Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/lightsshadowsoflOOexce LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. By rev. J. J. EXCELL, A. B. A. D. 1898. Author of "Essay on the Family," "Mysteries and Beauties of Redemption," "Clerical Life in Sunshine," "Cheering Songs," Etc. To MY PRESENT BeLOYED WiFE, WHO HAS BEEN SUCH A Great Blessing to Me in the Eye of Life,^this Book is AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1899, By Rev. J. J. EXCELL, A. B., Tn the Office of the Librarian of Congress, AT Washington. CONTENTS. CHAPTER L Commencement of Life of the Excell family ( Cannot trace the record very far back ; Genealogical tables were not kept ) ; marriage of father, etc; living in London ; removal to America, birth of Author; Early life of the Writer, etc; Number of children in father's family ; Characteristics of father and mother; Early religious impression, conversion etc. CHAPTER n. Struggles of early life ; Parents poor, but honest ; Hard work and much self-denial; Thoughts of the Old Homestead, etc; Affliction, sorrow and death of mother; Days of youth continued ; Days of'sorrow and death, etc. etc. CHAPTER in. Love again ; Courtship and marriage ; Description of mem- bers of Author's family; Call to the Ministry; First Charge etc. CHAPTER lY. Economy. — Necessity for economy ; Salary ; A careful wife ; Horse and buggy bought ; Prudence and care. CHAPTER V. Church Building.— An old wooden church; Desire of people at Foot-Hill ; Various remarks ; Enterprise started ; Persevering effort; Dedication day; Hard Frost; A blue day and blue people; A positive pastor; God helps; Grand success; A glad people; Doxology Sung; Succeeding winter; Good success. CHAPTER YI. Increased Prosperity.— Another Church built; A bell needed; A bell with plenty of bumble-bees in it; A careful sexton. CHAPTER YIL Jealousy and Revenge.— A notorious letter dated at Hell; Devil pleased ; A silly brother; Trouble feared ; It never came. CHAPTER YIII. Incidents connected with Ministerial life ; A strange case ; A ludicrous, but happy scene ; A happy sexton ; A happy child ; A converted father; A backslider reclaimed; The Parson in- sulted ; Parson's grit ; No apology ; A striking contrast ; Con- fession and restitution etc. 4 'Table of contents, CHAPTER IX. Days of Darkness and Death.— Lights and shadows ; Ad- versity after prosperity ; Sickness ; Death ; Strange experience; Darker shades ; Rebellion ; Peace restored ; Prosperity ; Father Standby; Another church finished. CHAPTER X. Thorns and Briers. — Erring ones ; Envy ; Opposition ; Want of love ; Grace sufficient. CHAPTER XL Pleasant Places.— A beautiful sight ; The voice of prayer; Seeking Christ; Many blest; Communion of Saints; The Parson always welcome; Weddings; An early wedding; A late wedding ; Incidents connected with smoking ; Roast goose and chicken ; The best wedding ; An unprofitable wedding for the Parson. CHAPTER XII. Experiences in Charges.— Reedsburg; Kent; Brady's Bend; Hubbard; Madison; Greensburg; Nelson; Edinburg; New Matamoras; North Jackson ; Pleasant Valley; North Madison ; Liberty Center ; Florida ; North Carolina ; Union Charge; Nottawa. CHAPTER XIII. Extracts from Diary and Extracts of Sermons. The Author; Dr. Cox; Hunt; Bishop Vincent; Rev. Thoburn; Bishop Warren ; Bishop Ames, etc. CHAPTER XIV. Sad Thoughts. — The spirit grieved ; A terrible fall. CHAPTER XV. A Sacred Spot. — A visit to the home grave-yard ; Two loved ones ; A Soldier ; A father and mother in Israel ; A song of death. CHAPTER XVI. Offences. — Forgiveness; Church repair; Church Fairs; Lady offended. CHAPTER XVII. A Donation Party. — Plenty to eat; A sumptuous dinner; Donation not charged on salary ; A sham and a lie ; Benefit of donations. CHAPTER XVIIL Death Record.— An aged father; A young child; Death caused by the kick of a colt; Sabbath School Scholars; An aged sister ; A very clear death ; Another father ; A sudden death; Others ; Thoughts on death. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 5 CHAPTER XIX. Exclusiveness and Bigotry. CHAPTER XX. Reminiscences. CHAPTER XXI. Thoughts on Heaven. CHAPTER XXII. Thoughts on Temperance. CHAPTER XXIII. Incidents. — A black sheep; A broad guage; Two brothers; Wonderful deliverances^ etc. etc. CHAPTER XXIV. Review and observations. Lights and Shadows of Life. CHAPTER I. Commencement of Life of the Excell Family. In the Scriptures of Divine Truth we are taught that man began to exist about six thousand years ago, but just when, or under what peculiar circumstances, that Tribe, or family of Man, called Excell, began to live, move, and have a being upon this earth, the footstool of God, I am unable to say. We cannot, like the Jews, trace back our genealogy to Adam ; for our people have not been so careful to preserve and keep their gen- ealogical tables as the Jews. But little there- fore is known of our ancestry further than that, somewhere on the beautiful Isle of England our dear father was born in the year — and that when he was a mere lad he went up to London, and there wrought, and finally became settled in life, having married a lady by the name of Maria Ann Wassem, a lady of very fine taste and quite fairly educated. Our father was in business for some years in a suburb of London, until the year 1837, when he moved to this wonderful land of America, to try his fortune in what was then called the new world. We came over in a sailing boat, and our pass- age was six weeks in length, and was not marked by anything very peculiar or intensely interesting, 8 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. but through the kind mercy of our God we arrived safe at New York City, and, after a little time we came to Deerfield, Portage County, Ohio, and settled on a farm 1^ miles from the Center. As for myself, I was born not far from London, England, on the 14th day of October A. D. 1825. My first recollection is that of standing on the river Thames and looking down upon the glassy water. I also remember falling down stairs in m3' father's house, and striking my head against a window and inflicting a wound the mark of which I have carried to this day. I have also a distinct recollection of a scene which was enacted at my father's house, when a small pig, which had been brought home by some of the family, in order to make a fine roast, was let run about the parlor, upsetting chairs and making general disorder, was eventually caught and taken to the butcher and dressed ready for the table, I also well remember, as though it were but yesterday, when I came to the log house in which we lived till after our dear mother died, and saw a large rain-trough standing under the eaves of the house, holding the water which had fallen from the roof of the house, how surprised I was ; for i had never seen anything like it before, and I stopped and beheld it with great amazement. Oh! the old trough, as well as the old log house which was so dear to me, on ac- count of its associations, are now among the things that were, and no longer are, and so every thing earthly passes away, for the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. I also recollect, how, in early life, my mother J. J. EXCELL AND WiFE. COMMENCEMENT OF LIFE IN THE EXCELL FAMILY. 9 used to have me kneel by her side when I was about to retire to rest, and teach me to say, '*Our Father which art in Heaven," etc, and also teach me to sing, Glory to thee my God this night, For all the blessings of the light ; Keep me, 0 keep me, King of kings Beneath thine own almighty wings. Indeed such was the impression made upon my mind by the singing of that hymn, that I seldom see the hymn in print or hear it sung with- out thinking both of the tune we used to sing to it, and also thinking of my dear mother, who long since has gone to her beautiful home in glory. In my father's family there were twelve children, six sons and an equal number of daughters; half of them died in early life and the others all lived to be settled in life, but at this writing there are but three sons and one daughter living, so that death has already claimed more than one half of our father's family. As for our father he was of pure English blood, of very strong convictions, brought up under Methodistic influences, although somewhat tinc- tured with Calvinism, but a firm believer in ex- perimental religion and also in the doctrine of heart purity. He had, amid all the vicissitudes of life, an unwavering, unfaltering trust in God, and, notwithstanding, he was at times severely tempted and tried, he was always enabled to say, thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 10 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. My mother was a mixture of German and English, and although not so positive in character as my father, at the same time was a firm believer in Revelation, and had, under all the conflicts and trials of life, an abiding trust in the God of her fathers. In some respects I can say with Dr. Gerhart of Lancaster, Pa., I never knew the time that I was not in some sense a Christian, for I always loved God and revered His Word, and loved to attend the ordinances of His house, and took delight in the ministrations of the word, and loved the house of prayer, and the song of praise, as well as the Sabbath School. All this was owing doubtless to the blessed instruction and Godly example of my beloved parents, who taught me from my youth to love the courts of the Lord's house, and the place where His honor dwelleth. It is, however, true that when I had arrived at the age of fifteen, although I had always been accustomed to pray, and had alwa3^s believed in the name of Jesus Christ and trusted Him for salvation, I was not fully satisfied with my religious experience, nor with the evidence I had of my title to everlasting life; therefore upon my bed, and in my closet, I sought most earnestly and wrestled greatly, that I might fully and clearly realize that my sins were pardoned and my name enrolled among the people of God. Yes, I longed for the witness of the Spirit, and the blessed assurance that ever3^ child of God should possess. At length I was made fully con- scious of my acceptance with God through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and was enabled to COMMENCEMENT OF LIFE IN THE EXCELL FAMILY. 11 say with the Prophet Lord I will praise thee, for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and now thou dost comfort me." Also, with Wesley, My God is reconciled ; His pardoning voice I hear: He owns me for his child ; I can no longer fear: With confidence I now draw nigh, And Father, Abba Father, cry. My soul then made her boast in the Lord, and gave glory to the God of her salvation. I said, bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits : who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases." That was indeed a happy day to me, for the Son of Righteousness had arisen upon me, with healing in his wings, and I was a new creature in Christ, for " old things had passed away, and all things had become new." It was in the morning when I received the witness of the Spirit, and it was on this wise : I had gone to the well to draw water for the use of the family, and while there, I was medita- ting on the duties and trials of a Minister and was wondering how the Minister of the Gospel could have the courage to stand up before ungodly men and women and boldly proclaim the word of the Lord, and this passage came into my mind (for from a child I had been taught the Holy Scrip- tures,) "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty." That explained the seeming difiiculty, and I thought within myself that is what I want, 12 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. viz : Liberty, yes Liberty from sin ; I want the freedom of the Gospel; I want peace with God. through our Lord Jesus Christ; and then light from Heaven came into my soul, and I was made fully conscious of my sonship. I at once com- municated the intelligence to my mother. She desired to know how I knew that I was con- verted; I said to her, the world never looked so beautiful to me before, and that I loved God more than I had ever before loved Him, and that I loved her more than ever, and that I was very desirous that everyone should become a christian; yes the language of my heart was, " O that the world would taste and see, The riches of His grace ; The arms of love that compass me, Would all mankind embrace." Mother told me to be thankful for what I had received, stating, ''that the way to get more, was to be thankful for what we have received, and that the work of Grace was now began in me and that I must be faithful, and also that I must expect con- flict and trial." I am glad to be able to say at this point, that notwithstanding I have often had doubts and fears, from that day to this I have never seriously doubted my conversion, and that has been a great comfort to me all my life long. Blessed be the Name of the Lord, Father and Mother of the Excell Family. STRUGGLES OF EARLY LlEE. CHAPTER II. Struggles of Early Life. During the first few years of my life, as my father lived on a farm and we all had to work very hard in order to gain a livelihood, for the country was new, and the means for accumulating property'' were not so abundant as they are at the present day, I was unable to attend school as much as I wanted to ; for there was, as there always is, so many things to be done, and I was content to do what I could to forward the interests of the family. Indeed we all toiled hard, and we did not enjoy so many privileges as the people of the present generation enjoy. Instead of having a large house with many rooms, with nicely carpeted floors, and upholstered chairs, and bay windows with fine curtains, and every room furnished with fine furniture, we were content to live in a log house with but few rooms and they but poorly furnished, and no carpets on the floors, and but few windows to the house, and sometimes we could see the stars through the clap-boards of the roof, or if not that, the snow would alight upon our beds, as we slept up stairs. But with all that we were comparatively happy, and little dreamed, as most children do, of dark and dreary, toil- some days to come, for we enjoyed each other's society, and father and mother were still with us to guide our childhood feet into the way of truth 14 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OI? Ltl^fi. and righteousness, and to comfort and cheer us in our childhood trials, and to provide, as well as they could, under their indigent circumstances, for all our necessities. It was hard work and a great deal of self-denial on the part of our parents for a goodly number of years before we were enabled to live without a good deal of self-denial. I remember upon a number of occasions, as mills were scarce in that part of the country, and as wheat was scarce, and we had no money with which to buy it, even if it had been plenty, that we were obliged sometimes to wait till 9 or 10 o'clock at night for father to come home with a small grist of meal, and then mush was made or a Johnny cake, and we ate that sometimes without either sugar or butter* On other occasions we ground a little corn in a coffee mill, made mush of it and that had to suffice for the evening meal. But during all those days of trial and disappointment we were looking for- ward to a better time when we should not have to practice so much self-denial. Perhaps there are no days in life that are as full of hope as those of childhood. Children are constantly looking forward with fond antici- pation, thinking that when they have arrived at a state of man or womanhood, they will be very happy though they have but few cares, and exer- cise a great deal of faith in their parents ; at the same time, they often became restive under pa- rental authority, and long to break away from the restraints of home, become their own masters, and do and think for themselves ; but, at the same time it is true, as a rule, that after they have left the parental roof, and are, as they express it, free, STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 15 they are no happier and oftentimes not so happy as they were at home. As for home there is no place like it ; be it a mansion or a hut, it is always sacred to those who have lived in it. Yes, there are many things that cluster around the memory. There was the well with the old-fashioned sweep by means of which we used to draw water, and that is about eight or ten rods from where the old log-house used to stand. Close by the house was the beautiful Balm of Gilead tree which we planted with our own hands years ago, but which my brother John, when he became in possession of the farm, after the death of our father, for some reason or other, cut down, very much against my will, for I wanted it left as a memento of the past; but alas, it has been cut down and is now a thing o^ the past, like many generations who have come and gone, for one generation passeth away and another cometh. Then there was the old log-barn where we used to store the hay upon which we romped and played, and where we used to feed the hungry cattle, and milk the brindle cow, etc. There was also the lane stretching from the garden or rather from the front of the house to the barn, and the row of wild cherry trees that bare the most luscious wild cherries we ever tasted. Perhaps we think so because they grew on the homestead, but be that as it may, they were delicious, and we used to gladly gather and eat them, during the noon-time, in the latter part of haying. Ah ! often and often have I thought of those trees, and wished but in vain, that I could gather fruit from them again, 16 LIGHTS AKD SHADOWS OF LlF^fi. but ala.s ! I never can. Then there was the beauti- ful orchard on the North side of the lane, filled with choice trees bearing delicious fruit. I well re- member my brother John and I threshing wheat in the barn, and ever and anon, going into the orchard in front of the barn and gathering and eating the luscious apples, for I knew just where to go, or under what trees to find the best apples. Once upon a time, I and my second sister, who now sleeps in the quiet church-yard, took a walk over the fields, and being tired, sat down under an oak tree that stood in the lot, and there we chatted, and thought of the past, and spoke of the present, and looked, as well as we could, into the future. Little did we think, however, of the sore conflicts and trials, the many temptations and difficulties we should have to encounter in after life; and, indeed, I suppose it is well that in early life we should not be able to foresee the future, that being wisely withheld from our vision; for if we could, we should not desire to live, but should be appalled by the view, and choose strangling rather than life. When I was a lad, I was very fond of making sugar in the spring time, and, although it was very hard work and I often had to work very late at night, before I could carry the contents of the day's labor home in a pail, nevertheless, I en- joyed the exercise very much, and although I always revered the Sabbath day and desired to keep it holy unto the Lord, at the same time, so fascinating was sugar-making, that I longed for the Sabbath to be gone that I might again gather the sap and make the sugar. STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIEE. 17 Perhaps the feeling was wrong, but such was my experience. Thus the days, weeks and months of my life passed away until I was about fifteen years of age, when sadness and sorrow entered my father's house. Our dear mother was taken ill indeed, and for weeks suffered mortal agony. Father employed the very best medical counsel he could find in the county, but all seemed of no avail whatever, for mother grew worse and worse, with no prospect whatever of recovery. Her sufferings were terribly severe. I can re- member as though it were yesterday, her groans and cries! Indeed, it was heartrending to hear her pitiful cries. Her disease was inflamation of the stomach and bowels, and she literally starved to death, being wholly unable to retain any food on her stomach. But, not withstanding her intense suffering, she was sustained by the Grace of God, and, although at one time she seemed to be nigh over- whelmed with suffering, and cried out, It is hard toiling to make the blest shore,^^ nevertheless, after my father had made a request of her, that if, when she was passing from earth away, she was too weak to say anything so as to inform us that all was well and that she was nearing the blest shore in safety, she should raise her hand in token of victory. Well, we were engaged in evening prayer, and as father was praying, some one came to the room door and said, "Mother is going." We went into the room where mother was lying in the agonies of death, and father said, Now for the sign," and up went the hand in token of victory ; as much as to say, thanks be to God who 18 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. givelh us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Well might the poet say, " How blest the righteous when he dies, When sinks a weary soul to rest ! How mildh' beam the closing eyes! How gently heaves the expiring breast I A holy quiet reigns around, A calm which life nor death destroys ; And naught disturbs that peace profound, Which his unfettered soul enjoys. Farewell, conflicting hopes and fears. Where lights and shades alternate dwell, How bright the unchanging morn appears, Farewell, inconstant world, farewell." A. L. Barbauld. The next day after our mother died, I went into the room where lay her mortal remains, but our dear mother was not there ! I thought of the conversation which mother and I had a few days previous, when she had so kindly talked to me and exhorted me to be a good boy and to meet her in heaven, telling me that she was about to leave this cold, heartless world, and go to a better and brighter clime, and that I should soon be motherless. Motherless! Ah yes, motherless indeed! for nothwithstanding I have been blest wuth loving friends, who have stood by me and helped me bear the great burden of life, at the same time, I have never found anyone to take the place of my mother. Many a time w^hen the cares of life have pressed heavily upon me, I have felt as though I STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 19 would like to go and kneel at my mother's knee, lay my head upon her lap as I used to when I was a child, and pour out my complaints in her ear, But ah, I canuot, for she has gone the way of all the earth, and I can no more hear her words of comfort and advice, 1 can no more listen to her prayers and songs, I can no more help her in the kitchen as I used to. How much every child who has been brought up in the fear and love of the Lord, and who has been blest with the counsels of a devoted Christian mother owes her, and how thankful such an one ought to be to the Father of mercies for the blessing of a christian education ! After the death of my mother, T did not seem to fare so well as I had done ere she was taken away. My father, who, I have do doubt, in- tended everything for the best for his children, and who would not have willingly wronged one of them, did not seem to love me as ardently after my mother was taken away, as before. I scarcely knew why it should be so, but so it doubtless was. He seemed to be much more severe than he used to be, and my life was not as happy as it was before. Indeed father appeared more like a step- father than a father to me, and oh ! how much I missed the love and companionship of my sainted mother! I had, it is true, the fellowship and company of my two eldest sisters, but they were not able to supph^ all my need. I was lonely and dejected, for my best earthly friend had gone from my embrace, and I felt that the world was cold and heartless, which I have often since too keenly felt. My father was good and kind it 20 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. was true, but he was not in a condition to give us as many privileges as the children of these times enjo3'. While other children could go to parties and to days of soldier training, I had to stay at home and work. I well remember on one oc- casion being very desirous of going to town to see the soldiers' train, I asked father if he would per- mit me to go in the afternoon, and he said I might if I would hoe a certain piece of turnips before I went. Well, I worked hard till the old tin horn blew for dinner, and then after dinner went at it again and worked hard all the afternoon and just finished my task as the sun finished his daily course, and all that I saw of the soldiers was what little I could see one and a half miles away. In justice, however, to my father I would say, that doubtless he underestimated the amount of work necessary to be done on that patch of turnips at that time, or perhaps he would not have imposed so large a task upon me. Other boys could go away in the evening without first seeking their father's permission, but not so with me. Up to the time I was twenty years old I dare not go away from home without my father's permission. After all, I am inclined to think it was a good thing our father was very strict, for it kept me from roving and falling into the hands of moral thieves, who might have stripped me of my clothing, wounded me, and left me half or quite dead, morally speaking. I confess I was not as submissive under re- straint as I should have been, or, if submissive, not as patient and contented as I might have been. And still there are things which are hard to STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 21 be borne, and when I became Yery restless under restraint and thought my father on one occassion required too much of me, I conceived the idea of leaving the parental roof and caring for myself. So, one day having heard of the beautiful town of Canton, Stark County, Ohio, I thought I would wend my way there. So without bidding any one good-bye, or asking any one's advice, I started one P. M. for the city and travelled till night overtook me, and then sought a place of rest for the night. I stopped at a hotel and having no money went supperless to bed. I did not sleep very well for I was wondering whether the counse I was pursuing was right, or not, for I then feared God, and I did not want to displease Him. I had asked for work all along my pilgrim way, but I had failed to obtain any I thought would be suitable for me, but I took the matter to the Lord and besought Him as well as I could, under the circumstances, to direct my way. In the morn- ing I acquainted the land-lord with the fact that I was penniless, but that if I ever came that way again I would pay him for my lodging. I went from there hungry and thirsty, and wondering what the day would bring forth to me, I trudged on for many weary miles thinking of the home that I had left, and wondering whether I had better pro- ceed on my journey, or, like the prodigal son, re- turn to the house of my father and ask him to forgive my wandering. I came at length to a stand-still and asked myself whether I should re- turn, or proceed. At length I concluded to retrace my steps and did so and went back home, arriving there sometime in the afternoon I asked my sisters 22 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. to advocate my cause with my father; which they very kindly did, and he, after having rather sharpl3^ reproved me, said he would forgive me that time but woe to me if I ever repeated it. Well, I never repeated it, though at the same time my father was still rather severe with me. Thus time sped away, and I at length became a young man and felt that I had great need of a greater intellectual development, and therefore I must think of attending some institution of learn- ing so that I could become more proficient in knowledge. But how to obtain an education, that was the question, for I had no money. As I stated before, my father was not rich and there- fore could not send me to College, as fathers now send their boys to College, where many of them spend more on parties and in pleasure, and some even in dissipation, than I spent for learning. I went and worked out in order to earn money whereby I might be able to pay my school-bills. My first experience in earning money for my- self was very discouraging and rather humiliating. I went to work on the C & P R. R. which was then being constructed, at a place called At water, in Portage Co. Ohio, in company with a set of rough ungodly Irish men. Our fare was anything but dainty, oft times unfit to eat, and our beds were pallets of straw, and everything else in pro- portion. I had never been used to such a bill of fare, and such a way of living, and such ungodly associations, and I thought it would not pay me to work there a month and run the risk of receiv- ing nothing for my work, for there was doubt about the solvency of the Railroad Company and STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 23 SO I left them after having worked two or three weeks, and went to Youngstown, Ohio and com- menced to work upon a furnace which an iron Co. was constructing; but I found the work very hard there and the associations about the same as the3^ had been at Atwater, and, furthermore, I found the ungodly conversation of the nien was having a bad influence over me, for ere I was aware almost, unholy and profane words would be almost upon my lips, contrary to my desire and prayer. Well, I thought rather than lose my morals, I would lose my wages, so, notwithstand- ing, I had worked there nearly three weeks, and the Company would not pay us unless we had worked a full month, I left Youngstown and went into the country to seek among the farmers a more inviting job, and better company. I suc- ceeded in finding work, first in the hay-field, and then splitting rails. I found the family a very pleasant one, and my sojourn with them was satisfactory to me, and I trust to them also, and when I had finished my work, I received my pay, and left for another job. I found a man in Board- man, Mahoning County who wanted a large quantity of cord-wood cut, and so I made a bargain with him and cut the wood. I had about two miles to walk every morning to my work. I took my dinner with me, chopped till about noon, then spent some time in medita- tion and prayer, and, after resting some time, re- sumed my work. When night came I returned, tired, it is true, to my lodging, but thankful and contented. Contented, because I felt that I was gathering together a little money in order to help 24 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. myself to an education. I cut nearly 100 cords of wood at that place and then drew the most of it, or at least a good part of it, to the house of the man whose name was Thorn, then came home and started for school. I had the opportunity of attending an Academy which was conducted by a man by the name of E. Morgan Parrott, who was one of the best and most explicit teachers I ever met. One could learn more by diligent study under him in one month, than under many others in six months. I did not have the privilege of attending very long before I became dreadfully sick and had to be taken to the house of my Brother B. who kindly took care of me until I was able to work again, and to renew my studies. Yes, he and his dear wife were very kind indeed to me, and I never shall forget their kindness