passed  before  you  all,  which  closed  only  when  you  laid  the 
form  of  your  beloved  elder,  George  Chadbourn,  in  the  grave. 

I  must  give  you  another  incident  which,  although  it  seems 
-slight  in  itself,  made  so  great  impression  upon  ine  that  I  often 
recall  it.  Late  in  the  nionth  of  June,  I  was  called  to  baptize 
two  men,  welbknown  in  the  towii,  aiid  v>-ho  were  among  its 
prominent  business  men.  Dr.  Thomas  C.  Worth,  and  Mr. 
John  \V.  K.  Di.\.  I  believe  that  tliey  were  both  cut  off  after- 
wards in  the  dreadful  ravages  oi  the  yellow  fever  in  1862,  each 
doing  good  and  brave  service  as  members  of  the  Howanl  As- 
sociation. On  the  day  of  their  baptism,  the  congregation  was 
very  full,  and  the  services,  as  you  may  well  imagine,  very  solemn. 
The  two  men  stood  together  bef_.re  th.e  j.iuljut  to  take  upon 
them  Christian  vows,  and  tiic  people  of  tlie  church  stood 
around  them,  to  v.elcome  tliem  into  the  cour.nunion  of  saints. 
As  I  p'-onouriced  the  ba]jtisma]  formula,  a  profound  hush  fell 
on  the  as.^embly,  broken  only  by  my  own  voice  ;  bait  just  as  I 
said,  amen,  a  great  i-6'/' was  heard- — heard  distinctlv  over  all  the 


36  Mentorial. 

house.  It  was  not  tlis  iob  o( d/s^r^ss.  Tiiere  was  no  sorrow  in 
its  tone.  It  seemed  rather  as  if  some  heart,  surcliarged  with 
emotion,  which  'uad  been  ]~)ent  clown  ani.1  kej)t  in,  could  no 
longer  stay  its  utterance,  and  yielding  to  the  imjxilse  of  the 
houi,  thus  made  lincwn  its  over'lowing  joy.  I  never  knew 
frc>m  whom  that  sob  came,  jjerhaps  from  some  one  nearly  re- 
lated to  the  persons  baptized.  But  you  know  that  the  accusa- 
tion has  sometimes  been  made  that  Presbyterian  worship  is 
decorous  even  to  coldricss,  that  il  tend^  to  the. formal,  that  it 
suppresses  all  emotion,  t'lat  a  shout  is  among  the  things  pro- 
hibited by  our  custom  as  inexorably  as  if  it  were  done  by  law. 
Rut  who  can  restrain  emotion  at  such  a  time?  'Hiat  day  was 
a  high  day  in  our  Zion,  and  we  were  joyful  there  before 
God. 

1  heard  afterwards  of  an  incident  so?newhat  amusing  con- 
nected with  that  service,  Avhich  will  show  the  high  tension  of 
feeling  which  then  existed  in  the  church.  Of  all  the  men  who 
had  served  the  church  in  various  v.-.iys,  the  man  who  most 
■keenly  enjoyed  the  revival  and  its  fruits  was  Mr.  Robert  W. 
Gibbs,  an  elder  in  the  church  for  rnau)-  years  and  its  faithful 
supporter.  This  season  brought  to  him  the  joy  of  a  long  de- 
ferred harvest.  lie  had  long  pra}ed  t'or  just  such  a  revival. 
He  had  waited  for  it  through  man_\'  dark  d:i\s,  and  looked  for 
it  hopefully  in  the  darkest.  The  gracious  Master  vouchsafed 
to  him  the  blessing  of  seeing  his  h  jpcs  tulfilkni  before  he 
laid  down  his  otiice,  to"-  next  year  the  disease  began  to  a[>j)ear 
of  which  lie  aftcrwanls  died. 

He  nas  the  only  one  of  his  household  who  came  from  it  to 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  all  the  others  l)eing  members  of  the 
Ej)iscopal  or  Methodist  cliurches.  '1  lie  good  man  went  home 
from  the  baptismal  service  which  I  have  described,  with  a 
heart  I'ull  uf  emotion  whicli  he  knev,-  not  how  to  express.  He 
wandered  about  the  house,  seeming  hardlv  to  know  v.here  he 
was  going.      His    face  was  shining,  but    his  tongue  was  tied. 


Personal  Reminiscknces.  37 

He  had  no  words  to  body  forth  the  feeUngs  within.  At  last, 
one  of  his  Methodist  female  relatives,  laying  her  hand  on  his 
arm,  said  to  hiiri,  "  My  dear  Roliert,  I  know  wliat  is  tlie  matter 
.  with  you.  You  want  to  shout ;  nothing  will  help  you  but  that ; 
and  if  you  uiU  come  up  to  Front  Street  Methodist  Church  to 
night,  we  will  give  you  a  chance.'' 

I  must  describe  another  meeting  held  at  this  time,  because 
it  has -come  to  be  one  of  historical  interest  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  tliis  city.  The  long  period  of  religious  interest  in 
the  church  made  large  demands  upon  the  pastor,  and  especially 
upon  his  voice.  One  Sabbath  (\.\\  it  was  gone-  I  could  not 
speak  above  a  whisper.  A  prayer-meeting  was  called  for  Sab- 
bath afternoon  in  the  church.  1  sat  down  in  the  morning  and 
wrote  a  letter  which  I  askeil  a  friend  to  read  in  the  meeting. 
It  7i.'as  read,  and  in  it  I  suggested  tliat,  as  a  thank-offering  for 
the  blessings  which  had  come  upon  the  church,  a  lot  should 
be  purchased  ai'id  a  chapel  built  for  mission  services  in  a  part  of 
the  tONMi  which  neetled  such  service.  The  suggestion  was  re- 
sponded to  heartily,  and  the  work  began.  That  was  the  origin 
of  the  Second  Church,  as  we  called  it.  Vou  have  called  it,  and 
I  think  wisely,  St.  Andrew's  ;  but  I  wish  you  all  to  know,  espe- 
cially those  here  from  St.  Andrew's,  that  your  church  was  born 
right  out  of  t!"ic  heart  of  a  great  resivaL  You  ouglit  to  be  fer- 
vent, to  be  true  to  your  origin.  Tlie  work  on  the  new  chapel 
went  on  rapidly,  tor  I  preached  the  opening  sermon  in  it  on 
October  17,  1S50.  its  lustory  has  been  given  by  another 
hand. 

On  my  return  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  from  a  va- 
cation, I  was  asked  to  attend  a  prater-meeting  which  had  been 
established  by  a  'i^w  young  men  who  had  recently  come  into 
die  cluirch.  It  v.  as  held  in  a  house  over  the  railroad.  Tliere 
was  mucli  talk  among  the  young  men  as  to  what  the)-  could  do 
for  the  poor  and  the  ignorant  of  die  town.  I  do  not  recall  all 
tliat  was  said  or  done,  but  the  outcome  of  all  was  that  a  lot 
3 


38  jNIlmorial. 

was  obtained  in  the  southern  ]iaM  of  the  city,  and  a  rou^li 
board  chapel  put  up  at  a  sniall  cost.  It  was  used  for  mid- 
weekly  services  in  the  midst  of  a  population  that  was  gathered 
out  of  the  ignoiant,  and  often  from  the  \-ii:ious  classes.  It  was 
the  precurser,  'probably,  of  Innna-.uiel  Mission  Chapel. 

The  advance  of  the  church  wliich  had  becti  so  lapid  and 
so  marked,  was  suddenly  and  very  sadly  arrested  by  the  burn- 
ing of  the  church,  in  April,  1S59.  It  was  a  stunning  blow,  but 
the  deep  religious  interest  of  the  preceding  year  had  fitted 
the  church  to  receive  it,  and  rise  from  it.  The  fires  were  still 
burning  when  the  trustees  of  tlie  church  met  in  the  evening,  I 
believe,  in  the  oftice  of  that  noble  man,  Dr.  James  IT.  Dickson, 
(a  name  not  to  be  mentioned  in  this  church  without  honor\ 
and  resolved  to  reliuikl  at  once,  and  subscrilicd  themselves 
about  $7,000.  Others  of  the  congregation  sent  in  generous 
subscriptions.  Help  was  gi\en  by  citizens,  of  all  churches, 
and  of  none,  and  we  began  to  take  heart  again,  and  to  pre- 
pare to  rebuild  the  fallen  sanctuary. 

But  as  the  days  went  on,  it  dawned  upon  us  that  the  old  site 
■was  not  the  best  site,  and  that  advantage  ouglit  to  be  taken  of 
the  position  into  vdiich  the  church  had  been  brought  to  estab- 
lish it  in  a  new  and  more  tavorable  location.  The  best  site  in 
the  town  then  vacant,  was  the  lot  on  which  the  ch.urch  now 
stands,  and  it  was  purchased.  The  manse  up  town  was  sold  to 
assist  in  the  purchase,  and  with  my  family  I  moxed  into  an  old 
house  which  stood  on  the  lot.  It  was  antiquated,  somev/hat 
weather-beaten,  but  it  was  in  the  heart  of  the  congregation. 
It  seemed  to  ramble  over  a  good  part  of  the  lot  v.-hicli  it  occu- 
pied, and  puslied  itself  out  into  Orange  street.  iJut  it  liad  a 
good  right  to  be  there,  for  it  was  built  long  belbre  Orange 
street  was  laid  out.  It  was  the  airiest  house  in  wliit  h  I  ever 
lived.  The  parlor  had  four  d.oors  and  eight  v.-indows  in  it. 
But  it  was  a  pleasant  home,  and  from  it  I  watclred  the  upris- 
ing of  the  new  church.     It  was  a  long,  weary  work,  but  it  went 


Personal  Reminiscences. 


39 


on  ;  the  church  went  up,  and  in  June,  iS6i,  it  v/as  completed. 
I  had  the  ass'stance  on  the  day  of  the  dedicition  of  Dr. 
Charles  Philipps  of  the  University  of  Nortli  Carohna. 

The  services  of  the  day  of  dedication  were  not,  however,  the 
first  reh-ious  services  which  were  held  witliin  this  house  of 
God.  One  day  as  1  sat  in  my  study,  I  heard  the  sound  of 
hurried  feet  on  the  street,  and  was  told  that  one  of  the  work- 
men had  fallen  from  the  tower.  I  hastened  into  the  church, 
and  met  Ijis  companions  bearing  the  limp  form  of  the  sufferer 
with  them.  They  laid  him  down  on  a  pile  of  shavings,  just 
where  the  central  aisle  of  the  church  runs.  A  physician  who 
was  passing  was  called  in.  He  knelt  down  by  the  side  of  the 
poor  niaii.  felt  his  pulse,  watched  the  heaving  of  the  chest,  and 
soon  rose  up,  saving.  "  he  is  gone."  By  this  time,  quite  a  num- 
ber of  persons  had  come  in,  among  them  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pritch- 
ard,  then  pnstorof  tlie  First  Baptist  Church.  1  said  a  k\v  words 
to  the  gathered  company,  and  called  upon  Mr.  Pritchard  to 
pray.  His  voice,  lifted  up  in  prayer,  was  the  first  to  suppli- 
cate the  bles-ing  of  God  upon  a  stricken  family  in  this  house 
of  the  Pord.  There  have  been  many  sermons  preached  in  this 
church  since  that  time,  but  perhaps  there  have  been  few  more 
impressive  than  tlie  words  uttered  that  day  over  the  workman 
who  lay  dead  within  tliese  walls. 

With  tlie  dedication  of  the  new  church  my  pastoral  life  in 
Wilmington  closed,  'llie  shadows  of  a  long  war  were  gathering 
about  us  tl-ien,  and  it  was  judged  l)est,  both  for  pastor  and  peo- 
ple, that  we  should  separate.  The  pastoral  relation  was  dis- 
solved bv  the  I'leslwtery  of  Fayefteville  in  tlit*  autumn  of  the 
year  iS6i.  All  that  I  have  to  say  now  tou'Iiing  this  chr-.nge 
is  to  tcstih  that  you  tbllowed  me  vrith  unvarying  kindness  to 
its  close,  end  have  greeted  me  always,  in  tiie  peaceful  days 
which  have  come  to  us,  with  \;-ords  of  unabated  and  warm 
affection. 

I  have  no  business,  ofcour.se,  to  speak  of  aught  that  has  oc- 


40  Mi:MORltAL, 


-s.  * 


curred  since  ';lie  day  when  my  personal  minislry  closed.  But 
I  may  say,  fur  I  ca'i  say  it  in  the  utmost  sincerity,  that  I  re- 
joice in  all  tiiat  you  have  (lone  to  make  tlii:--  clir.ich  beautiful 
and  attractive,  and  \r  all  that  you  have  done  to  carry  the 
gospel  of  Christ  to  the  ignorant  and  tlie  unsaved  in  your  city, 
your  State,  and  in  the  lands  i^ej-ond  the  seas.  In  alt  this  I  re- 
joice, '-yea  and  will  rejoice."  I  nuist  add,  and  you  will  surely 
bear  with  me  v/hile  1  add,  that  I  have  especial  satistliction  in 
the  men  whom  you  have  chosen  to  follow  me  in  this  place. 
Pride  of  ancestry  is  not  unconnnon.  I  have  the  unusual 
felicity  of  beins  proud,  and  heartily  so,  of  my  sucrcssors—and 
that  down  to  the  latest  of  them  all — of  whom  1  sum  up  all  I 
have  to  say  for  m}self  and  am  sure  that  you  v,-ill  join  me  in 
the  saying,  that  I  am  very  glid  that  J)r.  Hoge  did  not  go  to 
the  Theological  Seminary  whicli  lately  called  him.  May  he 
stand  in  this  place  for  man}-  \cars  to  come,  and  may  the 
blessing  of  God  abide  upon  him,  and  upon  all  this  beloved 
people  evermore.     Amen. 


..-  ■'■*' 

■^■'' 

/■'      ■ 

••     .•'       ■                  ? 

■vA-- 

■                              ■?■'           ^ 

i'.   ..■■     ^              ^ 

■  ■  -  .'  -„#  ■    .  •             '»v 

■  -  ■■■''(",  ,                ..•'   ",. 

■  ,;..•■         -                ,^.'   -          °«*,.. 

^-.v*'*  .  ,    .''•■,        •       '        ,."^                       '^•-*v 

/' 

■'■■  'y-'.^j'.*:''''           ~... .                                        "'-'???-■ 

i 

J 

■"? 

i 

J 

^ 

t 

ij 

k^:... 

..„;_.^.;_,.- ....--■.. >.^._„,-       ,_.,.......   .c,-. J 

^>cc 


7^ 


.// 


LETTER  FROM 

REV.    U.    L    SINGLETON. 


NEW  YORK. 


New  York,  D^r.  6,  1892. 

2o  the  Mcmhcs  of  the  First  Prcshyicrian    Church  in    Wil- 
viingfoii,  N.  C. 

Dear  EKKTHREX-.—Twcnty-seven  years  ago,  this  month,  I 
visited  Wilmington  on  the  invitation  of  your  session,  then  com- 
posed of  only  two  members — Mr.  George  Chadbourn  and  Mr 
James  C.  Smith.  I  arrived  on  Sunday  morning  about  5  o'clock, 
after  two  days'  and  nights'  journey  from  Baltimore.  This  was 
just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  when  the  railroads  liad  not  been 
reconstructed,  nor  bridges  across  the  rivers  rebuilt.  The  two 
days'  trip  was  cliaracterized  by  everything  that  was  gloomy  and 
depressing;  rain  wa'-  incessantly  pouring  down;  desolation  and 
dismay,  resultant  of  tlie  four  years'  war  and  invasion  of  our 
Southland,  were  all  along  the  route;  devastated  fields,  burned 
homes,  a  conquered,  but  noble  and  gallant  people,  poverty 
and  distress  on  evc-ry  side,  deepened  the  depression  of  spirits 
with  which  I  started  on  my  way  to  you. 

The  day  of  my  arrival  was  cloudy,  chilly,  and  unpromising. 
The  failure  of  my  letter  and  telegram  to  reach  the  session  on 
Saturday  caused  the  notice  to  be  given  that  there  would  be  no 
service.  1  hunted  up  the  elders  after  my  arrival,  and  caused  the 
bell  to  be  rung,  and  thus  intimated  that  there  v/ould  be  scr\-ice. 

In  that  first  morning  ser\ice  tliere  about  thirty  or  forty  j)re- 
sent.  \\\\0  tiic  se  were  I  soon  came  to  recognize  as  tlie  strenr'th 
and  suiew  of  the  church.      1  preached  from  the  words  of  our 


42  Memorial. 

Lord,  "  Come  unto  rne  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  hea^y  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest."  If  there  was  ever  a  heavy  laden 
people  in  need  of  the  strong  arm  of  the  Saviour  and  of  his  rest- 
ful bosom  on  which  to  lean,  it  was  our  s'aicken  and  suttcring 
people  of  the  South.  I  remained  during  the  week,  and 
preached  the  next  Lor'^'s  day  to  an  increased  congregation. 
And  on  that  day  the  Sabbath-school  v/as  re-organized  with 
about  forty  scholars. 

Before  lea\-ing  for  my  return  to  Baltimore,  1  had  a  full  and 
free  conference  with  the  elders,  deacons,  and  trustees  of  the 
church.  They  intimated  the  desire  of  the.  members  to  have  me 
for  their  pastor,  and  stated  that  a  congregational  meeting  would 
be  held  to  issue  a  call  if  I  could  give  them  any  encouragement 
that  I  would  accept.  At  tlie  same  time,  they  stated  that  they 
were  very  despondent  concerning  tlie  future  of  the  cliurch. 
'lliey  were  themselves  without  incomes,  'llieir  business  was 
destroyed,  their  resources  had  been  ruined,  and  they  were 
■actually  engaged  in  a  struggle  for  e.xistence.  And  the  church 
was  under  a  heavy  mortgage  which  the  holder  was  threatening 
to  foreclose.  These  bretluen  dealt  very  honestly  and  honor- 
ably with  me.  After  my  return  to  Baltimore,  I  carefully  and 
prayerfully  considered  the  case,  and  accepted  the  call  when  it 
came. 

I  entered  upon  my  work  on  the  first  Lord's  day  of  January, 
iS66.  'I'he  churcli  buikhng  was  then  unfinished,  and  unfur- 
nishe<l.  The  chapel  v,-as  not  bulk,  and  the  windows  were 
nearly  all  denrolished.  The  congregation  numbered  si.Kty  ]'.er- 
sons,  including  the  children  and  colored  members.  God 
favored  us  from  the  beginning.  In  the  midst  oi"  all  the  discourag- 
ing and  depressing  circumstances,  winch  were  intensified  by  the 
prevalence  of  the  dreadful  scourge  of  the  small-pox,  there  was 
displayed  by  all  an  earnestness  and  zeal  for  the  house  of  the 
Lord  which  was'  as  surprising  as  it  was  gratifying  to  me. 

Our  congreg.ition    grew   ra^jidly  and   steadily;    many  were 


Letter  From  Rev.  H.  L.  Singleton. 


43 


added  to  the  menib,'rship  by  letter  and  on  confession  of  faith. 
The  Sabbath-school  grew  to  be  tlie  largest  in  the  city  (I  have 
not  my  reconls  by  rne  and  cannot  recall  the  numbers). 

The  revenue  of  the  church  increased  far  beyond  my  expec- 
tations, so  tliat  v.e  not  only  paid  all  the  expenses  promptly 
and  the  pastor's  sahuy,  but  contributed  liberally  to  all  the 
committees  of  the  General  Assembly.  I  received  repeatedly 
froni  the  secretaries  tlieir  testimony  that  our  church  had  sur- 
prised them  and  the  entire  committee  l)y  its  growth  and  liberality. 

During  that  first  year,  we  paid  the  debt  and  cancelled  the 
mortgage  of  Si  i, coo;  aided  the  colored  Presbyterians  (whom  I 
had  formed  into  a  church  organization)  in  the  purchase  of 
the  Secontl  Church  ])roperty.  We  also  undertook  the  educa- 
tion of  a  young  man  (Mr  Groves)  for  the  ministry,  through 
college  and  semiuaiy,  at  an  expense  of  8300  or  S400  a  year. 
We  also  purchased  and  erected  the  organ,  at  an  expense  of 
$3,500,  and  paid  the  organist's  salary  of  $300.  'l"he  treasurer, 
Mr.  James  D  Guinrriing,  told  me  at  the  close  of  the  first  year, 
or  December  31,  1866,  that  his  books  showed  that  the  church 
had  raised  and  paid  out  over  $iS,ooo,  and  this  without  solicit- 
ing or  receiving  any  aid  from  outside  sources. 

During  my  ministry  we  erected  the  chapel  in  the  rear  of 
the  church,  at  an  expense  of  86,000  to  87,000,  rciKiired  the 
church  and  placed  the  memorial  and  other  new  windows  in 
tlie  church,  at  an  expense  of  81,200  or  $1,300.  All  these 
and  many  other  evidences  of  prosperity  were  gratifying  and 
occasions  of  thanksgiving.  But  tlie  highest  evidence  of  God's 
blessing  was  in  the  spiritual  improvement  of  the  peojde  and 
additions  to  the  membership.  Among  those  whom  God  gave 
as  seals  of  my  miiustry  are  some  wlio  have  gone  before  me  to 
their  reward.  Odieis  remain  among  you,  who  are  now  your 
most  valueil  and  elficlent  members.  Some  have  entered  the 
sacred  ministry  uf  the  church,  and  are  lionored  by  the  Lord 
and  their  brethren. 


44  MKMorjAL. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  alluding  to  the  peculiarly  trying  difti- 
culties  with  which  my  ministry  was  surrounded,  growing  out  of 
the  reconstruction  period  of  the  South, — the  difterences  which 
existed  between  the  families  concerning  the  war,  and  the  result- 
ant poliiical  situation.  Many  of  you  rememl-er  how  near  we 
came  to  being  sundered,  and  our  work  brought  to  naught  It 
was  a  tr}ing  periotl  to  me.  You  also  recall  liow  tliat  crisis 
was  safely  passed,  and  the  peace  of  the  church  was  made  more 
secure  by  reason  of  the  peril  we  divinely  escaped.  It  was  after 
this,  in  Washington  cit\',  th.at  {he  loved  and  revered  uncle  of 
your  present  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Moses  D.  Hogc.  of  Richmond, 
voluntarily  and  jjublicly  said,  that  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Wilmington  had  the  most  tr}ing  experience  of  any  church 
in  the  South  since  the  war,  and  its  pastor,  Brother  Singleton, 
had  the  most  difiicult  woik,  but  they  had  been  the  most 
successful  in  the  South.  1  sliall  never  forget  the  gratifi- 
cation whicli  this  testimony  gave  me,  coming  from  such  a 
source. 

My  memories  of  Wilmington  are  very  sacred.  There  were 
no  relationships  among  you  in  v.hich  I  was  not  permitted  to 
participate.  Around  your  hearth-stones  in  the  hours  of  joy 
and  sadness;  at  the  marriage  altar;  around  the  bier;  in  the 
social  circle,  arid  by  the  sick  bedside,  it  was  my  privilege  to  be 
a  favored  companion  and  brotlier,  as  well  as  the  minister.  I 
believe  that  I  can  truly  say,  tliot  I  loved  my  Wilmington  church 
and  people— with  the  children — more  than  any  other  with 
whom  I  have  been  associated.  1  went  to  you  with  a  sincere 
consecration  of  m)-5elf  to  your  spiritual  welfare,  and  the  service 
of  our  God.  No  one  knew  so  \\-cll  my  im[)erfections  and  de- 
ficiencies as  1  did.  But  while  1  was  your  pastor  I  thought 
only  of  your  interests.  I  liad  no  other  engagements  or  pur- 
poses in  view,  but  your  advavicement  as  Chri.-,tians  and  as  a 
church  of  Christ.  'l"he  rnau)-  teslimonies  which  I  received 
concerning   the  value   and   effects  of  my  preaching   are   very 


Letxcr  from  II.  L.  S'yCrLETON.  45 

precious,  especl-Jly  those  '.vi-iti;en  testimonies  \vhich  I  sacredly 
preserve. 

There  is  one  aspect  c*' my  p-:iiMstry  in  v/hich  I  take  pleasure 
at  this  distance  in  time.  \\'hiie  I  always  j)! cached  a  free,  un- 
restricted gospel  of  salvation.  1  souglit  to  in:ike  you  strong,  in- 
telligent, uncompromismj;;  I'resbyterians.  The  defection  v.liich 
is  increa.-.ing  in  this  arid  other  sections  of  the  Presbyterian 
family,  show  the  necessity  of  enforcing  the  doctrine  and  polity 
of  Presbyterianism.  V\'e  niust  look  to  our  Southern  branch  of 
the  family  for  the  main  defence  and  vindication  of  our  faitli, 
anil  the  preservation  of  cur  heritage. 

May  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  make  his 
grace  t^  abound  to  you,  your  elders  and  pastor,  enriching 
your  hearts  M'ith  the  beauty  of  holiness,  crowning  your  li\-es 
with  his  lovingkindness,  and  m.iking  your  (.hurch  tlie  beacon 
light  of  his  gospel  throughout  the  region  about  you. 
Fraternally  yours, 

Horace  L.  Singleton. 


PRESENTATION. 


Mrs.  L.aura  (Rankin)  RothwcU,  who  united  witli  tlie  cliurch 
under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  McNeill,  in  1835,  and  Mrs.  Catli- 
erine  K  Price,  who  was  received  on  certificate  from  the  I'res- 
bvtcrian  Church  of  Clinton,  N.  C,  in  1S42,  were  presented  each 
with  handsomely  bound  copies  of  the  great  primei  edition  of 
the  New  Testamenl  and  I^salms  in  five  \olumes,  in  commemora- 
tion of  their  member.sliip  in  the  church  of  a  half  century.  Mrs. 
Rotliwell  was  led  to  a  seat  in  front  of  the  pulpit  by  Mr.  13. 
G.  ^\'orth,  the  senior  elder,  and  Mr.  John  McLauiin  received 
the  gift  for  Mrs.  Trice,  vdno  could  not  lie  present.  The  i)resen- 
tation  was  made  by  Dr.  Wilson  in  a  few  tender  and  well-chosen 
words. 


HISTORICAL    SKETCH 

OF 

THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL 

Sy  C.  II    ROIUNSON. 


THE  presentation  of  this  sketrli  must  necessarily  be  imperfect 
on  accomit  of  defective  records.  But  I  am  able,  after  a  close 
examination  of  the  books  remaining  to  present  an  almost  con- 
tinuous history  of  the  school.  The  Church  Manual  published 
in  1S89,  sa\s :  "Before  the  installation  of  Rev.  Thomas  P. 
Hunt  as  pastor  in  1S31,  a  Sunday-school  with  forty-nine 
scholars  had  been  organized."  'l"he  first  record-book  I  have 
found  begins  December  7,  1833,  and  opens  in  this  way: 

'■'Impressed  v/ith  a  belief,  that  under  the  blessing  of  heaven, 
tl^e  institution  of  Sabbath  schools  is  well  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  interest  of  society,  and  to  contribute  to  the  jjresent 
and  future  welfare  of  those  to  whom  they  secure  the  advan- 
tages of  moral  and  religious  instruction,  and  feeling  a  desire  to 
engage  in  a  v/ork  of  so  much  practical  utility  to  tlie  cause  of 
virtue  and  religion ;  we,  whose  p.ames  are  hereunto  sub- 
scribed, do  form  ourselves  into  an  association  tur  this  purpose, 
to  be  called  'The  ^Vi;::-•ington  SuiuLi) -school  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,'  and  adopt  the  tollowing  rules  for  the  regulation 
of  it." 

Xo  names  are  appended  to  this,  but   the  names  of  ofncers  . 
an'l  scholars  are  iriven  afteru-ards.  \i/..  : 


48 


MEMORiAI., 


Superir.tendents. 
Mr.  Hi:RVEv  Law  and  AIiss  Marv  Holmes. 


Willi A>.r  HuNi ixgton. 
William  Nichols. 
Edward  D.  Hall, 
Charles  Russcll, 
Eli  W.  Hall, 
John  E.  ?Iolmes. 
Owen  D.  Holmes, 
Henry  W.  Eaw, 
Joseph  Richards, 
Henry  P.  Russell, 
Joel  Skipper, 
Samuel  A.  Holmes, 
Ali'.ert  Baldwin, 
^VlLLlAM  Johnson, 
Samuel  ^LARSHLURN, 
Susan  Jerman, 
Olivia  Jerman, 
Elizaleth  Bounds, 
Sarah  James, 
Jessie  Brown, 
Margaretta  Skipper, 
Augusta  Law, 
Charlotte  Jam'-s, 
Charlotte  Ami  el, 

^^ALSLY  BeaSLEY, 

Sarah  Boxev, 


Scholars. 

Alexander  McTaggart, 
George  ILvrriss, 
Joseph  McLaurin, 

MONTESf^UE  AmIEL, 

Ap.ram  Sherwood, 
William  W.  Harriss, 
Joseph  B.  Russell, 
Hand  James, 
Charles  H.  Law, 
John  Amiel, 
Nehemiah  Harriss, 
James  Riley, 
James  Hall, 
John  Rising, 
Anthony  Bordeaux, 
Marietta  Jerman, 
Mildred  Holmes, 
^L\ry  Ann  Brown, 
Colu.mp.ia  Brown, 
Eli2a  Xichols, 
^LA.RY  McLaurin, 
^L\R■i  iia  Black, 
Catherine  Thonh'son, 
Sarah  Adams, 
Elsey  Swann, 


Oi.niA  Wheatly, 
Malsev  Gerai  i>. 
Of  these  there  are  a  few  living,  here  or  in  tliis  vicinity,  viz.  : 
Col    i:.  I).  Hall,  George  Harri.ss,  Dr.  W.  \V    Ha-riss,  Joseph 
McLaurin,  and   Mrs.  Brown,  forir>er!\-  Miss   MiMreJ  Holmes. 


HiSTonicAL  SkejCh  or  the  Sunday-Sctiool.  49 

In  1S35  the  names  of  Margaret  and  F.liza  Owen,  Margaret 
McLaurin,  Caroline  Xorlhrop,  and  Jolm  I).  'l\vlor,  appear  as 
scholars. 

Monday,  December  2S,  1S34,  the  school  united  with  the 
Methodist  and  Baptist  schools,  and  marched  in  procession  to 
tlie  Methodist  Church,  where  interesting  services  were  held  • 
also  on  Tuesday,  December  27,  1S36,  the  same  school  met  in 
the  Methodist  C'hurcii,  and  the  record  says,  "they  met  there 
the  Re\'.  Messrs.  Owens,  Allison  and  h'itzgerald,  and  the  exer- 
cises commenced  witli  singing  and  prayer,  and  after  appropri- 
ate addresses  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Owens  and  Allison,  concluded 
by  singing  and  prayer,  and  a  few  remarks  by  Mr.  G.  R.  l-'rench. 
Great  harmony  pervaded  the  scene,  and  parents  arul  children 
retired  delighted  with  the  anniversary  exercises."  Another 
meeting  of  the  same  schot>ls  was  held  in  the  same  church, 
December  25,  1S3-;,  179  scholars  present. 

March  26,  1S37:  The  officers  of  the  school  were  Hervey 
Law,  Superintendent;  John  A.  Taylor,  Librarian;  Robert  G. 
Rankin,  Secretary. 

October  30,  1839,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Hervey  Law  by  the  friei-ids  of  the  Wilmington  Sunday-school  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Cliurch,  and  Mr.  Hervey  Law  was  ap- 
pointed chairman,  and  Mr.  A.  .McTaggart,  secretary.  The 
chairman  ordered  tlie  rules  and  regulations  adopted  November 
12,  1S35,  read;  then  new  rules  were  adopted;  and  some  of 
these  rules  would  be  worth  retaining  now,  but  might  not  be 
regarded  with  favor.  It  is  interesting  to  note  names  appearitig 
at  this  meeting  that  have  become  familiar  to  this  church  in 
all  its  history.  A  resolution  was  adopted  :  "  That  Miss  Laura 
E.  Rankin  (now  Mis.  Rotliwell)  be  jicrmitted  to  select  a  suit- 
able person  to  assist  her  in  tile  discharge  of  tlie  duties  con- 
nected with  the  infant  school.  Also  that  Joim  A.  Taylor  be 
appointed  to  class  the  teachers  and  scholars." 

November  3,  1.S39,  th-e  school  vvas  re-organized,  and  officers 
elected  as  follows  : 


50  Memorial. 

Ilervey  Law,  Superintendent  ;  Jolin  A.  Taylor,  Librarian  , 
R.  Ct.  Rankin,  Secretary.  There  v._-re  fourteen  teachers,  seven 
male,  and  seven  female,  as  follows  : 

jSlisses  Hartnian,  Bradley,  Murphy,  S.  Owen,  Chapman, 
Moore,  ^L  A.  Owen,  and  Messrs.  O.  ILdines,  Jr.,  J.  McOary, 
T.  H.  Howey,  A.  McTag-art,  T.  R.  Roy;ers,  J.  N".  Bradley, 
and  James  Banks;  fifly-four  scholais,  making  the  school  num- 
ber about  seventy. 

A  district  system  was  adopted,  and  a  report  showing  the 
number  of  children  in  and  out  of  Sunday-schools  in  the  town 
is  as  follows,  from  seven  districts: 

In  Baptist  School,  .  .  .  .  -57 
"    Presbyterian  School,         .         .         .  .127 

"  Episcopal  School,  .  .  .  .  .112 
"  Methodist  School,  .....  109 
"    None,       .  .  .  .  .  .  .      22S 

'lotal, 633 

June  25,  1S40,  the  school  was  opened  with  ])rayer  by  Miss 
l^aura  Rankin.     August  2S,  1S41,  is  this  entry  :   '•  Mr.  Law,  the 

superlntend.cnt,  being  about  to  leave  for  the  present,  it  was 
proposed  that  soiiie  one  should  be  chosen  in  his  place,  and 
Mr.  Isaac  Northro[i  w.is  nominated  and  elected  superintendent." 
Mr.  Robert  W.  Oibhs  is  hrst  mentioned  as  a  teacher  in  Nov- 
ember, 1S41,  also  Mr.  .\L  Cronly  On  a  Sunday  in  March, 
1842,  the  school  was  opeiied  with  [  ra}'er  by  Mis.  John  A. 
Taylur,  and  frecjuent])-  afterwards  b_\  ?\Irs.  Rolhwell.  From 
1842  to  February,  1S47,  there  is  no  lecord;  at  the  latter  diate, 
Mr.  Law  was  suj»erintcndent,  and  the  school  numbered  fifteen 
teachers  and  ninet)'-two  scholars. 

There  is  no  record  from  1S47  ^''^  January  6,  1S52,  when,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  tearl,ers,  Mr.  Roi)ert  W.  Oil)l)S  was  elected 
Superintentlent.and  Oeorge  W.  (.ruess,  .'-Secretary  :ind  Treasurer, 
and  Samuel  N'orthrop,  Librarian.     Mr.  John  C.  Latla  v/as  pre- 


Historical  Sketch  of  the  Sunday-School.  51 

sent  at  this  meetini:^.  The  record  l-V^bruary  S.  1S5:?,  says, 
"seventy-nine  scholars  were  present,"'  and  names  the  above 
officers,  and  also  the  teachers  as  follows  : 

Misses  E.  liartman,  Kate  Mcl.aurin,  C  rrie  Northrop, 
Eleanor  Owen,  R.  H.  Wriglit,  Sarah  Blanks,  Mary  Harriss, 
MatiUla  and  Abbie  Van  Amringe.  Mrs.  M.  ]]arry,  Mrs.  C. 
Taylor,  Mrs.  K.  McGary.  and  Messrs,  John  C.  l.alta,  J.  J.  Cas- 
sidy,  George  Harriss,  and  Mr.  Sliepherd. 

The  school  met  at  9  A.  M.,  and  tlie  tardiness  of  some  of  the 
teachers  noted,  cornirig  at  9:15  and  9:30  On  this  day  a  branch 
or  mission  sc-hool  was  opened  in  a  building  owned  by  Mr.  D. 
McMillan,  in  the  northwest  portion  of  the  town,  February 
29.  1S52,  Mr.  (leorge  Chadbourn  appears  as  a- teacher;  on 
April  4th,  Mr.  John  McLaurin.  April  18,  1852,  the  record 
says  :  '•  To-day  we  are  to  have  preaching  by  Rev.  Mr.  Grier, 
of  Maryland."  On  May  23,  1852,  "Mr.  Grier  has  acce})ted 
an  invitation  to  preacli  for  the  Presbyterians  in  ^Vilmington 
for  one  year."  On  December  4,  1S53,  Mr.  Munson  appears 
a  teacher;  January  29,  1854,  Mr.  R  G  Worth;  January.  1S55, 
Mr.  Alexander  Sprunt.  In  examining  the  records  to  about  the 
time  Mr.  Grier  entered  upon  his  pastorate,  we  notice  that 
very  few  of  the  male  teachers  ate  members  of  the  church,  and 
the  fact  that  the  school  had  frequently  been  opened  with  prayer 
by  Mrs.  Rothwell  ;uid  Mrs.  Tay'*^""'  shows  the  absence  of  pray- 
ing male  members  of  the  school  It  seems  lemarkable  that 
these  men  sliould  have  been  so  faithful  in  this  work,  and  it 
should  put  to  the  blush  tiiose  male  members  of  the  c iiurch  that 
never  perform  nny  duty  in  this  line.  And  we  owe  a  debt  of 
gratitude  to  those  faithful  women,  who  labored  and  prayed, 
and  who  li\-ed  to  know  their  prayers  hatl  been  answered,  and 
to  see  the  cliuicli  they  loved  so  well  tirinly  established,  and 
increased  in  strength  and  beaut).  We  honor  the  memory  of 
those  sainted  women. 

November  12,  1S55,  the  teachers  met  to  re-organize  for  the 


52  Memorial. 

ensuing  year,  and  Mi.  Gibl/S  was  re-elected  Sui)erintendent, 
and  Mr.  Isaac  Northroj),  Assistant.  All  through  the  }-ears  we 
have  revievved,  Mr.  Northrop  has  been  in  tlie  scliool  as  an 
officer  in  some  capacity,  and  was  a]wa}s  yiresent.  At  this 
meeting  Mr.  .Andrews,  at'tcrwards  an  elder  in  this  church, 
first  appears  as  a  teacher,  and  it  was  resolved,  ''that  a  class  be 
formed  of  young  men,  and  Mr.  .\ndrews  l)e  requested  to  act 
as  their  teacher."  .-\  resolutioii  was  also  adopted  as  follows : 
"  That  we  will  hereafter  use  the  Sunday-school  as  a  mission- 
ary institution,  and  endeavor  to  gather  into  our  school  those 
children  who  are  without  any  (Jhristian  instruction,  and  pledge 
ourselves  to  labor  in  this  behalf."  So  we  sec  the  school  grow- 
ing in  grace  and  aggressiveness,  and  streams  of  living  water 
flowing  out  to  the  tliirst}-  and  perishing."  'lliis  old  record 
closes  January  17,  185S,  Mr.  Gibbs,  Superintendent,  Mr.  Nor- 
throp, Assistant.  I  have  lingered,  perhaps,  too  long  in  its 
pages,  yet  unwilling  to  leax'e  it.  It  is  to  me  a  pathetic  story, 
and  yet  one  we  love.  It  tells  us  of  faithful  labor  amid  dis- 
couragements;  it  confirms  God's  promises  that  he  will  be  faith- 
ful to  those  vvdio  labor  for  him,  and  to  their  seeil  after  them. 
Their  children  and  their  children's  children  are  here  enjoy- 
ing the  rich  inheritance  they  left. 

"Time  rolls  his  ceaseless  course.      The  race  of  yore, 

Who  danced  our  infancy  upon  their  knee, 

How  are  they  blotted  from  the  things  that  be  1 

How  few,  all  weak  and  witliered  of  their  force, 

Wait  on  the  ^'vv^e  of  d.nk  eternuy, 

Like  stranded  wrei-ks,  the  li'le  returning  hoarse, 
To  sweep  th?m  from  our  .sight  I     Time  rolls  his  ceaseless  course." 

Mr.  Gibbs  appears  to  have  remained  superintendent  until 
March  4,  1S60,  faithful  and  devoted  to  the  school  and  church. 
After  Mr.  Gibbs  retired,  Mr.  I].  G.  Worth  was  elected  Super- 
intendent;  .Mr.  (ieorge  Chadbourn,  A.ssistant  Sti[)crintenilent ; 
and  Mr.  W.  .-V.Ctnnming,  Librarian.  Mr.  Worth  remamed  super- 
iiitendent  until  he  removctl  to  Ne\>-  York  after  the  war.    At  the 


Historical  Skuch  or  the  Sundav-Sckool.  53 

re-organization  cf  ti^.e  scluiol.  No-v-cinber  12,  1865,  Mr.  J.  C. 
McLeod  was  elected  Si'pc'inteir'.iop.t  ;  Mr.  George  Chadbourn, 
Assistant  Sripcuntcnd'=?))t  ;  Mr.  T.  1).  Cair,  Musical  Director; 
and  Mr. John  G.  Robinson,  Librarian. 

Mr.  McLeod  died  soon  after  his  election,  and  Mr.  Samuel 
Northroji  was  elected  superintendent.  He  continued  in  the 
office  until  Mr.  Worth's  return  in  1S73,  vdien  Mr  Worth  was 
again  elected  supennterideut,  arid  he  continued  in  this  office 
until  Xos'ember  8,  iSSo.  When  the  day  arrived  for  tlie  annual 
election  of  officers,  he  woidd  ann>:)unce  that  the  tinre  had  come 
for  the  rc-clecfioii  of  the  officers,  and  they  were  re-elected  ! 
He  still  remains  in  the  school,  a  firithful  teacher.  His  service 
extends  from  1S54  to  1S92— tliirty-eight  years.  He  is  the 
veteran  o\  the  school,  honored  and  beloved. 

In  1S79,  January  13th,  tlie  session  adoi)ted  the  following 
rule  :  "  In  future  the  teacliers  of  our  Sunda}--school  may  nomi- 
nate the  officers  of  said  school,  such  noriiinations  to  be  subject, 
previous  to  the  election,  to  the  approval  of  the  session  ;  further, 
that  a  meeting  for  making  these  nominations  shall  be  called 
l:>y  the  superintend.ent  for  a  week-day  evening,  and  shall  be 
held  at  least  two  weeks  j)revious  to  the  time  of  election  of  tlie 
officers — the  officers  nominaledand  ap[)roved  sliall  enter  upon 
their  duties  the  first  Sab'lvitii  of  No\'embtr  of  each  year,  com- 
mencing v.-idi  iSjg."'  On  the  fifth  of  January.  iSSo,  the  ses- 
sion adopted  the  following  rule:  'In  accordance  vvith  the 
provisions  of  the  Book  of  Church  Order,  requiring  tlie  Suivlay- 
school  to  be  under  the  control  of  tlie  (  hurch  session,  ol'fcers 
of  the  .Sunday-school  sliall  be  elected  by  the  session."  Fol- 
lowing this  resolution,  Mr.  Ik  G.  Worth  was  elected  su[)erin- 
tendent,  Samuel  Northro]),  assistant  sujierintendent.  On 
November  8.  iSSo,  Mr.  Worlh  asked  to  be  relie\ed  of  the 
superintend.ency,  and  .Mr.  H.  H.  Munson  v/as  elected  superin- 
tendent and  ^\'.  R.  Kenan,  assistant.  .Mrs.  Dr.  Wilson  was 
superintendent   of  the    iiifant   dep«artment    for   several   years. 