while life remains, and I suppose it" will also be a cause of gratitude in the other life, for we shall then see more clearly than we can now, and shall be able to better appreciate kind- nesses that have been shown to us on earth, than we can now. My sickness was very severe, and to all human appearances, I came very near passing beyond the bounds ot time and space, but through the favor of my Heavenly Father I w^as spared and raised up from a bed of sickness, and afterward resumed my studies at the Academ\% where I at length graduated. Prof Parrott wished me, when he left Atwater, to go with him, but I thought it not best. I have often wondered what became of him. He left for Cincinnati, and the last I heard he was Professor in an Institution there. STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 25 After this I came home and worked a while for my father and then for my brother John. Those days were days of toil, but I was hearty: God had blest me with a good physical organization, and I was enabled to do the work well. When I was about 22 years of age I thought it would be best for me to change my mode of life, I believed it was not good for man to be alone, that he needs someone to help him bear the burden of life and meet its arduous responsibilities. I hecame acquainted with a young lady by the name of Elizabeth Davis, and after becoming satis- fied that we could live together after the com- mandment of God, we were united in marriage at the home of my brother B. in Ellsworth, Portage Co., Ohio, August 13, 1847. My brother made a very pleasant and acceptable wedding. It was not a large affair like many now have, neverthe- less it was all we desired, and we were profoundly thankful and very happy. Yes, it was one of the happiest days of my life! The day following we came back to my brother John's where we stayed some time, until, through his kindness, a house was built for us in which we lived for a while. During that winter I taught school a few miles from Alliance, and en- joyed it well, and gave very general satisfaction. The next spring we moved onto a farm owned b\' Mr. Miller, where we remained for some time working for him and doing what we could toward making an honest living, but we found it a slow wa\^ of making money, for wages were low, and we had work only a part of the time. Not long after this my father-in-law desired we should ac- 26 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. company them to Williams County, which we did. We took shipping at Cambells-port and went by way of Canal, arriving, after a tedious journey, at Defiance, Ohio. That country was not thickly in- habited at that time, and Railroads and Stage- coaches were by no means plenty; so, in order to reach Bryan, wife and I were necessitated to go on foot, passing through a long and dreary woods and sometimes wading marshes knee deep in water, and once I had the privilege (and privilege I considered it to be under the circumstances) of carrying my dear wife on my back for perhaps 10 rods. There was neither house nor barn for about 6 miles, and when we finally emerged from the woods we found a barn in which we rested our wearied limbs that night. We had no supper, neither breakfast the next morning, but still we were happy in each other's societ3% and by the Grace of God, reached our destination in safety. Some time after this we succeeded in leasing a piece of land of a Mr. Collin Thorpe for a certain number of years; and having built a log shanty, as it was then called ; we moved from the house of her father into it, and there remained for a couple of years. Our life in Centerville, Williams County, Ohio, though very pleasant in many respects, was, nevertheless, full of disappointment, hardship and loss. The country was not so inviting as we had hoped to find it, the land was, it is true, very fertile, but the roads were bad, and the climate unhealthy ; and we were poor. Not as one wicked man said. Poor Devils, for he said there were three kinds of Poor, The Lord's Poor, The Devil's Poor, STRUGGLES OF EARLY LIFE. 27 and Poor Devils ; but certainly we were the Lord's Poor; and He cared for us, and although He did not allow us to fare sumptuously as David did, yet, at the same time, we were not allowed to lie outside of the house of the Rich, covered with sores and begging for bread. At the same time we worked very hard, and endured a good deal, and our fare was very frugal indeed. I can re- member when we had nothing but a lew black- berry dumplings to eat, and at other times when we only had corn bread, and a little molasses and butter ; with perhaps a little tea or coffee. How- ever, through the kindness of our Heavenly Father we were enabled to live, and when winter came on I had the privilege of teaching a school in the neighborhood whereb\' I was enabled to earn some money, and live a little more comfortably than we had been living. Then, in the Spring I went and worked out and earned some more money and was enabled to pay nearly all my debts. We had bought a yoke of oxen and a few sheep, but as there was no good place to keep either the sheep or the oxen, neither did very well, and a part of the sheep ran away, and perhaps were devoured by wolves, at least we never saw them again. Our oxen were not like those which the Scripture mentions, "strong to labor," for they appeared to be very weak and could not do what we wanted them for. However, we got rid of them for a small piece, realizing, as we have a great many times since, that it is sometimes easier for a novice to get a piece of poor property, than it is to dispose of it when he has it. 28 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Well, time rolled on and we raised a fine crop of corn, and stored it away in the house and left it in care of certain parties, for our health had been so poor. Wife had been sick a good part of the time, well nigh unto death, and I had become scarcely able to work any more, being troubled with malaria which was so common in that country, that we concluded it would be best for us to return East, which we did, and we spent the winter at my father's. I again taught school a few miles from home, got along very nicely with it, gave good satisfaction so far as I know, and thus the winter passed away very pleasantly. We then, in the Spring, moved to about 3 miles from the centre of Deerfield, onto a farm once owned by Joseph Pickering, where I had, years before that, cut a lot of cord-wood, but now owned by a man by the name of Sproats. Some time after we moved there, when we were working in the hay- field, Mr. Sproats was mowing in the meadow, and by some mishap or other, got his foot before the mower, which soon took it off. He hobbled, as best he could, to the fence, managed to climb over, and in much agony reached his house, but to the best of my recollection that accident was the cause of his death. O, how uncertain is life! How soon, and by what simple means we may be called away ! Mr. Sproats was a Scotchman, a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and withal a Christian, which is above everything else in impor- tance, "for what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or be cast away." Our stay at this place was of short duration, STRUG(iLES OF EARLY LTEE. 29 I for wife had been very much indisposed, and as the time of accouchement grew near, was still more and more so, and all we could do for her seemed to be of no avail. At length the dreaded hour came and brought with it what we had so much feared — death ! Oh ! death what a cruel tyrant thou art ! How thou dost not pity nor spare, but take from our fond embrace those whom we love the most fondly and best ! It was on a quiet Sabbath morning. We went to a neighbor's house to ask him to go a number of miles for a doctor, but as he was tired he said, and it was early in the morning, he declined going! So I had to go myself and leave the wife of my youth to die while I was gone ! To die without my being able to speak one encouraging word, or one word of farewell! Simply because he, my neighbor, was so devoid of sympathy that he would not rise and go for the physician, but would rather I should go myself! Ah, how heartless the people of the world are, at times ! Who would de- sire to live here always ? Who would not rather exchange this world of care and toil for a better and brighter clime, where the sun always shines, where the birds always sing, and where all is peace, and joy and love? So we went about six miles as fast as we could ride, for the doctor, and having found him, returned as rapidly as we could make the steed on which we were mounted go, but we felt confi- dent before we had reached our home, that our Dear Partner had taken her flight to another region, a region where there is no sorrow, where no tears are shed; ''for God shall wipe away all 30 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. tears from their e\^es; nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain ; for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4. When we reached home, we found what we ex- pected, viz. that the soul of our beloved was gone, and only the casket in which that soul had been enshrined was left! Ah, sad, sad indeed was the thought that we could no longer enjoy the society' ot her with whom we had taken such sweet coun- sel, and with whom we had lived so happily for about three years. But so it was, and there was no alternative, for He whose thoughts and ways are above our ways and thoughts, had called my Darling to a better home, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. I felt most keenly the blow that had fallen upon me, but at the same time I was comforted with the thought that my Father in Heaven doeth all things well, and I was enabled to say, " Though He slay me 1 will trust in Him ?" After the death of my wite, I did the best I knew how to under the circumstances, and pursued my studies working out by day's work, which is after all a rather thankless proceeding, and yet at the same time all proper employment is honorable, and no man should be despised because he has to labor, for God said to Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread all the days of thy life." The next winter I taught a four month's school in Harrisburg, Stark County, Ohio. The school was very large, and the house being not very large and having but one compartment in it, was very much crowded; but still we got along very well, for a lady, whom I married after the STRUGFLRS OF EARLY LIFE. 31 close of the term of school, assisted me during three months of the time, and so the days and weeks, though full of care and toil, passed away very pleasantly indeed. The scholars for the most part were not very intelligent, many of them being French, who were not of the higher order of beings. They were not very cleanly, but quite slovenly, and not very studious; but some of them learned very rapidly and it was a great pleasure to instruct them. About this time I formed the acquaintance of a very interesting young man by the name of Josiah Landas, who was indeed a very fine young man, of good morals, of fair endowments very studious, also a devoted Christian indeed. I have corresponded with him for years, up to within twenty years ago, when I lost sight of him and have neither seen nor heard of him since. Perhaps he may have gone to his long last home before this. I took a great interest in him, and he was, as I think, a true friend of mine. " So friend after friend departs, Who hath not lost a friend ? There is no union here of hearts, That finds not here an end." 32 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER III. Love Again, Courtship and Marriage. I now began a new era in life. I had found, by happy experience, that there is more satisfaction and happiness in married life, than in, what some choose to call, single blessedness. So, having become acquainted with a Miss Emily Hess, and thinking she might make a suitable companion for me, I proposed to her that we unite our fortunes and plight to each other our faith, which, after> some preliminaries, she consented to do, and ac- cordingly, on the 23rd day of February, in the year 1851, in Harrisburg, Ohio, at the house of John Betznerwith whom we had both been making our home during the winter, we were united in the bonds of holy wedlock by the Rev. of the U. B. Church. This was indeed a happy day for me, for, although God had heretofore wounded me by taking a beloved partner from my side, I felt that he had now bound me up by giving me a lovely Bride again, and I said, Bless the Lord O my Soul. This woman, the daughter of Mr. T. Hess, of Brecksville, Ohio, was a lady of respectability, en- dowed by nature with very fair executive ability, of good judgment, with very strong will power, very positive in her manners, very pronounced in LOVE AGAIN, COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 33 her expression, a great lover of honestj^ truth and sobriety, and withal a very conscientious and de- voted Christian. For thirty-seven years we walked the way of life together, had many conflicts and trials, ex- perienced many vicissitudes, w^ere the means, in the hands of God, of accomplishing some good, and saw a good deal of the conflict and trial of life. And, although we could not always see alike, for in some respects we were very dissimilar, at the same time, taking our life as a whole, we were thankful for our union, and had abundant reason to thank God for His great goodness manifested to us all along life's pilgrim way. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as be of a clean heart. Yes, "blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord." This union was blest with nine children, four sons, and five daughters, seven of whom remain unto the present day, but two are fallen asleep. The eldest son, E. O. Excell, now living in Chicago, was born in Uniontown, Stark Count\% Ohio, Dec. 13, 1851. He inherited a very fine musical ability, and, after years of careful study and prep- aration, has succeeded in gaining a great National reputation as a writer and singer of Sunday School and C. E. music. In the early part of his life he evinced a talent in this direction, but was not especially noted, until after his settlement and marriage. He then began teaching music, both vocal and instrumental, and soon also commenced to hold musical conventions, in which he was quite successful. He studied for considerable time under Dr. Root and Son of Chicago, and also under 34 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Prof. of Pittsburg, Pa. After this he was employed to lead the singing in the M. E. Church, at Oil City, Pa., for which he received a salary of $1000 per year. Next, through the influence of Dr. Root he went to Chicago, and continued pub- lishing music books, which he had already begun to publish before he left Pennsylvania, and also travelled with a Rev. Jacobs a great S. S. man, of Chicago, and was with him for some years, during which time they travelled all over the state of Illinois, holding Sunday School conventions in every county in that large state, E. O. conducting the singing, while Mr. Jacobs attended to all the rest of the matters pertaining to Sunday School conventions. About this time the Rev. Sam Jenes, of the M. E. Church south, who had, and still has, a great reputation as an Evangelist, met E. O. Excell and heard him sing in Chicago, and after having heard him, said to him, "you are the man I have been looking for for some time, and I want you to go with me." E. O. said, "I am engaged to Mr. Jacobs and therefore cannot go with you, unless arrangements can be made with him." Mr. Jacobs was seen, arrangements were made satis- factory to all parties, and E. O. began to travel with Sam Jones. Their career was very successful indeed, wherever they went they were greeted by thousands upon thousands of people, who heard them gladly, were captivated by the singing, were moved by the plain and earnest, but yet very forcible, sermons of Mr. Jenes were led into a greater light, many of them being brought out of the highways and hedges of sin, into the kingdom and patience of the Lord Jesus Christ, and were LOVE AGAIN, COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 35 made partakers of the grace of God, and became heirs to a heavenly inheritance. Wonderful indeed wer^ the crowds that at- tended those meetings, and eternity alone will re- veal the full effects of those Evangelistic tours. From the Gulf to the Lake, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the East to the West, and from the North to the South, E. O. became known, and thus both his music and himself became in great demand, more or less, all over this land, and as a consequence his business became greatly increased, and his Triumphant Songs were indeed a triumph, for they triumphed gloriously; and there is scarcely a music book in all the land that has a greater sale, and has been more popular both in the U. S. and Canada than Triumphant Songs. Some time in the year 1896 he was employed bv the Publish- ing House of Cincinnati of the M. E. Church to edit a book for the use of young people, called, ''Songs For Young People,'^ which has had a re- markable sale, and which is held in great repute wherever it is known and used. It was copy- righted in 1897, by the Methodist Book Concern. Thus this young Excell, by dint of labor, study and perseverance, has risen step by step, till he has reached a high position on the ladder of fame, by the blessing and help of the Divine Being. It was God who gave him his remarkable voice; so deep, so rich, so powerful, so mellifluous, so sweet, so round, so full, so clear. It was by his own labor and perseverance, together with the sympathy and help of others, that his voice became so well developed, and through all eternity he will have great reason to bless the Name of the Lord for all 36 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. that has been done for him, both musically and financially. Glory be to the Father of mercies, for his abundant goodness to those who seek His face and do his will. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him and do His will. " Mr. E. O. Excell was born in Uniontown, O., in 1851, his father being a minister of the Re- formed Church. He was apprenticed to a trade, but being gifted with a wonderful baritone voice, turned his attention to its cultivation. He was for six years a pupil under Dr. Geo. F. Root, the famous professor of music in the National Normal School, and while still very young, was heard in public by large audiences, with great appreciation. His powerful and sympathetic voice possesses a wonderful charm and never fails to move those who hear it in sacred song. Mr. Excell was converted in his twenty-seventh year, when he, with his wife, was attending a re- vival at East Brady, Pa. He has during the sub- sequent years, done noble Gospel service, and has not only sung at great revivals in the United States, Canada, and Great Britian, but at Chau- tauqua Assemblies, and numerous concerts and conventions. In 1885 he was Musical Director at the Inter- national Sunday School Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. For a number of years he has been engaged in the publishing of Church and Sunday School music in Chicago, and has been prominent in all religious work in the city and state. He is an author as well as singer, and some of his compo- sitions are widely popular, one of the best known tOVE AGAIn, courtship and MARRIAGE; 3? being the famous hymn ''We shall stand before the King." He is now at his best age for active Gospel work." — Christian Herald. As for the rest of the family it may also be said, that Miss C. E. has had something of a repu- tation as an artist, while Mrs. E. Excell Lynn is known as a successful elocutionist and music teacher, Mrs. Y. Y. Williams has become a good pianist and a very successful teacher, and is also quite an accomplished singer, Mrs. L. G. Marsh is also quite an effective singer and is leading quite a useful life in caring for her little family ; and by her labors of love in the congregation of which she is a lively member. One of the family, viz. M. C. has been a subject of affliction all his life, and while he still has an abiding faith in God, and a hope of Everlasting Life, at the same time his path seems to be through deep waters of trial. May God sus- tain and keep him, by the power of a holy faith to His Heavenly Kingdom. As for the youngest who is now a minister of the Gospel, and is laboring in the East, he has a fine musical voice, well under control, but he does not make music a specialty, but chooses rather to devote himself more particularly to the work of saving fallen men and women from the slums of sin and the haunts of vice. While, he is very erratic (as I think) in some of his views, he is at the same time, very conscientious and devout and seeks not to glorify himself, but to glorify God in his body and spirit. Amen and Amen. Not long after our marriage I was taken very ill with the mumps, which is indeed a disease to be dreaded by adults, though seldom fatal in child- 38 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFfi; hood. I had never known what it was to faint away, or to be wholly unconscious. I had been sick and faint many a time, but on this occasion I was sicker than I had been for some time; so much so that some dotibts were entertained concerning my recovery. My wife watched over me with true v^ifely devotion, ministering like an angel of mercy to my comfort, and soothing me in the hour of anguish and misery. So, thanks be to God and to kind friends who did all they could to restore me to health and strength again. I regained my usual strength and vigor. When I had regained my strength, and settled up my business, having closed my singing school and also the day-school, which I had taught for four months, we took our journey to Marlboro, Ohio, and went to the house of a brother-in-law by the name of McElroy, at which place we stayed until I succeeded in renting a place in which to keep house. Our friends were at that time quite good and kind to us, and they remained so for a goodly number of years, but finally, from some cause or other, which to me has always been unaccount- able, they became almost totally estranged from us, and at this day, I know not so far as those of them who are yet living are concerned, whether to call them friends or foes. I know this, however, that I have neither said nor done anything that should cause them to act thus toward me. Per- haps I ought to say, that it was chiefly toward me that their animosity was manifested, for, to- ward my family they showed kindness, and even love and friendship to some of them, and even seemed to court their favor; possibly on account of Love agaiiI, couRTsnip ANf) marriage. 3d disinterested love. It is seldom, I have sometimes thought, in this life that we can find " Love with- out dissimmulation." Love is a plant that does not grow in selfish soil. It grows only under a sky of grace, in a soil of goodness, in an air of meekness. Love thinketh no evil ; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; Beareth all things, believeth all things ; hopeth all things, en^ dureth all things. Yes, love is indeed a wonderful grace! Would we were all more lovely, then we should be more Christ-like. We moved into a house a short distance from the village, and there we began married life again. Our beginning was small, and though our latter end was not very greatly increased, never- theless in later years we had much more than when we first began house-keeping. We were unable to procure many articles of furniture, but we had enough to eat and to drink, and withal we were comfortably clothed, and having first sought the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, we felt assured that what was really needful for our com- fort and happiness would be granted unto us. I here renewed my study of the Latin and also pursued some other studies so as to fit myself for the position of a teacher. I therefore recited several times a week to a Prof, of L. in M., who not long after I left there, was thrown from a horse and killed ! Oh, how uncertain is life, and how true it is, that in the midst of life, we are in death ! About this time, through the influence of my wife's brother, I was requested to teach an Academy in Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio; Li5iidrs ANb SHAbows of lif^. which I undertook to do, and in which I was well sustained by the people of that place, who fitted up for that purpose, a church building which had formerly been occupied as a house of wot*ship by the Methodists. Here I began to teach an Aciademy, and was tolerably successful in so doings and continued there by the space of four years^ omitting to teach in the village one winter, having been called, at a good salary, to teach a district school in the neighborhood. The school increased in size, and then in ad- dition to the Academy, I had charge of the dis- trict school, so that I was compelled to employ some one to assist me, who should teach the primary classes in the school house which was ad- jacent, while I taught the more advanced classes in the Seminary. I enjoyed my work very much indeed, and felt that in the hands of my Heavenly Father, I was doing some good, and I was glad and have been, from that day to this, to be enabled to lead souls into the light. I also had, a part of the time that I lived in Uniontown, charge of the Post Office, of that place, so that my responsibilities were great and my labors arduous ; nevertheless I was enabled to meet my responsibilities, perform my labors and bear my burdens, trusting in the Lord with all my heart, and not leaning to my own understanding. That I had some conflict and trials, it is easy to suppose, but my life flowed on in almost end- less song, for the Lord was my stay and my sal- vation. Lo¥e a5AiN; Cot)RT§HlP A^iJ) MARRIACiE. 41 1 expected at that time to temain there for Some years and build up, if possible, a large and influential school ; therefore though our means were yet very limited, we undertook to, and suc- ceeded in building a neat and commodious house in which to live so that we should no longer have to rent. At this time I had become acquainted with the Reformed church of the U. S. who were the leading denomination of the village, and liking their mode of worship, their manners and customs, I united with them, and sometime after that, was ex- amined and licensed by them to preach the gospel, which I did as far as I was able, in connection with my other cares and responsibilities. After I had been licensed a short time, I was requested by the Rev. P. J. Spangler, one of the ministers of the church, to preach as a supply, to two congregations, some distance from Canton, Ohio, viz: Melsimers and Osnaburg, every two weeks, which I did as long as I remained in Union- town. I received but a very small salary. I had a long way to go and had the care of the school upon me, and often was very much exposed to the weather, for it was a long ride and a bitter cold winter, and I received but a very small remuner- ation for my service; but at the same time I was happy in having the great privilege of declaring the Gospel of Christ to a fallen world, I hope in the day of the Lord Jesus, to be able to see that I did some good even there. In the year 1853 I was invited to go out to Wayne and Ashland Counties, to preach several 42 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS Of LIFE; times on a charge formerly served by the Rev. Jesse Hines. I did so, and sometime afterward, I was visited by Bro. William Moon, of Reedsburg, Ohio, who came with a call from that congre- gation for me to become their pastor. I ought at this time to remark, that some time prior to this, I had a great struggle with myself in reference to the devotion of my life to the work of the ministry. I was perfectly willing to preach occasionally, but to give up teaching and depend wholly upon what the people were willing to give me, for the work of the ministry, was quite a different thing, and I was not perfectly willing to forego the pleasure and profit of teaching, (arduous and responsible though it is) for the self denial, the sacrifice and responsibilities of the ministry. Well, I took it to the Lord in prayer, and he heard my cry and brought me relief; when I was willing to make whatever sacrifice he might re- quire of me. I was at this time much in debt and knew not how to extricate myself if I gave up teaching, for I was only to receive a small salary at first if I went to Reedsburg, and consequently I would have little or nothing left with which to pay debts ; but the Lord, in a way that was very unexpected to me, brought deliverance, for I was enabled b\'^ an exchange to cancel my indebtedness and still have a little property left, which I afterward sold for a reasonable price, and thereby, I was safely delivered from my embarassment. O ! how easy it is for the Lord to help us, when He sees it is best for us. tOVE AGAIN, COtRTSmt' ANb MARRIAGE; 43 God is a very present help in time of trouble, therefor will not we fear though the earth be re- moved ? So it came to pass, that in the Year 1854, on a beautiful morning in May, the young parson has packed up his goods ready for conveyance in wagons, which have been sent by the kind people of Reedsburg, to the said place. Of course the goods are not £rst class, for the parson has not been blest with a very large amount of this world's goods, and not having even a rich uncle* and having had to educate himself as best he could, and having been employed for the last y eat- in preaching to a few poor people in the southern part of Stark county; he has not been able to furnish his newly built house with anything more than mere necessary furniture. I had not then rolled round the wheel as much as I since have done nor heard as much thunder, nor seen as much lightning as some others have, therefor what little we owned had not been damaged much by moving. Three very excellent brethren came with wagons, like the servants of Joseph, who went to Canaan for his father. One of them was large and tall, with dark complexion, and rather witty. He was a hard working man, and, by dint of labor and perseverance, had accumulated quite an amount of property, and could drive a good team at least. That Brother we called, "Good- nature." With him there was another brother who was one of the best of men. He had been blest, as all that tribe of people have been, with a remarkably gentle and affectionate disposition. 44 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE, The mother of this family was one of the most af- fectionate of women, one whom you could always trust, and one you could not help loving, if you tried not to, for she walked with God every day of her life, and, although she had conflicts, as all must have, in this state of trial, she was enabled by Divine Grace to live above the clouds of life, and enjoyed very much of the life and power of re- ligion. Well, the goods were all nicely packed in the wagons, and started for the village of Reeds- burg. The air was balmy and fragrant, and the birds filled it wnth their lovely songs. The roads had become quite good for that time of year, and the teams moved along nicely. I did not go with the teams, but in a conveyance brought expressly for that purpose, with my little family, consisting of a wife and two babies. One of them a nice little boy, and the other a little " dish-w^asher." One thing that marred the journey was the presence of a lame horse, which, having been bought to be a means of comfort, became any- thing but ''a means of grace," to the owner, for she went shuffling and hobbling along, attracting the notice of the people, who are curious to ob- serve anything out of the ordinary way. Indeed, that horse, like a good many others, was never anything but a trouble and nuisance to the owner; for, after she had worried his patience in various ways, she was at last sold for a mere triBe. It certainly needed sanctification to be the driver of such a horse as that one, for do as you would, sometimes you could not make her pull a single pound ! LOVE AGAIN, COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 45 Taking all things into consideration, the vehicle which contained the Parson's family moved along speedil}^ and having tarried one night by the wa}', we arrived at the beautiful village of Reedsburg about 3 o'clock in the after- noon of the next day. The teams with the goods had started before the Parson and his family, and consequently had arrived first. One of them had had what is usually called bad luck, for, as the driver was winding his course down a steep hill, the wagon lost its centre of gravity and fell over on to its side, but was not very badly bruised, but the goods were somewhat hurt, and carry the scars on their sides to this day. Those which have been fortunate enough to have their lives spared until this day, have had a constant scene of trial. The family were very kindly received by the citizens of Reedsburg, and were made to feel, as much as could be done under the circumstances, at home. The house, though rather old, was quite com- fortable, and was so situated as to command a very fine view of the surrounding country. There the young parson was to serve the first regular Charge in his life, and there we assumed the responsibilities of the ministerial life. It is well that we cannot pierce the veil of the future and peer into the womb of futurity, for, if we could, we should start back alarmed and terrified at the sight ! If we could see what conflicts and trials we should have to endure, what labors we should have to perform, what cold treatment we should sometimes receive from the hand of those 46 ^LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. whom we had sometimes called friends, we should be unable to pursue our journey any longer, but sit down by the way-side, and despair of ever reaching the desired end. But God has wisely withheld the sight from us, and he only permits one trial to befall us at a time (though sometimes one follows the heels of another) and he bids us walk by faith and "endure as seeing Him who is invisible." As might be expected, the people were anxious to know what kind of a shepherd the young parson would make. One lady said, "I think he is rather young, but there is one thing certain, he will be growing older every day, and then it is not his tault that he did not begin life sooner." In these days people feel different in regard to the age of a minister, for instead of desiring a man of age and experience to occupy the responsible position of a minister, one who having perfect knowledge of the way of life, and who has also come into actual contact with the stern realities of life, knows from actual experience what it is to fight the battle of life, and consequently knows how to give direction, comfort and advice, they nearly all seem to desire the services of a young man just from College, who knows comparatively little about the stern realities of life. Now, we have not one word to say against education; no, no, we would have men developed physically, mentally and morally, we would have them know all that it is practical for them to know, but as well as book-knowledge, let them have an experi- mental and practical knowledge of the way and plan of salvation; let them know something by LOYE AGAIN. COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 47 actual experience, of the business and responsibili- ties and burdens of life, and then they will be much better qualified to minister to the wants of those to whom they minister. It is astonishing how soon ministers cross what is now called the "dead-line." In these days men of ability, and piety, and experience, not more than fifty years are considered to old to take work, but must be laid on the shelf to give place to a younger, and of course, a more refined class, so to speak. In a few days Sabbath came, and the people flocked to the house of prayer. The most of them, it is presumable, came to worship the God of their fathers, from a sense of duty; while some came out of mere curiosity. The singing was led in those days by the Elder or Deacon. There was no choir in the church, ^ much less an organ, for the people thought it was absolutely sinful for anything like a piano or .organ to be tolerated in a Church. They would -as soon have thought of worshipping the Golden Calf that Aaron set up. as worshipping with an organ ! When the minister made his appearance all eyes were turned upon him, in order to see how he was dressed. To tell the truth he w^as by no means dressed extravagantly. His coat tail, the people thought was too short, and that might be either a good or bad omen, for on the one hand it might indicate that his stay with them would be short, and if he were not an acceptable and useful preacher, then the sooner he left the better, but if he were successful the people would not like to part with him. So they knew not how to under- 48 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. stand the matter; but to speak plainly they thought he was strangely dressed and no doubt must be a very odd man. It was with fear and trembling we began to preach upon that occasion, for although we had been somewhat accustomed to public speaking, and had tried to preach the Gospel for about a year or more, we had never assumed the responsi- bilities we were then assuming, but we had no serious doubt that God had called us to preach the Gospel, and therefore, relying upon the Word of Him who had said, "Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the world," we preached what we regarded the truth in Jesus Christ. The con- gregation for the most part seemed well pleased, especially since the preacher was **noch yung." Nothing very remarkable occurred until one Sabbath eve, when he was crying out against what he regarded sin, and mentioned among other things, belonging to secret oath-bound societies. One of the Elders of the Church, not exactly under- standing the spirit and design of the pastor, complainingly spoke of the sermon, if indeed sermon it might be called, and said the parson was an ignoramus and knew nothing about secret societies at all. He also said that Abraham belonged to the Free-masons, and all the Prophets and Apostles were members . of the same craft. How he knew, he did not attempt to explain, and it has been a mystery ever since. It was thought by some that the said Elder would not be likely to co-operate with us, but we soon heard of the peculiar attitude of the Elder, and thinking it not best to say too much upon the subject of secret LOVE AGAIN, COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 49 orders, as people so widely differ in regard to that subject, we soon won the confidence and love of Brother Faithful. Yes, that dear Brother has long since gone, as we humbly trust, to his beauti- ful home. So the days and weeks flew by and the people were united together and labored with the Pastor for the upbuilding of the Church. The Reedsburg charge was not very strong, that is to say numerically, for although they had been in existance for quite a number of years, they had not grown as rapidW as some societies do. As for their strength, morally speaking, they were for the most part, very spiritual and still there were some, (as there nearly always are in every church )who have a name to live and at the same time know nothing about the life and power of th3 gospel. To the praise of this people it may be said, they were decidedly in favor of an every-day Christianity. They were not educated in the common acceptation of the term, but at the same time they posessed a knowledge of sins forgiven, and experi- mental acquaintance with Christ. 50 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER IV. Economy. It is necessary for every man, especially every clerical man, to study well the subject o^ economy, for although it is a truth contained in the Scripture, that we should not be over- anxious for the morrow, at the same time, it is equally true, that we must have some thought for the morrow, and while we should in one sense of the term, act as though we expected we might die to day, at the same time we should live as though we were to live here forever. No man can live without air, and yet he cannot live on air alone, for he must have bread as well as air. Some say, a good man can live by faith" so he can, but at the same time, he must have bread; not only the Bread of Life, but literal bread too, or he will famish and die; it is therefor a truth, that man must have bread as well as faith, in order to live aright. Well, the good people of Reedsburg, did not overlook this fact, aud so while they were not able to lavish abundantly upon the pastor, at the same time, they agreed to pay him so much per year so long as he remained their pastor, and also promised him ''all love and obedience in the Lord.'* ECONOMY. 51 In these times, when everything demands a high price, the amount $300 wauld be wholly insufficient; but in those times, one dollar went farther than three would now. In addition to that they promised us, that if we, should prove successful, they would increase our salary from year to year, according to their ability. Of course with a family of four, $300 per year was indeed a larg-e salary. Think of supplying a wardrobe for a Minister, his wife, and two children, and a larder; as well as keeping up a horse and buggy, and furnishing fuel to warm the parsonage with, all out of $300. Just think of it. Our experience during forty years of Clerical Life has taught us, that to keep up a horse and buggy as it should be kept, will average $100 per year. That would leave $200 for all the other items. Then, besides, if a minister is to study, where are his books to come from ? Must they come from the clouds ? Is there a library in the heavens, and will the angels loan him the books? True a man may learn from clouds too, and sometimes some very dear and important lessons, but he needs more books than clouds can turnish him. Well, how did we do In the first place I had a very careful and prudent wife, and a prudent wife is from the Lord : one that was able to make the most of everything with which she had to do, and was not one of those women who foolishly spend more than their husbands can make. She would turn everything to the best account, and was contented and happy, even though she had 52 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. not so inatiy things in the house as some of her neighbors had, or even though she could not dress as finely as some others ! Yes, some people must be gaily attired whether they are able to pay for the dress goods or not ! Then again, the Parson himself had to be very moderate in his outlays. It would not do to expect all the conveniences of life at once, much less all the luxuries. People must learn to walk before they can run. The vehicle in which we rode from place to place in visiting from house to house, and going to the different preaching places on the charge, was not one of those costly ones, but one, which though rather clumsy and heavy, had already run thousands of miles, and had been through a great many storms, was at the same time a very comfortable buggy, and was purchased on time of one brother who did then, and has ever since up to the day of his death, befriended the young Parson. As for the horse, that had to be bought on time also, but in due time both buggy and horse were paid for, and many and many a mile we travelled in that old buggy, and the remembrance of the scenes through which w^e passed is still very pleasant. One thing that helped us amazingly was the donations the people gave us from time to time. It is well for all young people to practice econ- omy ; for whether they are ever obliged to live on a small income or not, it is well to be able to live on little when we must. Many aa one has been ruined forever for want of industry and economy ! ECONOMY. 53 Further upon the subject of economy I would say that experience has taught me, that it is always best to be prudent and careful, for it matters not how prosperous a man may be, or how much he may be able to gather, he will always be liable to disaster. He may be compara- tively rich to-day, and poor to-morrow, for we never know what a day may bring forth. Then again, we should never live beyond our means. One reason why so many are in adverse circum- stances to-day is, they went beyond their income, and then when thrown out of employment they had nothing but charity to subsist upon, and the charity of the world is heartless at best, and he who depends upon it, depends npon a broken reed. Every minister should lay by, if possible, some- thing from year to year of his income, but how is he to do so, and support his family respectably on the pittance the people sometimes are willing to give him? Not unfrequently what is given to the clergy, is given as though it were a matter of charity instead of a matter of debt, for the Lord hath said, the laborer is worthy of his hire, and even so hath the Lord ordained that they that preach the Gospel, should live by the Gospel. Sometimes, we have been where we have been well supported, and where the people rejoiced in giving, and gave as a matter of debt, and not as a matter of charity. They felt "that it was more blessed to give than to receive." At such times and places we could live comfortably, meet all our obliga- tions, and, at the same time, lay by something for a rainy day. At other times we have gone (and we can say in the fear of God, that we have never 54 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. •refused to go anywhere, simpl3^ because they could not pay us much money), where we were but poorly supported, and a part of that support was given grudgingly, as though they thought a minister should work for nothing and hoard himself. It has been our observation, that there are but very few ministers that are so well supported during a long ministerial life, that they are en- abled to lay by a sufficiency for old age. The Lord of the Vineyard knows best, but humanly speaking it would seem to be a good thing if all the clergy would die before they crossed the ''dead- line," for then they would have plenty to subsist upon without being dependent upon the charities of the people. It is true there is provision made in some of the churches for the support of the superannuated, but that fund is by no means suffi- cient to meet the calls that are made upon it, and there are many of God's retired and tired servants who eke out a poor half fed existence ! Who cares much about an aged minister, or any other aged person as he should? A few I trow. God pity the superannuated in any church ! CHURCH BUILDING. 55 CHAPTER V. Church Building. After we had been for some years pastor of the Reedsburg Charge, we felt and the people with us, the need of a new church building. The people had, for a number of years been worship- ping in one of the old fashioned meeting houses, in the corner of the woods by the way-side. There many a sermon had been preached, and many a sinner had been pricked to the heart and had cried out, "what must I do to be saved?" but that had been in days gone hy, for of late there had been comparatively little interest in that part of the Charge, and many of those who used to worship there had died, and some had moved to the far West ; while the most of those who still be- longed to that class were living quite a distance from the "meeting-house," and thought it might be better to have a church erected at a place called "Foot-Hill." This Foot-Hill was not a place of much renown, though situated in a very fertile country, in one of the best States of the Union. It, however, had some advantages which some other places did not possess; there was already one church in the village, but it was thought there 56 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. might be room for more, for it is true that a coach is never so full, but there is room for one more, so a village is never so full of churches, but that there may be room for one more. Now there were a faithful few, who were very desirous of havine^ a house in which to worship the God of their fathers, and while they might have gone with those who were then worshipping in the house already built, they preferred to have a house of their own. And is it not better, after all. for each denom- ination to have their own church ? But the question was, "how can we build, where shall we get the means, for none of us are rich, and it takes money and means to build." Mr. Ready-to-give said, if we do all we can, we can easily build a house in the village for the worship of God ; and if we are all willing to take the Irish way, we can surely succeed. ''What is that?" said another, and another who were much more wealthy than Mr. Ready-to- give. "It is this" we said, "take a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together. " "Well, well," said they all, suppose we see what we can do? " Agreed, " said they all, and so a subscription was started, and the ball began to roll, and it kept on rolling, and rolling, until finally the church was built. It is wonderful to see how much can be done by patient continued effort in a proper direction, for the accomplishment of a proper object. CHURCH BUILDING. 57 Those who could not give money, gave work and building materials, so that the building went up, and up, until completion. Even some who cared but little, about God and Christ, gave of their means, and afterwards gave their hearts to God and their names to the church, and remain faithful until this day, while a goodly number have passed over the river, and gone to the other life. The church, of course, was not grand, like many of the churches of to-day, but then it was large enough and beautiful enough for that village, and for the accommodation of the members ; and they all felt pleased with what they had done, and only wished they could have done more. After the completion of the building, a day was set for its dedication. Help was asked and promised for the occasion. It was expected to be a grand and joyous time, and many were anxiously waiting for the day and the help to come. At length the day came, but the desired help came not. The parties who promised assistance, were not able to put in their appearance; through some providential interference they were hindered. A cloud of disappointment settled upon the audience, when they found no foreign help was forth-coming. Then, what made the case look darker and darker, was the fact that just the week before, the terrible frost of the night of June, 6, 18 — occurred. 58 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Nearly all the wheat had been killed, except here and there a piece, that had been protected by an adjacent wood, or a piece that was on a hill. Nearly every green thing had been scorched by the frost, and the prospects for an abundant crop of anything, was everything but favorable. Now could a church be dedicated under such circumstances ? Why, the people were for the most part as blue as indigo, and it was no use, some said, to undertake any such thing, "Why," said one, ''we shall have to buy our bread-stuff this year," for there will be but very little wheat, and what there is, will be very dear, and the prospects for corn are very poor, and all the early potatoes are killed, and the late planting cannot be very good. I think therefor, it is all nonsense to think of raising the money to dedicate the church to-day. **I should like very much to see the church dedicated, but I do not see how anybody can give to-day." Well, what could be done? Some of the more hopeful ones said, "well possibly after all, we can do something toward liquidating the debt now resting on the building, and if we do the very best we can, perhaps it may be paid, and the church solemnly dedicated to the worship of Almighty God." The parson said, we must proceed in the path of duty. We have come here to-day to set apart this church building to the service and worship of Almighty God, and it must be done. CHURCH BUILDING. 59 We are certainly very sorry that the persons, who expected to help us on this very important occasion, are not here, but then God is here, and He will help us, and that right early ; and He who watereth the hills from His chambers will refresh us with his blessing ; He who sendeth the frosts of winter even in the spring, can and will send us prosperity, if we abide in the path of righteous- ness, and therefor this house must be dedicated. We shall preach to the best of our ability, and we shall dedicate, by the help of God, this building to- day." The audience was large, and we proceeded to address them from Acts, 7:47-50. I. The worship of God in the Garden of Eden before sin entered into the world. II. The worship of God as renewed after the fall. Gen. 4:26. David first conceived the design of building a house for the Lord. Solomon was per- mitted to build it. Refer to 2nd Chron. 7:18 ; Isa. 46:1—2; 2nd Chron. 2:3—6. Three points claim our attention : 1st. God is not confined to any one place, but exists or is present everywhere. a. Prove the omnipresence of God by the per- fections of His nature. (1). His eternity. (2). His immutability. (3). His omnipotence. (4). His omniscience. b. We prove His omnipresence by His works. c. We prove it by His word. Ref. 1st Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7—10. 2nd. God has a place of rest called Heaven. ( 1). His word proves this. 60 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. (2) . From the manifestations he has made of Himself. (3) . The worship of God here points to another scene. 3rd. God dwells in certain places as He does not everywhere. ( 1 ). He dwelt especially with the Israelites. ( 2 ). He dwelt in the Temple. (3). He now dwells in temples made with hands. It may safely be said, the Lord helped us : and the people seemed pleased and profited. After the delivery of the sermon, we told the people that notwithstanding the circumstances, in some aspects of the case, were ver3' much against them, the church debt could and mtist be paid. We said, after having proven vourselves to be men and women of both faith and works ; after having made noble sacrifices for God in behalf of this church thus far, it cannot be that now, when the work is so nearly done, that you will for a moment relax your efforts. No, no ! You can and will lift the debt, and then you will go on your way re- joicing in God your strength. We say it kindly, but {irmly, the debt can be paid, the debt must be paid, the debt will be paid, and we shall see it paid. All seemed pleased with the firmness and faith of the Pastor, and all generously responded. The debt was wiped out, the building dedicated, the doxology sung, and all were delighted with the outcome, and felt that the blueness of the day had passed away, and the sunlight of heaven was let into their souls. CHURCH BUILDING, 61 O how sweet it is to trust. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Such is the weakness of human nature that we are apt to distrust God : but we ought alwaj^s to trust him with all the heart, and not lean to our own understanding. In the evening we preached to a large audience from Gal. 6:14-15. We trust good was done in the name of the Lord. Blessed are they that dv^ell in Thy house: they will be still praising Thee, Selah." They go from strength to strength; "every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." The v^inter succeeding this dedication, v\^as one of unusual interest in the community. A meeting of several wrecks duration v^as held, and a goodly number of persons were hopefully converted and gave their names to the church, so that the size of the membership was greatly increased. Blessed be the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Thus through the kindness and love of God, and the hearty sympathy and co-operation of the membership, the work of the Lord was carried forward throughout the bouuds of the charge. The influence of the Divine Spirit was felt, more or less, all over the bounds of the charge. Many were awakened, and made^^to feel the necessity of a new life, and most^of them were brought to Christ and made partakers of His nature, so that soon, some of those who had tried ,62 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LlF'E. to be Atheists and Deists, were constrained to say, that good was accomplished. Our wants were usually met, for although we did not receive a large salary, the people of the charge were for the most part, very prompt indeed. If they saw that we needed anything, they usually gave it, if it was within their power. Ah ! there is much in love and sympathy. There is so much in doing what we can, and much can be done, when all labor together in the spirit of the Master. We may not have a large amount of money, but we may be filled with the spirit, and we may, like Christ, go about doing good. INCREASED PROSPERITY. 63 CHAPTER VII. Increased Prosperity. After we had worshipped in the old brick church year after year, the people of Reedsburg thought it best to erect a more commodious church for the worship of God. The people had large hearts, though but few had large posessions. They were a people of generous impulses, and were willing to make sacrifices if necessary, for the up-buildiug of the church of Christ. There were such men as Bro. Good-heart, Bro. Constant, Bro. Faithful and Bro. Good-nature who constituted, so to speak, the posts of the church. Then there were others who might be called other parts of the building, and if they could all be worked in, a neat and commodious house of worship could be erected. Accordingly, March 14, 1859, a meeting was held by the members of the church in Reedsburg, and was called to order by the chairman, the pastor, and the business of the meeting made known, viz: to take measures for the erection of a new church, for the use of the congregation at Reedsburg and vicinity. 64 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. After some conversation, the following reso- lutions were unanimously adopted, viz: Resolved, That a piece of land be obtained, (if possible) between the church and the village of Reedsburg, upon which to build a house of worship for the use of the church. Resolved, That a committee of three men be appointed to build a house of worship as speedily as they see fit, for the use of the Reedsburg congre- gation. On motion, the following committee was appointed; the parson, chairman, Bro. Faithful and Bro. Good-Nature. Subscription. J We, the undersigned, promised to pay the sums annexed to our names, for the purpose of building a house of worship in the neighborhood of Reedsburg, - county, state of — for the use of the Reformed church in Reedsburg and vicinity; the building to be of suitable size and convenience, to be built in a workmanlike manner, to be placed on Main street, and to be finished by Nov, 1st, 1859 ; the money to be placed in the hands of the building committee, consisting of the Rev. J. J. E; Faithful, and Good-Nature. One-half to be paid bv June 1st, 1859, and the balance by Oct 1st, 1859' If the above is not built, this is to be null and void, otherwise in full force. Then follows a list of names from $100 to $1.00. The man who owned the contemplated lot was not a member of the church, neither was he in hearty sympathy with the society who con- templated erecting a church ; but he was seen by INCREASED PROPERTY. 65 the 3'oung pastor, and he decided to sell the lot for a reasonable compensation. So the site was obtained, and a beautiful site it is, overlooking a very beautiful portion of tne country. Just below^ the church, lies the lovely village of Reedsburg, v\rhere v^e spent some of the most pleasant years of our life. To the east, north and south lie beautiful farms, which can scarcely be excelled for their beauty and productions, in any part of the state. A little east lies the beautiful resting place of the dead, where sleep some of the noblest, dearest and best of the earth. There sleep the fathers and mothers of the church; there sleep some, who fell fighting for their native land, and there, all who lie buried, shall sleep till the last day. Then shall they all come forth - they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of dam- - nation. At length the building was completed, and ready for dedication. The dedicatory services were impressive and interesting; a sufficient amount of money was raised to defray all expenses, and all were de- lighted and happy. But as yet, there was no bell on the church, and it was thought best, to purchase one, whereby the people might be called together. 66 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. There was already, one bell in the town, that is, one church bell, for there were many other kinds of bells, such as dinner bells, and so on ; it was thought best to get a better and larger bell, than the one on the other church; the other bell had a high, sharp key, and some people have an idea, that the sharper the key, the more music there is in the bell. Like some who seem to think the louder a man screams when he is preaching, the more effective he is, and the greater the sermon; when perhaps another man who has embodied ten times as much thought in his sermon, has not succeeded with them at all, simply because he has failed to make a great noise; so some seem to think, that the louder a person sings, the more music there is in his voice ; while at the same time, there may be but very little melody in it. Well, it was said," we must have a bell that will beat the other, or else we shall be in the minority." " Let us have a bell," said one of the brethren, "that has more bumble-bees in it," I like a bell that has ever and ever so many bumble-bees in it. The bell that was first put in the belfry did not gratify the taste of the people, although it was a real good bell. So that was taken down and sent back to the foundry at Cincinnati, and another one ordered. The first bell was good, but the second was tNCREASED PROPERTY. 