4 


54  Me^ioriat.. 

November  ?i,  iSSi,  the  same  ofncers  were  re-elected,  and  the 
time  f':tr  election  ch;ingtd  to  Pccem'oer,  and  the  term  to  begin 
in  January.  On  December  12,  iSSc,  AFr.  ATunson  and  Mr. 
Kenan  were  re-e";ecteci.  On  December  21,  1SS2,  Mr.  Munson 
resigned,  and  on  December  28,  1SS2,  the  present  superintend- 
ent was  elected,  and  his  remained  in  this  ofiice  to  this  time, 
ten  years;  in  1SS3,  Mr.  Ocorge  Chadliourn  succeeded  Mr. 
Kenan  as  assistant  tupL-rintendent,  and  remained  in  this  office 
until  his  dtath,  July  8,  1891.  We  have  noted  his  entry  into 
the  scliool,  February  29,  1S52,  a  continued  period  of  nearly 
forty  years.  Of  the  service  of  this  beloved  officer,  teacher,  and 
friend,  no  estimate  can  be  made  of  its  value.  It  was  loving, 
gentle,  persistent,  succeGsful.  The  record  is  made  up  in  the 
Lamb's  Look  of  Life.  To  succeed  Mr.  Chadbourn,  Mr. 
Charles  ?d.  ^^'hitlock  was  elected  assistant  sujjcrintendent  in 
December,  1S91. 

The  officers  of  the  school  at  pre.sent  are  as  follows: 
Charles  H.  Robinson,  Siii)erintcndent  ;  Charles  M.  Whit- 
lock,  Assistant  Sui)erintendent ;  William  I'inckney  Toon,  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer ;  Chailes  A\'oodward  and  John  R.  'J\irrentine, 
Librarians;  Edv.ard  H.  Ahmson,  Organist.  Of  the  primary 
department,  Miss  Nellie  Cook,  Superintendent ;  Miss  Bettie 
Price,  Assistant  SuperintcndeiU  ;  Miss  Sallie  McLaurin,  Or- 
ganist. Teaclicrs,  Messrs.  ]J.  G.  Worth,  B  !•'.  Hall,  George 
Jluggins,  \A'.  'M.  Gumming,  David  G.  Worth,  James  H.  Chad- 
bourn,  Jr..  Dr.  J.  ¥..  Matthews,  Airs.  Samuel  Northrop,  Mrs. 
C.  II.  Rob'inson,  Mrs.  Richard  Price,  Misses  Ellen  Bellamy, 
Bessie  Taylor,  Etta  Hart,  Emma  Chadbourn,  Maria  C.  Latta, 
Prisciila  E.  Latta,  and  AniucK.  Forshee.  The  scholars  num- 
ber about  I  So.  and  the  average  attendance  is  about  160.  I 
desire  to  note  the  long  and  faithful  service  of  Mrs.  B.  F. 
Mall  as  a  te;'.clier,  now  absent,  only  on  account  of  physic.il 
disability.  Also  of  the  long  continued  ser\ice  of  Miss  .\iina 
Sprunt,  as  organist  and  teacher. 


Historical  Skkicii  of  -j-fie  Sunday  School.  55 

We  have  now  in  the  school  the  descendants  of  those  who 
ap])ear  in  its  early  histiiry  as  its  o.Ticers,  teachers,  and  sup- 
porters, as  follows  : 

The  Owens,  Harrisses,  Taylors,  Noitliiops, -  Lattas,  Mc- 
Laurins,  ^\'orths,  Chadbourns,  Sprunts,  and  others. — The  seed 
sowing  has  resulted  in  the  harvest,  and  the  school  has  been  the 
nursery  of  the  church. 

"  But  ihy  compassions,  Lord, 
P'rom  aire  to  age  endure, 
And  Ciiildren's  chilch'en  ever  find 
1'liy  word  of  promise  sure." 


D 


OLD    DAYS 

IN 

THE  SUNDAY- SCHOOL. 

By  Rkv.  SIDNEY  G.  LAV/. 

EAR  FRIEXDS:  It  would  be  hard  lo  tell  you  how  happy 
I  am  in  speaking  to  you  this  afternoon  ;  J  can  only  ask  you 
to  imagine  for  yourselves  the  privilege  I  now  enjoy.  Here 
you  are  assembled  together,  teachers  and  scholars,  pastor, 
superintei'ideiit,  and  assistants,  brotliers  and  sisters,  parents 
and  friends,  bound  together  by  many  tender  tics,  and  especially 
by  that  of  a  Sunday  school  organization  regularly  meeting  to- 
gether for  the  service  of  ou.r  Lord,  and  for  the  study  of  his 
word.  r>ut  now  suppose  you  shut  your  eyes  for  a  moment. 
Imagine  yourselves,  each  one,  to  be  transported  to  some  distant 
land,  and  to  dream  of  many  things.  It  is  astonishing  hov/  long 
a  life  we  may  seem  to  live  in  a  single  dream.  In  the  mean- 
time the  school  goes  on,  and  many  changes  take  place.  But 
at  last  you  awake.  You  notice  the  changes.  But  you  do  not 
seem  much  changed  yourself;  you  do  not  feel  towards  the 
school  that  you  are  less  one  with  them  than  you  were  before. 
At  least  you  feel  the  same  affection  towards  them  as  e\-er;  and 
perhaps  you  may  even  feel  an  increased  affection. 

And  so  it  seems  to  me.  Forty-two  years  ago,  last  August,  I 
drifted  down  yonder  ri\er,  and  sailed  to  a  distant  part  of  our 
land,  and  have  passed  tlnough  many  experiences  since  then. 
And  now,  instead  of  a  boy,  I  come  back  almost  an  old  man. 
You  may  imagine  v.ith  what  feeling,-,  one  returns  to  a  dear  olil 
liome  after  so  long  an  aljsence.     My  parents  are  in  the  heavenly 


Old  Days  in  the  Suxdav-Schogl.  57 

world.  But  it  is  my  joy  to  meet  dear,  d-.\ir  old  friends,  and 
especiallv  to  tind  myself  :it  home  again  in  this  dear  churcli  and 
Smiday-school  of  my  boyhood.  I  may  seem  a  stranger  to  many 
of  you,  and  most  of  you,  for  the  i^ioment,  seem  strangers  to 
me,  as  if  }0U  had  come  from  some  unknown  world.  But 
many  of  you  bear  familiar  names;  and  I  greet  you  as  the 
children  of  beloved  friends.  Once  more,  to  my  great  delight, 
I  find  myself  a  member  of  the  Sunday-school  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Wilmington. 

I  hope,  then,  that  you  will  let  me  talk  freely  and  familiarly. 
And  allow  me  to  say  something  of  myself,  for  1  am  not  preach- 
ing now.  And  1  feel  as  if  one  of  my  old  friends  had  said  (and 
it  would  only  be  an  old  and  intimate  friend  who  would  have  a 
right  to  speak  to  me  in  tliis  way),  "IIullo!  old  fellow,  ^^'hcre 
have  you  been  all  this  time.?  Come,  give  an  account  of  your- 
self" 

And  this  seems  all  the  more  proper  because  of  this  extraor- 
dinary occasion.  Seventy-five  years  of  church  hfe  !  Oh,  what 
a  v.'orld  of  interesting  history  it  might  unfold  !  I  wish,  we  all 
had  time  to  give  account  of  ourselves.  But  we  shall  all  have 
a  good  opportunity  wlien  we  have  gathered  at  the  Marriage 
Supper  of  the  Lamli,  to  give  a  good  account  of  ourselves,  I 
trust,  in  the  long  aiidbk-sscd  t'ellowship  of  our  eternal  reunion. 
It  used  to  be  a  frerpicnt  prayer  of  my  dear  father,  that  when 
our  Lord  comes,  we  may  be  able  to  '"render  up  our  account 
with  joy,  and  not  with  grief" 

But  v.'hat  shall  I  say  of  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  this 
churcli?  It  does  not  look  as  if  you  had  entered  ujion  a  state 
of  old  age  and  decrepitude;  Oh,  no,  blessed  be  God  1  it  looks 
as  if  you  had  rencved  your  youth,  and  were  entering  upon  a 
new  era  of  life  and  prosperity.  I  join  in  congratulating  you, 
and  I  pray  for  a  brighter  and  broader  future  for  this  dear  old 
church. 

But  it  is  a  time  for  reminiscences,  and  so  I  want  to  con- 


58  Memorial. 

tribute  what  T  can.  hoping  I  shall  not  take  more  t]\an  my 
share. 

When  I  began  to  wonder  what  I  should  say.  I  asked  the 
Lord  in  prayer,  and  the  answer,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  came  to  my 
inind:  "Tell  wliat  the  Lord  has  done  for  you."  "The  Lord 
hath  done  great  things  for  me,  wlioreof  I  am  glad."  And  the 
beginning  of  these  great  things  was  in  my  own  dear  home,  and 
in  this  dear  church  and  Sunday-school.  The  Lord,  first  of  all, 
prepared  for  me  a  ha[)py  home  before  he  sent  me  into  this 
world.  And  I  am  glad  to  know  that  he  has  gone  before  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you  and  for  me,  and  for  all  wIk)  love  him, 
in  the  "many  mansions"  of  the  Father.  But  he  roust  also 
prepare  us  for  that  hr^me.  He  began  this  {)reparatiorj  for  me 
before  I  was  l>oin,  in  preparing  for  me  tlie  best  of  earthly 
blessings,  giving  me  good,  faithful,  Christian  parents. 

The  place  where  1  first  saw  the  light  in  this  world  was  the 
house  on  the  sou di west  corner  of  C)range  and  Second  streets. 
Oh  !  how  many  delightful  hours  I  can  recall  in  that  dear  old 
home  !  But  among  tlie  pleasantest  recollections  of  all  were 
those  in  which  my  heart  was  directed  to  God.  Tiiere  was  a 
little  closet,  with  a  window  that  let  in  the  light  of  heaven.  And 
there  1  remember  my  mother  taking  me,  when  I  was  a  little 
cliild,  and  kneeling  down  with  me  by  a  chair,  she  dedicated 
her  child  to  God.  And  even  now  I  seem  to  hear  her  voice 
sounding  like  sweet  though  far-away  music,  as  she  read  from 
the  Scriptures  on  Sabbath  afternoons.  It  was  at  her  knee,  too, 
that  I  learned  soin.e  ol  the  Psalms,  especially  the  one  we  might 
almost  call  the  Bsalm  of  Psalms,  the  twenty-third,  just  re- 
peated by  the  infant  class. 

And  so,  morning  Ijy  morning,  and  evening  by  evening,  my 
dear  and  honored  father  led  us  in  piayer  and  praise.  A^id  I 
went  forth  strengthened  for  the  duties  and  temptations  of  the 
day,  even  before  1  felt  that  I  was  a  child  o\  (lod.  Ivspecially 
on  Salibath  atternuons  lie  would  Leather  us  for  a  sweet  hour  of 


Old  D.ws  ix  tkf  Sundav-School. 


59 


prayer  and  praise,  and  lor  giving  us  u-ise  counsels  concerning 
divine  things.     Those  are  sacred  and  precioas  memories. 

It  was  perhaj-.s  principally  on  my  fatiier"s  account  that  I 
have  been  invited  lo  speak  to  you  this  aftornoui\  He  was 
the  first  Su;)erintendent  <if  this  Suudav -school,  an  elder  in  the 
church,  a-id  a  faitliful  servant  of  God.  And  he  loved  the 
Sunday-school  work,  and  Sunday-school  scholars  to  the  very 
end.  He  lived  to  a  gv>od  old  age,  and  was  a  man  of  very 
venerable  apix-arance,  his  long  silvery  locks  flwwing  down  upon 
his  shoulders,  and  his  countenance  dignified  and  beautified  by 
love  to  God  and  man.  It  will  be  eight  years,  this  coming  Glirist- 
mas  morning,  since  he  q.iietly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  Dr.  Wilson 
remarked  this  morning  that  sometimes  the  river  of  death  was 
"Uke  a  little  rill,  that  one  might  easily  step  across."  It  seemed 
even  less  than  this  for  my  dear  lather. 

It  was  not  wholly  unexpected  by  him.  On  Christmas  Eve 
I  received  a  card  from  iiim  expressing  liis  anticip.ition  of  a 
visit  we  had  promised  His  closing  words  were,  "•  My  strength 
has  been  rapidly  failing  for  the  last  three  months,  and  if  it  con- 
tinues to  fail  as  fast,  I  shall  hardly  live  to  see  my  ninety  second 
birthday;  but  it  is  all  right.      It  is  all  for  the  best." 

And  in  a  It-tter  to  my  brotlier,  the  same  week,  he  said,  "  I 
am  con/iJr/iflv  .ind joyfully  wailing  for  the  suuunons.  And  my 
prayer  is,  that  wdien  my  Lord  comes  I  may  be  ready  to  open 
to  him  'uii)nt\!iatclvr 

And  so  it  proved.  On  Christmas  morning,  after  he  had 
given  the  usaxl  (Jiiristmas  greetings,  he  sat  down  in  his  easy 
chair  before  the  fire,  with  his  large  family  Bible  in  his  lap, 
when  my  sister  came  in  to  tell  him  of  the  interesting  Sunday- 
scliool  exercises  oi  Christmas  Eve.  He  listened  with  eager 
inte  est.  IvliI  after  a  time,  he  put  his  hand  to  his  ljo.som  and 
drew  back  a  little.  S!ie  noticed  it,  but  as  he  said  nothing,  but 
continued  t.,)  listen,  she  kept  on.  Again  he  slightly  drew  back, 
but  listened  still,  and  she  still  kept  on.     Then  he  closed  his 


6o  •  M'lMORIAL. 

eyes  and  slightly  tnrneu  his  hear].  Sl^c  i\in  and  threw  lier 
arms  around  him.  He  drew  a  few  long  breadis,  and  was  gone  ! 
Death  had  wo  terrors  fur  liun.  lie  had  said,  not  long  before, 
that  all  that  he  dread. 'd  was  the  sharp  pang  of  death.  And  he 
was  spared  even  this.  Tlie  people  in  tiie  village  called  it  a 
translation. 

Tlie  same  mornir.g  another  sister,  in  another  part  of  the 
Village,  took  her  Ililile,  and  by  a  happy  coincidence,  opened  at 
2  Kings  ii.  veise  ii  •  "And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  still 
went  on  and  talked,  tiuit  behold  there  appeared  a  chariot  of 
fire,  and  lioraes  of  tire,  and  parted  them  both  asunder,  and 
Elijah  went  up  by  a  wiiirlv/ind  into  heaven." 

'I'here  were  no  horses  or  chariot  of  fire  \isible  to  my  sister  ; 
but  it  did  not  require  a  great  exercise  of  faith  to  realize  that 
a  child  of  God  had  been  quickly  caught  up  into  heaven. 

1  would  love  to  tell  you  of  raan\'  things  did  time  permit.  It 
would  take  a  little  volume  to  do  it.  But  I  may  say  some 
things  to  which  all  hearts  v.'ill  res[)Ond,  and  some  that  it  may  be 
profitable  to  recall — 

"How  dear  to  my  liLail.  are  the  scenes  of  lay  childhood, 
When  fond  recoUcclinii  pre>enLS  tliera  to  view!" 

And  dearer  still,  nov,-,  that,  after  so  many  years,  I  may  ac- 
tually behold  them,  and  see  the  dear  frienrls  o'"  long  ago. 

I  well  remember  Miss  Laura  Rankin  (r.ow  .Mrs.  Rothwell) 
familiarly  called  "  Miss  Laura."  She  was  my  infant  class 
teacher.  I  lo^  ed  and  honored  her  then,  as  I  lo\e  and  honor 
her  now.  My  heart  went  out  to  lier,  almost  as  to  my  own 
mother,  v.-hen  I  saw  tier  come  forv.ard  with  lier  placid  and 
pleasant  coiniterjance  to  receive  the  teslimonial  presented  by 
the  ch.urch.  She  formed  us  into  a  ju\eniie  temperance  society, 
and  got  us  to  sign  th.e  pledge.  It  u-as  a  [dedge  of  total  ab- 
stinence. 1  esteem  it  one  of  the  great  ble.-5snigs  of  ray  life  that 
1  was  thus  earh'  started  riulit.     Youru::  men,  it  is  a  great   mis- 


Oi-D  Days  in  'ihe  Suxdav-School.  6i 

take  to  tliiiik  you  can  iust  as  well  start  wrong,  with  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  riglit  at  some  time  in  the  future.  If  any  dread- 
ful disease  prevails,  it  is  not  wise  to  begin  by  so.ving  the  least 
seed  <.)f  it  in  one's  own  life,  thinking  either  that  you  will  not 
take  the  contagion,  or  that  you  will  afterwards  eradicate  it. 

I  well  remember  the  silken  banner  .Miss  Laura's  class  used  to 
carry  in  our  Sunda)'  school  procession  between  the  Old  Pres- 
byterian Church  on  Front  street  and  the  Methodist  Church. 
And  since  your  historian  has  pleasantly  referred  to  them,  I  will 
add  a  reminiscence  of  two  big  baskets  at  the  church  door,  one 
filled  with  ginger  cakes,  shaped  like  horses  and  cows,  etc.,  and 
the  other  filled  with  oranges,  each  child  being  expected  to  take 
one  of  each.  And  I  will  never  forget  one  of  the  songs  Miss 
Laura  taught  us  to  sing.  If  the  poetry  was  not  perfect,  the 
princi[)le  was  good ;  and  I  still  clierisli  more  strongly  than 
ever  the  sentiment. ' 

"While  I  live  I  do  not  think 
I  will  ever  love  to  drink 
r.rai'.dy,  whiskey,  gin,  or  rum, 
Or  cinytlung  to  make  dnink  conie." 

At  one  time  INliss  Laura  taught  a  little  school  in  the  alley 
that  ran  alongside  of  the  old  church  from  Front  street  to 
Second  street.  And  one  incident  is  particularly  impressed 
upon  my  memory.  We  v^ere  still  the  memliers  of  her  infant 
class.  Lut  in  the  dav  school  she  soinetimes  used  the  rod  witli 
good  effect.  It  consisted  of  a  flat  ruler.  And  the  doses  were 
administered  <in  oin  outstretched  hands.  One  day  at  recess  I 
got  into  a  sculfie.  If  1  remember  aright  it  was  with  little 
Johnn\-  Taylor.'-      Ikit  whoe\-er  was  the  other  boy,  we  were  so 

'  An.l  I  think  that  it  lias  h<rought  me  more  real  and  lastiu;^  ha;ipiness 
than  !uis  ever  l)eeii  hrnii.;ht  to  any  heart  by  any  roHickinL^  bacclraiudian 
song  ever  sung. 

'Perhaiis  his  mem.uy  vvould  nut  r.^iir.'e  with  mine.  And  I  certainly 
should  not  want  to  di-j'Ute  with  him  now  1 


62  Memorial. 

busy  that  when  the  school-bell  rang  we  were  not  ready,  and 
we  got  in  late.  Vve  were  called  to  account.  But  we  had  a 
moment  to  prepare  for  punishment.  I  well  remember  the  pre- 
paration I  made.  It  was  a  common  superstition  with  the 
children  then  that  if  we  morstetiC^l  our  hands,  and  took  a 
cou])Ie  of  eye  lashes  and-  crossed  them  upori  the  palm,  the 
ruler  would  lirt-ak  to  pieces  I  The  awful  moment  was  at  hand, 
so  I  pulled  the  e3e  lashes  arid  placed  them  as  I  had  been  told  ! 
I  must  confess  tlie  experiment  did  not  prove  a  success.  Uut 
I  learned  one  lesson,  a  lesson  that  is  constantly  impressed 
upon  my  mind  at  the  Tombs/  viz.  :  that  the  best  way  to  avoid 
punishment  is  not  by  any  sort  of  crooked  contrivances,  but 
by  avoiding  the  sin  that  deserves  it. 

But  the  two  most  memorable  and  important  events  of  my 
early  life  were  when  I  first  began  the  Christian  life,  and  when 
I  afterwards  publicly  united  with  the  church.  The  hrst  was 
near  my  twelfth  birth- day.  One  night  I  lay  awake  a  long  time 
and  wept  much  at  the  thouglit  oi  death  and  the  judgment. 
Finally  I  got  up  and  went  to  my  parents'  room,  and  asked  them 
to  pray  for  me.  And  from  that  time  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
tiy  and  live  a  Christian  life,  and  did  henceforth  erideavor  so  to 
do.  When  my  birthday  came  my  brother  made  me  a  present 
of  a  Bible.  I  began  immediately  to  read  it  day  by  day,  adopt- 
ing a  plan  by  v.-hich  1  would  go  through  ihe  whole  Bible  every 
year,  and  tlie  Psalms  and  New  Testa-nent  twice.  My  plan  is 
somewhat  changed  now;  but  I  have  learned  to  love  the  Jjible 
more  and  more  ;  and  the  more  1  study  it,  the  more  fresh  and 
beautiful,  an:l  precious,  and  divinely  inspired  it  seems.  I  have 
that  Bible  my  brother  gave  me  still;  here  it  is.  It  v/ill  be  fifty 
years  the  tliird  of  next  January  since  1  began  to  read  it,  having 
just  begun  the  Christian  life.  Bat  I  have  another  and  a  better 
copy  now,  presented  by  the  dear  companion  of  my  life,   the 


'  Mr.  L,aw  i-,  chapl.iin  uf  the  Tonib.s  pri.^on,  New  York. 


Old  Days  ik  the  Sunday-School.  6^ 

inother  of  my  cliiklrcu;  and  this  volume  T  think  will  serve  me 
to  the  end. 

Four  years  alter  this  start,  when  I  was  sixteen  years  of  age, 
my  fiiends  began  to  encourage  mc  to  g(>  forward  and  unite  with 
the  people  of  God.  I  felt  this  to  be  my  duty,  and  this  became 
my  motto,  viz.,  ''  Go  Forward."  I  had  gone  out  like  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  from  the  land  of  bondage.  P.ut  1  had  not 
entered  into  the  perfect  liberty  of  the  children  of  God.  And 
as  they  were  confronted  by  the  Kcd  Sea,  with  the  Fgyptians 
behind  them,  I  found  a  sea  of  fear  and  difticnlty  before  me. 
But  the  voice  of  God  sounded  out  to  them  through  Moses, 
"  Go  forward,"  and  the  sea  oj^cned  ;  they  went  tlnough.  Their 
fears  v.-ere  dispelled,  and  their  enemies  were  overwhelmed. 
And  so  it  was  with  me.  I  entered  upon  the  step  with  fear 
and  trembling.  I  felt  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  solemn  and 
important  acts  of  my  life. 

One  of  my  classmates  at  Princeton  said  that  when  he  spoke 
to  Lis  mother,  when  he  was  a  boj',  about  uniting  with  the 
church,  she  said  : 

"My  son,  it  is  a  very  solemn  thing  to  be  a  Christian." 

"Yes,  mother,'"  he  wisely  answered,  "but  it  is  a  far  More 
solemn  f/iin'^  not  to  he  a  Chy'istuDiy 

I  went  forward  tliat  memorable  afternoon  in  June,  forty-six 
years  ago.  I  had  plenty  of  time  to  think  ;  for  I  had  a  long 
walk  to  the  church  ;  and  I  seenied  full  of  trouble  and  ])er- 
plexity,  every  step  of  the  way. 

"  \\  hat  if  I  sliould  put  my  hand  to  the  plow,  and  look  back, 
and  prove  myself  'not  fit  for  the  kingdom  o\  God'?" 

"What  if  I  should  fail,  and  what  if  I  should  bring  reproach 
upon  the  clmr<-h  and  the  cause  of  Christ.-*'' 

1  was  greatly  troubled,  and  hiud.lv  knew  what  to  do.  The 
church  then  stood  on  Front  street,  and  the  Session  and  Sun- 
day-school room  where  it  still  stands,  a  little  distance  in  the 
rear.      I   shall   never   forget   my   feelings  when    I   reached   the 


64  MEMORfAL. 

cluirch,  and  v.alked  along  tlic  passage-'.vay,  towanl  tlie  place 
^vhere  I  was,  perhaps,  to  decide  i;iy  tale  The  house  of  God 
was  on  my  left,  and  a  beautiful  garden  on  my  right;  but  still 
clouds  and  darkness  seemed  to  he  about  me.  But  at  last  I 
re.iched  the  end  of  the  church,  and  came  in  sight  ot  the  lecture 
room,  where  the  elders  and  a  tew  others  were  assembled. 
They  were  singing.     Hark!     \\'hat  was  it? 

"But  drops  of  grief  can  ne'er  repay 
The  debt  of  love  I  owe  :  — 
Here,  Lord,  I  give  myself  away, 
'Tis  all  that  I  can  do." 

0  ni)-  friends,  I  shall  never  forget  those  words,  or  tliat 
moment,  as  long  as  I  live  !  If  a  voice  had  sounded  directly 
from  heaven  into  ray  ears,  the  words  could  scared)-  have  been 
more  appropriate.  And  I  have  often  thought  since  then  that 
it  was  indeed  the  voice  of  Heaven  to  my  soul. 

"Mere,  Lord,  I  give  myself  away, 
'Tis  all  that  I  can  do." 

1  at  once  reasoned,  "Yes,  that  is  all  I  i-au  do  God  cannot 
ask  any  more.     And  he  will  not  take  any  less." 

And  so  I  lifted  nji  my  heart  to  God,  and  once  n)ore,  and 
more  fully  than  e\er  before,  I  gave  myself  to  God.  I  went 
forward,  and  was  accepted,  and  on  the  following  Sabliath  I 
stood  up  before  th.e  congregation  and  jjublicly  acknov\led.ged 
niysclf  to  be  the  Lord's,  and  claimed  him  to  be  my  Lord  and 
Saviour.  Oh,  how  hapi:)y  I  was.  .And  how  simple  it  all 
seeme<l  then,  just  by  fiith  to  take  hi:n  for  my  Saviour,  and  by 
faith  to  give  myself  to  hini,  to  be  forever  his  child. 

On  the  same  day  lletsy  I'ricc,  then  a  servant  of  Mrs.  Cath- 
erine Price,  was  received  into  meuihershi]),  with  some  others. 
x\nd  yesterday  I  iiad  the  unexpected  pleasure  of  receiving  a 
call  from  her,  and  of  being  reminded  of  this  fact,  with  the  a.s- 


Old  Days  in  rmz  Sitndan -School.  65 

surance  that  she  still  loved  the  old  clmrch,  and  that  she  was 
looking  forward  to  the  k'ngdom.  ' 

My  beloved  T,astor  v,-as  the  Rev.  Jaraes  O.  Stedman.  His 
e.\'cellent  wife  was  for  some  years  an  invalid.  At  cme  time 
they  were  members  of  my  father's  household,  and  I  had  a 
good  opportunity  to  know  Mrs.  Stedman's  saintly  character. 
She  was  truly  a ''mother  in  Israel.''  Dr.  Stedman  afterwards 
settled  at  Chester,  near  riiiladelpiiia,  wliere  1  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  see  Mrs.  Sicdmaii  not  long  before  her  death.  Althouo-h 
at  the  time  she  seemed  apparently  as  well  as  for  a  lon-^  time, 
she  was  anticipating  her  departure,  arid  showed  me  what  she 
said  were  "the  last  efforts  of  her  pen."  One  of  them  was  in 
regard  to  my  sister  Augusta,  who  succeeded  Miss  Laura  as 
teacher  of  the  infant  ci.iss. 

Only  a  few  weeks  nfter  that  I  saw  her  obituary  in  the  /'/rs- 
bytLriaii.  .A  short  time  before  her  death  she  exclauned  with 
thrilling  emotion  :  -'Oh,  that  weight  of  glory  !  It  is  wonder- 
ful!  wonderful!  To  tiiink  that  I — shall  so  soon  —  be  an  heir 
of  glory  !  My  flesh  slirinks  from  the  glory  ;  — but  m)-  Heavenly 
Father  is  leading  me  on.  and  I  follow  him. 

"  I  know  that  I  am  a  great  siimer  ;  but  I  cannot  be  lost,  for  I 
have  a  mighty  ^Mediator.  The  imputed  righteousness  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  all  my  dependeiice,  and  all  my  trust.  I  used  to  have 
some  difnculties  about  the  imputed  riglueousness  of  Jesus 
Christ,  but  I  have  none  now.  The  whole  character  of  God,  and 
the  way  of  salvation  are  clear  and  glorious  to  me. 

"I   love  the  Holy  Ghott;   I  have  not  appreciated  his  inllu- 


'  The  second  volume  of  ihc  of!  clmrch  records  being  kindly  jdaced  in 
my  hands,  opening  at  the  scc.nd  pa^^e  I  saw  in  the  dear  and  familiar  hand 
o!  my  old  pastor,  that  on  June  7,  1^46,  "the  folios',  ing  persons  were  re- 
ceived into  full  memliersh.ip.  vi/.  :  .\!r^.  Lucy  Ann  Owen,  fr'^m  IJeih  Car 
Churcii  ;  Sidney  (\.  Law,  John  P.  Camp,  Cleorye  .S.  Nfc.Veile,  and 
Betsv,  servant  of  Mr-.   Pi  ice. 


66  RTemorial. 

ences  as  I  ought,  bul  now  he  is  drawing  nv:-  by  the  cords  ot 
lovf,  and  T  rnn  after  hi;:./' 

This  was  thj  fiuiiig  and  hai-ipy  close  of  a  !.r)l\-  Hfe.  Oh, 
.nay  we  all  be  blest  in  caiiy  learning  the  love  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  in  chiving  our  hearts  to  him  in  love. 

And  now,  dear  tViends.  I  car.not  count  ui)o"n  being  witli  you 
at  your  next  seventy-lifth  anniversary.  Indeed,  I  may  not  see 
you  again  this  side  of  heaven,  after  this  quickly  closing  year. 
Bul  1  want  to  leave  with  you  just  diree  grand  thoughts,  three 
life  thoughts  from  our  Heavenly  Father's  word,  tliatmay  abide 
with  you  forever.  They  relate  to  the  three  most  important 
things  we  can  set  before  ourselves  in  life,  viz. : 

I  St.  What  is  T/ie  Greafesi  Prize?  Men  may  give  different 
answers.  But  I  give  yc>u  tji.is  one  from  the  oracles  of  a  wisdom 
that  cannot  be  mistaken. 

It  is  to  "/f/V/  Christ!"  It  was  for  this  that  the  Apostle 
Paul  said  he  had  '•  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things."  And  well 
might  he  suffer  such  a  loss,  for  sucli  a  prize  !  O  my  friends, 
do  not  suffer  the  loss  of  this  prize  because  for  a  moment  you 
prize  anything  more  than  this. 

2(1.  \\'hat  is  The  Noblest  Life?  Men  have  difterent  ideals  ; 
but  here  is  the  ideal  of  Paul,  whose  life  was  one  of  the  noblest 
of  human  lives. 

It  is  To  Live  Christ.  Can  there  be  any  nobler  ideal  ?  Can 
there  be  any  truer,  grander,  purer,  happier  life  than  this  ?  Or 
can  there  be  any  indwelling  principle  of  lite  so  powerful  for 
good  ?  If  you  ask  "  what  docs  thi:^  mean,"  I  answer,  it  would 
take  a  "olume,  yes,  many  a  \-olume,  to  tell  it  all,  but  you 
know  "The  Book,"  where  the  happy  secret  is  unfolded. 
Christ  himself  says,  "  In  the  volume  of  the  Book,  it  is  written 
of  !ne."  I  would  only  refer  you  to  two  sayings  of  the  Apostle 
Paul  :  "  I  am  crucified  with  Christ,  nevertheless  I  live,  yet 
not  I  ;  but  Christ  liveth  in  nv„\"'  And  again,  "  For  to  me  to 
live  is  Cb.rist." 


Old  Days  in  the  Suxdav-School.  67 

3rd.  What  is  The  Mosf //o/!oral>ie  Di/fy  ^  It  is  to  7vifiicss 
for  Christ.      "  Ye  are  ;ny  witnesses,"  saith  the  Lord. 

These  tliree  tI:oug]its.  dear  friends,  I  desire  to  lea\-e  with 
you,  and  carry  with  mysel!',  that  we  may  ever  remember  them, 
and  ponder  them,  and  endeavor  to  exemi'ihify  tliem,  and  realize 
them,  tlirOLigh  the  grace  of  him  who  gave  them  to  us  aU. 

Note. — I  would  also  add,  tliat  I  may  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  missionary  sons  of  the  Sunday-school.  ]My  thouglits  were 
turned  to  this  work  in  my  early  bo}hood.  And  my  first  service 
in  the  rr.iijistry  was  as  a  home  missionary  in  Northern  Iowa, 
where  it  was  my  privilege  to  found  a  strong  church.  And  my 
present  service,  as  Chai)lain  of  the  Tombs  Prison,  is  in  a  very 
dark  corner  of  the  world,  a  little  world  of  sorrow  and  sin  and 
shame,  of  ignorance,  and  superstition  and  misery  and  death. 

My  dear  children  also  (engaged  in  various  ways  in  missionary 
service)  may  be  regarded  as  missionary  grandchildren  of  the 
school,  especially  my  eldest  daughter,  Ellen  M.,  who  sailed  a 
itw  weeks  since  as  a  nu'ssionary  to  Beirut,  Syria.  May  she  be 
sometimes  especially  remembered  in  your  prayers.  And  may 
I  ask  those  who  read  these  lines  to  lift  up  a  prayer  for  us  all, 
especially  in  behalf  of  our  deeply  interesting  work  ? 


S  F  R  M  O  N  . 


"YESTERDAY,  TO-DAY  AND  FOREVER."' 
By  rev.  lOSEPlI  R.  WILSON,  D.  D. 


A  S  you  may  well  imagine,  my  emotions  to-day,  if  you  will 
1^  allow  me  for  a  moment  to  speak  of  them,  are  such  as  only 

myself  can  understand.  I  will,  therefore,  not  attemjit  to  explain 
them  or  to  account  for  them.  I  have  indeed  no  emljarrass- 
mcnt  that  is  not  a  part  of  these  emotions,  except  the  embar- 
rassment of  not  bein;,;  alile  to  say  what  ouglit  to  be  said  about 
this  interesting  and  perha]js  imjjortant  occasion.  I  have  felt  so 
ever  since  my  feet  pressed  again  the  fan)iliar  pavements  and 
looked  along  the  familiar  streets,  and  saw  the  old  windoN^'s  look- 
ing out  upon  me  as  they  used  to  do  ;  I  have  ft:lt  at  honie,  and 
have  always  felt  at  hoiii'.'  h.ere.  in  the  past  as  well  as  now,  and 
T  believe  that  I  always  sliall,  because  of  tlie  aftection  that  I 
have  for  you,  and  the  reci]irocated  affection  that  I  believe  you 
have  for  m\self,  unworll'iv  as  I  am  of  the  least  token  of  it. 

While  I  was  pastor  here  there  was  no  cloud  ujion  the  sky, 
excejit  perhaps  a  little  one  as  big  as  a  man"s  Land,  and  the 
blame  of  that  cloud  was  always  with  nie.  It  is  not  surprising, 
therefore,  that  I  should  have  experienced  the  emotions  that  I 
have  to-day,  both  pleasurable  and  painful.  Ikit  I  have  always 
thought  tliat  it  was  not  in  good  t;iste,  if  indeetl  it  was  })roper  at 
all,  for  a  minister  to  speak  in  the  pulpit  of  himself.  There  is 
only  one  Shepherd,  there  is  only  one  Bishop,  and  he  is  the 
centre  of  our  ttieology,  as  he  is  the  centre  of  our  atfections  and 
the  glory  of  our  hopes. 

*  Dclivcied  t'.v/i.-w/'(V-,-,  and  steiiOi;r.\[phical!y  reimneJ  by  Misi  Gerlrude 
E.  Jenkins. 


K;i->     '-^-'li-^ 


i:yH^ 


Yesterday,  T()-day  and  Forever.  69 

Let  me  say,  then,  what  I  have  to  remark  upoii  the  passage 
that  you  will  fincl  in  Mebreus,  xiii.  7,  S: 

"Remember  them  whicli  have  the  rule  over  }-ou,  wlio  have 
sjjoken  unto  you  tlie  word  of  God;  '.vhose  faith  follou-,  con- 
sidering the  end  of  their  conversation  :  Jesus  Christ,  the  same 
yesterday,  and  today,  and  forever." 

1  do  not  know  what  special  reason  tlie  Apostle  had  to  speak 
to  the  Hebrew  scattered  believers  touching  tlie  importance  and 
propriety  of  the  recollecting  them  that  ruled  over  them  in 
sjiiritual  things,  for  this  is  the  reference.  It  has  not  much 
reference  to  you ;  you  have  always  remembered  them  that  had 
the  spiritual  rule  over  you.  and  you  are  remembering  him  who 
has  this  important  and  responsible  rule  this  day. 

What  I  wish  to  speak  of,  dear  brethren,  is  that  Lord  and 
Lishiop  to  wliicli  I  h.a\-e  referred.  ^V]lat  1  wish  to  s]-)eak  of  is 
the  unchangeableness  of  Jesus  Christ,  ^^'hat  changes  tliere 
are,  everywhere,  in  our  congregations  and  communities  !  \\'hat 
changes  have  been  lie  j  amongst  yoi;rse]vcs  !  Tliis  very  building 
is  altered,  and  altered  for  the  better;  one  of  the  handsomest  houses 
of  God  that  I  I'ave  ever  seen.  'l"he  pastors  are  changed,  and 
that  also,  allow  me  to  say,  my  brother,  for  the  better;  and  you 
have  occasion  to  rejoice  in  tlie  fresh  acquisition  of  young, 
vigorous  manhood,  and  to  place  him  m  rule  over  you  in  love. 
It  all  looks  strange  to  me;  here  is  the  organ,  that  used  to  be  at 
that  end,  and  I  hear  the  same  voices  speaking  to  me  from  the 
past,  but  still  changed.  Some  of  you  have  gray  hairs  that  did 
not  use  to  have  tliLm,  or  grayer  hairs  that  tormerl}-  had  gray 
ones;  and  Sume  of  tiiose  that  1  bipti/ed  girls,  are  now  young 
ladies,  and  some  of  them  have  children  of  their  own,  baptized. 
And  the  young  lads  that  I  used  to  be  so  fond  of,  aiul  to  take 
so  often  by  the  hand,  are  now  young  men  and  ki borers  in  the 
church  and  in  tlie  circles  of  business,  and  are  making  tlicir 
m;u-k  tor  e.Kcellence  of  character. 

Changes  all  the.-e.  \\"e  all  liave  changed,  dear  breUiren, 
5 


7o  Memorial. 

and  we  expect,  one  of  these  tla}s,  to  e.xperience  the  greatest 
change  of  all;  v. hen  our  n  Oit.il  sliall  put  on  iinniortaht)- ;  when 
time  shall  o[)en  its  last  (1<joi  'u  us,  the  dor.r  that  shall  usher  us 
into  eternity;  ^vhien  \\c  s]-..ill  step  irom  oae  room  h.cre,  tliat  we 
occupy,  to  a  bigger  anil  bri_liter  room  hc3-u!Kl ;  that  change 
that  we  will  ex})erience  wii._;i  our  feet  are  jxis^ing  the  tlireshold 
that  separates  our  e.\perie:,ces  here  from  the  results  of  those 
e.xperiences  yonder;  wlieri  ir.d.ced  many  of  you,  rdl,  I  trust,  uho 
now  look  upon  the  river  of  death  as  a  1-ig,  broad,  antl  angry 
stream,  will  find,  when  you  jdace  )our  feet  in  tlie  waters,  the 
swelling  waters,  behold  !  the  siream  will  have  l.»ecome  a  rill,  ar.d 
you  will  step  across  to  be  fore\-er  with  the  Lord,  and  to  ct)n- 
gregate  with  diose  v.  ho,  in  the  past  seventy-f.\-e  vears  here, 
have  gone  before. 

Changes  '.  I  wisli  it  were  pro])er,  and  I  wisli  I  could  speak 
of  tho.-^e  who  have  tluis  gone,  making  their  last  change;  some 
of  those  dear  old  women  tiiat  are  the  comfort,  the  joy,  the 
support  of  tlie  pastor's  iiearc  and  hdjois.  I  scarcely  dare 
mention  one  without  mentioning  many,  but  I  cannot  help 
thinking  of  one  who  was  .-.o  dear  to  me,  and  so  dear  to  the 
great  mass  of  tiiis  people,  Mrs.  d'^ulor  ;  she  has  gone  before. 

But  I  will  not  enter  upon  these  sentimental  \iews  to  any 
larger  extent ;  1  simply  wish  to  point  out  to  you,  as  I  have  in- 
timated already,  that  tiiere  is  (Jne  that  never  has  changed,  and 
that  never  will  change,  tlie  -^ame  always  to  us,  as  he  has  been 
to  our  lathers  and  motliers  before  us,  as  far  back  as  can  be 
traced  the  line  of  our  spiritual  ancestry.  He  is  the  same 
always,  'i'here  is  (rne  clia:ige  wlucii  we  e\i>erience,  which  is 
due  to  the  fact  of  liis  being  unchangeable,  and  always  loving 
us  and  heljv.ng  us.  I  iiave  found,  in  m\-  own  experience,  as 
doubtless  many  of  \uu  ha\e,  ihat  as  you  Inu-e  climbed  the  h.ill 
of  hie  to  reacli  its  to];,  beyond  xsiiich  you  know  is  the  setting 
sun,  that  \ou  (M^mot  no-v  v/eii  perceive,  only  the  twihglit  that 
precedes   it;  as  }Ou  gu  iiigiicr  ai»d  liigher  uj),  you  more  and 


YesteriX'VV,  To-dav  and  Forf.ver.  71 

more  forget  yourselves  and  liecome  more  and  more  charitable 
towards  other  people  ;  somehou',  in  the  light  that  is  breaking 
upon  you  from  that  sun,  }0u  see  your  own  faults  more  fuUv, 
and  the  tanks  of  others  less  consjiicuousl}-.  ^'ou  will  change, 
therefore,  as  you  ha\-e  advanced  in  tlie  Christian  life,  in  charity. 