67 much better, and of course our people wanted the best. The bell was hung in the belfry, and remained there until some few years ago. when the people, thinking the church that had been erected at so much labor and cost, when we were the pastor, was considered no longer good enough, and conse- quently a new church has been erected ; but the same old bell, so full of bumble bees, that used to ring out sweet music in days gone by, and which has ever given the best of satisfaction, still calls the people to the house of prayer and praise ; and it is a pleasure still for us, when we can hear that same delightful bell. Speaking of church bells, we may as well say in this connection, that the people of Foot Hill also purchased a bell ; it was not so large, nor so costly a one, as the bell to which we have called attention, but it was a nice little bell, and was rung for several years, by one of the most diligent and faithful sextons that ever lived. He was so careful that not even a fly had half a chance. It could not live in the house where that sexton was; and as for cleanliness, no man or woman could be more particular than he. He was always at his post, and was always pleasant and agreeable. Yes, blessed be his mem- ory. He moved to the west, and some years ago, passed out of this life, into a holier and happier sphere of existence, as we humbly trust, and where he will have no care of ringing church bells. J. J. E. PI: SOW IH FAITH. J. J. EXCELL. I 0—^ 1. Oh, be not wea - ry of your work, Although that work seem hard ; 2. Thenla-bor on, have faith in God, In sunshine and in shade. 3. Of all your work and all your tears God will a rec - ord keep; By wa - ters all let good seed fall. And God shall you re - ward. The' ma - ny foes may you op - pose, Faint not nor be dis - mayed. And af - ter death re - ward your faith, For those who sow, shall reap. I CHORUS. For those who sow and care be - stow, For those who sow, for those who sow and care be - stow, and care be-stow, ■7— r- — t shall . re - ward. Then do not spare, shall sure-ly reap, shall surely reap reward, Then do not spare. Then do not spare, -n — ^ t=x=t but sow with care, but sow with care, but sow with care, And God shall you re - ward. I JEALOUSLY AND REVENGE. 69 CHAPTER VII. Jealousy and Revenge. It matters but little who you are, or under what circumstances in life you may live, or how hard you may try to do that which is lawful and right in the sight of God, you may expect to be persecuted, tempted and tried, for such is the declaration of the word of God. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." The Savior said to Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 1st, Tim. 3: 12-13. Some time after the dedication of the church at Foot Hill, the following letter was found by the sexton, and handed to the pastor in the church ; which letter speaks for itself, and shows the hatred of the writer : 70 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Upper room in . March 2nd, 1863. My dear and much esteemed servant:- I take the opertunity of dropping a few lines to let you know how much I am pleased with your proceedings. I have not another servant in this part of the world, that does as much as you do for the cause of the Devil and the Kingdom of Hell. Your deception of the people is first rate, there is however, some few that rather suspect you, but if you are a little more careful, you will get along. Tr\^ and keep up this meeting a few weeks longer, as it is the best protracted effort for Hell that there has been for a long time. Keep up the delusion in those simple ones, make them believe they have got religion and they will make capital subjects. A word of caution to some of the members, there is not quite secresy enough, they are capital fellows, but very near expose themselves. Another word to yourself, look at the people a little more when you preach, some of the foolish christians suspect you of being the Devil servant. Do not go among the women quite so much in meeting, those followers of the lamb watch you if you can find some excuse to turn them out of the church, it would be a good move, as they are so simple they tell everything, and there is but few of them, we will then have all the church to ourselves. I like the plan of 3^ou keeping those christian howlers out of the pulpit. Let the people get a much larger bell, as that will make the church more popular, and there is nothing like it, to help our cause. Do not leave this place, as you have the people under your control and can make them pay you whatever you ask. I will just tell you that my kingdom has never flourished so much as it has in the church. JEALOUSLY AND REYENGE. 71 Loud preaching at funerals, is the very thing; the people think you can almost raise the dead ; the church members worship you more than the children of Israel did the golden calf; you can tell them the biggest lies that ever was and they think it all scripture. I can not write you any more at present, but will write you again soon, your much pleased father, . I never told but a very few anything about the above wonderful epistle, and I know not to this day, who wrote it, nor does it make any material difference to me who penned it ; it shows, to say the least, a very bad heart and a wicked spirit; any one who would condescend to pen such a letter, can do almost anything. Oh! the corruption of the human heart! The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it ? Once when I was holding a meeting at another appointment, a young man became greatly enraged, because, through the influence of the pastor and others, his sister proposed to come to the altar for prayer; and he said that if she did, he would take her away by force; the* pastor to the contrary notwithstanding. Having heard this, the parson did not think it best to insist upon the young lady coming forward, — not because he feared the wrath of the oppressor as if he were ready to destroy, but because he thought it better under the circumstances, for the young woman to remain away from the altar; for had she come, and had the young man carried out his 72 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. threat, there would have been a struggle, the whole congregation would have been in a state of confusion, and the whole audience might have been engaged before the matter was ended, and it certainly would not promote the cause of piety, or promote the interest of true religion. As it was, it all ended well. Upon another occasion it was rumored, that the parson would be waylaid, and might be brutally treated on his way home. Well, what was to be done? The parson was not very cowardly, but he cared not to fight, ( other than the good fight of faith ) nor to be fought. Some of the men went a part of the way home with him, and God helped him, and not a hair of his head was injured. Behold, how great is the mercy of the Lord upon them that fear Him. **The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them." HELP ME SING. J. J. E. J. J. EXCELL. 1. I will sing of Jc - sus, Wonder-ful hisnarae; Precious, precious Jesus, 2. I will sing of Je - sus, He's a Shepherd kind ; All the broken-hearted 3. I will sing of Je - sus. He will take me home; Give to me a kingdom, Bfrbz.^4:=F: I I Ev - er-more the same. He's my El-der Brother, Prophet, Priest and King; He in love doth bind. In his arms of mer-cy, I a home pos-sess, Seaf^me on a throne. Then I'll see mySav-ior, And be like him too, will sing of Je I sus. Won -der - Jul his name j Chorus. 0---0— 0-^-9— ^—^—^0---0—0---0—0 ^ Praise him, all ye people, Hal - Ic - lu - ia sing. Tho' I'm poor and needy. He's my Kighteousness. Help me sing of Je-sus, Thro' e - ter-rial a - ges, God's cre-a - tion view. Precious^ precious Je - sus, Ev - er-more the same. :H-T--.TzEk=FtiZ7zig: \ S=^_zfa— -1=Hz??zzzzzl^ love a - gain. And let the earth take up the strain; Let the -0- ' -fi>- I*- plaSz:--— ffzut^zzzzj^zidz^z^— li=±b -l — ' :itzqzz::qz=qz=zijzvzj^r:jzzz:qzzr:1z==:s= ^i9zi:i(zz::^ziz:!jzz:z1=?=:*=zz1=z?zzi:izFzi^^ mountains sing, Let the val-leys ring, With the praise of Christ our King. 110 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER X. Thorns and Briers. There are a great many things in life that are very pleasant indeed — a great many beautiful things. Indeed it is said, *'He hath made every- thing beautiful in His time." If Mve look out upon the fields of nature, mvq vshall see wonderful variety and v^onderful beauty. The book of nature, v^hich is spread out so magnificently before us, inviting us to peruse its instructive pages, speaks to us of beauty. It tells us in unmistakable language, of a Supreme Being; and tells us though in silent language, that God is beautiful and good. Hov^ can He v^ho made all this wondrous frame, be other than good — supremely good ? The animal, mineral, and vegetable kingdoms, all tell us of Deity, and all speak a language of beauty. Look at the beautiful dew-drops as they sparkle in the ligbt of Heaven, each of them speaks of beauty and loveliness. There is a wonderful majesty in the rolling thunder, and there is a lovely awfulness in the vivid lightning. All along the avenues of life there is more or less beauty; and yet, with all this, every path in life has its asperities and its thorns. THORNS AND BRIERS. Ill The nicely flavored lemons, which grow in the sunny south, are grown on a thorny bush, and many are the wounds inflicted by those bushes on those who cultivate the delicious fruit. The little bee, whose honey is so delicious, will sting you until the pain almost makes you distracted. Some of the sweetest roses have the sharpest thorns ! There is hardly anything which we have in this life, that does not have some unpleasant feature. The work of the ministry is one of the most pleasant works of which we have any knowledge, in some aspects of the case, while in others it is full of care, anxiety and trouble. Do as you will, somebody will be oflended, (and a brother oflended is harder to be won than a city that hath gates and bars,) and be as diligent as you may be, in the faithful discharge of duty, some one will find fault, for there always have • been, and always will be, those who are not only given to change, but are given to grumbling, too. Let us illustrate this thought. After we had preached, one day, from Psalm 147: 12 to last inclusive, and had enjoyed good liberty and felt the presence of the Master, we were very much tempted and tried by the following circumstance: Two brethren, who had been in good and regular standing in the church, had, through temptation, given way and done very wrong. They had had a quarrel with an unconverted person, and had said and acted contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. The difliculty was told us by both of the parties ; and after we had carefully and prayerfull3^ exam- ined both parties to our satisfaction, we had determined upon a course of action to be pursued. 112 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. After we had calmly considered the matter, we had determined upon bringing the parties togeth- er, if possible, but we could not prevail upon one of the brethren ( the younger of the two ) to go with us to the house of the individual against whom they had spoken so disrespectfully, and, to say the least, unkindly. He persisted in refusing to go, saying, that the parson might do as he pleased with him but go he would not. We labored with him for hours to show him where he stood, and why he should go to the aforesaid house. All that was said vseemed to be useless, for the longer we talked the more obstinate he became. His friends joined with him to reproach and blame the Parson, and so a sorrowful time we had. At length we proposed to leave, thinking we were not very welcome. They tried to persuade us that we were welcome, and so we remained until morning. In the morning an effort was again made to persuade him to go and see the man, but it was of no avail, for he would not go. He was told that he had set the Parson at defiance, wounded his feelings, and had treated him very unkindly, but that the preacher would hold nothing against him. He was also admonished to do nothing rashly or inconsiderately. He was told that if he would go forward in the discharge of duty, he should be used as kindly as ever. His name was Self- Will. The other brother who was more deeply inplicated than this one, was also visited and labored with. When he was found he was hunting rabbits in the woods and fields. We cordially saluted him by a shake of the hand. The Parson, after a little time, said to him, ^'Bro. M. THORNS AND BRIERS. 113 you have done wrong under the influence of temptation, I am very sorry on account of it, and hope you will make it right." He said he knew that he had done wrong, and was very sorry for it. He further said, that he had seen the offended party, had acknowledged to him that he had done wrong, hoped he would forgive him, and also said that he had asked God to pardon him. The matter was talked over for about an hour, and, at first he seemed to think that he had done all that was necessary; but the parson told him that he looked at the matter differently, and that in view of all the circumstances, it was thought best for him to go and see the other party, and all that could be done, should be, in order to bring about a proper adjustment, and a happy reconciliation. We told him that we wanted the matter settled in such a shape that our duty would be done, the church cleared of all blame, and he saved from any further trouble. He said he was willing to do whatever was thought best by the pastor. So after dinner, and some time spent in friendly conversation, mostly upon the subject of religion, the horse was attached to the buggy and we started for the place, though the Bro. did not ride with the parson, but chose to walk across the fields, assigning as a reason, that it would be too heavy for the horse, as the eldest son of the parson was then with him. So we soon arrived at the house, for it was not far to go, and we shortly introduced the subject. Mr. S. was told the object of the mission, that it was to have all former troubles settled and properly adjusted. We endeavored to use our 114 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. influence in such a way as not to prejudice either party. In the course of about two hours the matter was nicely adjusted, to all human appearance; the men shook hands and M. left in peace. M. then stated on the outside of the house, that he was so well satisfied with the manner in which the afl"air had been settled, and that he thought it had ended better than he had supposed it would. He then got into our buggy, and we both went to M's house where supper was served, and both seemed to enjoy it. Bro. M. was told to say nothing about it to any one, as the less he said about It the better it would be for-all parties. Nothing was said to the family concerning the matter, and M. again told the parson that he was glad the matter was over, and that he felt a great burden had been lifted off him. " But, " said he, the sin has been committed, and I cannot recall it. He was told that that was true, but he could not now help it, and what remained for him to do, was to be sorry for the past, and be more watch- ful for the future. We told him not to neglect duty, but to go on in the strength of grace, and all w^ould be right. " If any one asks you in relation to the matter, tell him there was some dffficulty, but it was all settled in a christian way. After supper we w^ent to churcn, and nothing was said concerning the diflEiculty ; it was hoped that all would be right, and that all parties would be satisfied and conclude to drop the whole matter, and live as brethren ought to. l^HORNS AND BRIERS. 115 When the parson went to church (Nov. 25) one of the elders of the church told him there was to be a church trial and that the young parson was to be tried! The parson said, "what have I done?" He said, he knew but little about it, but it was something concerning the trouble the brethren had had with Mr. S. The parson said it was a very singular affair; they had gotten themselves into difficult3\ — he had been helping them out, and now they were trying to involve him ! The elder said they were bound to bring it before the church. We said we had been laboring for several days to keep it out of the church, lest she should be hurt thereby, but if they were bound to have it brought before the church, in the name of God we are ready. The elder was told that it was entirely out of order, for if they wanted to try the parson, they must bring him before a body of his peers, as only such had the prerogative of trying him. You can bring a less to a greater, but you cannot bring a greater to a less. All then went into the house; divine service was held, and the parson enjoyed it as much as he could under the circumstances. After the sermon the members vvere all requested to tarry, which they did. We then told them that the whole affair was out of order and unconstitutional, but if they were determined to have a trial, we would submit to the unconstitutionalitv. The question was then asked, what are the charges preferred against the pastor? Bro. R. said the accusers were there, and we said we would confront them to their faces ; they said they were read3^ They then ac- cused us of treachery, deceit, and also falsehood 1 1 116 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. One of them was very much excited, and also much enraged, and appeared angry enough to do one an injury. After they were through, we gave a history of the whole affair, telling what we had done and why we had done it. We showed that we had discharged a plain duty, and had done it kindly, in the fear of God, and with as pure motives as we had ever done anything in our life. All that was said seemed to have no effect whatever on the offenders. The congregation decided the parson had done his duty, but that seemed to enrage them the more, and made them still more bitter against the pastor. In the evening, in company with one of the brethren, the parson went to see the two brethren (as they were both together) and we tried all we could to make them see that we had only per- formed a plain duty. Never had we been so badly treated by an}^ body professing godliness, since we had been in the ministry. We bless God to this day, that we were enabled to control our passions, and possess our soul in patience, throughout all the affair. We did our duty, went according to the con- stitution of the church, and had nothing to regret. May God pity all such erring ones ! Thus it is in this life, there will always be more or less difficulty, for human nature is so weak, and we are so liable to go astray, and people are so ignorant of law and order, that when a parson undertakes to carry out the law, and constitution of the church, somebody will blame him. 4? THORNS AND BRIERS. 117 But what is the use of church government or any other, if all law and order are to be violated with impunity ? It is best to be careful in the exercise of dis- cipline: but there are times when discipline must necessaril3^ be enforced. Most of the parties re- ferred to above, have long since taken their leave for the other shore. We hope they died in peace with God, and found their way to glory by the abundant grace of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, One of them has been a sort of vagabond upon earth, illustrating the thought that, whenever a man turns his back on the church of Christ, he makes the great mistake of his life. After laboring a goodly number of years in the vineyard of the Lord, we were appointed to a charge in the East Ohio Conference, situated not far from Akron, in Summit County, Ohio. Before we went there we had been laboring with ac- ceptability, and with some degree of success, in the south part of the conference, and then immedi- ately preceding, had been at Jackson, Mahoning County, Ohio. There we were well received, and by the grace of God, were enabled to accomplish some good ; but ownng to the fact that the schools of that place did not afford as favorable an opportunity for the educational development of our children as we desired, and not feeling able to send them away to school, one of them being sickly, we desired to be appointed to some charge where our children could enjoy greater educational facilities. There was no reason why we should be moved at the end of the year, other than the one 118 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. we have just mentioned. So we said to the Elder if you can move us and put us some place where we can be useful and be supported, and, at the same time, have a better school for the children, please to move us. Well, we were moved, and sent to a charge where there is but a very small school and that so far away, that our invalid boy could attend, but a portion of the time. Brethren say to us after we are appointed there, I would not go if I were you. It is a shame to send you where you can not be supported ( for the charge was very weak indeed and unable to support any man with a family ) Yes, but what is one to do, when, like Joseph, he has been sold? It is of no use to be disobedient. You must take what is given you and make the best of it. So we went on to the charge. We found, as we always have, no matter where we have gone, some very kind people; but, at the same time, the charge was very weak, and unable to pay what we needed for anything like a competent support. We labor the whole year under financial difficulty, we are compelled to turn our attention to some secular matters, in order to supplement the amount the charge pays. We labor hard, and do the very best we know how. We visit the sick and afflicted, as often as we consistently can, in connection with our business arrangements, and we do not suffer them to hinder us in the preparation of our sermons. We do what we can for the benevolence of the church ; and we keep ourselves by the grace of God, THORNS AND BRIERS. 119 unspotted from the world." A steward asks us now and then, "how long, Parson are you to pur- sue the present course and be absent on business from the charge a part of the time ?" We tell him this will continue to the end of the year: for the charge is unable to support us without our doing something secularly, and we are in duty bound to support our family, and, if we cannot do it in one wa3% we must in another. Be it remembered, that we are publishing at this time, a small music book, and making efforts to sell it, in order that we may be able to pay the miller, the tailor, the butcher, the grocer, the merchant etc. Does it pay, sa3'S the S. Not very largely we reply ; nevertheless, it helps us out, and we shall and must pay our debts; and shall try to owe no man anything, but to love one another, for lov3 is the fulfillment of the law; and the Minister of the Gospel should pay all his honest debts. We find it exceedingly diflScult to be fully rec- onciled to this order of things, and it may be that we are not as contented and thankful, as we should be; and it may be, that having been used to charges nearly all our life, who were able to sup- port us, and who did support us, fox the most part very comfortably, we murmur somewhat, and our discontent reaches the ear of the powers that be, and we incur their displeasure. The year passes awa3% as all the years of life do, and we come to the last business meeting and we are asked, "how about being returned to the work another year," and we rather thoughtlessly say, "I should think, you would not ask us to go back 120 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. to such a work, for surely one year is sufficient in such a place.', ''Well," says the man at the helm of affairs, "I would not do as you have done." We ask, "What have we done?" He replies, "I would not go grumbling all the year. If I were sent to a place, I would accept of it, and do the best I could, or else I would leave the fitld." Our reply is, " We have grumbled but little, and we have worked hard, and have done the best we could under the circumstances. We have paid all our bills ; and while we have no money left, we owe no man a dollar. We are willing to take work any- where that we can be supported. He replies, "I am embarassed about you ; I know not whether to give you work another year, or not." We say, ''If you do not intend to give us work another year, we would like to know it now, so that we can prepare for the evil day.''^ He tells us that we do everything perfunctory. "When you pray,'' said he, "you pray perfunctory; when you bap- tized that child the other Sabbath, you baptized that perfunctory." We say, "That is cruel thus to talk. We do not pat our superior in office, on the back, as perhaps we ought, and it works to our disadvantage: for it is unwise not to submit, with a feeling of subordination, to those who are over us, even though they may be very arbitrary. We say to him, it is your own fault, that we prayed perfunctory upon the occasion of the baptism of the child to which you ha 7e just referred, We wanted you to baptize that child, and you would not. If you wanted to run the matter ,why did you not comply with our request ? Why did you insist that we should baptize the THORNS AND BRIERS. 121 child? We were about to administer baptism to the child, and, knowing the father of that child was not a suitable man, being not a professor of religion, to be called up at the baptism, we simply called up the mother, who was a believer. You cast reflection upon us in the presence ot our own people, by saying, "why do you not call up the father of the child ? " We felt as though wc could have sunk away, and it was no wonder that we could not pray with any heart, as you say, for you knocked all the heart out of us." By this course we only incurred the displeasure of the E. for he was a man of great dignity, one who thought a good deal of I and much less of you unless you happened to please him. We go to the C. We find to our sorrow, when the roll of effec- tive Ministers is presented, that we are not enrolled with them, but left out in the cold, to do the best we can for self. This is what we receive at the hands of those who should have stood by us! This is what we get for laboring day and night that we might not be chargeable to any." We have gone where we were sent, and labored in the fear and love of God ; and have left the charge in a better condition than it was when we found it. We have no place to lay our head ; we have nothing to do, though we have a large family to care for ! We are well nigh broken-hearted, for we feel that we have been very unjustly treated, and we know not which way to turn. We have been blamed b^^ our enemies, and by even some who call themselves our friends, for saying hard things about the church ; but we here publicly declare, that all such complaints made 122 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. against us, are without foundation ; and are absolutely false! We have complained of the arbitrariness of one man, and we do saj-, fearless of successful contradiction, that there was one man in the East Ohio Con. who treated us very ungentlemanly, and very unjustly ; and we cannot see how any man can be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and do as he did to us, unless he repent of it before God. But, be that as it may, we suffered thorns and briers enough upon the occasion referred to, and our heart was pricked severely, and only the balm of Grace enabled us to endure the wounding. To the honor and glory of God we say, that we were very unexpectedly brought out of that trouble, after having worked patiently for the space of some months. Well, we have spoken of thorns, for in giving a history of life, we must speak of the hills of difficulty, as well as the plains of pleasure; of the trials and conflicts, as well as the happy asso- ciations. If life were not a constant scene of warfare, if everything earthly were delightful, we might desire to remain here always, but This is not my place of resting: Mine's a city in the skies. We seek a city that is out of sight, whose builder and maker is God. It requires much to wean us from earth, and fit us for heaven. If by grace divine ( and it will only be by grace that we shall ever arrive there,) we reach that happy shore, we shall never be troubled with such scenes as the above. "There I shall bathe my weary soul, In seas of heavenly rest, And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast." J. J. E. LET US SING A SONG. J. J. EXCELL. ::1 -« — -0 — -» — — —5 — # — -J— mm bring, 1. We come this joy-ous, fes - tive day, A thank-ful trib-ute 2. The luscious fruits and love - ly flow'rs Which here so free-ly grow, 3. Our time and all we here pos -sess, We con - se-crate to him, 4. No pen nor tongue can tell his worth, None can with him com-pare, 5. His ban-ner we will glad-ly wave, With joy his prais-es sing. :t2zS: I Our ofF'rings on the al - tar lay. Of Je - sus Christ our King. Pre - sent we to this King of ours, From whom all blessings flow. Our robes shall be the right-eous-ness Of Him who dwells with-in. He's Lord of sea and air and earth. He rul - eth ev - 'ry-where. Our race he came to seek and save, Ex - alt this wondrous King. I <7HORITSi. A song sweet song, A song, we'll sing a song, sweet song Of Mo - ses and the Lamb: A song, we'll sing a song, sweet song Of Je - sus Christ our King. ^4 0'.^ By permission. 124 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XI. Pleasant Places. Some have wondered, whether in the other life, we shall remember all the past of this life, or whether those things which have been forbidding and distasteful, will have been forgotten, ere we reach that beautiful city. Perhaps this is not a question of so much importance as it might at first view appear, for, if we should remember all the unpleasant things of the past, all the mistakes and blunders of our earthly pilgrimmage, it would be but to thank God for having enabled us at last, not-with-standing all our follies and mistakes, to enter heaven. It may be said that v^^e live more in the past, and in the future, than in the present. We mourn that the scenes of childhood come to us no more, because the many ver\" happy and joyous days of youth are not repeated, and sometimes, in later life, when sorrow well nigh overwhelms us, we cry out, in the bitterness of the soul, "O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God pre- served me; when his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked throguh dark- ness."— Job 29:2-3. PLEASANT PLACES. 125 Yes, we think of the past with peculiar emo- tions. Then again, we are forever looking forward with great expectations to the future. We are in sorrow and trouble to-day, but we hope to be full of joy and gladness to-morrow. At least, we hope that the future will be more pleasant than the present. Often times we are sadly disapointed : for what we thought might be a great comfort to us, has been altogether the reverse. It was so with the children of Israel. They were not satis- fied with a theocratical form of government, but wanted a monarchy. God granted them a king, and they were less happy than before. So it is often with us, the very thing which we most desire, it may be, and which we persist in having, is not the best thing tor us at all ! But it is pleas- ant to remember the happy days of life, and to forget, if possible, all the wrongs and grievances, or only to think of them with a forgiving spirit ; remembering while others have grieved us, we in turn have grieved others ; even though we may not have meant to. During our life there have been many, many things of interest which we gladly and thankfully remember. It is a beautiful night, the stars are shining brightly, and the moon is walking in her silvery orbit; for "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handywork. "Day unto da^^ uttereth speech, and night unto night, sheweth knowledge." " There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." 