The  scenery  of  life,  all  that  has  wonderfully,  magically 
changed,  as  we  have  gone  up  higher,  and  instead  of  the  eye  of 
youth,  we  look  over  rhe  spectacle  with  the  eye  of  age.  Rut 
iht-re  is  One  al\\a)s  tlie  same  ;  and  I  do  not  now  refer  to  him 
so  much  as  God,  as  well  1  might,  especially,  my  brethren,  in 
this  day  when  the  deit}-  of  Jesus  Christ  is  doubted  and  dis- 
puted among  theological  circles,  v.-here  tbrnierly  th^re  was 
nothing  but  faith  and  confidence.  But  if  you  were  to  take  away 
from  the  Christian  heart  the  thought  that  Jesus  Christ  is  God, 
that  he  is  Inmianucl,  Goil  with  us,  wjun  have  we  left  of  that 
Christianity  which  in  one  sense  is  as  old  as  God,  its  anchor, 
who  will  also  be  its  glorious  and  glorified  finisher?  Jesus 
Christ,  as  God,  is  the  same  now— -that  g'jes  v.'ithout  saymg  if 
we  believe  in  his  Godhead — that  he  always  was,  that  he  v/as  to 
the  aiigels  before  he  became  incarnate,  that  he  was  to  the 
fathers  \uth  whom  he  walked,  that  he  was  ro  the  prophets 
whom  he  insjiired;  but  as. God-man,  Jesus,  the  Christ  in  hu- 
man nature,  tlesh  of  our  flesh,  blood  of  our  blood,  and  bone  of 
our  bone,  our  humanity  gathered  up  in  liim,  he  has  been  th.e 
same  always. 

You  liave  often  thought  of  him,  as  you  sav/  him  walking  in 
the  C'arden  of  Iv.len,  ['or  it  must  be  remembered  tluit  it  is  a 
fi.xed  truth  now,  that  tlie  Jehovah  of  the  (')ld  Testament  is  to 
be  regarded  as  the  Jesus  of  the  Xew.  Where\-er,  then,  the  Lord 
was  in  the  past,  Jesus  was  ;  and  so  he  took  Abel  by  the  hand, 
and  \"ou  see  him  in  the  sacrifice  thit  Al)el  offered,  and  that 
was  as  a  Svvcet  smelling  savor  to  (^iod  above;  he  was  iii  that 
garden.  And  you  see  him  in  the  smoke  of  the  sacrifice,  and 
you  behold  Idm  calling  .\bra!iam,  and^   '.valkmg  with  Abraham 


72  Memorial. 

and  telling  him  where  to  go,  and  what  to  do,  so  that  "  Abraham 
saw  him  and  wa?  glad,"  we  are  tokl.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
speak  of  luioch ;  in  t]::e  midst  of  the  obscurities  of  ilie  antedi- 
luvian period,  when  all  seemed  to  be  so  confused,  and  much  of 
it  so  dark,  a  pillar  of  light  arises,  and  it  is  labeled  '•  l^.nocli.'' 
Jesus,  the  Son  of  (iod,  the  Son  of  man,  was  the  object  of  his 
woi  ship.  I  need  not  speak  of  David  in  the  past ;  I  need  not 
spe:ik  again  of  the  prophets,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  speak  of  the 
church  in  its  past  liistory.  That  would  never  ha\e  been  the 
triumphant  churcli  tliat  it  has  proved  to  be  on  many  an  occa- 
sion of  battle  and  of  victory,  had  it  not  been  that  the  Son  of 
God  was  walking  amid  his  children,  as  in  the  furnace  that  time 
when  the  hres  were  kindled  about  those  three  children  as  they 
are  called — and  coiisumed  them  iiot.  The  churcli,  therefore, 
has  come  down  into  tl^e  present  froni  the  past,  with  the  smoke 
of  the  past  upon  it,  v.-ith  the  tearings  of  the  past  exliibited  in 
its  garments,  and  v,  itli  the  victories  of  the  past  still  kindling  in 
her  eye,  that  f  luirch,  the  same  in  jjrinciple  and  in  practice 
under  the  Old  Testament  dispensation  as  now  under  the  New. 
It  has  had  Jesus  Clnisl  for  its  leader,  enthroned  him  in  its  heart, 
and  he  is  all  that  is  needed  in  order  to  complete  her  course. 
In  that  sense,  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  the  yesterday 
of  the  world,  the  jesterday  of  Zion,  wliere  so  many  changes 
have  since  taken  place,  but  no  change  in  him,  the  leader  ;  how- 
ever there  may  have  been  clianges  in  tliose  that  were  led,  none 
in  the  captain  of  our  salvation. 

I  need  not  S[)eak,  or  more  than  speak,  of  Jesus  Cinist  as  he 
is  to-day;  for  this  dispensation  is  like;  tlie  old  one,  as  I  Iiave 
already  indicated,  only  more  free,  more  generous,  more  com- 
'prehensi\-e,  taking  in  now  the  world,  as  it  formerls'  took  in 
only  the  Jcvisli  nation,  with  here  and  there  a  prosehte,  reluc- 
tantl\-  received.  Tiiis  diispensation  is  the  dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who  is  here,  and  has  been  lu-re  from  tlie  opening 
of  this  present  dispensation  as  the  rep!e:>entative  of  the  Lord, 


Yest£RDav,  T(vd.'Y  x\ni)  Forever.  73 

\Yho  sent  Iiiai,  svA  -.viio  went  away  for  the  purpose  of  scadio'^ 
him,  saying,  '"Jt  is  exijedient  for  you  thaf  I  go  away,  for  if 
I  go  noc  away  the  (Joniforlcr  will  not  come  unto  yon  :  but  if  I 
depart  I  will  send  him  un'':o you  "  ;  and  "he  shall  receive  of  my 
things  and  shall  show  them  unto  j"ou." 

So  that,  wherever  the  Spirit  is,  wherever  the  Spirit  preaches 
and  he  preaches  not  alone  in  the  sanctnar)'  and  with  us  preach- 
ers, but  he  preaclies  also  in  this  word  of  God,  the  Author  of 
Y^-hich  word  is  the  Moly  Ghost,  tlie  immediate  autlior,  you 
may  say.  Ami  so  he  is  in  tiiis  dispensation  as  he  was  in  tlie 
heart  of  Enocli ;  as  he  appeared  in  the  devotions  of  Abraham, 
as  they  kindled  upon  his  son,  Isaac  ;  and  in  liiat  kindh'n;^  lii^ht 
he  saw  another  son,  the  Son  of  God,  whom  he  worsliiped. 
And  as  tha<-  Redeemer  by  his  Spirit  dwelt  in  the  hearts  of  his 
people  in  the  past,  so  he  dwells  in  the  liearts  of  his  people  now. 
If  it  were  not  so,  there  would  be  no  church  in  tliis  place;  if  it 
were  not  so,  we  would  not  be  able  to  celebrate  die  seventy- 
fifth  anniversary  of  the  First  Pi-esbyterian  Church  in  Wilmin-^-. 
ton.  It  is  because  he  has  lived  with  \-ou  thus  fai,  and  pro- 
poses to  live  with  you  in  tlie  future,  that  you  are  wiiat  you  are. 
Oftentimes  you  are  tempt(='d  to  attribute  it  to  yourselves,  to  the 
doctrines  you  expound,  to  the  prayers  that  you  offer,  and  to 
the  much  well-doing  that  has  characterized  this  peo[de;  that 
had  it  not  been  for  all  that,  this  would  not  have  occurred,  would 
not  have  taken  place,  would  not  have  been  esta'olished.  'J'hat 
is  all  well ;  but  the  inspiring  agent  of  it  all  is  he  who  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  his  ])eople  ;  for  the  church  grows  not  from  without, 
but,  like  the  noble  tree  of  the  forest,  it  grows  from  witliin  ■  it 
grows  from  the  heart  outwardly,  and  that  inward  heart  and 
spirit  has  always  been  the  Lor^i  Jesus,  the  same  to-day  tliat  he 
was  yesterdiay;  wh.o  has  said  in  words  that  ouglit  to  be  put  in 
letters  of  gold,  it  seems  to  me,  in  every  cliurch  building,  or  at 
least  written  in  letters  of  bnglitncss  in  everv  believer's  heart, 
'  1  am  with  )  oa  alway,  even  unto  the  entl  of  the  world."'     Could 


74  Memorial. 

you  preach  without  that,  my  brother?  Could  you  live  without 
that,  brethren?  Tinii^'ine  him  to  be  absent ;  imagine  the  bride- 
groom to  be  divorced  from  the  bride,  as  indued  was  tliC  case  in 
the  seven  unhapjiy  churches  ot  Asia,  and  the  same  scenes 
would  b.e  re-enacted,  a  scene  of  ruin  and  desolation,  and  of  the 
saddest  memories.  Oh  I  it  is  Jesus,  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
Living  God,  the  Son  of  man,  your  Lord,  nn-  Lord,  the  Lord 
of  us  all ;  it  is  he,  I  am  glad  to  repeat  it  this  day,  it  i'^  h.e,  I  for 
one  testify,  who  is  tlie  all  in  all  of  every  belic\-er,  whatever  be 
his  £;ifts,  whatever  be  his  position  in  the  world,  whatever  be  the 
number  of  his  friends  and  the  warmth  of  his  friendships  ;  it  is 
he  all  the  while  that  has  kindled  the  fire  on  the  hearth  of  the 
soul,  and  that  keei'S  it  aglov.-.  And  v/ithout  him  \nth  us  today 
as  he  was  widi  our  fathers  yesterday,  I  for  one — but  it  is  an 
impossible  supposition. 

I  am  with  you  somewhat  in  weakness  to  day,  and  will  not 
be  able  to  say  much  more.  I  simply  wish  to  give  my  testimony 
here,  as  I  have  given  it  in  years  that  are  gone,  to  the  value  of 
Jesus  Christ,  to  you  personally  as  w^rll  as  to  your  churcli  col- 
lectivel)-.  And  I  still  furtlier  have  to  say,  that  he  is  not  only" 
the  same  yesterday  and  to-day,  but  he  is  lorever  ;  in  the  future, 
as  iti  the  present,  in  the  present  as  in  the  past,  the  same  to- 
inoirow  that  he  is  now;  so  that  when  \i)u  lie  down  after  )'ou 
pray  your  prayer,  before  you  have  gone  into  the  image  of  death 
that  we  call  sleep,  \-ou  may  be  sure  that  v.lren  you  wake  in  the 
morning,  the  same  kindly  face  will  be  beaming  its  divine  love 
upon  your  heart;  then  you  can  kneel  do^vn  again  an,d  thank 
him  for  the  repose  of  the  night,  and  beg  hmi  for  strength 
needed  for  the  coming  dny.     'l"he  same 'forever  : 

And  tlien,  when  tliis  work-da-.'  is  gvne.  and  v.e  have  received 
our  la.^t  v.-ound  and  shed  our  last  Lear,  and,  folded  our  h.aTids 
for  the  last  time,  w.iiting  for  tlie  liour  tliat  may  vet  be  to  come; 
then  we  will  tlnd.  that  he  is  on  the  other  si-le,  mvaiting  u^. 

Who  cares,  compi.rativcly,  tor  those  that  have  L^one  before 


Yesterday,  To-dav  and  Forever.  75 

from  our  own  families  nn;i  froin  our  own  hearts,  when  they  are 
perfected  witli  Je-us  Christ  I  And  if.  wlien  we  rea<di  those 
happy  sliores,  we  run  to  irreet  th.e  sainted  ones  \vi-:oni  wc  ayain 
recognize,  and  are  beginning  to  ask  ihem  a1-)out  their  joys,  and 
getting  them  to  relate  to  us  tlieir  exj)eriences,  the;,-  themselves 
\v\\\  separate  hand  Troin  hand  and  lead  us  to  hini  who  is  the 
centre  and  glory  of  heaven,  as  he  has  been  the  centre  and 
glory  of  the  church  on  earth.  ''  Come  and  see  what  is  really 
beautiful ;  come  aiid  kneel  with  us  :it  the  feet  of  him  at  whose 
feet  v.'e  can  never  kneel  long-  enough.  AVe  have  known  him 
longer  than  you.  and  in  circumstances  that  are  different;  we 
are  gldd.  to  see  \-ou,  but  we  are  gl.ididesl  of  all  to  know  that 
you  Lire  to  see  Clirist.  that  you  arc  to  see  him  again,  that  you 
are  to  know  him  as  he  is.  You  never  knew  him  as  he  is  ;  the 
prophets  never  ''•.riev/  him  as  he  is  :  the  apostles  never  knew 
hitn  as  he  is.  But  no'-v  that  you  look  upon  him,  ;vOu  s-:'e  him 
as  lie  is,  as  we  hive  seen  him.  and  we  want  you  to  come  and 
look  at  him.  dims  he  is  forever  ! "'  I  repeat,  Jesus  is  the 
centre,  and  fcsus  is  thie  end. 

Now,  my  hearers,  we  learn  from  this  jjassage  what  was  the 
conversation  of  those  th  it  ruled  over  these  Hebrev/s.  N'ow  I 
knov,-  that  the  word  translated  conversation  d^es  not  mean 
wliat  co!i\ersation  nuw  does  to  us  but  it  means  the  turn  of  the 
life;  every  turn  of  life  tliat  those  preachers  and  leaders  took 
was  a  turn,  not  away  from  Jesus,  but  with  h.im  and  to  him  ;  he 
was  their  life,  lie  was  tl-.e  food,  of  tlieir  hearts,  the  joy  of  tlieir 
hearts  .-\t  the  same  time,  the  cunversatioii  is  a  part  of  the 
activitv  of  the  soul  :  the  turn  of  the  heart  is  in  it,  the  turn  of 
the  thoughts  is  in  it,  the  turn  of  sj-eculation  as  to  the  futun^  is 
in  it,  the  turn  of  lecollection  as  to  t!ie  ])ast  is  in  it,  in  our  con- 
versation. Now  then,  botli  as  to  the  turn  of  life  ,-ind  as  to  the 
talk  from  day  to  d.?y.  wha.t  oueli'  it  to  be?  It  ouglit  to  be 
Christ  A\  hy.  T  cannot  hel])  thinking  of  those  men  w'lo  received 
this  letter  and   of  t:ie  great  aoo-.tle  who  wrote  it.  to   feci  sure 


76  I^Iemorial. 

tliat  I  know  what  they  talked  about.  They  had  not  as  many 
things  to  talk  about  as  we  have;  cou\'eisation  was  a  (liiTerent 
conversation;  pecainary  interests  were  dii'i'crcnt ;  there  were 
no  newspapers  to  stir  up  strife,  as  sometimes  they  do,  or  to  stir 
up  thought,  as  often  they  do,  and  give  us  news,  as  they  are  ap- 
pointed to  do,  but  they  talked  about  Jesus.  Nov,-,  v/ould  it 
not  be  well  for  us  t')  dismiss  every  other  topic  of  conversation 
and  take  up  that,  ^^'cll,  but  it  might  become  common,  stale, 
flat,  and  unprofitable  ;  jjerhaps  it  would  be  making  the  name 
too  common  ;  but  to  talk  about  Christ  is  to  live  Christ,  and  a 
man  cannot  but  talk  about  that  which  he  lives.  At  home,  in 
your  business  abroad,  in  all  these,  let  Christ  be  with  you,  and 
not  only  appear,  but  cons})icuously  appear,  that  all  rncn  may 
take  knowledge  o(  }ou,  as  they  took  knowledge  of  many  in  the 
past,  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus. 

Now,  I  have  done  with  this  lesson,  which  I  have  told  in 
the  best  way  that  was  left  to  me  this  morning.  \Vhilst  we 
are  brethren,  we  are  brethren  in  the  Lord  ;  whilst  v,-e  are 
people  out  of  all  denominations,  we  love  one  another  because 
we  love  him  who  is  llie  centre  of  all  denominalionalism,  and  who 
is  the  glory  of  all  eccle^iasticism  ;  and  as  the  different  peoples 
get  nearer  to  him,  as  a  matter  of  course  tlieyget  riearer  to  each 
other.  And  may  tlie  blessing  of  God,  the  Saviour,  the  hope 
of  our  glory,  be  now  and  furever  with  you  all.     Amen. 


THH  COMMUNION, 


The  cong-regations  of  St.  Andrew's  Church  and  Iramanuel 
Chapel  united  vdth  the  I'irst  Church  in  the  communion,  mak- 
ing a  very  large  liody  of  communicants.  Dr.  Grier  spoke 
earnest  and  helpful  Avords  on  the  '•  comniunion  of  saint.s,"  read 
the  passage  from  i  Cor.  xi.,  made  the  jirayer  of  consecration, 
and  distributed  the  bread.  Dr.  Wilson  served  tlie  wine  and 
made  the  prayer  of  thauksgiviiig.  All  of  the  eiglit  elders 
of  this  church,  and  llie  four  from  St.  Andrews,  Dr.  A.  D. 
McDonald,  John  C.  l.alta,  Oscar  Pearsall,  and  "William  H. 
Sprunt,  took  part  in  tk.e  distribution  of  the  elements.  Besides 
the  two  officiating  ministers,  anil  the  pastors  of  the  three  con- 
gregations, Re\'.  S.  G.  Law  and  Rev.  G.  W.  McMillan,  min- 
isters from  this  congregation,  sat  at  the  Lord's  table.  It  was 
a  tiuie  of  sacred  uieriiories,  present  blessing,  and  joyous  hopes. 


PRL'SBYTHRIANISM   AND  TH!:   FUTURH, 

Bt  Rkv.  PrYTON  li.  Ilucri-,  D.  L\,  "Wilmington.  N.  C. 


"For  the  promise  is  iiuto  yon,  and  to  your  cliiMreu,  and  to  all  that 
arc  afar  off,  evcu  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."  —Acts  ii.  39. 

rrifO']  Old  'lestiiruent  is  imtuiTiUy  a  bot/k  (~)f  jn-omisc.  In 
^  the  earliest  dawi;  of  toe  t^ospel  we  La\e  the  seed  of  pro- 
mise. To  the  cliureli  delivered  from  the  flood  God  gave  the 
bow  of  promij^e.  To  Abrah'im  in  liis  old  ap;e  was  l)orn  the 
child  of  proniisc ,  and  in  due  time  bis  seed  inlierited  tlie  land 
of  promise.  So,  too,  all  the  syinbols  of  the  priestly  law,  all 
the  developments  nf  the  oi\il  oovermnent,  tlie  snnif  of  psalm- 
ist, the  vision  of  seer,  the  exhortation  of  prophet,  were  all 
fainter  adumbrations  or  more  distinct  pledges  of  that  which 
tlie  future  held,  and  tlie  fnhie.ss  of  time  should  unf-. iM.  But 
when  that  fuhit'ss  of  time  had  Come,  and  all  the  promises 
of  God  were  made  Yea  and  Amen  in  Clirist  Jtsus,  it  might 
have  bet'n  supposed  that  tlie  pei'iod  of  pri'ini^e  was  over, 
and  that  the  era  of  perfect  and  c(>mj)leb;  fullilment  was  at 
hand.  So  thought  the  disciples  during  the  days  of  our 
Lords  ll(-sh.  Sii  thi'uglit  tlicy  with  fuller  assurance  after 
his  trium})hant  re.-^niTection,  as  with  eager  hearts  they  came 
to  him  -with  the  ciuestion,  "Lord,  wilt  thou  at  this  tmie  re- 
store again  the  kirjgdom  untu  Israel  .'  "  lint  genllv  au'l 
gravely,  as  of  yore,  he  jnits  tlieiu  otl':  '•  It  is  net  fe.r  you  to 
know  the  tinu'S  or  the  seasons,  whicli  the  F;dl;er  hath  }ai{ 
in  his  own  prjwer  "  And  wlien  in  a  mi:>ment  lie  is  partc'd 
fmm  them,  tlie  last  word  thai  falls  from  his  lips  as  he  is  re- 
ceived np  into  glory  is  a  word  of  promise  —the  promise  of 


-X*     ' 

f^ 

"■'K'  ■ 

-_■"■:'%:■ 

;-^        --- 

ih-^ 

?   . ,  ,.^, 

J.J   ^^;  r 

1 

'•■  \. 

\- 

^\ 

■ 

/          ."-'" 

■-, 

/    -      ;  I  ' 

"^ 

. 

If 


Ajy^j^^ 


Pr>Esr-YTtiaAMSM  and  ti;e  Fituek.  79 

power,  tlif  pdwcr  of  tlie  IJoly  Ghosi.  tliat  tbcy  niig]it  Lear 
witness  for  liim  to  tlio  uttermost  part  of  the  earth. 

Again  the  disciples  wait  upon  the  Titird  xnitil  promise  is 
crownt'd  witli  fnlfilnuiit,  and  on  Pentecost  the  Spirit  de- 
scends, and  they  are  tilled,  and  clothed,  and  transformed 
with  power  But  \Ahen  Peter,  sta.ndijig  foi'th  that  day  in 
the  fulness  of  that  new-fiamd  ]:iowtr,  upon  the  threshold  of 
that  new  disjiensatiou  it  had  ushered  in,  speaks  the  creative 
words  of  the  Christian  Church,  they  aie  still  words  of  pro 
mise — "the  promise  is  unto  you."  And  lest  any  one  should 
limit  that  promise  to  the  pr*  sent,  and  its  immediate  fullll- 
nient,  we  see  it  glancing  along  to  fuiure  ages,  and  bursting 
abroad  to  distant  lands:  "The  prtimisc  is  unto  you,  aiid  to 
your  childreii,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  oiiV'  l*roniise  is  still 
to  l)e  the  forming  principle  of  the  chuix-h's  life,  and  the  in- 
spiration of  the  chuivli's  acti^"ities.  Nor  is  it  only  at  tlic 
beginning'  of  the  ('hristinn  life  of  those  wlio  in  successive 
generations  compose  the  Chiistian  Church,  that  promise  is 
to  play  its  part.  AVhen  the  Holy  Spirit  enters  the  soul,  its 
full  measure  is  not  reached  at  a  bound,  and  the  very  high- 
est clevelopn:ient  of  his  power  and  glory  here  is  still  only  an 
earnest  of  that  which  is  beyond  Hear  the  aged  apostle, 
who  sui'passed  even  Peter  in  the ''abundance  of  revelations," 
when  far  on  his  earthly  course:  "This  one  thing  1  do,  for- 
getting those  things  that  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth 
unto  those  things  that  are  before,  1  ])rc^s  toward  the  uiark 
for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jcsus." 
And  when  he  unveils  the  trinity  of  Christian  graces  that  are 
to  "abide"  with  the  Cliristian  throughout  this  life,  an.d  with 
the  cluu'ch  throughout  this  dispensation,  there  is  not  only 
a  Faith  to  look  u}>.  and  a  Love  to  look  out,  but  a  Ibjpe  to 
kv.k  forward. 

To-day  wo  stand  as  did  the  Apostle  Peter,  thou;;h  to  an 
huijjbkr  degree,  at  one  of  those  points  where  fruition  has 


80  ^  ?.Iemorlvl. 

followed  promise.  But  let  ua  learn,  like  him,  at  such  a  time 
to  fix  our  gaze  vijt  ouly  ii|)ou  tlic  past,  but  also  iipou  the 
futm-e.  As  we  thJiik  ui  the  little,  sTru.L'.gli'Oi^-  \hie  plaiited  iu 
faith  and  hope  three  qaavters  of  a  century  a.q-o,  and  then  cast 
our  eyes  around  at  tlic  vigorous  churches  that  stand  where 
once  it  stood;  wben  we  looh  out  farther  and  see  the  more 
distant  shoots  that  have  sprung  into  life  and  activity  from 
its  side:  and  when  we  think  of  the  rich  fruitage  that  from 
these  vines  is  now  ripening  here  for  heaven,  and  the  still 
larger  vintage  that  has  already  been  gathered  into  the  gar- 
ners above,  our  hearts  may  well  swell  with  gratitude  to  God 
for  the  blessings  of  the  past.  But  when  we  remember  that 
the  harvest  of  tlie  present  is  the  seed  of  the  future,  when  we 
think  how  that  seed  is  being  scattered  broadcast  throughout 
our  land,  and  has  already  liee.u  borne  to  other  shores,  we 
may  well  pause  before  we  exclaim,  "The  former  days  were 
better  than  these."  This  church  has  had  noble  pastors. 
Some  of  them,  alter  an  abseiicc  of  years,  are  with  us  again. 
To  see  their  faces,  to  hear  their  voices,  to  receive  their  greet- 
ings of  luve,  and  to  listen  to  the  dear  old  gospel  from  their 
lips,  has  been  the  uni(]ue  auil  blessed  ex[)erience  of  this 
joyful  re-union  ;  but  these  men  have  labored,  and  others, 
coming  after  them,  will  enter  into  their  lal)ors,  M'ho  will 
see  gi-tater  things  than  tliey.  It  has  had  devoted  mem- 
bers in  t'le  paat — men  who  have  put  tlieii"  lives  in  jeopardy 
for  the  sake  of  the  gosjjel,  nit.n  who  have  never  tiinched  iu 
the  times  that  tried  men's  souls;  l)ut  no  one  can  know  the 
heights  of  Christian  her  asm  to  which  Gt.d  may  call  some 
of  these  little  ones  thai  sit  before  us  to-day.  It  has  set  in 
■  motion  many  bi  nellcent  aetivitits,  that  have  brought  light 
and  gladness  and  lilessing  into  countless  hearts  and  honies, 
but  ouly  eternity  can  reveal  how  far  will  reach  the  widening 
circle  of  its  beuerueuce  in  the  ages  that  are  yet  unborn. 
The  same  }i]'incip]e  hulds  t  rno  wlien  we  take  a  wider  stu'vey, 


ricESr.YTF.niANISM  AND  THE  FrTUKE.  81 

and  consider  that  grctit  fiiTiiily  of  Christian  cliurchos  to  which 
this  con.ureg'atiun  l)eloni;-s.  Thf-re  is  no  nior^3  fascinating- 
jnu'snit  tl'.an  tlic  study  of  tlij'sc  causes,  sinall  and  great,  that 
brought  into  being  tlie  great  Reforniati'-n  movement.  And 
as  in  this  year  of  grace  we  celeljrate  the  four  hundredth  an- 
niversary of  that  discovtry  which  added  a  new  wr.rld  to  tlie 
arena  of  human  effort  and  ]irogress,  we  look  on  witli  adonng 
wonder  at  the  sihnit  moving  of  the  divine  liand  by  which 
Lohard  and  Buhemian.  Ilngueuijt  and  Hohajuler,  Enghsli 
Puritan  and  Scotch  l'resbytt;rian,  were,  through  toil  and  sac- 
rifice, ]:ioi\secution.  shame  and  death,  working  out  those 
principles,  and  shaidng  tliose  instil utiems,  that  should  not 
only  form  the  fabric  of  oar  ecclesiastical  structures,  but 
should  lay  the  foundations  of  our  civil  and  religious  liberties. 
But  while  tlie  niemory  of  tliese  naighty  dead  shall  last  as 
long  as  history,  while  their  devotion  to  truth  and  duty  must 
ever  nerve  our  hearts  to  like  endeavor,  ^s]^le  they  have  be- 
queathed to  us  much  that  we  can  never  forsake  without 
being  recreant  to  every  duty  both  to  God  and  man,  yet  we 
cannot  rest  in  their  attainments.  The  faithful  study  of  the 
past  will  do  much  to  direct  us  for  the  future.  It  has  lessons 
of  warning  and  lessons  of  encouragement.  It  can  save  from 
much  error  and  lead  into  much  truth.  But  he  who  would 
shape  the  future  altogether  by  the  jiast,  is  like  the  mariner 
who  should  steer  hisshiji  by  the  track  it  has  left  in  its  wake, 
instead  of  by  the  changeless  stars  of  heaven,  or  the  needle 
ever  constant  to  the  ])ole. 

History  has  precious  lessons  indeed,  but  its  truest  and 
best  is  this:  that  the  best  is  yet  beyond,  and  that  fruition 
in  the  past  is  the  pledge  and  promise  of  ;i  richer  fultihiient 
in  the  future.  It  is  these  C' ai-^ideratiojis  that  have  led  me 
to  ask  you,  on  this  day  freighted  \sith  the  memories  of  the 
past,  t'.)  t-ake  a  glance  witli  nie  a.t  the  subject  I  have  selected, 
'•Presljvterianism  and  the  Future." 


82  l\r]:Tvioi;L\L. 

AVhen  Ave  look  a  'litil  >  uioro  narrowly  irjto  the  text  we  see 
tli;;t  it  outlhv's  (."crtjiiii  ul.'inonts  or  condition'^  Ihat  are  essen- 
tial to  the  siiorrss  o[  the  churcli,  ov  of  iuiy  part  of  the 
church.  These  elouKMiis  of  success  are  revival,  perpetnati<n), 
enlargouieiit.  aiul  all  in  ac-ordaiice  with  a  sovereign,  eternal 
and  yracivHis  purjii.h;*:  rcviral,  l)ecause  the  '-promise"  is 
the  proinise  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  prrp,  t  nation,  because 
the  proKiise  is  i;ot  only  unto  you,  but  '•  to  your  children  ; 
»-id'ir<jan<:,if.  becausoii  is  also  -'to  ah  that  are  afar  oil'";  and 
in  its  ai'iihcatinii  auMu:^  nil  these,  by  a  purj^ose  that  must  be 
sovereign,  and  inusl  in>  eternal,  and  must  be  gracious,  be- 
cause it  is  divine,  it  is  limited  to  ''as  many  as  the  Lord  our 
God  sh=dl  call.  ■ 

I  would  miss  my  j-urjHise  very  far  if  any  one  were  to  un- 
derstand fiotn  anything  that  I  shall  say  that  I  claim  for 
Presbyterianisni  antl  tlu'  Presl)yterian  Churches  a  monopoly 
of  any  or  all  of  these  elements  of  success  and  blessing  that 
are  promised  in  the  te\t.  But  with  the  fullest  catholicity  of 
spii'it,  it  is  surely  our  n-ht  to  point  out  that  Presbyterian 
principles  reqinre  us  lo  seek  for,  and  strive  after,  each 
one  of  them;  tluit  rresbyterian  doctrines  reveal  the  true 
method  of  tlieir  attahnnent  :  and  that  Presbyterian  organiza- 
tion presents  a  most  favorable  channel  for  their  exercise  and 
development.  If  these  ]>ositions  can  be  maintained,  Presby- 
terianism  ha.->  u.-thii-;;  to  tear  from  the  future,  but  will  be 
foiuid  to  meet  the  scripti.vid  conditinns  of  a  church  for  all 
times,  and  ;i  church  for  all  peoples. 

I  ask  you,  tlieii,  tlrst,  to  oliserve  with  me  that  the  condi- 
tions of  the  ilivine  pioini-e  given  in  the  text,  upon  which  all 
•these  element-  of  bles>nv.r  d.pend,  is  the  cardinal  lainciph; 
of  that  theology  of  wrieli  our  church  is  the  avowed  and 
recogniiad  expoiur.i.  ■•The  promise,"  \\\i\\  all  that  it  in- 
cludes, is  "t'>  a<  many  :;s  tlie  L(U-d  e>ur  God  sh;dl  call." 
Tliat  God  h;;s  a  pe-.-pIe  cl...  >en  in  love  from  .-rU  eternity,  whom 


Presbyterlynisij  a>-]>  the  Futube.  8o 

he  has  predestiiiafed  to  be  couforuied  to  the  iin;i;^e  of  liis 
Son:  th;tt  upon  theui  lie  Ix-fet  avs,  each  in  ]iis  own  Time,  the 
eticctual  call  of  his  Hulv  Spirit:  th;it  by  that  call  beinn- 
made  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  they  turn  from  sin  in 
faith  and  repentance  unto  God,  and  that  without  that  call 
and  tlie  idndling  t)f  the  divine  hfi;  within  them,  they  are  cer- 
tain to  continue  in  sin  because  of  the  deadness  of  their 
moral  nature;  and  that  the  bestownient  of  that  call  includes 
every  gift  that  pertains  uiito  life  and  godliness,  and  every 
grace  that  is  necesf-my  to  keep  them  from  falling,  and  pre- 
sent'them  faultless  belV.re  the  presence  of  his  glory  with  ex- 
ceeding j.\y— this,  as  I  understimd  it,  is  the  system  called 
Calvinism  ;  and  this,  as  I  understand  it,  is  the  creed  that 
we  confuss ;  and  tliis,  as  we  have  seen,  is  the  doctrine  of  the 
text.  Now  it  is  nut  essential  for  receiving  the  blessings  of 
the  text  th:d  we  understand  and  receive  the  doctrine  of  the 
text.  The  sovereign  grace  of  God  is  not  limited  to  our  finite 
and  fallible  understanding. 

'•The  love  of  God  i,  brjadci-  tbiin  tao  luoasnie  of  man's  mind," 

and  many  a  man  who  has  spent  his  life  in  the  vehement 
denial  of  tlie  sovcrei^_;nty  of  grace,  has  been  himself  a  most 
conspicuous  monunj(;]it  of  that  sovereign  grace.  But  as- 
suredly those  wh(^  J-ecognize  the  divijic  condition  of  blessing- 
are  in  the  most  favorable  attitude  for  receiving  bles.^ing; 
and  those  who  l)a\e  recognized  God  as  the  sole  and  sufhcient 
source  of  salvation,  and  all  ihoi  leads  to  it,  are  on  tlie  only 
sure  load  for  tiiding  it.  "Them  that  honor  me,  I  will 
honor,""  saiththe  Lord:  and  honoring  God.  we  need  not  fear 
v.hat  man  can  do  unto,  us,  or  say  of  us. 

It  has  been  s:ud  that  every  Christi;in  is  a  Calvinist  upon 
his  knees.  If  thi.-,  is  time,  and  no  o:ie  who  carefully  observt  s 
the  ]»rayers  (.f  dewju.t  luen  of  whaff'ver  shade  of  belitd'  can 
well  doubt  it,  it  in  great  pai't  accounts  for  the  hirge  measure 


84  ^Iemokial. 

of  blessing  bestcnve(l.  "apou  cliurcbes  whose  formal  creed 
denies  the  di^-tinctivu  dtictrines  of  grace.  But  the  church 
that  proi'esses  and  i:e;i(jho^;  these  grcnt  d(..c{rines  has  an 
overwhelming  argument  in  her  moutli  Id  hrhuj  men  to  (heir 
Icnei's,  pointing  them  i;)  i.'ie  only  s.mrcc  of  \iA\<  and  bless- 
ing, iLst  seeking  to  climb  up  some  other  \Yay  tliev  be  cast 
out  as  thieves  and  robbers,  or,  at  least,  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God.  And  "^liat  the  church  of  the  future  needs 
that  she  may  have  a  larger  measure  of  blessing  is  not  (hat 
she  should  cast  aside,  or  curtail,  ov  soften  ber  creed,  but 
that  her  creed  shorild  get  down  into  her  lieart,  and  bring 
her  down  upon  her  knees,  waiting  upon  the  Lord  for  his 
blessing,  until  his  grace  shines  forth  in  her  life,  and  all  men 
ai'e  pointed  to  the  Lamb  of  God  tliat  taketli  away  the  sin  of 
the  world— until  all  slial)  hear  the  voice,  "Look  unto  me,  and 
be  ye  saved,  all  the  eneis  of  the  earth;  for  I  am  God,  and 
there  is  none  else." 

Wlien,  in  the  second  place,  we  Ljok  at  the  elements  of  the 
promise  in  detail,  these  tlioughts  find  illustration  and  em- 
p]i;\sis.  I  have  used  the  term  "revival"  as  including  all 
that  is  involved  in  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  a 
term  that  implies  /{/"t;.  There  is  no  blessing  for  a  dead 
churcli  Its  creed  may  be  unexceptionable  in  its  orthodoxy, 
its  worship  may  be  fauhluss  in  its  beauty,  its  jninistry  pro- 
finmd  in  tlieir  learning,  their  conduct  above  reproach  and 
iheir  orders  lieyond  suspicion;  but  if  life  be  not  there,  if  the 
Spirit  ff  G('d  be  not  thert',  orders  and  dignity  and  learning, 
.'esthetic  wnrship  and  o]'tliodox  creed,  will  imt  save  it  from 
the  blight  and  coi'ru])ti('U  of  death.  A  dead  church  is 
not  ]iringing  men  to  Christ;  a  dead  church  is  not  seek- 
ing and  saving  the  lost:  a  di-ad  church  is  not  doing  the 
only  work  that  gives  her  a  right  to  be.  Ihit  if  the  Spirit  of 
God  breathes  upon  the.se  slain,  instead  of  bleaching  bones, 
we  will  have  ;i  living  army  to  do  the  work  and  light  the 
battles  of  the  living  God. 


PRESiiYTF.RiANis>r  AXP  THE  Fi;Tmu;.  85 

Again,  (lie  tiTin  revival  iin|)lios  a  rcnr}ral  of  life.  Some 
may  o1)jeet  r.o  t1ie  term  or.  tlr's  gr.jvind,  and  say  tliat  iu- 
tervening  ]^)Oi'i'xl.-.  of  depression  and  death  are  in;p]ied  in  its 
use,  and  that  tliis  is  not  a  normal  state  of  the  church,  but 
one  to  be  regretted  and  deplored.  Tint  renewal  of  life  does 
]iol,  necessarily  imply  tliat  the  pi'evi':)us  state  was  one  of  de- 
pression; it  moans  the  heightening-  or  quickening  of  the 
previous  state,  whatever  it  nuiy  be.  "I  am  come  that 
they  might  have  lift-,  a:\d  that  tliey  might  have  it  more 
abundauily."  If  we  nndertahc  to  cross  the  mounlaiu 
ranges  that  traverse  the  eastern  slope  of  our  continent, 
we  ascend  one  ridge  only  to  descend  into  tlie  valley  on 
Die  cither  side:  v.e  cross  the  valley,  ascend  another  ridge 
f\nd  again  descend,  and  so  until  the  whole  system  has 
been  crossed.  Jjut  if  v,-e  go  to  Siberia  and  ascend  from  the 
eastern  coast  we  liave  a  very  diti&rent  experience.  By  and 
by  we  come  to  11  ic  nK>untains.  but  when  we  have  ascended. 
instead  of  a  descent  into  a  valley  bevoud,  we  have  a  broad 
table-land,  gently  rising  u[)ward  from  the  summit  of  one 
range  to  the  base  uf  another:  ',ve  climb  that  and  continue  to 
repeat  the  same  experience,  always  ascending  and  never  de- 
scriiding;  at  times  moru  rapidly  than  at  others,  but  still 
ah'.ays  u]j\vard.  Fruni  the  weakness  of  our  human  nature 
our  iwivals  are  too  apt  io  be  like  our  own  mountains,  with 
valleys  of  depres-ion  between,  l)ut  they  need  not  be  so. 
Every  true  revival  should  bring  the  church  nj)  to  a  higher 
plane  of  Christian  lif.j  and  experience  from  which  tliere  need 
be  no  descent,  bui  a  ste-idy  march  onward  and  upward 
Ironi  tlie  heiglil  attained,  until  a  new  intlux  of  spiritual  life 
and  eneri!'}-  lits  us  for  ascending  to  yet  gre:iter  heights. 
J'Jevivid,  thus  undi'r>t(X;d,  is  the  true  ;i.nd  ra.'rmal  st;-i.te  of  the 
churrh  and  of  tlie  Christian,  and  not  an  occ;isional  s})as- 
m.'dic  (-tHa-t  that  spends  its  force  and  le;ives  no  lasting 
benent.  It  is  God's  law  uf  the  cliurch's  gro\vth,  and  with- 
6 


8G  ^[kmoi:i\l. 

out  growth  there  viilbp,  l:)y  ahav  that  ciiu  be  ignored  iu  the 
spiritual  no  niorv  than  iix  tlio  u.^tur;.*!  ^^orld,  retrogression, 
decay  ajid  dcritit  Ij>.l  us  look  tht-n  at  oorrio  I'f  the  eli'ects  or 
manifestations  of  reTiv.'u. 

There  is  lirst  the  sjiiritual  quickening-  of  the  children  of 
God.  As  rain  n^fi-esh-js  the  parched  earth,  so  the  Divine 
Spirit  poui'ed  out  upon  the  souls  of  believers  causes  every 
grace  to  spring  and  grow  afresh.  On  every  side  there  is 
verdure  and  bloom  aii'T  ripening  fruit.  Gud's  v,-ord  is 
studied  with  a  fresher  interest ;  praj'er  has  new  power  and 
fervor;  prai.-e  has  a  h.igher  note  of  joy;  God's  house  is 
thron<:red  witli  eairer  ^^orshi1/pevs.  Love  tlows  umvard  to 
God  and  outward  to  num.  Brolvcn  friendships  are  renewed, 
neglected  duties  are  }:ierformcd,  and  slumbering  consciences 
are  arousech 

With  the  renewal  of  other  duties  comes  the  renewal  of 
Christian  tcstiuiony.  If  neglected  before,  the  duty  is  now 
performed;  if  periVained  before,  it  is  now  done  v.ith  new 
power.  Christians  speak  often  cme  to  another  and  often  to 
those  that  are  witliout.  The  pt^ver  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
upon  them  to  witness  JVa-  Christ,  and  so  with  the  growth  in 
grace  comes  the  increase  of  nund^crs,  and  the,"  Lord  adds 
da.ily  to  the  church  of  such  as  shall  be  savecL 

But  more  than  trat :  out  of  every  great  revival  arise  those 
new  teachings  of  truth,  and  those  new  movements  in  behalf 
of  the  trutli,  that  lead  tlie  church  on  to  higher  and  better 
things.  The  Tuformation  was  the  fruit  of  j-evival.  The 
modern  evaugelisiic  movement  v»as  the  fruit  of  revival.  The 
great  movements  in  the  interest  of  the  young  jioople  of  the 
fhurch  art  all  tlu'  rt  suit  of  revival.  And  no  individual 
chiux'h  enjoys  a  true  revival  that  some  more  practicrJ  view 
of  its  duties,  ajid  some  more  active  prosecution  of  its  work, 
is  not  the  result. 

Revival,  then,  in  whatever  a.sp(:ct  it  is  considcnal,.  is  essen- 


Presbyterianism  and  the  Future.  87  • 

tiai  to  the  cliurch's  life  and  growth.  Nay,  it  is  the  chin'cli's 
life.  How,  then,  and  'wbence  sh;dl  \ve  Imilv  for  revivrJ? 
Humaii  n  id  lire  in  its  shdrt-sightediioss,  liuinan  nature  in 
its  impatience,  human  nature  in  its  pride,  otten  suggests 
various  human  methods  and  instru)nentah'tios  by  which  re- 
vivals may  Ik-  "gotten  u}),"  as  the  vulgar  plu'ase  goes;  for- 
getting that  a  re\"iYal,  like  water,  can  rise'  no  higher  than  its 
source,  and  that  a  revival  o(  human  origin  can  give  no  more 
than  a  humaii  blessing.  The  Calvinistic  theology  comes  in 
as  the  true  and  oidy  correction  of  human  ignorance,  impa- 
tience, and  pride.  Keeping  its  eye  fixed  uj)on  God  as  the 
only  source  of  revivad,  siuco  he  gives  the  })r^pruise.  and  the 
promise  is  unto  as  many  as  he  shall  call,  it  cautions  us  to 
use  just  tliose  means  that  he  has  comnumded,  and  to  wait 
upon  him  for  the  life-giving  power,  without  \\hich  all  our 
eli(_)rts  mu.st  i^e  vain. 