126 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIT'E. If the heavens praise the Lord, why should not the children of men? Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. Listen, yonder is the voice of prayer. An individual is pouring out his soul unto God; he is invoking Divine guidance, and heavenly care; he is wrestling, like Jacob of old, with the angel of the covenant; and says to him, "I will not let thee go unless thou bless me." Listen again, not far from where we now stand and where we can hear the voice of prayer, are persons singing praises to God. In oue respect they are like Paul and Silas, in another, they are altogether different. They are not con- fined in prison, but are free, free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, and no one wishes to disturb them. They have been lately emancipated, not from Southern Slavery, but from the thraldom of the devil, from the bondage of sin, and have been brought into the kingdom of Grace. They are now heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, and they are singing songs of thanksgiving to the Lamb. There are but few houses in the village of Foot-Hill, where there is not the voice of prayer and praise, for God hath poured out his spirit, and the inhabitants of the place sing, yea they sing praises unto the Lord of Hosts ; the language of their heart is, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Another scene of like character presents itself. It is the hour of prayer, and the people of Reedsburg have gathered together in the church. A sermon has been preached, hymns have been sung, PLEASANT PLACES. 127 prayers have been offered, and, in answer to the united prayer of the church, the Holy Spirit has been poured out, and many have been pricked to the heart, and have cried out, "men and brethren v\^hat shall we do to be saved?" In every corner of the church are penitents. Here is a little group, some are singing, some are praying for pardon, while others are rejoicing in God their Savior. The parson is bus}^ here and there, now with one group, now v^^ith another, and then v^ith another. O, what an interesting hour! People are being brought to Christ, and the angels are carrying the news to heaven that the dead are alive, and the lost are found ! From this meeting there went out a holy and healthy influence, and many in the neighborhood were led to see the error of their ways, and they embraced Christ. Quite a goodly number united with the church at *' Sunshine and while some of them have died and gone to glory, the most of them are still living and walking in the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. " 0 that each in the day of his coming' May say, I have fought my way through — I have finished the work, thou didst give me to do. 0, that each from his Lord, may receive the glad word, Well and faithfully done ; Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne. How refreshing it is to recall such scenes! How glad we are to live them over and over again ! What blessed communion is the communion of saints ! 128 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. " The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father's throne, We pour our ardent prayers. Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, — Our comforts and our cares." Many a time have we met with the people of God, and our faith has been strengthened, and we have felt that a day in the courts of the Lord's house was better than a thousand. " I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield ; the Lord will give grace and glory ; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." The many happy hours we spent with the people of the Quadruple Charge, will always be re- membered with gratitude, by the pastor, as long as life lasts. Yea, in the glory world, he expects to remember them with jo^^ and to praise the Lord for introducing him to that people. Never were a people nearer the heart, or more deeply rooted in the affections of the pastor, than this people were. They had received him though young and inexperienced in the ministry, as an angel of God. They had stood by him in hours of care, and toil, and trouble. When death had visited his family, they had greatly helped him, and never had they been wanting in kindness and love. With a little exception, they were always glad to see him and his family, come what hour of the day or day, of the week they might, and there PLEASANT PLACES. 129 were but few occasions when the parson felt he was not welcome. The people of that charge were so different from what they are in some other charges. They did not expect a pastor to wait from w^eek to week for an invitation to come such a day, though they did sometimes set apart certain days when they desired the pastor to pay them a visit; but if he should happen to come when he was not specially invited, they were not mad about it, neither did they turn a cold shoul- der, like some have done elsewhere. In some places a minister may start in the morning, make pastoral calls until noon, then go home, eat his dinner, after having walked a mile or two, then take up his line of march again, go from house to house until evening time, and then go home with- out tea, no one having asked him either to eat or drink. Never did the pastor of the Quadruple Charge have such an experience there. He has never been known to spend a day in pastoral work with that people during all the years of his stay with them, without being asked to eat, and without being pressed so to do. Indeed they are a hospitable people and their kindness can never be forgotten ! yiay heaven reward them. During our ministry of over forty-four years, we have been frequently called upon to tie knots. This has been a very pleasant exercise. Sometimes knots do not hold, but the most of those we have had the privilege of tying, have held very well. Some of those, however, who were united by us in the bands of holy wedlock have been separated 130 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. by the hand of death and one or the other has been left to tread the path of life alone. If a parson is called upon at his residence to perform a marriage ceremony, that scene is not so full of interest, for then there is no dinner served, and consequently no roast turkey, goose or chicken, (it is said that clergymen are extrava- gantly fond of chicken and that some chickens are terrified v^hen they see a minister ) unless the preacher provide it himself, and that would not pay. The earliest wedding the writer ever attended was one at his residence which occurred at one o'clock in the a. m. The parties came some distance, and the reason they came so early was, they wanted to take the cars at a town some miles distant, and in order to take the right train, at the right time, they had to start early. The bride was a twin, a very fine young woman, and the groom was in every way worthy of her, for he was a very earnest, devoted christian gentleman, and was very bright and industrious. They both did well, and are at this writing still living and doing well. The latest couple we ever married was one that stealthily came at 11 o'clock one nijjht, to get united together in the bonds of holy wedlock. They did not come at that hour for fear of the Jews, as Nicodemus did to Jesus by night; nor did they c me because there was anything wrong in their getting married, but for some reason best known to themselves, they desired the wedding kept a profound secret for three weeks; then the parson might tell, but not till then. The bride wanted her mother to know nothmg about it till then. So they were married as quietly as PILEASANT PLACES. 131 possible! Nobody was disturbed and nobody hurt, and after they were pronounced husband and wife, they departed in peace and were as happy as sunflowers. No one suspected any- thino^, but when the three weeks had expired, the parson of course told it. They have been in the habit of setting up late at night ever since, per- haps it is owing to their late marriage. Some- times the writer was luckj- enough to marry several out of one family. There was indeed one man, who lived about five or six miles from the manse, who had several children, and the parson was called there upon more than one occasion to eat turkey or goose, and to unite in the bonds of holy wedlock two loving ones. We recollect quite distinctly a number of times being called upon to perform the happy ceremony by means of which two, if not more, were made glad by the operation. The father was very much v addicted to smoking, perhaps he brought the habit with him from England, it maybe however that he learned the art of smoking in this country, for once in a w^hile there might have been seen years ago, a person smoking; but he said he only smoked once a day, and that was all the time, and even sometimes he took a pipe to bed with him, so that he might be able to smoke in the night, if he should happen to wake up. He was not quite so bad as the parson's father, for while he did not smoke tobacco, but simply herbs, and did not take his pipe to bed with him, he once had the misfortune to set his buggy on fire, and, had he not seen it in time, the buggy would probably have been destroyed, if the person in it had not 132 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. been. There was also a Minister of the Gospel, ( and with shame we say it, for no man who has been called of God, as was Aaron, should belittle himself by the use of tobacco, unless it be strictly for his health, and now in some Conferences they will ordain no man to the Ministry who will not renounce the use of tobacco) w^ho w^as so addicted to the use of the weed, that he set himself on fire, and was so badly burned that he came very near dying from the accident. It is wonderful what a slave some people are to their passions and appetites. At the place above referred to there was an abundance of roast goose, chicken, ham, ' beef, potatoes, sausage, jellies, and pies of nearly all sorts, and things too many to be now noticed, for the feeding of the physical man, and good compa- ny to beguile the hours. Once we went ten long miles in the rain, and through the mud, to a wedding; but it paid very well indeed, for we not only had a very fine dinner and a very pleasant time, but when the bridegroom paid us, he counted out three five dollar bills. That was the most we ever received for tying a knot, and the least we ever received was nothing. It occurred as follows : A young man by the name of desired the parson to pronounce the words, "you two are husband and wife," upon the occasion of a Sunday School celebration. There were hundreds of people gathered together in the woods, and all seemed to enjoy themselves greatly. The parson had the parties take their seats on an old log which had lain there for generations. Then, when the proper time had arrived, he bade PLEASANT PLACES. 133 them stand up, and after asking them a few questions, they were made one. Whether the young man was so frightened that heforgot even to thank the parson for uniting him in the bonds of holy wedlock with such an ex- cellent lady as he obtained, or whether he did not have enough to pay, as he thought, the parson properly, for having done such a good thing for him, or whether he has never felt able, from that time to this, to pay the parson, Madame Rumor does not say, but one thing is certain, the parson has not been paid for his services up to this day ! It is, however, far easier after all ( if you have enough left to pay the preacher ) to get married, than to live right after you are married, still there is no doubt but marriage is ordained of God, and that a married life is most conducive to longevity, prosperity and happiness. Once when we were preaching in Pennsylvania, we were away on business one afternoon, and a man by the name of called to see us to arrange for a wedding. Finding we were not at home, he asked Mrs. Excell for a pen and paper, and, after considerable time had been spent in the prepara- tion of a short note to us, he left and went home. When we came home and read the epistle we found that we were requested to be at the Parsonage on the next Tuesday Evening at 8 o'clock, as there was to be a wedding there at that time. Well, Tuesday night came, and the children desired to sit up and see the couple married. It was a cold winter night and the sleigh-bells were ever and anon ringing, and every now and then we expected 134 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. the betrothed parties would put in an appearance, but 8 o'clock came, 9 o'clock and even 11 o'clock, but no weddingers came. One of the children became very much displeased because they came not, and said to her father, *'you ought to charge them five dollars any way." "Can't jou charge them father?" We said O no, not if they do not come. We all retired to rest, but they came not that night. The next day the groom came over and said, she, the bride, had been taken sick, as she always did when he wanted to marry, and there- fore they could not come, but that he would get married and that we should have the job." Some weeks passed awa3' and word was again sent by the same man, that we should please be at home on the next Tuesday night, as they would be there to get married. The time came, we sat up as before, but they came not. A day or two after, Mr. M. came and stated that her father was not satisfied with the proposed alliance, but never-the- less, they would soon be married and we should have the job. Some weeks after this we were at a school house, preaching, and after meeting, a Mrs. G. handed us a note, which read, "please beat home next Tuesday eve, at 8 o'clock, as there will be a wedding there at that hour." We turned to Mrs. G. and said, *'if the parties are now coming, , it is all right, but if they are not, we do not want to be fooled any longer, foi* we have sat up twice, waiting for them, and do not want to again unless they mean business. Mrs. G. said, she thought they meant business this time. Before the ap- PLEASANT PLACES. 135 pointed time the man came saying, they had postponed the wedding for the present. Some time after that, we met him at a funeral and asked about his lady-love, and he said, she had gone her way, and he was going his. Sometime after that he was married to another party, but we did not ''get the job." Once when we were serving the R. Charge we became acquainted with a young lady by the name of A. S. who was very much attached to us as a pastor, and who said, that if ever she became married she should employ the pastor, J. J. E. to perform the ceremony. Well, it so happened some time after, that she and her mother had removed to Smithville, Ohio, and she became acquainted with a Mr. P. and they were engaged to be married. We were making a calling visit at the house of her mother, and in the evening she remarked that had she known that we were coming there that evening, sh^ would have been married ; moreover she said, that if her intended was willing, she believed she would any way. She sought him, he was willing, and so we married them, and the3^ were happy. They have raised quite a large family: and, at this writing, the^^ are well and doing well. They live in Ashland, Ohio. May God bless them all. A very pleasing and happy episode of our life occurred in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio, on the first of January 1898, when all our family met in a grand re-union. Not, since the death of their sainted mother, had they enjoyed the great privi- lege of being all of one accord in one place. Now, they were all here, and it was an event that we had 136 LIGHTS AND SHADOWvS OF LIFE. looked forward to with a great deal of pleasure and anticipation. They came from different parts of the country, to spend a few days in father's and each other's company. Not one of the children was missing. Some came from , quite a dis- tance, Prof. E. O. Excel! and wife, from Chicago, 111., C. E. Excell, from Zanesville, Ohio, Mrs. Emma Excell LA^nn, from Akron, Ohio, M. C. Excell, from Wellsville, Ohio, Mrs. Y. V. Williams, from Cleveland, Ohio, Mrs. L. G. Marsh and husband, from Akron, Ohio, and Rev. J. G. Excell, from Pittsburg, Pa. The father, Rev. J. J. Excell made a short ad- dress to all the children, giving them such counsel and advice as he thought best, recounting some of the blessings and mercies of God, exhorting them to be of one mind and heart, and to be helpful to each other, and commending them to God and to the word of His grace. Mrs. Emma Excell Lynn responded in her happy style, speaking of the great privileges the family enjoyed, and the pleasure it gave them to be altogether once more, and expressing a hope that they might all at last through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, meet in Heaven. The Rev. Mr. Smith, of the M. E. Church, of Wooster, offered prayer, and also made some appropriate remarks, as did also the Rev. Mr. Beck, of the Reformed Church of Wooster, Ohio. Prof, E. O. Excell sung several solos, while the family together sang several beautiful pieces, some of them Prof. E. O. Excell's composing; and the father sang with excited, though grateful voice, Light in the Cloud," of his own composing. PLEASANT PLACES. 137 Prayer was offered by the father, and the bene- diction pronounced, and thus the program ended for that day. The children remained over Sabbath, and on Sabbath evening attended the M. E. Church where they all united in a service of song, and the youngest of the family, J. G. Excell, preached a short, but rather suggestive sermon. After spend- ing just a few days together, the children were forced to separate, and each went to resume the cares and responsibilities of life. It was a scene which we all love to contemplate. < i i which we shall all remember with glad and t ;ik;ul hearts, and wc devoutly pray that we ma} j.11 at least meet in heaven. DRIFriNG WITH THE TIDE. J. J. E. J. J. E. 1. O Christ, thou art our trust y guide, While on a boundless sea we ride, 2. Yes, on we go, we can - not stay, Life bears us on day af ter day, 3. Sometimes life't waves run very high, The wind blows hard, and dark the sky, 4. We soon shall reach the harbor bar. It may not now be ver - y far, 5. Ah, when we've reached the other shore.The storms of life will all be o'er. We know not what may us betide ; We're drifting,drifting with the tide. On earth we shall not long a bide,We re drifting,drifting with the tide. But in our Pi - lot we con-fide, Tho' drifting, drifting with the tide. But peace - ful ly our time we'll bide, We're drifting ev - er with the tide. Then with our Pi - lot we'll a - bide, No long - er drifting with the tide. ' On earth we can - not long a - bide, We are drift ing with the tide. ZJ-g-j EXPERIEMCES ON CHARGES. 139 CHAPTER XII. Experiences on Charges. As it is very pleasing for an aged person, who has always from his earliest recollection, been a child of God, and a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, to look back upon his past life with feelings of gratitude to God, who has enabled him to spend and be spent in the service of the Lord: so it is very pleasing and gratifying indeed for us to be able to look back and not only to say, ^ "hitherto the Lord hath helped me," but He has also enabled us to be helpful to others, in pointing them to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. As we review the history of life and go in our thoughts from place to place in our ministerial life, we see abundant cause for grati- tude to God for the success which has crowned our labors. True, we have done but little in comparison with some others, who perhaps have been the means, in the hands of God, of the con- version ot hundreds of thousands, nevertheless, to God be all the glory, we trust we have been the means of leading a goodly number out of darkness into light. While we were in the active ministry, / 140 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. we know not a single «year in which we were not the instrument of more or less conversions. The first year we travelled south of Canton : and although our ministry was not marked with signal success, at the same time we felt that we were doing at least some good in the vineyard of Christ. In the year of 1854 we went to Reedsburg where we labored nearly ten years, and during that time our labors were blest in the Lord, and hundreds were brought into the fold. Two new congregations or societies were organized, and those we found on the charge, when we went there, were very much strengthened and built up. From Reedsburg we went to Wadsworth, where we remained about 18 months, during which time we organized one congregation, if we remember rightly, and throughout the entire charge, which at that time consisted of Wads- worth, Rhodes Corners, Manchester, and Johnson's Corners, there were more or less conversions, and additions to the church. From thence we went to Kent, Portage Co., Ohio, and labored there by the space of two years. There we were well received, and we accomplished good in the hands o God, but at the same time we were not remark- ably successful there, owing to some things which took place, over which we seemingly had but little control. One thing that seemed to militate against our success there, was the securing of a new parsonage, which caused division in the congregation, and whenever there are divisions in churches, they will not be eminently useful. EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 141 The old parsonage stood down by the C. river about a half a mile away ; and it was no longer very suitable for any family to occupy, as it had become very much impaired by the lapse of time. A part of the leading members of the church wanted a new parsonage, a part were in favor of an exchange for one near the church, and others were in favor of the minister remaining in the old one, thinking that as it had been good enough for other preachers, in other days, it would be good enough for us then. So some became offended and withdrew their influence from the church, and that of course weakened her, and as a result we were unable to perform the good we otherwise might have done; had the church been entirely united. We were ver^^ successful in repairing the church property, raising hundreds of dollars for that purpose, and even in the midst of our prosperity, we were somewhat crippled on account of the way a part of the money was raised, for, instead of selling the articles that had been made by the kind hands of the ladies of the church and congre- gation, to be sold at the church fair, to the highest bidder, they were numbered and sold by drawing, lottery fashion, to which we conscientiously objected, and against which we raised our voice. Perhaps we did not bear with the course of pro- cedure with as much meekness as Moses would have done; at all events some of the members took unbrage at our course and consequently our influence ^as curtailed, and we did not accom- plish what we might have done, had the case been different. At the same time, to the praise of God 142 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. be it said, we were the means of more or less con- versions at that place, and not only so, at Brimfield where we also preached at that time, there were a goodly number brought into the fold of Christ, Next we went to Brady's Bend, Pa., where we remained two years, and where, by the help of God, we were enabled to accomplish some good. At first we were very much dissapointed in being sent there, for it was such a different place from any that we had been accustomed to, that we knew not how to adapt ourself to the situa- tion, but we found, after we had been there a few months, that we were among a very kind people indeed, and we were thankful that our lot had been cast among them. No people could be more respectful and kind to a pastor than they were. The charge was large, but we had a number of helpers, who assisted us in the work of the minis- try ; and thus we were enabled to supply all the pulpits of the charge, and carry on the work. It is true there was no large and extensive revival there as we sometimes had had, and which in later years, on some other charges, we were enabled to witness; but, at the same time, there were a goodly number of hopeful conversions, and also additions to the different Societies. It is, however, a cause for regret that owing to the failure of the B. B. Iron Co., of that place, the Church at that place was almost annihilated, so to speak. That is to say, the place was very nearly abandoned, and, as a consequence, the member- ship became greatly reduced, and the society was finally lost, or merged into another. EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 143 When we were on route for this place, which by way of distinction, we call Smoke Town, we passed through a very delightful country. The iron horse took us along very finely, and a kind providence smiling, we soon reached our new field of labor. On and on we pressed, sweeping round curve after curve, until we arrived at our destina- tion. It was dark when we arrived there, and therefore we could tell but little about the place. We took the ferr3^-boat and passed over the Alleg- hany river. We were at once introduced to Mr. B., who seemed to be a very quiet and unassuming man. He has dark eyes, is strongly built, very positive in his character, well-posted in church matters generally, is a great friend of the preacher and especially of the P. E., and is considered very liberal and quite orthodox. He lives at the foot of an inclined plane, and is blest with an excellent wife and several children. After supper and family prayer, we were kindly shown to bed. We could not sleep very well, although the company, room, and bed, were all that could be desired, for wc'were too anxious to see what kind of a place we had found in western Pennsylvania. Early the next morning we arose in pretty good health, but not in very good spirits, for we feared we had been sold. Joseph was sold into Egypt, and we feared we had been sold into Pennsylvania. We took a walk up the inclined plane, back of the house where we were lodging, in order to view, if possible. Smoke Town. Here and there we could see a few blocks or buildings rudely constructed. Of course to speak ironically, they were good enough for miners ; for wh^^ should they have anything better 144 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE, than a rudely constructed house in which to live? The^^ spend the greater part of the time in digging dusty diamonds under ground, and if their houses were too fine, the contrast would be too great between the mine and the house, and the^' might not be able to endure it. Some of the houses are built of logs and remind us of our boy-hood days, when we began life in a log-house, and indeed we spent many pleasant hours therein. Then father, and mother, and brother and sister were there, and we were all happy in each other's love and af- fection. But ah, those days are gone, and father and mother are laid away to rest! Some of the houses present a fair appearance, and some look more like stables than houses; indeed, one lady, who came to this country from England, when she saw those rows of houses, inquired of the driver of the coach, what they did with so many stables in the place ? The town, if town you can call it, extends up through along valley three miles in length. On either side are rugged hills, and the whole town presents a very singular appearance. The church is at the foot of a large cinder-pile, and although it is rather comfortable, at the same time, it looks as though it might have been built a good many years ago. The parsonage is not far off, but stands in front of a large hill, and is close to the rail-road, so that shotild the parson be blest with any children, they can have the privilege of playing on the road, and the engineer can have the privilege of ringing the bell, or blowing the whistle to scare them, and then it will be so pleasant to watch the little folks, especially when one is tired of study, or of house-work ! EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 145 On the hills grows the laurel, which is so poisonous to sheep, though they seldom eat it. There is in this village a large rolling-mill, which is in full blast at present, and employs quite a goodly number of men, the most of whom make good wages, but the most of them spend money as fast or even faster than they make it. Now and then one is very economical and frugal, and lays by something for a rainy day. There is also a large furnace in the place as well as some other shops, and also a largecompany store. The whole place is owned by a large company, called the B. B. I. Company. ( This was the case when we went there in 18 — but since that time, indeed shortly after we left the place the Company aban- doned the enterprise, and the place was well nigh depopulated.) After we had our morning walk, we came back to the house where a plain but substantial meal was soon in readiness for us. We njust say that we felt rather sad and disappointed, but we said so to no one, for we knew it would make the matter no better. After breakfast we soon went to the church, where we preached for the first time in Pennsylvania. The congregation was of course, not large, for the town was not very large ; and then, it was not very generally known that there would be preaching on that day. We preached with usual liberty, and trust we gave general satisfaction. In the evening, we preached again, and tried to be as well contented as we could be, under the^circumstances. 