To  this  same  conclusion,  not  only  its  doc'iriue,  but  every- 
thing in  its  worship  and  ordur  tends.  Neither  condemniiig, 
nor  dejiendent  upon,  lixed  fornis,  its  wi.U'shi])  has  always 
been  simple  and  free  from  adventitious  ornament.  With  the 
Spirit  of  (bjd  in  it,  it  is  fre&h,  satisfying,  inspiring:  without 
his  presence  it  is  lifeless  and  l»ald;  thus  nudang  us  feel  the 
constant  need  of  his  life  and  power.  Its  main  strength  and 
reliance  is  ujion  the  '•  f(.)uiis]iucss  of  preaching."'  which  GckVs 
word  and  all  ex])erieiice  teach  to  be  poweiiess  to  save  with- 
out the  .S})irit  of  God.  Insisting  upon  an  orderly  entrance 
int(^  its  ministry  and  other  otiices,  it  at  the  same  time  claims 
for  them  no  "indelible  ch;iracter,''  no  power  of  salvation  by 
manipulatirm,  no  oflicial  grace  or  virtue,  but  solemnly 
charges  all  that  only  as  tliey  jiei.sei]ially  seek  and  lind  the 
grace  and  iwwer  of  the  liuly  S}iirit  can  their  ministry  be 
ellectual  in  l>ringing  revived  blessing ':■-.  to  his  church.  For 
this  reason  it  has  !io  temjMrary  or  •'expediency"  otlicers 
in  its  organizatioii,   but   s  /.emniy  bets   apa.rt  tho.->e  oilicers 


88  !ME.vro?wi.uL. 

tli;it  it  finds  in  thnAvo-.'ii  of  God,  recon unending  tlieni  totlie 
grace  of  God.  If  Tlie  rresl)ytcri;:v!  C-ijiiich  is  not  a  revival 
cbnrc]i.  it  is  notliing.  \ud  the  n.ore  tliO]'ouo-]ih-  it  masters 
its  own  princi]^ilos.  tl.c  nu>rt'  coutinnouslv  and  incre;r-inpiv 
Avill  it  be  a  revival  ebnrcb,  ;ind  the  bngJiter  will  sLine  for  it 
tliis  jn'oniise  of  vm  Lord-  "If  ye  being  evjl  ]cno-\\-  bow  to 
g-ivc  good  gifts  unto  your  eluJdren,  liow  in.neb  more  shall 
YOiir  heavenly  Father  givo  the  Iloh  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
him." 

The  next  element  of  pr-nniso  in  the  text  is  perpefAiatlnn : 
"The  promise  is  mito  you,  and  to  your  children."'  This 
manifestly  has  to  do  v^ith  the  future.  The  church  that 
would  take  h'jld  of  the  future  must  i^y  its  hand  upon  the 
hearts  of  the  young.  Here,  again,  ^ve  only  need  a  more  thor- 
ough a})p]ication  of  lair  own  }n'incip!es.  T'enying  riu  the 
one  haiid  the  doctrine  of  l)a]>tismal  regeneration,  and  on  the 
other,  re])udiating  the  exclusion  of  infants  from  the  church, 
the  Presbyterian  C'liurch  has  ahva}-s..  talcen  its  stand  on 
God's  inirepealed  covenant,  and  said  to  its  little  ono'^,  ''Ye 
are  the  children  of  the  covenant."  Admitthjg  them  to  the 
privileges  uf  the  church  on  thel)asis  of  Gi/dV  covenant  j>ro- 
mises,  it  has  ahvays  insisted  that  God's  little  ones  should  be 
trained  for  liim.  Lou.l;-  iiefore  the  m-xlern  Sunday-school 
was  dreamed  of,  the  i^resbyterian  ('luu'<'li  in  lier  parish 
schools,  in  her  ]iarent;il  tr;;ining-,  and  in  lier  pa-^toral  cate- 
chisings,  was  instructiiig  her  cliililreu  in  the  word  of  God 
and  the  doctrines  oi'  that  word,  with  a  thoi-oughness  tliat 
modern  r'-'.ethods  have  rarely  equalled  and  never  sm'passed. 
Seizing  hold  of  the  new  instrumentality  because  of  its  A\ider 
Bcoi:)e  and  better  op[n>rtuni{ies  for  roacliing  tliose  that  are 
\nthout,  she  has  incurporated  it  into  hi-r  system,  and  devoted 
to  its  development  her  higliest  and  noblest  energies.  Aral 
if  she  has  relaxed  in  an}- degree  her  fi.iraier  iiistrnmentaliiies, 
there  are  uut  lacldng  indications  of  a   wi-(-  return   to  the 


PnEsr.VTLr.lAMSM  A^-D  TUE  FuTURK.  89 

parish  sebotA,  AvLile  parental  trainiDg-  will  always  revive 
witli  a  revived  cliureb. 

But  in  our  own  days  a  new  deinaiul  is  mndt'  nj^on  the 
church.  The  church  is  r(.alizing  its  call  ti)  persunal  service 
as  never  hot'ure.  ai.d  with  that  call  conies  the  call  to  train  its 
children  nut  oidy  to  know  Christ,  hut  U>  serve  him.  Innum- 
erahle  rornis  of  orgunizatiou  tor  acconi])lishing  this  work  have 
sprung-  into  henig-,  some  within  church  lines  and  some  with- 
out, some  AAise  and  sonic  otherwise.  It  is  gTatitying  to  note 
that  the.  venoi'able  Synod  of  Virginia  has  aj>[)ointed  a  com- 
mittee to  intjuire  into  the  l>c.-.t  method  of  org-anizing'  and 
develophi;.;'  the  energies  of  its  young-  jieojile.  One  thing-  is 
certain:  the  clmrch  cannot  reslrain  these  movements  if  it 
wuuld;  and  it  ought  not  if  it  could.  God  is  in  them,  liis 
word  is  behind  theiu,  and  what  tlie  church  needs  to  do  is 
heartily  to  enconvage,  and  wisely  to  direct,  the  el'forts  of 
its  young-  jKriplo  in  channels  most  coiiformaljlc  to  its  own 
life,  and  most  conducive  to  tlieir  S})iritual  growth.  But 
these  moveiiieiits  :t>nsidered  m  themselves,  and  apart  from 
any  que.-5ti(.in  of  ])articular  furm  or  method,  are  evidences 
that  the  revi-  d  promise  is  reaching-  untu  uur  children,  pro- 
mising; to  us  and  to  all  who  eiicjin.-;ig-e  thein,  the  perpetua- 
11(11  of  the  blessings  of  the  }'resenl,  and  the  moi-e  abundant 
manifestation  of  thos(;  blessings  in  the  future. 

The  I'resbyteriau  Chiu-ch  has  p(>culiar  advantag-es  from 
its  fetrni  i»f  g-overnment  for  the  instruction  and  guidance 
of  its  children  and  youth.  It  alone  has  an  t>rder  of  men 
regularly  set  apart  for  the  direction  uf  Gods  hou.se,  whose 
very  name  is  derived  from  the  family.  The  elders  ai'o 
vrd. lined  to  bo  tiie  .-i]>intua.l  lathe's  ui  the  congregation,  and 
she] 'herds  of  the  J]  )ck.  As  fathers,  they  cannut  neglect  the 
children;  as  shepherds,  they  camiwt  f.)rsake  the  lambs.  As 
the  I'uuntain  of  government  in  the  congregatK-m,  it  is  theirs 
to  direi;t  and  organize  ihe  church  until  "the  whole  body, 


90  iVlEMC!rj.vj.. 

fitly  joiued  toj?:ttlio3-  raul  cornp'ictod  oy  that  wbicb  every 
joi)it  siip]:i^ictli,  nccivdii"--  t"  tlif  cliccraid  \\\;r]:ino-  in  the 
mensure  of  ewvx  ^[O'i,  mnlvotli  racrcaso  of  tlif  body  unto 
the  edifying  of  itself  in  Icve."  As  tlie  y(>ia-s  go  on,  tbis 
office  become?;  not  less,  l)ntn;ore,  iuipoi'tnnt.  Aiid  as  ciders 
more  fullv  realize  tlie  nature  and  resp(insi1)iliiv  of  tbeir 
office,  tbey  v.ill  more  eiieetively  discbarge  tbis  work  of  de- 
velopin-j-  and  organizing  tbc  Cbnstiaii  activities  of  tbe  con- 
i-Teo-ations  under  tlioir  csu'c  In  sncb  organization  cbiMren 
and  young  peo|,)le  must  have  a  large  and  important  paii, 
and  in  tlieir  wisely  directed  zf-A.,  consecrated  in  tlieir  youth 
to  tbe  ^Master's  use,  the  cliurcb  A\il!  not  be  slovv"  to  see  its 
best  and  brightest  promise  fur  the  future. 

But  we  must  now  turn  to  look  at  tlie  last  element  of  pro- 
jxij-^Q — tlu'  lavimise  of  i'>t^'trr/rj/ir/i/  ;  ior  tbe  ]>]-omise  is  not 
only  imto  you  and  to  your  clnkb-en.  it  is  '-to  all  tliat  are 
afar  ofi."  AVlu-n  v,-e  conterapbile  tbis  promise,  as  the  events 
of  these  last  days  have  given  it  meaning,  we  are  tempted 
to  exclaim  with  tb.;j  pri.pbo1:  "V7ho  are  these  tlir.t  tly  as  a 
cloud,  and  as  dnvco  to  tluir  windows?"  "Behold,  these 
shall  come  from  far;  and  lo,  tliese  from  the  north  and  west, 
and  these  from  thu  laud  of  Sijiim." 

Wliile  Ave  elifC'r fully  award  to  aiiotlier  doni"'mination  the 
p;dm  for  tlie  inauguratii'U  of  tlu^  rjv. idorn  missiuiiary  move- 
ment that  has  just  completed  its  first  contnry.  it  ^liould  not 
be  forgxitten  thai  as  early  n^  IG'iO  :i  rresbyt<rian  professor 
in  the  University  of  Leyder  founded  a  mis- ionjn'y  college, 
whose  g/aduatcs  went  forth  to  tbe  Dutch  Ivist  Indies,  and 
did  work  which  anticipates  all  that  is  best  in  modern  mis- 
sions. And  if  in  the  missionary  revival  led  by  Carey,  a 
Scotch  Gener;)]  .\ssrmbly  at  llrst  turned  a  cold  shoulder 
-up<jn  the  enterprise,  it  is  none  the  less  true  tiiat  a  mem- 
ber of  that  Assendily  ])Lunteil  to  tbe  Great  Commission 
as  tbe  final  and  sufficient  argujuunt  for  missions,  tbe  answer 


PjlESBYTi:rJANT;>^I  A>T)  THE  FlTTUKE,  91 

to  fJI  iibjcctioBs,  and  the  ciul  of  controversy.  But  whatever 
the  original  attitvide  of  ihe  T'reslAterian  Church,  no  one 
will  deny  that  it  has  assuined  its  full  sJiare  of  the  woi-lc  nrjw. 
Xo  one  who,  at  the  recent  i;-reat  Council  of  Presbyterian 
Churchof;.,  heard  upon  one  phitforin  Presbyterian  mission- 
aries from  India.  Chimi.  .Vfrica,  Korea,  tl\c  New  Hebrides, 
and  the  wilds  of  Northv.e^t  America,  and  wlio  saw  two 
great  clnu'ches  packed  at  the  same  hour  with  Presbyte)-ian 
con oTcgat ions  to  hear  the  n-icssages  tliey  l)roug-ht  of  the 
progress  of  the  gospel  in  all  hinds,  could  liave  any  doubt  of 
the  present  attitude  of  the  Presbyterian  Ghm-ch  towards 
missions. 

And  ]iow  cuuld  ii  be  otliervvise?  ]\rore  than  ten  years 
ago,  wlien  just  licensed  Liy  my  Presbyti'vy,  1  jircached  my 
iivst  mi^siunaiy  Sermon  fr!a;>  this  {oxi:  "Therefore  I  endure 
all  thir.gs  for  tlio  elect's  sal-;e,  tliat  tliey  may  also  obtain  the 
s-alvat'on  v.hicli  is  in  Clirist  Jesus  witli  eterjial  glory."  And 
to  tins  day  tliero  is  to  my  mijid  no  sivojiger  missionarv  ap- 
peid  than  that.  The  r.ian  v,ho  has  taken  down  into  his 
lieart  tlie  Ijelief  that  (n.d  has  an  elect  people  scattered 
throughout  this  vo>rliI  v.  bom  ho  calls  upon  his  church  to 
lind  out  v\-ith  tlie  messa-i'  of  life,  can  have  no  rest  day  or 
night  while  anylliing  n mains  undrme  that  he  can  do  to 
carry  out  Christ's  })ur|).  s^.s  of  grace,  and  bring  to  the  Lord 
his  own.  The  encourautsufnt  to  Paul  io  stay  in  Corintli 
was  thai  tlie  Lrad  had  ):;nch  people  in  that  city:  and  tlie 
knowledge  that  the  P<  .rd  has  chosen  ones  in  all  lands  is  the 
best  encouragtijurut  to  {l;e  church  to  go  everywhere  i^reach- 
ing  the  \\<.rd.  And  \\]<Mo  we  have  in  our  doctrines  the 
strongc'St  possible  motiv.'  f'>r  missionary  etlbrt,  we  have  in 
our  polity  a  system  that  is  eapal'lo  of  world-wide  expansion. 
Like  the  banyan  tree,  w];f)-.;-v(n- a  ]>rauch  touches  the  ground 
it  takes  root.  'With  :,ll  the  elements  drawn  direct  frc^rn  the 
people,  it  develops  a  naUve  organized  church  on  any  soil  in 


92  SLEMORIAL. 

■which  it  is  phiuted.  It  commends  itself  to  the  jud.quient  of 
the  inlolkeiual  JJraluuiii,  and  is  conipj'eheusil»le  to  tiie  nmid 
of  tlie  simple  Ptipnau  It  is  i'omi.l..te  in  ;dl  its  eltiuc-nts  on 
the  liiiiest  islet,  and  is  flastic  em.uiyh  iu  cover  the  Liv'adest 
continent.  It  is  capaT/it-  cif  reali/ii\i>'  ;i  wca'ld-^vide  (.iii,'anic 
unity,  but  in  tlje  equality  of  ail  its  ruh  I's,  and  the  fj'eedom 
of  all  its  integral  part.>,  it  is  more  soliciloits  of  maintaining 
the  ubity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace. 

The  1^-csbyterian  Church  is  then  j^cciilinrly  adapted  to  be 
a  missionary  churcli.  And  it  has  como  to  recugiaze  mis- 
sionary activity  not  only  as  a  duty  to  the  licathen,  but  as  an 
essential  ]iart  of  the  clim-cb's  life.  Ilnlargement  is  as  neces- 
sary to  the  clmrch  as  perj^et nation.  The  outgoing  of  the 
church's  energies  is  as  necessary  to  its  life  as  is  exercise  to 
the  body.  The  more  it  puis  forth,  tliu  ntoj'e  is  its  strength 
inci'eased.  and  the  fnlkr  the]iulsations  of  life  and  gra^e  that 
How  through  its  members  from  the  great  heart  of  Christ. 

To  live,  to  endui'e,  lo  expand.  These  are  the  elements 
necessary  to  a  church  for  all  times  and  for  all  j^eoples.  And 
these,  from  the  promise  of  tlie  text,  we  may,  in  hundjle  de- 
pendence upon  Gdd,  chiim  as  ovu's. 

We  do  Jiot  claim  that  our  church,  just  as  it  stands,  is  the 
church  of  the  future.  G'>d  doubtless  has  n-any  lessons  yet 
to  teach  us,  and  so)ue  L>f  them  \ve  miglit  well  Ije  learning 
now.  1  believe  tluxt  every  great  chiu"ch  has  some  deposit  of 
truth  tliat  it  is  her  mission  to  contribute  to  the  church  of 
the  fniure.  Some  may  contriljute  a  ruore  varied  arid  re- 
sponsive form  of  worship,  yet  wilhuut  reducing  everything 
to  set  forms.  From  the  same  source  there  niay  como  tlie 
effective  administration  of  the  diocesuu  bishop  without  the 
diocesan's  rank;  fr^m  another  source  tliere  may  come  the 
power  derived  fiora  freer  p'.rsonal  testiniony  for  Christ; 
from  others,  something  yvt  diilerent.  that  G^d  riow  sees  but 
that  we  do  not.     13ut  of  one  thing  i  am  jK-r.-^uaded.     That 


Pkesbytepjaxis^^t  and  the  FUTI'RV: 


93 


wbiel)  tlie  rrcsliytcriaii  t';unily  will  cuni vilnili'  is  thai  which 
makes  it  Gah. inistic  Mid  which  makes  it  Presl>ytt'Vi->ii,  a 
doctviiKi  that  ,q"ives  ^^■l'>ry  to  God  and  a  })olit_v  thai  f;ivcs 
libei'ty  to  tho  people.  F<>r  this  it  is  that  insures  to  us  the 
promise  of  revival,  perpetuation  and  enlarL'-einent,  until  the 
inultitude  of  the  redeemed  have  all  l.>oen  gathered  in,  and 
the  Lord  shall  lie  kini;-  over  all  the  earth. 


ROLL  OF  MINISTLRS. 


(P.,  Pa'itnr  ;  P.  I-..  Pallor  F.kci  ;  S.  S..  Statcl  Si.p;  ly.  Otlie:  r.-p- 
plies  are  not  enrolled  here,  but  are  nar.ieil  in  the  Historical  Ske:  :h. 
Those  marked  *  are  deceased.  Where  I).  I  >.  or  other  title  is  in  -.  irrii- 
thesi.-.,  it  indicates  lliat  il  was  nut  confei  red  until  after  the  niinistrv  r.ere 
clojed.) 

Rev.  Aktkmus  Boies,*  P., May  12,  1S19 ^ ii'2n. 

"  l.EONAKD  K.  LArnRor,"  P., Jan.  —  iSsi-  Oct.  —  iSzj.. 

"  Ndel  Konr.KTsnN,*  P., .April  —  1^27  — April  —  i?2n. 

"     Thos.  p.  IIlnt,*  P 1S30— June22,   15^4. 

"  JAS.  A.   Mc.vEU,*  p.   i:., Nov.    "  1S34      1-3-3. 

'*  W.  W.  Ekeis,-  p., iS^S-Feb.  —  1X42. 

"  Thos.  R.  0\vf.n,*P.  E.,    An-   —  1S42  — Sep.   —  i<4-;. 

"  J.   O.   .SrELNEA:;,"-  S.  S., Jan.    -  1S45— Aug.  —  1^51. 

"  y\.  P..  GitiEi;,  ;D.  D.),   P., July.   iS,  1852-  -June  —  iS6e 

"  Horace  E.  Singeei.)N,   p Jan.  i,  1S66— Oct.  i,  1871. 

"  A.  F.  ].)iCKSu.N,*  p., Dec.  —  iS7i-May—   1S73. 

"  J.  U.  Wn.io.N-,  D.  I).,  ^EE.  D.),  i'.,  ^Ear.  — ES73-April  i,  1SS5. 

"  Peyto.v  H.  Ukge,  D.   \i.,  p., Dec.   i,  18S5  - 


MINISTLRS 

WHO  HAVE  COME  OUT  FROM  THIS  CHURCEE 
Thomas  i;.  0'ai-n,  ,)!dainn!  (a!  out)  !S37,  died  E-'.N2. 
Shj.vey  G.  Ewv,  oi.lain.ed  ES5S,  Staten  Islatid,  X.  W 
C;eoi'OE  W.   McMii.i. ■•.%•,  ordaiv.ed  tS7^,  Topsail,  X.  ('. 
Wn.EE\M  H.  Croves  ordained  IS75,   Eynnvilie,  Tenn. 
Aeekandek  Slt;L-:,-r.  ordained  1878,   Rock  Hill,  S.  C. 


ROLL  Or  KMJLING  RLOtRS. 


(Tliose  marked  *  died  ip  oftice.      Those  niaikcd  t  died  afler  being  dis- 
mi-^sed  to  other  churches. ) 

William  P.  Ilokv.t ^Tar.  17,  1S31 1S35. 

James  Owen,* Mar.  17,  1831  — Aug.   5,  1S65. 

Ale.xander  Anderson,* Mar.  17,  1S31 — Nov.  15,  1844. 

RoPERT  V.',  GiBRS,* Mar.   17,  1S31 — Jan.  13,  iS6i. 

Hervey  LA\v,t 1S36 —   1S50. 

JOH.N  C.  I.ATTA.t .-Jan.   10,  1S50-N0V.  6,  1S5S. 

James  II.   Dickson,* _..   Dec.  20,  1S5S     Sept.  :jS,  1S62. 

John  N.  .\NDRE\vs,t Dec.   26,    1S5S— Apr.    28,    1870. 

Barzillai  G.  Worth, Dec.  26,  1S5S — Mar.   —  1867. 

James  C.  Smith,! Dec.  26,  1S5S— Dec.   10,  iSSi. 

George  Chadkourn,* Dec.  26,  1S5S— July  S,  1891. 

Alberi  a.  Willard, Feb.  2,  1S6S — 

John   McLaurin, Fel).  2,  186S— 

James  D.  Gumming, Feb.  2,  i86S--Aiig.  17,  1S73. 

Charles  II.  Roi;inson, Feb.  2,  1S6S  — 

Samuel  XoRTiiRor, Feb.  2,  1S6S — 

Barzillai  G.  Worth, Jan.  13,  1S70 — 

,  Benjamin  F.  Hall, Dec    21,  1879 — 

John  D.  Taylor, Mar.  7,  1S86— 

David  G.  Worth, _.N'ov.  22,  1S91  — 


ROLL  OF  DRAGONS. 


(Those  marked   *  died  in  oifice.      Tliose  marked  t  have  died  after  be- 
ing dismissed  to  other  cluuches  ) 

Gm  FERr  PoriER,  * Mar.  2G,  185S iSui. 

Thomas  C.  Worth,* ..Mar.  26,  1S3S— Oct.  -    ii62. 

Malcolm  Mcl.vN'is,  I Mai.  26,  135S— Mar.  iS,  iS6S. 

JnsF.i'H  1;.  Ru.ssEiJ,,  * Mar.  26,  185S  — Feb.  8,  tSSo. 

John  \V.  K.  Dix,  * Mar.  26,  1858  — Oct.  9,  1S62. 

Jami-.S  D.  CuMMiN'-., Mar.  26,  I.S5S-  Feb.  2,  iSbS. 

Sa.muei,  NoKiTiRor, Mar.  26.  1S58— Feb.  2,  1S6S. 

Thomas  W.   Plavkr,  * Feb.  2,  iSr-S— Aug.  i,  1879. 

Edwako  P.  George, Feb.  3,  iSGS— Feb.  6,  1S73. 

WiLi.iA.MSON  Whu'ehkvo,  t Feb.  2,  i8()S— June  14,  1S74. 

David  G.  Worth, Feb.  2,  1S68— Nov.  22,  1S91. 

George  \V.  Williams Fcl).  2,  1S68— 

Charles  P.   Merane, Mar.  12,  1S6S  — 

James  Sprunt, Mar.  16,  1S73— 

James  Alderman,  *. Dec.  21,  1879-   Mar.  —  1SS5. 

John  Y).  Taylor, Dec.  21,  1879 — Mar.  7,  1886. 

Horace  M.   Munson, Dec.  21,  1S79-- 

William  R.   Kenan,. ..  Dec.  21,  1S79 — 

Henry  C   McQueen,... Mar.   14,  1SS6  — 

John  U.  Curicie, Mar.  14,  1886     Nov.  6,  1892. 

James  H.  Chadeocrn,  Jr., Nov.  22,  1S91  — 

William  .\.  Uiach. F)ec.  4,  1S02 — 

Willi  \'>(  .^i.   Cum.mino, F'tec.  4,  1892  - 

EnwARn  S.  Tennent, _.  .Dec.  4,  1892— 


ROl.L  OF   COMMUNICANTS. 


(The  family  name  i--  only  giv 
dren.      In  all  other  ca-cs  il  is  r 

AUtcrman,   Mrs.  Delle  F. 
A%critl,  Mis    Xollic  \\ooJ 
Bacon,  Mis.  Elizabctli  K. 

"        Miss  Lucy  Eiizabetli 
Barrentine,  James  CiregL; 
"  Mrs.  Florence 

ri'.ery,   Mrs.  F.lla  T. 
Kell,  Benjamin 
lleli,   Mi.-s  Jeaniiie  M. 
r>cll,  Mrs.   Mary  M. 
Bellamy,  Mrs    Eli/a  M. 
Miss  Ellen 
"  Mi.ss  Eliza 

Bellamy,  Marsdcn 

Mrs    Hat  tie 
Bell.-imy,  Dr.  W.   J.  H. 
M.rs.  Mary  \V. 
John  Dillard 
i;iddle,  Mi^s  Mary  Elizabeth 
Bid.Jle,  Robert  Anderson 
Blaclcwell,  Mrs.  Marv  [ane 
Bemjy.  G.  James 
Bioney,  Walter  P. 

Mr.-..  Mary  A. 
Bonit^,  Miss  Florence 
l.^onitz,  Miss  Mary  E. 
Borden,  Charles  E. 
Bor(ViJ,   Mr>.  Octavia 
Bowcii,   Tames  J. 

Mrs.  Wilmer  K. 
firo'.vn,  Alexaii'lcr  1  >. 
Mrs.  Eiizabelli 


en  once   tor  jjarents  and  unmarried  chil- 
epealed.) 

(Brown),  .Miss  Rachel  I'airweather 
"         Miss  Maggie  Fyfe 


Cannon,  Mrs.  Sarah  J. 
Carr,  William  Harriss 

'■      -Mrs.  Mattie  Forbes 
Chadbourn,  Jame-  H.,  Jr. 

'■  Mrs.  ISIanclic  King 

Miss  Abbic  llli.~ 
Chaclijoiirn,  \\'illiaiii  II. 

Mrs.  Adelaide  S. 
"  Miss  Emma  Marie 

"  Miss  Lucy  .-Vdelaide 

Chase,  Mrs.  Mary  L. 

'■        Mis^  Caroline  Louise 
Condici,  L.»r.  A.  W. 

"  Mr...  A.  W. 

Cook,  Miss  NJIie 
Covington,  Frank  Leake 
Cowan,   Mrs.   Sue  Ilarriss 
Cronly,  .Mrs.    .Margaret 
M;>>  Jane  .M 
Mi-,s  Sallie  T. 
"         -Michael  Jr., 
Croswell,  William  J. 
Mr-.  Mary 
■'  (iou'cr 

Mi-s  .S:dlie  M. 
Harry  .M. 
Culv.-r,   Mrs.   Mary  F. 
Cumniing,  Mrs.   Kate  T. 
•'  Miss  Sue  L. 


98- 


tP 


Memorial. 


Cunmiing,  \V.  M. 

Davis,  Samuel 

"       Mrs.  Rachel  H. 

"        Miss  Emma  J. 

"        Miss  Margaret  Dickson 
Dickson,  Mrs.  Margr.ret  M. 
Doyle,  William  W. 
Durham,  Dr.  J'^me-  II. 

Mrs.  Nellie  Alston 

Eilers,  Miss  Matilda 
Knnett,  Mrs.  Sallie  P. 
"         Miss  Georgie  N. 
Miss  Sallie 

F'airweather,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Fainier,  William  Graham 

"  Mrs.  Eiic)   Eugenia 

Flanagan,  Mrs.  E. 
Fore,  Mrs.  Corne'iia  Grant 
Forshee,  James  M. 

"  Mrs.  Sarah  Kinnier 

Miss  Bertha 

"  Miss  Annie  Kinnier 

"  Eugene 

"  James  Kinnier 

Fouler,  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Freeman,  Mrs.  Isat)ella  J. 
French,  George  K. 

"  Mrs.  Cornelia 

Gerken,  Mrs.  Hattie  W. 
Gibson,  Mis=.  Cora  Mitchell. 
Gibson,  Mrs    II.  W. 

"  Miss  Margaret  E. 

"  Miss  I>j---ie  May. 

(iilchrist,  Mrs.   Ella  F. 
Green,  Hector  McEean. 
"       Mr>.  IdaD. 

"      Miss  Alice. 


Haddock,  James  S. 
Hall,  B.  F. 

"     Mrs.  Margaret  F. 
'■     James  Spruiit. 
"     Alexander  McDonald 
''     Miss  Sucan. 
"     Eouis  Edward. 
"     John. 

"     Miss  Jessie  Dalziel. 
Hall,  Mrs.  Susan  E. 
Ilallett,  Allen  V. 
Hancock,  Eewis  Graiilin. 
Harriss,  Miss  Mary. 
Harriss,  John  .S. 

Mrs.  Ada. 
Haniss,  Mi.-,s  Julia  Sanders. 
Hart,  Miss  Etta. 
Hart,  Miss  Sarah  E. 
Hart^field,  .Mrs.  Sarah. 
Hashagen,   Mrs.  Mary  D. 
Heinsberger,  I'iiilip. 

Miss  Isabella. 
Philip,  Jr. 
Hewlett,  Miss  Mary  Cook. 
I  licks,  Rufus  W. 

Mrs.  Sallie  M. 
Hicks,  Octavius. 
Iloge,  Mrs.  Mary  S. 
Holladay,  \\'il!iam  Waller. 
Howard,  W.  H. 

"         Mrs    Eliza. 
Howell,  Andrew  J. 
''  Mrs.  Eaura. 

"  William  Harriss. 

"  Andrew  J.  Jr. 

Huggins,  Geoige  \\". 

Mrs.  Ei/zie  A. 
Huggins,  Mrs.  Ann  M. 
"  Ell  win  Toumer. 

"  Miss  Annie  James. 


Roll  of  Communicants. 


99 


Jackson,  Jrcines  W. 

Mrs.  Saiali  E. 
Johnson,  Mrs    I'iinnie, 

"  !\Iiss  Kate  E. 

J.  Starr. 

"  George  Thoina=. 

Johnson,  Mrs.  Alice. 

'■  Miss  Lillian  S. 

' '  Miss  Fannie  C. 

Jone~,  Miss  Magj;ie. 

Kenan,  Wiilian  K. 

Mrs.  Mary  IL 
"  Miss  Mary  Lily. 

Kenly,  Mis.^  Edna  Mannii'g 
Kidder,  Miss  .\nn  Potter. 

Lamb,  Mrs.   Martha  J. 
Latta,  ^^i^5  IK-kn. 
Latin,  Mi.-,s  Maria  C. 
Latta,  Miss  I'riscilla  E 
Lee,  Mis?  Lila  S. 
Lewis,  Mr--.  Sallie  Gray. 
Lewi.-.,  Thomas  C. 

"       Mrs.  Mary  H. 
Lewis,  Robert  B. 

Mr.s.  Mamie  D. 
Lilly,  Edmund. 

^'      .Mrs.  Kate. 

'•      Mi-„  Roberta. 
].0'e,  Mijs  Maia. 

M alloy.  Henry  W. 

"  Mr>.   Katie. 

Mann,  Mias  Label'a  R. 
Matthew.^.  Dr.  John  E. 

Mrs.  Label  la. 
Mebane.  Charle.^  P. 

Mr.s.   .\Lrriha. 
Mi.s  Anna  McXai 


Melton,  Mi^s  Amy  Lradlcy. 
MoiTatt,  Mr-.  Caroiiiie. 

Mis>  Ma-gic. 
Moore,   ^:rs.   E.  II. 
Munson,  Horace  IL 

"  Mrs.  Louisa  P. 

"         Mi>s  Kate  C. 
Edward,  n, 
MoCulloch,   Harry  M. 
Mciiitb-e,   Robert  Motier. 

"  Mrs.  Sarah  L. 

"  John  .McKay. 

"  Mi.--s  Mary  Wilson. 

.McLaughlin,  Mrs.  Elii:a. 
McLaurin,  Jjhn. 

"  Mrs.  Catherine  H. 

"  Mi^.-  Sallie  Xorn.cnt. 

McMillan,   Nirs.  Salbe  E. 
Charle.--  Ellis. 
^L;Queell,  Henry  C. 

"  .Mrs.  Mary  Agnes. 

McRae,  Jamc-  iJick^on. 

Newc-ll,  .M;>.  Kate  L. 
Northrop,    Samuel. 

Mrs    Mary  F. 
"  Robert  Houston. 

Northrojp,   \N'il!iam   Ilarriss. 
Mr,.  Alice  M. 

Owen,  Mi.is  Eb.'.a. 
Owen,  Jolm   \V. 

.Mrs.  Sallie  II 

"       Mis-  Lucy  Oliver. 

"        Mi.-s  Carolina  i'otter. 

Padrick,  Mr-.   Ma  .Melton. 
Parsley,  Geuige  I  >. 

•'         -Mr-,    Katie  King. 
Pearsali.  I'hilander. 


lOO 


Roll  of  Communicants. 


(Pcarsall),  Mrs.   Mary  Moore. 
Peck,  Mrs.  Eliza! ^vth. 
Pennington,  I,e\vi>  ]'>. 
Perrin,  Mrs.  Sarah  C 
Phillips,  Everett  Jefferson. 
Pisford,  Dr.  E.  S. 
Potter,  .Mrs.  Elizabeth. 
'*       Miss  E'.izahctli. 
Price,   Mr^.  Catherine  K. 

"       Miss  Ijettie  K. 
Price,  Richard  \\'. 

"      Mrs.  Duralde  S. 

Riach,  \V.  A. 

"        Mrs.  Marianrie. 
Riley,  Mrs.   Mary. 
Robinson,  Charles  H. 

"  Mrs,  Elizabeth. 

Robinson,  Mrs.  Isabel. 
Uel  M. 
Charles  H. 
Rotlnvell,  Mrs.   Eaura. 
"'  Mi>s  Henrietta. 

Mis.  Mary. 
Russell,  James  Poul.on. 

Mrs    Eli/a  Fcwler. 
Russell,  Mrs.   Eucreiia. 
Russell,  Dr.   Frank  Havens. 
Russell,  Daniel  Eindsay,   Ir. 

SavaLje,   Henry. 

*■        Mrs.  Jane. 

'■       Miss  Anna  i'ar.ilev. 

•'        Miss  Isabrl. 
Schonwald,  Dr.  John  I. 

Mr.    Carrie  A. 
Sclionw.i'd,  .\lrs.  Catherine. 
Sharp,  John  H. 

Mrs..  Sophia  T. 
Sliarp,  .Miss  Claudia  \V. 


1    Shepherd,  Mrs.  Eaura  T. 
j    Sii;clair,  Miss  Jennie  Mel  aurin 
Smith,  W'iliiani  C. 
Smith,  Jarnes  1 '. 
Smith,  ^'^rs.   Ko-e  ?b 
!  "       Miss  Rose  R. 

"       Miss  ^Largaret  Diek.on. 
Sneed,   Emniett  Holt. 

Mrs.   Ria  E. telle. 
Soiitherlanrl,  Chauiicev  G. 
Mrs.  Ella  F. 
Miss  Mary  Lily. 
Springer,  Mrs    C.  W. 
Spriinl,  Miss  .Anna. 
Sp''unt.    Jar;ies. 

•'  Mrs    Euola  M. 

Stevenson,  .Miss  Eiz/ie. 
Stevenson,  Willi.nni  M. 

Mrs    Mary  Elizabeth. 
Stokes,  Dr.   \V.  F. 
S%veet,  Mrs.  Julia  T. 

Taylor,  John  D. 

"        Mrs.  S.  Elizabeth. 
"        Miss  Kate. 
'■       Mis.  Hattie. 
•'       Miss  P.essie. 
Ta\!:.r.  .\hs.   Kez.iah. 
Tennent,  Mrs.   Hattie. 

Edward  S. 
Thomas,  Ro\'. 
Thorpe,  William  B. 
Toon,   Mrs.  Sar.ih   E. 
"       James  Euther. 
Toon.  Wdliaui  Pineknev. 

'•       Mr..   Emily  .May. 
Tu:  lingi.ji),  W.   1  i. 

'•  Mr.    C.r.-.ce  D. 

Turrentine.    [ohn  R. 

-Mr..   .M.   l;. 


Memorial. 


(Turrentine),   JohnR.,  J:. 

\'an  Anivinge,  Stacey. 

'•  Mr>.  M.iiy  Ficii^.cis. 

"  Miss  F.niiift  \V.  ^ 

Van  Anvin;',e,  Alvoord. 
Van  Laer,  ii. 
Vick,  Samuel  Vv'. 

"      Samuel  \V.,  Jr. 
Von  Chain,  Mrs.  Caroline. 

Warrock,  WiUlan;  S. 
Mr^.  G.  A. 
\Varroek,  Mrs.  Virginia. 
Whitehead,  .Mrs.   K.  C. 
Whiilock.  Charles  .M. 

^^^5.  .Maydolle  C 
NVlii'icl,  Duncan  Ciomariie. 
Wijc^ins  C).  A. 

"         .Mrs    Anna. 
Willard,    Albert  A. 
.Mrs.   Mary. 
Mi--.,  l.otiie  May. 
"  Joseph   Bannister. 

Kchvard  I'ayson. 


Williams,  Geor[;o  W. 

"  Mir,s  r'annic  ]\fid. 

Miss  Manha  R. 
Williams.  Duncan  M. 
Willson,  J.amcs  Edmund. 

"  .Mrs.   Mamie  Galloway. 

\\'ise,   Mrs.  Jessie  Hargrave. 
WV,od,   Mrs.    Mary  E. 

Miss  leannie  D-hiel. 
Wojdwaid,  William  J. 

Mrs.  Mary  J. 
"  Chailes  Worth. 

"  Joseph  Marion. 

"  Isabel  Carew. 

Wootteii,   Mis.   Mary. 
Worth,  Barzillai  G. 

.Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Miss  Julia  A. 
Wortli,  David  G. 

.Mrs.  Julia  A. 
"       James  Spencer. 
Worth,   Ciiarles  W. 
■'        .Ml,.  Emma. 
Worth,  William  li. 
.Mrs.  Nellie. 


COMMUNICANTS  AT 
CHAPEL. 


IMMANUEL 


Barnc.=;,  John  S. 
Barr,  Mrs.   Ruth  Ann. 
Beasley,  Mrs.  Alice   L 
Benson,  David  J. 
Bollon,    Miss  Alice. 
Bolton,  Miss  Isadora. 
Brehraer,  John  Phillips. 
Brown,  Miss  Mary  1'^. 
Burriss,  Is.aac  N. 
Burriss,  Mrs.  Celicia  C. 

"         Miss  Ella  Lee. 

"  Miss  Julia  K. 

"         Miss  Currener. 
Burriss,  Joseph  Newton. 

Chadwick,  Mrs.    Minnie   Narcissc 
Cook,  Abraham  V>. 

Darden,  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Dicl<^.ey,  Jes<e. 

"  Mrs.  Susan  U. 

Dicksey.  Jesse  J. 

'"  Miss  Minnie  Lee. 

Dicksey,  Mrs.  Mary  E. 
Eaton,  Mrs.  Julia  '"r. 

Mi^s  Dora. 
Felder,  Mrs.  Carrie  R. 
Fowler,  Mrs.  Mary  Jane. 
I'ryar,  Miss  Mar^'aret  A. 
Frynr,  Miss  Rachel  M. 
Fulcher,  Mrs.  Mary. 
Fulford,  M^s.^  Ediih  F. 

Gnrriron,  Mi-s  Annie  Alwilda. 
Gilbert,  Cha^-.  II. 

Mrs.  Arniisa  Matilda. 
Gray,  Jesse  \V. 

"     Mrs.  Mar:7arel  L. 


I    Hall,  Amcdia. 

j        "     -Mrs.  Caroline. 

Hammonds,  Miss  Maggie. 
I   Hammonds,  Miss  Georgia. 

i   Jone->,  ^frs.  Rebecca  A. 
j        "       Miss  Ida  Lee. 

Kershaw,  Mrs.  Amelia  E. 

Messick,  Miss  Adeline. 
Miller,  Mrs.  Mary  R. 
Mitchell,  Mi.-s  Doia  Grizzell. 
Morse,  Mrs    Dally 
McKinney,   John  \V. 
Mrs.  Ella. 

O'Brien,  Mis.->  Carrie. 

Paul,  Mr^.  Jane. 
"     Eduard. 

Rackley,  Joseph  R. 

"  Mrs.  Jane. 

"  Miss  Mary  Ellis. 

"  Miss  Ida  Bailey. 

Reaves,  Mrs.  Eleanora. 

"  Benjamin  F. 

"  Miss  Emma  Evelina. 

Rogers,  Mrs.  Editha. 

Skippei,  Edward. 

"  Mrs.  Julia  Ann. 

Summerlin,   lohn. 

Warburton,  Doctor. 

"  Mrs.  Mary  I'mily. 

WelL  Mrs  Catherine. 
Williams,  Mrs.  Budy. 


NON-RESIDENT  COiVlMUNICANTS. 


Chesinitt,   Mrs.  Carrie,  Winston,  N.  C. 
Colton,  Molton  A.,  Gb'-^govv,   Ky. 
Comfort,  C.  I.,  Newport,  R.  I. 

"  Mrs.  Agnes,  r-,'cwpovt,  K.  I. 

Currie,  Miss  Eunice,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Damon,  Mrs.  E'.izabetli  T.,  Lancaster,  Mass. 
Davis,  CJeorge  II.,  Augusta,  Ga. 

Dcmpsey,  James  E., -, . 

Eranibert,  Loais  P.,  , . 

Ilallett,  Mrs.  Emily,  M  t.   Olive,  N.  C. 
MurjiLy,  Miss.  Mary  11.,  Sampson  Co.,  N.  C. 
Follock,  E.  v.,  Middle  Sound,  N.  C. 

"  Mrs  Sarah,  ' '  " 

Riley,  Mrs.  Dora  E.,  Lurgaw,  N.  C. 
Richards,  Mii.s  Irene,  Glasgow,  Scotland. 
Shaw,  Miss  Sallie,  Rocky  Point,  N.  C. 
S;. ringer,  I'red.  E.,  Kak-:gh,  X.  C. 
Smith,  Mrs.  Gertrude  G.,  Mt.  Airy,  N.  C. 


kj 


**> 


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