146 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. On Monday morning we took a walk upon what was formerly called the Hog's Back, where we could look awa\^ some distance. The river was rolling along just as it had done for years, and perhaps for ages, and the ferry-boat was plying between opposite shores. There was considerable travel, for people were coming and going all the time. A sense of great loneliness came over us, for we were in a strange land, entirely among strang- ers, and, had not a sense of duty actuated us, we should, as soon as possible, have taken the train and returned to Ohio, never to go back to Pa.; but we knew we dare not act the part of Jonah, but must go where duty calls us. Everything looked dark and forbidding, but we said we must trust in God and do the right, and all will be well. Of course we believed, as every true christian does, that the Lord cares for, and defends his people. "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose, but He permits His people to be greatly tempted and tried, though "He cannot be temp)ted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. ** After packing and arranging, w^e started with our familj' for the city of Smoke Town, w^here, in the Prov. of God. we spent two 3^ears in preaching the Gospel and building np the church of the Uving God. We have spoken somewhat of the kindness and love of that people, but w^sh further to say they were very good by way of donations; they would come by twos and threes, and so on, and EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 147 find oat what the parson needed the most, and then they would bring those things and present them to him. For instance, they would find out the size of a boy's foot, but how, one could hardly tell, and then in a few days that boy would have a new pair of boots; or the size of his head, and pretty soon he would have a new hat. Every now and then they would come with well laden baskets of good things for the parson and his family. Now they come from the North, and then from the South. There were two whom we shall call Hope and Charity, who were very kind indeed to us while we remained there. Mrs. Hope was a very faithful, energetic, patient, kind and loving sister. Many and many an hour have we spent in her company, or, rather," at her home, for she was most always too busy to visit very much when we were there. Mrs. Hope and her helper, Mrs. Charity, were frequently at our house, and they were among the most active in all the community in looking after the parson and his family. Ah! one of those of whom we now write and whose memory we fondly cherish, has, years ago, gone to her long home, and her children are occupying positions of honor and usefulness in the land. There was a place on the upper part of the work, where the people were nearly all English; but, although their ways and manners differ much from the Yankees, at the same time they were very social and kind indeed, and they paid great respect to the pastor, and all tried to make him comfortable and happy. So, the time passed rather pleasantly, and we became ac- 148 LIGH'TS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. customed to the manners of the people, and we were enabled to adapt ourselves to them. One very sore trial that we had while at " Smoke Town" was the illness of one of our children. Ever since he had had the whooping cough he had been more or less afflicted with Asthma, which all who have been afflicted with it know, it is a terrible disease, and one that is very difflcult to cure. This son was very bad indeed, there was so much smoke and dust that it seemed as if he could not live. Poor boy, how much he suffered before he became acclimated! Indeed he never was well there and we think never would have been. It is so hard to see one suffer and not be able to alleviate their distress! We have seen children who had to suffer on account of the sins of the parents. Many children of drunkards suffer untold agony. Some in one way, and some in another. We read in the Scriptures, "for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of them that hate me." So we have already said, the people of Smoke- Town were very kind to us. Once, when we were at the house of Mrs. Hope, her husband told us that it would soon rain upon us. We did not know fully what he meant, but at the same time had a pretty good idea. Not long after that we had a present of a com- plete suit of fine clothes! Indeed, they were very fine and good too; but how they ever found our measure, we are not able to say. In this connec- tion it may be well to remark, that while the EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 149 clothes were being" made, some scamp of a fellow who wanted clothes pretty badly, and was too lazy to earn them, stole a part of the suit, and, like Achan of old, hid them in " his tent." It was sup- posed he took them, and so a search warrant was obtained, and at length the missing articles were found, and he was bound over to court. It was some time before we obtained the suit, but at length we were made the happy recipients of the ''same." Many and various were the favors we received from the people, and we always think of them with gratitude, and pray that the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob may cause the blessings of his Providence and grace to rest upon them. The longer we lived there the better we liked the people. Some people bear acquaintance, while others do not. It is especially so with Christ. The more you learn of him, the more you converse with him, and the closer you live to him, the more and more you love him, and the greater is the comfort you enjoy in his society. The more closely you walk in his holy footsteps, the greater will be your desire to be like him, and to be with him. " Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that, when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. " "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. — John 111:2-3. After remaining at Smoke Town two years, we should have gladly remained there longer, but the Great Wheel in its wonderful revolution, carried us to another field of labor. While we • were at this place, several very 150 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. strange things occurred. For instance, when we were preaching one evening, some one under the influence of hquor, made some disturbance, and we, being very much displeased, called the atten- tion of one of the official members to it, but he just raised up his head a little and looked over the con- gregation, and not seeing the man who made the disturbance, settled back into his former, easy position. We then said, "Brother B. please see who that is and take his name." This he did, and reported to us. The next day the officers of the church, said, "We better make an example of this man, by fining him." We told them we had never yet arrested any one for disturbing a meeting, but if they thought that the best way, they might pro- ceed, but that they should be sure to do it in such a way as that they would not be beaten : for, said we, there was a case in the West where a church was beaten in the following way. Some boys had disturbed a religious meeting very much by stamping with there feet on the floor, while they were sitting in their pews, and when the church attempted to prove the disturbance, one and another was asked in reference to the matter, but they were unable to prove the case. For instance, one was asked, " Were you present at a meeting in such a church, in such a place, and at such a time?,. And he would say, "Yes." Was there any dis- turbance? He would say, "Yes." Who dis- turbed the meeting: Those boys. Where did you sit in the church? So and so. How did the boys disturb the meeting? By shuffling their EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 151 feet. Were you so seated as that you could see their feet move ? No, but I heard them. How do you know then whose feet moved ? Well, I do not know, but I believe. That we cannot take as evi- dence. So one and another testified and nothing was proven. So, said we, if you take up this \ fellow, be sure to prove your case, or else, if he beat you, the rough fellows will be worse than ever. The church brought him before the justice of the peace, and the law in Pennsylvania is very severe on offenders in that particular, the fine being fifty dollars or imprisonment. The poor fellow had no money with which to pay his fine, and, having no credit, he could not borrow, and he knew not what to do. He had a large family and they needed his services. Well, the justice was a class-leader in the church, and at that time had a good influence, and was full of sympathy and com- passion, and, not liking to afflict the family by send- ing the man to prison, he told him that if he would promise to leave the work and never repeat his of- fense, he would forgive him. So he did. One day soon after this we were going up to the store, and one of the bosses at the furnace called us and said he had something to say to us, " Well, Mr. R., what is it?" "Well," said he, won't your riverence please pardon that man that disturbed your matin the other night ? He is a poor, ignorant fellow, and then, he was in liquor, and your riverence knows that when liquor gets into an Irishman, wit gets out. We said to him, "He has no business to get 152 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. drunk, he should let whiskey alone, as we do, and then he will not get drunk." " Well, I know, "said the boss, "but, then he will never do so again, I wish your riverence would please pardon him," for he is a poor fellow and he cannot pay his fine, and if you will please pardon him, he will never do so again, "Well," said we, "if he will never do so again, we will pardon him." "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir," said the Irish boss, "you're a gintleman, you're a gintleman." In the year 187- we left the City of and started for CaUfornia, where we intended to stay for a short time. During the last year we had labored very hard, and we were weU nigh ex- hausted, and therefore felt the need of rest. So we concluded to go to the land of gold, not for the purpose of hunting the precious metal, but for the purpose of regaining, what is more precious than gold, health and strength. Next to the love of God in the soul, there is no greater blessing that we can enjoy, than health. When we are hearty and strong we are not apt to prize health and strength as we should ; but when we have been feeble for some time, or when we see others ill, or when we have regained health and strength, we feel like blessing God for so great a boon. Alliance is a flourishing town at the crossing of the P. Ft. W. & C. R. R, and the C. & P. R. R., both of these roads do a very fine business, especially the Ft. W. & C. The rolling stock is ample and in good condition, aud great pains are taken to keep EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 153 the tracks in repair. The one road observes the Sabbath, while the other does not. In travelhng from AlUance to Chicago we pass through a number of important towns. At length we arrive at Chicago, This is a large and very im- portant city, containing some very fine buildings indeed, perhaps almost as fine as any in the world. Chicago bids fair at some future time to be the Metropolis of A. While there we had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Fowler preach. His text was, " Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." He preached a very practical sermon which he beautifully illustrated. Speaking of thp Lake, we thought as we looked upon its calm bosom, what a voyage is life ! How many start with fair prospects of success ; the sails are spread to the breeze and the boat rides gallantly, but soon, ah ! too soon, the storm arises, and the vessel is wrecked ! Yes, many are ship wrecked, and never reach the port of usefulness ! There are many who, when storms arise, give away the anchor of hope, and perish forever ! From Chicago to Omaha one travels over a very beautiful and fertile country, abounding in rich pasture fields ; and through some very fine and prosperous towns. Iowa is indeed a very fertile State, much better than we expected to find it. The prairies are very large and beautiful, not so low as they are in Illinois. The taste of the people is good, and they appear to be happy. Omaha is a large town situated in the midst of a very fertile country, on the bank of the Missouri 154 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. river. It contains a goodly number of churches. Those most flourishing are the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Lutheran. There is also a strong Roman Catholic Church here, and they have a convent. For about five hundred miles from Omaha the country is very level. In some places the land is very fertile, but in others scarcely anything grows. In some places we met w^ith a little animal called a wild dog. It is so called because its bark resembles that of a dog ; In form and appearance it resembles a ground-squirrel, only it is larger. They burrow in the earth, and sometimes have what might be called a town. Sometimes they have an owl for a watchman, and when he gives the alarm they betake themselves to their hiding places. The houses in that country are few and far between. For instance we went through a place called Echo City, but where is the city? Echo answers, w^here? You might wonder what the people subsist upon, for, although there is a valley, it is not the valley of fatness, I am sure. The people are mostly Mormons, the place being about sixty miles from Salt Lake City. One afternoon, as we were travelhng through that part of the country, a most magnificent scene presented itself. Just by a bridge there is a deep gorge; the rocks are piled one upon another. The query is, "how came they so? " Every here and there there, is a path among the rocks and hills, not to say mountains. This may be called the field of rocks. Here a small pile and there a very large EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 155 one. Sometimes the rocks are all piled up in con- fusion; then, ag-ain, they look as though they had been arranged by the hand of art, appearing like so many castles of stone. In some places the scenery is awfully sublime — the everlasting hills piled one upon another, sometimes almost perpen- dicular, rising hundreds and even thousands of feet till they almost kiss the clouds. Then again they overlook the road, and seem to threaten to fall upon you and crush you to atoms. Sometimes there is a large pile standing by itself, laughing at the storm and bidding defiance to chance and time. Next we came to a place called Devil's Gap, which is indeed a remarkable place. Why it re- ceived that name we know not. Whether it in any way resembles his Satanic Majesty or no, we are unable to say, for we have never seen him and never desire to. The railroad crosses a very swift little stream, and there is a deep gap in the hills through which the waters pass, rushing and foaming like an angry sea. Next we arrive at Ogden, the terminus of the Union Pacific R. R. and the commencement of the Central R. R. This is naturally a very pretty place hemmed in on all sides by hills, with a nice out- let. With a little trouble and skill the inhabitants of this town might be so besieged that it would be impossible to escape! Salt Lake is quite large, being about seventy-five miles long from North to South, and thirty wide. Its surface is 4200 feet above the level of the sea. The water is about 156 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. four times as salty as the sea. It has, so far as we know, no Uving creatures in it, though immense flocks of gulls, wild dncks, geese, and swans frequent its shores, and islands. The water is clear and transparent, and contains about 22 per cent, of chloride of Sodium, slightly mixed with other salts, and forms one of the purest and most concentrated brines in the world. The water is very buoyant, so that a person may float in it at full length on his back, having his head and neck, with his legs to the knees and both arms to the elbows, entirely out of the water. A bath in this water is both refreshing and invigorating, but the body should be washed with water to remove the salt. As you pass through California, you can see numerous water-courses, made for the purpose of carrying water to the miners, for washing the precious dust, in order to obtain the gold. Milhons of dollars have been extracted from mother earth, and millions more remain. Ah! how many have left home and all its endearments, for the purpose of obtaining the precious metal! Some left honor, truth, integrity, uprightness and all that is noble and excellent behind, and gave way to an inordinate desire for gold. Perhaps some realized their expectations, while many, and by far too many, came back poorer than they went. Yes, poorer in every respect, poorer in purse, and poorer in morals, absolutely ruined; thereby ful- filling the declaration of the Apostle, that they who will be rich, fall into temptation and a snare. Sacramento is quite an important and beautiful EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 157 city for California, for whatever California may- boast of, she can by no means compare with the other States of the Union in beautiful cities. Leaving Sacramento, you pass through a most delightful valley, where the fields are nearly as level as a floor. They are very large and fertile, producing large quantities of wheat. Speaking of wheat, the farmers thresh it in the fields and then put it into bags and stack them up in large piles, some of them as high as a small barn, and leave them for weeks and even months in the open air; for there is no danger of rain before the month of November or December in that latitude. The streets of San Francisco are rather narrow; and some of them have extremely heavy grades, over one foot in five. Many of the houses must be reached by several flights of steps. It is the metropolis of California and is situated on a bay of the Pacific Ocean. There are several fortifications for the protection and defense of the city. The churches are well represented. Among the lead- ing ones are Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal and Roman Oatholic. There are fourteen Metho- dist, eleven Presbyterian, and nine Catholic. Among objects of special interest are Mechanics Hall, St. Calvary, and Immanuel churches, the Masonic, and Odd Fellows Cemeteries, and the Grand Hotel, one of the most finely finished and best furnished in the United States at that time. The Woodward Gardens contained a very fine variety in the vegetable, mineral and animal king- 158 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. doms. The botanical department contained speci- mens from nearly all parts of the world. Every- thing is arranged finely and grows very luxuriantly The Geological department contains fine specimens of defunct, and also of living animals. There are some of the savage monsters of California, Asia and Africa, such as the lion, bear, leopard, tiger, wild cat, hyena, etc. Nearly all sorts of animals can be seen either dead, or alive. The onitho- logical department is also quite good. The paintings are not very fine. Taking all things into consideration it is rather a fine museum. One of the greatest places of especial interest in California, is the Yosemite Valley. In order to get there, you should take the stage at Stockton and travel over a dusty country, for many miles, till you are almost blinded and nearly sutfocated. The farms, in this part of the state are unusually large, containing in some instances twenty thousand acres. One firm of brothers by the name of Tralfal, had raised eighty thousand bushels of wheat the summer we were there. Another man in the same neighborhood had twenty thousand head of sheep, and one spring he had six thousand lambs. Speaking of farming, they farm on a very large scale. Their instruments for ploughing, reaping, threshing, etc. are the very best. It would seem that wherever you irrigate in Cali- fornia, you can have good crops, but owing to the dry weather, but little can be raised without irrigation. Nearly every farmer has a wind-mill with which to pump water for irrigation and other uses. As you proceed you come to the Chinese Camp. The most of the Chinese have a thievish EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 159 disposition, for most of them will steal little things, just like the Indians, only they are not so openly impudent. It may be different now, for they may have R. R. to travel on, but when we were there, for the last twenty-eight miles of the road, one had to travel on horseback, for there was no stage route then. The road was very rugged and difficult to travel, and led through a very dense forest, where grew some very fine trees. They stand in all their pride and grandeur, and seem to laugh at the angry storm which howls around them. Some of them are fourteen, some of them twenty, and even thirty feet in diameter. The distance is very deceiving. You think you are almost at the valley, and you urge your horse onward thinking that you will soon be there, and presently you seem to be farther off than ever. Again you see the sun shining upon the distant mountains, and they seem so near, but again you are doomed to disappoint- ment! By and by you find yourself in the valley, where the scene is perfectly enchanting. No tongue can express the awful grandeur of the scene! Language is lame, and no power of mind is sufficiently large, and comprehensive, to fully appreciate the awful sublimity of the place! li is said to have been discovered by persons when in pursuit of a band of Indians in 1840. The Indians had secluded themselves here, thinking they were inaccessible by the whites, and we by no means wonder at it, for if, v^hen you are once here, you had no guide, it would be next to impossible for you to find your way out of the valley. This valley is about nine miles in length ; 160 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. lying between mountains on either side, winding along up the Merced River. Sometimes the valley is only about a half-mile in width, then it widens out until nearly a mile. The descent of the moun- tain by way of Chinese Camp, is about two miles. When in the valley you seem to be enclosed bv the greatest fortifications in the world. Think of walls of solid masonry from two to three thous- and feet high, hemming you in on all sides, perfectly built, which it is next to impossible to scale! Here you see point Capitan and there is his brother. The scenery from the ridge overlooking the valley, is magnificent. Entering at the West end, the dell is reached by a circuitous and precipitous descent of two thousand, five hundred feet, new and beautiful views presenting themselves every few minutes. A small creek, about seventy feet wide, empties itself over the South wall of the valley, nine hundred and forty feet perpendicularly, forming the rainbow cascade, so called from the beautiful colors which adorn the mist floating about it. On the North side of the valley, nearly oppo- site, and about % of a mile distant, stands "The Capitan," a rock projecting into the valley, and rising upperpe dicularly three thousand an J ninety feet. A little further East, on the same side of the valley, stands Signal Rock, whose peak is two thousand, nine hundred and tv^enty-eight feet high. Four miles above the Rainbow, on the North side, are the falls of the Yosemite. There the creek leaps down two thousand and sixty feet in three falls, the first being about one thousand EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 161 and three hundred feet, the second two hundred and fifty, and the third about four hundred and fifty. So far as height is concerned, the Yosemite, sometimes called by the Indians the fall of Cholock, is no doubt the most extensive water-fall yet discovered ; but from the limited volume of the stream, it is said to be less impressive to the beholder than Niagara. As seen from a distance it is said to resemble a great sheet of white satin, hanging over the cliff. On the South side of the valley, opposite the Yosemite falls, stands Pyramid rock, three thousand, two hundred feet high, a peak which received its name from its peculiar shape. Three miles farther up near the head of the valley, is Lake Mirror — a beautiful body of water containing about eight acres, and on the North side of the lake stands a huge rock called the North Dome, three thousand, six hun- dred and thirty feet high, and surmounted by a dense like knob on the South side. Standing a little back from the lake is the North Dome, which towers above all its fellows, rising up perpendicu- larly on its Northern face four thousand, four hundred and eighty-one feet. Its abruptness is almost inconceivable, which is ascended with difficulty. About one mile from the dell is the Vernalor Canopah fall, where the Merced, about one hundred feet wide, falls three hundred and fifty feet into a basin surrounded by large ever- green trees. Half a mile farther up this stream is the Nevada or Awanee fall, seven hundred feet high, for half of which distance the water falls, in a perpendicular sheet, when it strikes a steep cliff which breaks it into a snowy, feathery spray, 162 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. whence it leaps along to the bottom. About two miles west from Nevada fall is another cascade called the Tusa_vac fall, about six hundred feet high and exceedingl_v difficult of access. Cali- fornia is an excellent country for fruit, and, taken as a whole, is very healthy. The people in many places are very rough, and wicked, but few^ regard the Sabbath, in many places; and there is much intemperance. People are as selfish there, as else- where. Indeed humanity is about the same every- where, under similar circumstances. One thing we very much disliked in California, is this : they charge an Eastern man more for every thing than their own people. They seem to think they have an opportunity^ of making something off travellers, and they are not slow in doing it. We left that beautiful land, and came home much refreshed and invigorated, thankful to God that we had the great privilege of visiting famous California. In the year 1870, in the Providence of God, we w^ere called to L bor in the town of Hubbard, Trumbull Co., Ohio. For the most part we were well received. There were, howcA^cr, there, as there most always are, some who do not seem to take as warmly to the incoming pastor, as perhaps the\^ ought; still our sojourn among them, though it was not attended with a remarkable out pouring of the Holy Spirit, at the same time, was, for the most part, very pleasant indeed, and we found some very warm and faithful friends, who faithfully labored with us for the advancement of 1 EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 163 the Redeemer's kingdom. During the winter we held a series of protracted meetings, which, while they were not largely productive of results, at the same time quite a number of persons were hope- fully converted, and were added to the church. We can say, in the fear and love of God, that we labored there faithfully, and had the church been more zealous, ( for at that time they were rather lethargic) there would, we humbly believe, have been a much larger revival of religion. From Hubbard we were sent to Madison, a beautiful village not far from Lake Erie, in Lake Co., Ohio, and found a very kind, and, for the most part, a very devoted people. We arrived there Sept. 15, 1871, we put up at the house of a family by the name of Baily. They were two very interesting old people, who had been members of the church for a great many years, and they had long borne the burden and heat of the day. It was late in the evening when we arrived there, and being very tired, we soon retired to rest, thankful to God for His great care over us. We were indeed quite tired for it is very laborious to move, and we candidly think there should not be so much liability to move, as there is. Many say it is not best for a minister to stay too long in one place. We admit that, but the question is, what is too long? Is it one, two, three or £ve years? When we first began ministerial life, in some churches, pastors remained much longer on a charge than they do now, that is, in some Denominations; while in the M. E. C. for instance, they stayed but two years at longest. Afterward the limit was 164 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. changed, and then they might remain three years; then again the time limit was changed, so that they can now, under certain circumstances, remain five years. We took a walk to the Cemetery, which is about Vo mile from the village. It is a very pretty spot, and the citizens of the town keep it in good condition. After • breakfast, in company wnth father B. we went to see the parsonage, where we were to spend some time, and where we were to feel at home. We found it in very good condition, for the former pastor and his wife, took great pains to have it clean. This is as it should be. We found that two Congregations composed the Charge, One ,at the center, and the other three miles North ; near the Lake. The one at North Madison was the larger, and the more active and wide-awake of the two, and they were very hospitable and kind also. During the Pastoral year we were abundantly blessed, though at times very much tried and tempted. We realized again and again the mean- ing of the saying of Jesus, when he said to Peter, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not; Luke 22: 31-32. It is said that when the Immortal Bishop Thompson lay dying, a Dr, Clarke was in the room with him, attending to the family devotion, and that he read the above passage to Bishop Thompson. After having read it, the Bishop de- sired him to read it again, which he did, and then EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 165 the Bishop said to Clarke, pray for me that my faith fail not. But the faith of the Bishop did not fail, for he died in the triumphs of a holy faith, and was transplanted into a more congenial soil, to flourish and bloom in the paradise of God. It is also said of Bishop Thompson, that in speaking of his writings, he said, I have never written a sentence that I wish was unwritten. That will help to illustrate the purity of his life and writings. Would that all were as pure in thought, and life, and word, as he, Bishop Thompson, was. We Were remarking that although we were abundantly blest during our Pastorate at Madison, at the same time we were greatly tempted and tried. Yes, when we went there we found, as others have no doubt found, when they went on to a new field of labor, that some things which should have been attended to by a former pastor had been woefully neglected, and so they became a source of anxiety and trouble to the suc- ceeding Pastor. So it was in this case, for there was in the Madison Congregation, a certain man, who occupied a very important position in church and Sabbath school, whose conduct was by no means compatible with a profession of Religion. He had been suffered to remain in the church and Sunday school, without being brought to an ac- count, by the Chuieh, for the iniquity of his course. It became absolutely necessary, in order that the purity and standing of the church might be main- tained, for discipline to be exercised, and the of- fender punished. A letter that this man in question had written to a young lady in the neighbor-hood, was produced, and came into our hands, having 166 LIGHTS AND' SHADOWS OF LIFE. been brought to us by a very consistent and worthy class leader of M. He requested us to do something in the case, telling us that the purity and dignity of the church, by all means, should be maintained; and that the guilty should be punished. We thought so too, lor what influence can any church have in an^' community, who will suffer Libertines to act as secretaries and choristers in their churches? What fellowship can light have with darkness? What concord can Christ have with Belial? What part hath he that believeth with an infidel. Having: received the letter to which we have above referred, we went to see another man w^ho occupied the position of Superintendent of the S. S., and also other positions in the Church at M. We remember it very well as though it were but yesterday, although many years have come and gone since then. We took him out into the field in order to have a free and friendly talk with him, and, sitting down on a pile of rails, we commenced conversation with him, and produced the afore- said letter, and read it to him. He became some- what incensed and said, he did not believe the Dr. ever wrote that letter. That it was an effort made by his enemies to injure the medical standing and reputation of the Dr. by some who were of a different faith medically. He said, "let me see the letter." I showed it to him, and he said, it was not the hand-w^riting of the Dr. I said I had no doubt about its being his hand-writing, but that I should be very glad indeed to find out the Dr. had not written such an infamous letter as that was. He said he was sure it was not the EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 167 Dr. who had written it, but if the Dr. had done so, he wanted no more to do with him, for he did not want such a man to be chorister or secretary of his Sunday School. We said, "what is best to be done in this case? Well, he said, Mr. Beebe is a very prudent and safe man; and has good judg- ment, you better, therefore, go and see him and take him with you and go and see the Dr; and if he saj'S he wrote the letter, then I wull believe that he is guilty, but not till then. We left Mr. W. went back to M. walked nearly three miles into the country in another direction ( for at that time we had no conveyance other than on foot ) found Bro. B. and acquainted him with our errand and de- sired him to go at once with us and see the Dr. and inquire of him whether he wrote that scandalous letter or not. We started for the scene of conflict. It was a beautiful evening, the sun had just sunk behind the western hills, and there was not a cloud to be seen in all the western sky. All was calm, beautiful and serene. Mr. B. looked far away into the azure sky, and remarked, ah, there is no war there. So we thought too, that up in yonder heaven there is no strife, no conflict, no hatred, no black-mailing, nothing of the kind, but that all is peace, and joy, and love. So he and I started for M. We went to the house of the Dr. but did not find him at home; nevertheless, not long after we found him in the village, and spoke to him touching the matter whereof he was ac- cused. At first he denied knowing anything at all about it, but when we questioned him closely and told him of certain things which were in the letter, he broke down, and confessed that he did write it. 168 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. We wanted to know what induced him to w^rite such a letter, but he could not give us a satis- factory answer. We advised him to confess his wrong to the church and make the matter right with the injured family, telling him we did not wish to injure him in his business in any way whatever; but that the matter must be adjusted, that the dignity and purity of the church must be maintained, and that he must make restitution, or we should be compelled to bring him to trial. He agreed to do as we advised ; but afterward became stubborn, we think through the influence of Mr. W., who, notwithstanding he had told us that he did not want such a man as the Dr. ( if in case he had written that document ) to be the secretary of his school, stood up, from first to last, for the Dr. Yes, became his lawyer and plead his case together with another Bro. who ought to have known and done better. After some time of parley- ing and arranging, preparing for trial and so forth, the case was brought before tjie proper judi- catory, was tried, and the Dr. found guilty by the com, of all the charges preferred against him, and he was expelled from the church. For the crime was of such a nature that it was not optional with the pastor to expel him, but he was under the strict necessity of so doing. Now it came to pass that, notwithstanding, the said Dr. was con- stitutionally 'expelled from the Sunday School and Church, that Mr. W. still kept him as his Secretary, and called his name every Sunday morning despite the fact of his expulsion, until after the meeting of the higher court which unanimously approved of the action of the lower court, and also passed a EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 169 vote of thanks, and a resolution of approval, touch- ing our action in the case ; which to us v^as of course, very satisfactory indeed. But all this only added to the wrath of our so called friend Mr. W. who did all he could to make things unpleasant for us, and the said Dr. became an avowed enemy of ours, and, in connection with an ungodly woman, who was a Post-master in the edge of Pa. wrote several very obscene letters to us, which we received at different times w^hen on our way to the house of God. This aftair proved a trial of our faith, yet we are thankful to be able to record to the glory of God, that we were enabled to over- come. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. All through that trying ordeal we were wonderfully sustained, and were enabled to say, thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. There has been no year of our life during which we have been blest with stronger faith than we were during the years we spent in Madison. There was nothing that we asked for, as far as we our- selves were concerned, that we did not receive. It is true, we were cartful what we asked for, and we always prayed with submission to God's will, but whatever we needed we received. Our God was our Light, our Sun, our Shield, and our Reward: and we praised and blest his holy name. In the winter of the first year we were on the Mad. charge, we had a long series of meetings, which, by the blessing of God, resulted in great good. Many were convicted of sin, and brought into the glorious light and liberty of the sons of God. At first it was very hard rowing, for there 170 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF* L1F*E. were some in the congregation who were not living as they should, having enmity in their hearts to one another; but, alter a time, we suc- ceeded, by the grace of Gud, in bringing about a reconciliation. After that was effected, and the congregation stirred up to renewed engagedness in the service of God, the work went forward. There were a few who were very faithful and loyal, and they stood hy us, and were ready and willing to do all they could to forward the work of Grace. So we labored for two or three weeks without much apparent good being done; but with the constant assurance, that souls would be born into the kingdom of the Lord. At first we asked for 25. Our prayer was answered and twenty-five were hopefully converted. Then we asked that there might be twenty-five more con- versions, and that too was granted. Then we thought it was just as easy for the Lord to save seventy-five, as twenty-five, and so we prayed for that; and seventy-five were hopefully converted. We endeavored to bring our faith up to a hundred, but were unable, from some cause or other, to grasp the hundred. So there were over sevent}^- five, but less than a hundred hopefully converted. The most of them united with the church. There were a few stony-ground hearers, etc., but the most of them, so far as we have the means of knowing, have remained faithful to their vows. Some, and indeed, quite a number, have fallen asleep in Jesus ; but some are alive until this day. That was indeed a glorious revival, and we shall be able to look back to it all through life with grateful satisfaction. O that men would praise EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 171 the Lord for His wonderful goodness to the children of men. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. The second year that we were on the charge was not as replete with success as the first year, and we could hardl^^ suppose that it would be; but, at the same time, there were a few additions, and the Name of the Lord was glorified. At the next ecclesiastical meeting we were appointed to Greensburg, Trumbull Co., Ohio. We went in the Name of the Lord, hoping by His grace assisting us, t accomplish good. We thought we should have remained another year at M. so that we could have taken care of the Lambs of the flock, but the powers thought it better to move us, and therefore we were moved. It may seem strange to us at times that such and such things occur. Yes, we see through a glass darkly, but by and by we shall see more clearly. So we should patiently wait for the unfoldings of the other life. During the latter part of our Pastorate at Green, we had a great revival of religion, that is, great for that place, and considering the circum- stances surrounding us. We had labored during the first year in the fear and love of God, but had seen but little fruit of our labor. True, the people for the most part, appeared to be laboring together with us, and, with a little exception, they were all of one mind. There came a time, how- ever, when the Word preached was much more effective, and many were led to inquire the way to Zion. We were greatly assisted, during those revival meetings, by the Rev. Mr. Webb, the father of one of the young Minister's in the Conference. 172 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LiFK. The father was a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost; and he helped us greatly by his exhorta- tions and prayers. There were, somewhere about eighty persons who professed saving faith in the Lord Jesus. They were of all ages, from the youth, to hoary hairs. We were particularly struck with the case of an aged man, who had never professed godliness. His wife had been a member of the Baptist Church for years. He was deeply penitent, and after a very severe struggle, he was brought into the light of Life, and made happy in a Savior's love. Blessed be God for His pardoning mercy. Yes, none need seek Him in vain, for he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. The most of those who were converted united with the church, and have, we trust, remained faithful. Some whom we have in our minds have moved far away, and we know not where they are at this time, but we^ would humbly trust they are walking with Christ on earth in the Regeneration, and if they are faithful till death, they will receive a crown of life that shall never fade away. After serving our time at this place we were appointed to the small city of Nelson, which is situated on a hill, in the midst of a tolerably healthy and fertile country. It rained nearly all the way over there and we moved in wagons, so that we took but little comfort out of the affair, nevertheless, through the loving kindness of our God; we arrived there in safety. We found the people glad, and willing to receive us. We labored and prayed diligently for success, during our stay with that people, but there was no extensive EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 173 revival that year on the work. There were a few conversions, and some additions to the church, but, for some reason or other, known only to the Lord, we were not very successful. Neither did some of the official members of the church do what the Irishman called " the fair thing." They found fault without occasion, and did not seem to appreciate our labors. So it often is, in this life; many things which we do with an e\"e single to the glory of God, are not appreciated as they should be, and we often wonder why it should be so; but we may rest assured, that God will at some time or other, either in this life, or in the life to come, reward us for all our toil and labor in His vineyard. Our next move was to Edinburg. The Edin- burg charge was a delightful one, in some aspects of the case. It consisted of three congregations. E., A. and a point midway. The most of the people were rather intelligent, as nearly all the people of the Western Reserve are. The country is very level, and the majority of the Parishioners were farmers. For the most part we were well pleased with our work. There were some on the bounds of the charge with whom we had been long acquainted, and we found them quite con- genial and friendly. In the Edinburg Cemetery there lie a goodly number of the M. E. Ministers; Several of whom we have known in our bo\^hood days, for they used to come to our father's house. Yes, but they come no more, for they have gone the way of all the earth, and. without a doubt, they are now reaping a rich reward in that brighter and happier world. So the generations 174 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. of men come and go, and we too must soon pass away, for that is the lot of all. On this charge we remained two years, and had more or less success, but no very extensive revival of Grace, still there were a number brought into the fold, and the church was enlarged. At Edinburg. the parson- age was situated, and as it needed repairing, we set about the work, and labored hard with our own hands to accomplish the work. We solicited money from the people to pay for the material, but nearly all the work we did with our own hands ; save building the front fence, whichtwo Brothers under- took to do, and one of them found the material. So they built the* fence, and it was indeed a very nice one ; but I suppose it has been burned dowm since that time, for we have learned that the parsonage has been destroyed by fire ! Some of the people of that charge we can never forget, such as the Chapmans, the Days, the Hillyers, the Spicers, the Booths, and some others. They were especially kind to us and did what they could to make us comfortable and happy. We hope to meet them, and all others with whom we have been ac- quainted, and with whom w^e have w^or shipped, and taken sweet counsel, and to whom w^e have spoken the word of life, in glory. We remained Pastor of this charge two years, and then it was thought best for us to go to New Matamoras in Washington County, to which place we were appointed by the Conference. We were placed under the care of the P. E. the Rev. Mr. Norcross, a man of rather more than ordinary in- telligence and ability. He was a very genial and social man, and was possessed of a very good EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 175 spirit, and we were very much pleased with his ad- ministration. He was very generous to all his Preachers, and they were all attached to him. While he was Elder of the Barnesville District, death took from his fond embrace, his beloved wife, who possessed a sterling character, and who was a very great help to him in every way. We were riding over the hills of the South together, at one time after her death, and he spoke to us very feel- ingly and kindly touching her death. He said they had lived a married life for 18 years, and that during that period he had never seen her off her poise for one single moment, that she always was master of the situation, and never at a loss to know what to do ; that she always possessed her soul in peace ; that he had left the management of the children almost entirely to her, as he was naturally impulsive and not so equable in his dis- position as she, and therefore he was not as well ^ prepared to govern the children as his wife. He said her life was to him the most beautiful life he had ever seen, and her death the most glorious ; that she had been ill for some time and that they had lost all hope, or nearly so, of her recovery; and that, as one of the children was away from home, they had sent for him, and when he came into her room, she said, " So they think I am going to die, " for they had refrained from manifesting uneasiness concerning her. Well, she was sitting up in the bed, holding her little boy in her lap ; she was a sweet singer, and she sang a beautiful piece, that she had been in the habit of singing, as clearly and sweetly as ever, and after that she was sitting with her head in her lap, and in a few minutes 176 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. without a struggle or a groan, she passed into the eternal world! He, Norcross said, "Ah, my Bro. I have gone down to the bottom and I havedrunken the cup of sorrow to the very dregs and doubt- less he had. O, the bitterness of death even to the Christian, and still we suppose it is always true ; that to the Christian, the day of death, is much better than the day of birth. Surely "man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." There were on this charge some very devoted and faithful members of the church, and they labored with us for the promotion of good. The country is very hilly, and the roads very difficult to travel, so much so that we very frequently went on horse-back, instead of going in a buggy. Some- times, especially in the Autumn, the scenery is delightful. As one passes over the hills and looks into the distance, he can see the variagated foliage, and the scene is most delightful. There were at that time four Congregations connected with that charge, viz : Brownsville, , Matamoras. and Fairview. We held a protracted meeting at nearly all the points during our stay with that people, and a goodly number of souls were hopefully converted, and the most of them were added to the Church. Speaking of going to that appointment, we well remember oar first trip to that place. We started and went by R. to Wheeling, W. Va., where we took the steamer for Matamoras. We had a de- lightful trip down the river, and the Captain put us oif about 3 o'clock in the morning. There we were alone, by the side of the river, not knowing a EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 177 single soal ia the town, and not knowing the way to; town. We put in the rest of the night as best we could ; trying to pray a part of the time, and wondering how we should become acquainted with anyone in the place; and what kind of a reception we should receive at the hands of the church there. . We also tried to sleep, but our bed, which was the roots of a tree on the bare ground, was not very soft, and ever and anon we could hear the baying of a dog, and the crowing of the roosters, on the Virginia shore. Lonely indeed were we, but as time passed on, the sun at length shot forth his rays, darkness gave way to light, and we were enabled to see our way from that lonely spot on the shore, to the town. Of course we knew not on what street our friends lived, but after having inquired for the house of Mr. D. we at length found it. We called at the gate and Mr. D. lifted up a window, inserted his head and inquired who was there. We replied, Bro. Excell. All right he said, "I will descend and let you in." He very soon came down and welcomed me to his house. After a while breakfast was prepared and I was made to feel somewhat at home. I preached there that day, and felt encouraged and thankful. I found them family friends to me indeed, and, during my stay among them, they continually ministered to my comfort. Time rolled on and the meeting of the Confer- ence took place. It was held at Alliance, Ohio, and we were appointed to Jackson, Mahoning County, Ohio, We found a few very warm friends at that 178 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. point, among whom we would not forget to mention the names of Joel Woodward and wife, who re- ceived us as the servant of God, and did all that lay in their power to make us feel at home. They were true friends, and what a blessing it is to find; and to have true friends, for there are so many false and fickle ones here below ; that one never knows whom to trust, or whom to tie to. There are so many summer friends, those who in a time of prosperity, or as long as every thing goes to suit them, will befriend you, but in the hour of ad- versity they are not there. Perhaps when you need help the most, they v^ill afford the least. They become so easily offended you cannot rely upon them. Ah, give me a friend upon whom you can always depend, whether in summer or winter, whether in cold or heat, wTiether in storm or sun- shine, whether in youth or old age, whether in health or sickness. Ah well, thei'o are some such, but they are comparatively scarce. It is said that a friend in need is a friend in deed, and so we have found it all along the journey of life. There are those who were our friends in youth, who are still such; and will be, we think, as long as life remains. Nay, they will remain our friendS' forever ; for death cannot sever the bonds and bands of true friendship. Death may our souls divide, From these abodes of clay ; But love shall keep us near His side, Through all the gloomy way. Yes, there is a Friend that sticketh closer than EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 179 a brother ; and upon His love and care we may safely depend. He will guide us by His counsel, and afterward bring us to glery. Well might the Psalmist say, "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth, that I desire besides Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth ; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25^26. Our labors upon the Jackson Charge were rather arduous, for there were quite a number of preaching places, and also a great deal of pastoral work. We have found, during our ministerial life, that if we desire to be very successful as a minister of the Gospel, we must pay a good deal of attention to Pastoral work. Most people have large appro- bativeness, that is, they like to be thought well of, and no one wants to be forgotton. It must indeed be a very sad thought to any one. to think and feel, that no one cares for him ; that he is lost sight of in this world. Then again, every one needs en- couragement, and therefore it is well for the man of God to look after his sheep, and make them all feel that they have his sympathy and prayers. So we found at Jackson, and Lordstown, and Ohlton, and Milton, plenty to do, and we endeavored to do it with our might ; for we knew that we should be up and doing while life lasted, for the end of life would come soon enough. We made what effort we could for the conversion of souls while we were on that charge, but we were not very successful. Indeed we did not stay long enough on the work to 180 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. accomplis'i what we think we might have accom- plished, had we remained there longer, neverthe- less, we trust we did some good upon that circuit, and that we were the humble instrument, in the hands of God, of the conversion of a number of souls ; and we hope that by the Grace of God, they will make their way to heaven. Grant it O my God for the sake of Christ. At Jackson the school advantages were not what our children seemed to require, or need, and therefore we requested to be moved from there at the cJose of the first year. We had been in a measure, successful, and there was no reason why we should not be continued, only the desire to give to our children better educational facilities. So we said to the P. E. if you can move us, and give us a charge where there is a first class school which our children can attend, please do so, but not other- wise. We were moved and placed on to one of the weakest charges in the Conference. Placed where there was no school at all, one might say, or at least, none that would meet the demands in this case. So we were again bitterly disappointed, and had to make sacrifices, and endure hardships, which we thought ought not to have been required of us. We found the Pleasant Valley charge, in a very much weakened condition, but the labor of the charge so far as preaching was concerned, was not so great as we had had in some other places, but we were unable to do much upon the charge, owing, partly to our own dispirited state, and EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 181 partly owing" to the want of co-operation on the part of the membership, and more especially owing to the want of brotherly love, and a state of discord and hatred among some of the brethren. We can say, however, thg^t while we suffered more ways than one, by being unjustly placed there, owing to the indiscretion of one and the arbitrary spirit of another ; we did our duty in the fear of God, and suffered for the sake of Jesus what befel us, but we would devoutly say, from all such things, in the future, Good Lord deliver us. We remained there but one year, but felt that was just one year too long, for we never should havs been sent there at all. But the parties who sent us there, have never yet, so far as we know, seen any error in sending us there. Mirabile dictu! Then came, as we have else^ where narrated, a very trying time indeed to us, for we were then left without work, with no place, like Noah's dove, to place the sole of our foot, and what to do we knew not. At length we found a place and an employment, which, although far from being congenial, being al- together different from what we had mostly been accustomed to, yielded us support; and so we be- came somewhat reconciled to our lot; though we have failed to see, up to this hour, why such things befel us. After we had lived some time at Mt Union, and had worked very hard during summer and winter, in order to support those who were dependent upon us, we thought perhaps it might be best, if we were no longer to have ministerial work, for us to prepare a habitation in the West, in which we might live in the decline of life. So, in order to do 182 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. SO, we went, in company with our youngest son, to one of the western counties of this state, and made preparations to baild a log-house. We went in the woods one afternoon, cut down a tree or two, ar- ranged a large brush-heap and made it as com- fortable as we could with what few articles of clothing we had with us, and there, in the forest, with no one near to comfort or help us. save the Mighty Father, for he is always near to all who put their trust in Him, we passed the night. Yes, we slept in peace, with a clear conscience, and. so far as we knew, at peace with all mankind. O I it is sweet to know that you can always have the protection of the Great Father, and also to know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. We remained there several weeks and built a rude house and expected to move the family there; and then occupy it. But, after we returned to Mt Union, we decided not to remove to the West ; so that all our hard labor there, proved in vain. What all such things are for, and why we should have been so misled, we cannot tell. We continued to live at the Mt, and to follow our new avocation, that of selling Bibles, and other good books; not knowing what was in store for us; but still hoping and trusting, that something would transpire that might make our situation more de- sirable. So it came to pass as we were engaged in selling Bibles, that we were on a former charge, one that we had served a number of years before, and one where we had, by the grace of God, accom- plished a large amount of good, ( to God alone be the glory ) and where we had spent the happiest EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 183 years of our life, that one of the Brethren said to me, "would you become our Pastor again ?" I said I was afraid it would not be best, for I thought some of the members of the church, would take the same position many do in reference to the oc- cupancy of the Presidential chair, that it is not best to have a second term ; but he thought there would be no one who would oppose us, for all knew how acceptable we had been years before that. We consented to the proposition on the con- dition that our case should not, in any wise, be pre- judiced. Accordingly a vote was taken by the proper persons, and we were chosen Pastor ; and after all the congregation had been seen, a regular and con- stitutional call was extended us, and, after due con- sideration and prayer, we accepted the call ; and again became Pastor of the Reedsburg charge. We at once removed from Mt Union to Reedsburg, and were, for the most part, received very kindly. There were, however, a few, who did uot welcome us as they should have done. They had become somewhat alienated in their minds, by some things which had occurred : and some of them we were responsible for, and some not. For example, they blamed us for wanting a better position, that is one that would be more lucrative, and that was a mis- take, for we had never sought a more lucrative position, simply for the money. If we had changed charges, it was because we conscientiously thought we could do more good; and at the same time, be as well supported; and cer- tainly there was no harm in that. Again, they complained becuse we had at; one time sought a 184 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Chaplaincy in the U. S. Army ; as though that were a sin against the Holy Ghost, which could never be forgiven, neither in this life, nor in the life to come. Then, again, they thought we had no right to leave them when we did Etc. Etc. What terrible things, superstition and bigotry are ! ! What a nice thing it is to be consistent; and then again, what a blessing it is to be full ol love, and to possess the spirit of the blessed Master. Our stay upon the Reedsburg charge, was not' so long as it was the first time we were there. Then, we were yoang and inexperienced when we first began to labor on the charge, then we labored successfully tor nearly ten years, then the people received us as an angel of God, and labored heart- ily with us for the up-building of the church; noiu we had had vastly more experience. But what does experience Count? It counts with Doctors and Lawyers, and Teachers, and Philosophers, for it is supposed that the more experience they have had, the more efficient they will be, and as a con- sequence, the more their services will be in de- mand. But not so in these latter days with Ministers, The more experience they have had,, ( to a great extent) the less their services will be appreciated, because no man can have, at least, a long experience, without becoming older, and if he has already become old, or even middle aged, in a great many cases, he has to be laid on the shelf, or atleast take an inferior position, in order to give place to young men. So this second Pastorate is not EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 185 to be a long one, because forsooth we are no longer black-headed, and black-bearded, but somewhat white, or rather gray. Yes, churches want young pastorB, just from College, without experience, or practice, in preference to those who have had a long and rich experience, and have enjoyed much of the love and presence of God. Notwithstanding all this, however, we were tolerably successful, on, a part, at least, of the charge, in winning souls to Christ ; and in building up the church. We must however, say, that where the want of harmony and hearty co-operation with the Pa^itor were found, there we did but little. There we suffered bitter persection, there we were treated by some, as though we were interlopers and, had in an underhanded and covert way, got possession of the Pastorate, when Heaven knows that what we did, we did in the fear of God, and with an eye to his glory. There were even some in the church who acted very unbrotherly and unjustly toward us, and, instead of trying to make it just as pleasant as possible for ns, tried to do all they could against us. Oh such false brethren ! May God pity them. There were some on the work who could not rest till we left the Charge ; and so we thought it best at the end of the year to leave them. Some of them have shown us some kindness and love since, but others of them, though they were brought into the Church by our instrumentality, are still cool and indifferent toward us. We pray God not to lay this 186 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. sin to their charge, or at least to grant them absolution. After this we lived in Wooster, Ohio, for a number of months : where our way was beset with trials and afflictions so that in the bitterness of our soul we cried out, my soul is weary of my life ; I will leave my complaints upon myself ; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, do not condemn me; show me wherefore thou con- tendest with me. Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balance together. For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea ! therefore my words are swallowed up. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed unto me. When I lie down I say, when shall I awake and the night be gone? and I am full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day. We have spoken heretofore of clouds of dark- ness, of days of intense anxiety, of deep waters of afflictions ; but at this time the clouds were thicker and blacker ; the days more intensly anxious, the affliction deeper ! We seemed to hear the voice of God speaking to us, and saying, "Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke : yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Eze. 24:16. Yes, every thing earthly, we are taught, must have an end, therefore earthly life must have EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 187 an end; and oftentimes the end cometh before we are aware, and the Savior says, be ye also ready ; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. So it was with us, we were not dreaming of a.ny special ill, of any sore affliction, when the terrible blow came, that is to say, when the sick- ness came that took from our side her who had long borne with us the heat and burden of minis- terial life ; for whoever thinks ministerial life de- void of burden, and full of ease, knows nothing at all about it. We had been compelled, through misrepresentation, and want of love, to resign the pastorate at R. and move into the city. Wife was attacked by a disease which we had never for one moment thought would fasten itself upon her. We had witnessed its dreadful ravages upon others, but never had feared it might enter our abode and take any of our loved ones away. Bat so it is in this life, troubles unlooked for come, and perils not expected, overtake you. We had gone to the South part of the State of Ohio in order, if possible, to secure a pastorate ; for we were anxious, as we are to this day, to be at work in the vineyard of the Lord just as long as we have strength and health to do so. We went into the bounds of the Miami C, where lived a Brother minister who had expressed a desire to have hiss work, or charge divided, and have us take a part, and become the Pastor. We found, after spending several very pleasant days among the people, and havingquiteagood time, that it would be altogether impractical to make any change in the pastorate ; 188 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. at least so far as we were concerned, for we were satisfied it would only operate disastrously to both of us. So we left the charge, and came back home, after having- enjoyed our trip very much, for the Pastor and the people were all very kind indeed to us. When we came to our home in W. we found wife had gone to C. to stay a short time with one of our children, thinking it might be beneficial to her, as her health at that time was not good, and she had been suffering with the malady that was afterward the direct cause of her death, for some time, though unbeknown to us. After we came back, and had waited, with intense anxiety for some time for her return to W., we went to C. and found to our horror and dismay, what we had least expected, that she was afflicted with cancer. "Ah me" I said, alas ! alas! I am undone! Let me die, for I would rather die than live, if I must live alone, and the partner of my life be taken away from me. I felt as if I could not endure it. The thought was too agonizing for me ! O what a night of agony that was ! We retired to rest, but could not sleep, for wife had to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning and take the cars to go to see a physician in the town of Crestline, and I could not go with her. For certain reasons not known to me, it was thought best for her to go alone. Well, she went, and we stayed at C. till the next day, and then came home, and wife came home also, after she had been to see the physician. He gave her a good deal of encouragement, and she came back having hopes of recovery. She was under his care for months, getting no better, but all the time growing worse, for the malady was inereasing in virulence, EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 189 from day to day. After a time ve abandoned all hope of a cure by him, and then we employed other means and remedies too numerous to dwell upon, but we found to our sorrow, that all was of no avail whatever, for the poor woman was dying, as all such must die, by inches ! Well, strange to tell, and it is said that Truth is stranger than fiction, and so it is, there came, through the solicitations of some of our family, a party from C. who seemed to think she was possessed, in some way or other, with the power to heal, or at least that she had such power with God in prayer, that if the person for whom she prayed, had sufficient faith, she would be healed. So prayer was made by this lady, and also by us, and the afflicted person prayed, and fasted, and importuned God, and en- deavored to exercise all the faith she could, and we fasted and prayed, and poured out our com- plaint on the ears of the Most High. But all seemed to be of no avail, for worse and worse grew wife every day ! Such is the power of delusion, for we can call it nothing else, and we wish to call things by their right names, that it was thought and believed by some of our household, that if Mother would be taken to C. where she would be more directly under the influence of those who believed in Faith Cure; and where she would be away from all the noise and bustle of home, for at that time there were some grand-children at our house, and the noise of children, of course, is hard to be en- dured by those who are very ill, she would be healed miraculously, as we suppose, and be re- turned to the bosom of her family in the short space of two weeks ! Why she could not be healed 190 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. as well at home, or as well in two minutes by the Great Master I know not. But she must be taken to C. as though God were a God far off and not nigh at hand ! At first we objected and said we . never will be a party to such absurdity, and, to our mind, cruelty; for wife had not been able to go out of her room for weeks, and it was then bitter cold weather, and it was wrong to subject her to the travel, and the excitement. We struggled all one night, or nearly so, and thought possibly we might be wrong in refusing to let her be taken away, to be healed as they said, and therefore we said, if Mother wants to go, and you think it best for her to go, I will give my consent; but at the same time I am satisfied my judgment is right in this matter, and she ought not to be taken there. If it be the will of God to heal her. He can do so in W. just as well as at C. They took her away. They said they would bring her back in two weeks, a well woman ! That, they supposed to be faith in Divine Healing! Let us see the sequel presently. They take her away, they spare no pains in ministering to her necessities. They do all they can, both by prayer and otherwise, for her recovery; but, for reasons best known to the Divine Being, she is not permitted to recover. We stay at home; we say to Mrs. W. our daughter, let us do all we can by way of faith and prayer for the restoration to health and strength of your dear mother. Let nothing arise here to hinder their faith, so that, if possible, your mother ma3' be healed, she will be a wonderful help to your father in the work of the ministry ; for she will be EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 191 able to say, behold, what wondrous things the Lord hath done for me; I went down to the bars of death, but the Lord healed me of a disease, con- sidered incurable by earthly physicians; and raised me up from a bed of languishing, that I might show forth all His praise. O blessed be the name of the Lord, frorn this time forth and for ever more, praise ye the Lord. "Very well" said daughtei, "thus will we do."' So we did, we re- mained at home watching, and wrestling, and sup- plicating, day and night, a throne of mercy, exer- cising all the faith we could, and praying for more and more faith, wondering and wondering whether it would please the Almighty Father to grant us our request, and restore to us the wife of our bosom, or whether it would be consistent with his administration thus to perform, what to us, would seem a miracle. Every now and then, those who were carefully watching her, and doing, no doubt, all they could to secure her healing, would send us word that mother is better and will soon be healed, and will come home entirely well. So, a number of days pass, and she is, if we are able to believe what is written, much improved aud will soon be well. We are still in doubt, for it does not seem to us right to expect miracles, in these days. One day in particular, we retire to our room, w^e close our doors to the world, we pour out our earnest prayer on the ear of God, and it seems to us as if the Almighty had heard, and would, in his own way, and in his own time, answer our request, and give back to us the wife we had so long cherished. It seems to us that \vas the very same dav or the evening of which 192 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE, our oldest daughter came in, late in the evening, and our heart sunk within us when we saw her, for we feared something had gone wrong; and so we anxiously asked if anything was the matter? To which she replied, " Mother is dead ! ! " O cruel words! We said, "Why in this world did you not send for us that we might at least speak one word of parting ere she left for the other shore ? " She replied, '* They did not think she was going to die, they were sure she had been healed, and that is the reason wh}^ they did not send for you." Oh how easy it is to be mistaken ! How easy it is to be deluded! How careful we all ought to be lest we fall into temptation and a snare. Well, arrangements were made for the interment of the dead. Her body was brought back, about the same time they expected to bring her back, and the funeral was attended by most of the near friends and relatives, and a goodly number of the neighbors. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. R. Zartman then of Wooster, Ohio, now of Phiiadelphia, Pa. He preached a beautiful and impressive sermon from a passage of Scripture found and then the remains werr taken to the beautiful cemetery in Reedsburg, Wayne Co., Ohio, where sleep two of our children. There, side by side, lie the mother and two children, awaiting the call to life. After resting a little, and taking some refresh- ment we returned, with a heavy heart, to our home in Wooster, thinking how uncertain is life, and how full of trouble and affliction it is. Surely man at his best estate is altogether vanitv. Yes, man that is born of a woman is of tew days and EX1>ERIENCES'0N CHARGES. 193 full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and con- tinueth not."— Job 14 1-2. After spending months of loneliness and sorrow, we thought it best to seek another help- meet: for a man is bound by the law of the land, and by the law of God, to his wife, so long as she lives; but when she is dead, he is free from that law. Through the kind Providence of God, we became acquainted with a widow lady by the name of Craft, and, thinking she might be a suitable person for us to form an alliance with, we made an agreement with her, and she became our companion in life; and well has she filled that position, from that day to this, ministering to our necessities, and comforting us midst the conflicts and trials of this life. Yes, she has been a great blessing to us, and we have abundant reason to bless God for his goodness to us in granting us such an amiable companion. We were married in June 1889, at Cortland, Trumbull Co., Ohio, by the Rev. Mr. Simons of the M. E. Church. We commenced house-keeping again in Cortland, Ohio, and remained there from that June till the next Spring, When we received a call to a church in Madison, Lake County, Ohio, whence we at once removed. We had also received a call from Dacotah, 111., but thinking perhaps we could accomplish as much good in Ohio, as we could in Illinois, we decided to go to Madison. The people of Madison were very kind indeed to us, and we felt very well pleased with our position. We had but the one church to supply, 194 LIGHfS ANB SHADOWS LIFfi. and therefor we were well satisfied with our^ work. It came to pass, however, on one Sabbath day after we had preached in the church that A. M. and had just gotten home a short time belore dinner, that, while we were at dinner, a boy came hastily to our door, and gave the alarm of fire, telling us that the chm ch was on £re I ! We hastened to the scene of conflagration, and sure enough, the building was on Are and nearly ready to collapse, which it did, not many minutes after we arrived there. Yes, not more than thirty rninutes, from the time the fire was discovered, elapsed, till the last post of the building fell to the ground. Everything at that time was very dry, and although the timbers of the building had been heavy, at the same time they soon yielded to the terrible flames i It was a beautiful, and at the same time a fearful and sorrowful sight, to see the building being consumed by fire. The Sunday School children stood in one corner, weeping bit- terly at the destruction of their church home. In another corner, the older members of the Sabbath School were weeping as if their hearts would break; then in another place, not far from the fearful fire, were the older members of the church, and others lamenting the loss of the church property. We tried to encourage them all, as best we could, telling them that we would preach to them in the School-house, till such times as we could rebuild. So we continued to preach for them, in the school-house, and soon called a business meeting, E^tPERIENCES ON CHAR(iES. 195 and, after some considerable discussion, they con- cluded to build a church. It was, however, some little time before we could perfect arrangements, but we finally succeeded in doing so, and then we began to circulate a subscription. We succeeded quite well, although we met, as we must always expect to, with some opposition. The most of the people responded to the call for money, with which to build the church, with alacrity, and delight; and at length the building was completed, and stands today where the old Bell church, ( as it was called, because it was the first church in that part of the country to have a bell, ) stood, a thing of beauty and joy to the people. We did not remain long enough on that charge to see the building completed, but at the same time, we had the privilege of preaching the first sermon that was preached in it, and was present at the dedication. Our pastorate here on the whole was a very pleasant one. True there were some discontented ones, who made us some trouble; but they were beaten at every corner by those who were our stanch friends, and although, owing to the dis- truction of the church by fire, we were unable to accomplish the good we otherwise might have ac- complished, at the same time we felt, when we left that place, that our labor had not been in vain in the Lord. Our remembrance of that people is very pleasant today, and we pray the Father of mercies to vouchsafe them the guidance and comfort of the Holy Ghost, and prepare them for a home in heaven. 196 LIGHTS AiSID SHADOWS OF Lll^:^. After these things, in the year 1890 we received a call from Liberty Center Charge, and then re- moved thence to try to build up the waste places of Zion, for the Charge was not in a very prosper- ous condition at that time. The parson went there first, and found the people with open arms ready to welcome him to their homes. Through the kindness and help of several of the ladies of the congregation, we succeeded in preparing the parsonage which, however, was a rented house, for the occupancy of the pastor's family. Every- thing, or at least many of the things, being nicely arranged in their appropriate places. The parson went to meet his wife at Toledo, Ohio. He found her on the evening train, and then accompanied her to L. where we found several of the members in waiting to receive us, and accompany us to the parsonage. Wife said, as we went toward L., I wish w£ had one room fitted up for us at the parsonage. Would it not be a good thing;" she said, "if we could spend the first night in our own new home?" We replied, ''it would be nice," but she never, for one moment, thought that that would be the case. We arrived at L. Brother Sohn took us to the parsonage, and as soon as the door was opened we saw the house was full of people, and a bounteous supper was on the table, to which we were presently invited, and to which we gladly sat down. The evening passed very pleasantly indeed, and after supper, the parson and his wife enjoyed the social converse of many of the members of the new charge. That occasion will long be remembered. Some of those whom we met that eve, we shall meet no more on earth, EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 197 for the\'' have passed into the unseen, to mingle with the spirits of just men made perfect. Among those who have passed away, is Bro. Sohn, with whom we used so frequently to meet, both at his home, and ours also. He was a very devoted friend of the pastor, and often came to the parson- age with some token of his regard and love, in a basket, or with a kind smile and a pleasant word, to help the minister. But ah ! he comes no more, for he has gone the way of all the earth ! So we must all sooner or later leave this world and pass to the beyond. The first part of our pastorate was rather suc- cessful, not remarkably so, but still there were a number brought into the fold of Christ, and the church was strengthened and helped. Then there arose a few who felt disposed to find fault with the preacher, saying he had too much motion in the pulpit, and, not only so he was too severe in his utterances, and in his denunciation of sin ! As though, while it is true that bodily exercise profiteth little, it were wrong for one when very much interested in a sermon, to walk back and forward in the pulpit. And as though we might denounce sin too strongly or offend the devil too much by saying too much, by speaking too harshly of sin ! What a nice thing it is to be consistent. The latter part of our stay on the charge was not so pleasant as at the first, and one reason is this, through some of our friends we had imbibed the notion that it might be a very good thing to invest what little money we had saved, by dint of economy and perseverance, in an Orange Grove in the South; and, in order to do this, and to do it 198 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. understandingly , it was necessary for us to visit the land of flowers, which we did ; and we were well pleased with the trip, and the country; and we purchased a small Grove in the state of Fla. We came back and reported to our people, and my wife said she was willing to go with me to Florida for a time at least, until we could do what was needful to be done to the Grove. We asked for a vacation for 6 months, or less, in order that we might go to the sunny South, and arrange our business, but with no expectation of remaining there any great length of time ; but expecting, and desiring, to re- turn to the charge at the expiration of six months, if not sooner. At the official meeting that was held, at which time and place, we asked for leave of absence for 6 months without pay, there was a long discussion relative to the matter. It was not thought best, by many, to grant the Parson the leave of absence he desired, and so they all talked against it. It w^as not supposed that the Resolution, granting leave of absence would pass ; but strange to say, it passed unanimously, without any alter- ation whatever. We were very much surprised, for we had thought, owing to the opposition that was apparent, that it would not be best for us to go, and so we had made up our minds to stay, and take all the care we could of our Moral Grove, and let the Orange Grove care for itself, or be cared for by some one else beside us. Well, the time came for us to go, and we went to the South, after having disposed of part of our things, at a sacrifice, and the rest of our household goods we left with a friend of ours. We had rather EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 199 a .pleasant journey to Florida, enjoyed the trip much, and arrived at Eustis, Fla., in a few days, in safety. Nothing very remarkable occurred on the journey, and we were very thankful to our kind Heavenly Father for His protection and care. While we remained in Florida we labored exceed- ingly hard, although the weather was very hot in order to accomplish what we went there to do. After we had done the work, and set the house and Groves in order, we received an invitation to visit a charge in N. Carolina, who, at that time, were without a Pastor, with a view of becoming their Pastor. So, after taking the matter into prayerful consideration, we concluded to go, which we sub- quently did. We went by R. to Jacksonville, Fla., and remained there from Saturday afternoon until Sabbath afternoon. Jacksonville is by no means an inviting place, although a good deal of business is done there, and there are some very respectable people living there. There is the most variety of color among the inhabitants, of any place we ever passed through. There are nearly all shades of color, from a jet black to a clear white. On Sabbath we set sail for Charleston, South Carolina, arfd had so far as the St. John's river goes, a delightful trip, but after we entered the Ocean, the journey was not so delightful, for wife became grievously sea-sick, and remained so nearly all one night. In the morning about 6 o'clock we came in sight of the ruins of Old Fort Sumpter, and being desiroas of having his wife see it, the Parson called her to the window of our sleeping room ; for by this time, she was some better, and so she had the pleasure of seeing the 200 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. memorable Fort. Yes, that was the breaking out of hostihties against the government when the Fort was fired upon. That was a terrible war, the war of the rebellion, in which billions of treasure were spent, and hundreds of thousands of lives lost ! It would have been far better for the U. S. to have bought all the slaves, and then to have set them free, than to spend the money and sacrifice the lives that were lost ; but, at the same time, I suppose it could not have been done, for the South would not sell them. After all, we have reason to thank God that this country has been de- livered from the terrible curse of slavery, for, in the language of John Wesley, American slavery was the vilest that ever saw the sun ; and it is wonderful that this nation should have counte- nanced it so long. Wife managed to crawl to the window and see what was left of the Old Fort, as the ship passed by. After a little we entered the harbor of Charleston, and wife feeling better, we then walked over to the city, which was about a half mile from the wharf. We called for lodging which we soon found, and after taking some rest and also some refreshments, we walked about the city. There are in this city, too many colored people to make it a desirable city. Not that people should be despised because they are colored, for God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath de- termined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation ; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us : For in him we live and move and have our EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 201 being ; as certain also for your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Acts 17:26-28., but as a rule, they are not so trustworthy, and intelli- gent, as the whites. In the evening we took the cars for North Carolina, and after riding all night and a part of the next day, we arrived safe at our destination, a few miles from where we were to preach, viz., Salisbury. We then went to the house of one of the members of the charge. In going from the station to his house we passed over a very rough road indeed, insomuch that at times it seemed as though we should be thrown from the vehicle to the ground; but, in the Providence of God, w^e were permitted to reach his house in safety. The lady of the house was very cordial, and seemed glad indeed to see us, but the man asked us a great many impertinent questions. We, however, taking all things into consideration, had a pretty pleasant interview with the family. We were struck with the general appearance of the country, as it was somewhat different from that which we had been used to. It is rough, and hilly, and in places mountainous. The roads, if roads you can call them, are very poor indeed, and very difficult to find, in places ; for they are not like the roads on the Western Reserve, which are laid out, for the most part, at right angles, and the townships square, being mostly 5 miles square, and a road every mile and a quarter, but they go here and there, through the fields, and barn-yards, of the people. Every here and there, you must dismount and open a gate, so as to drive through the fields ; but the people make no objection what- 202 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. ever to your passing through their fields and vine- yards, provided, of course, you do not meddle with the fruits of the land ; and you are careful to shut the gates after you. In that part of the country they raise a good deal of cotton, which presents a beautiful appearance when it is in full bloom. There, one can raise two crops of Irish potatoes, and sweet potatoes do well. Corn does not do near so well in that state, as it does in Ohio, neither do any of the grains. Not half so much wheat can be grown per acre as in Ohio. It is a good country for fruits of many kinds, though oranges and lemons are not grown there, as it is not far enough to the South. The people are rather poor, gener- ally, but they are mostly honest and upright, and they work very diligently. They are quite loyal now, to the government, and intensely loyal to the church. We have never seen people walk a greater distance to church, than they do there. We had but two congregations upon that charge to care for, and leaving oat of the question the poor roads, the work was very pleasant; for we had but one sermon per Sabbath to deliver, and a Sabbath School to superintend. There, they are different from most other places. Al- though they electa Sunday School Superintendent, at the same time they expect the minister to super- intend the school whenever he is present, and they will not excuse him from that work. The people there were very kind indeed to us, and the young people are far more respectful to the old than they are in many parts of Ohio. We had a very large class of catechumens on that charge, and our pro- spects for usefulness there were as great, we EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 203 think, as at any place we have ever hved ; and, had it not been that the climatic conditions of the country were not suited to wife, we certainly should have remained in that part of the country ; but, as it was, we thought it best to come back North, as we could not bear to think of our friends dying so far from home. We, therefore, did not remain there long enough to accomplish much, though we were glad we had become acquainted with the people, aad had seen the face of the country. We formed some very pleasant acquaint- ances there, and had many seasons of pleasure and profit with that people. We shall always think of them with pleasure, and shall devoutly pray the blessing of God to rest upon them all. Speaking of the climate of Florida, we think it to be among the finest in the world. We candidly believe that in Eustis, Florida, people will live ten years longer than in this state ; other things being equal ; and as for people who are afflicted with asthma in this part of the country, if they go there they do not have it at all. We left North Carolina, came back to Ohio and resumed, for a time, our labor on the Liberty Center Charge, but the people, with a few excep- tions, did not receive us with that pleasure and de- light which they had manifested when we first came among them. They were prejudiced against us. They seemed to think we had left them supposing we should make much more money, or do much better some where else, than we had been doing there ; and, that when we found that we could do no better elsewhere, we were glad to come back to L. Not only so, but some of them thought we had 204 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. gone away without leave of absence from the official Board, which was all wrong. Now the truth of the matter is, the Board all (with one single exception) voted to give us six months vacation without pay; and therefore we had a perfect right to go and stay six months, or less, just as we saw best, but they blamed us, instead of blaming the officers of the charge. Ah ! so it is in this life ! How easy it is for even the people of God to become envious, like Aaron and Miriam ; and how difficult it is to avoid giving offense, even when one is endeavoring to do all things aright ! The above being the case, we did not think it best to remain there at Liberty Center another year, so we resigned, and went to Northhampton, in Miami Classis, in Miami County, having re- ceived a call to the Union Charge of that Classis. The most of the people received us very kindly, and we felt encouraged to work for the ad- vancement of the cause of Christ ; but there were a few, who, because we had gray hair, thought we were too old for their people. They wanted a young man, so as to please the young people. To speak ironically, it is a great pity that all preachers who have crossed the dead line, which some place at fifty, and others at forty-five, are not called to the other life, so as to leave all to the con- trol and enjoyment of the young. Young America wants to rule the world ! They want to run the church and the government too, though they are not quite so much in power in the government as they are in the church. Northhampton,' where we lived, is a small village in the midst of a fertile and delightful Experiences on charges. 205 country; the people, however, are rather poor who Hve in the village, but many of the country people are very well to do. The parsonage is poor, and the members of the charge do not seem to care very much about improving it. They think it is good enough for the preacher, and if he wants it to be any better, he can have the privilege of improv- ing it himself. There are five congregations com- posing this charge, viz., Northhampton, Jerusalem, Miami, Lawrence ville, and Immanuel. Two of them we found in a very good condition, and they did, for the most part, all they could to make us comfortable and happy. In the Northhampton congregation, however, there were those who were full of envy, who desired to run 'the Sabbath School and church too, and, when they found they could not do that, they got mad, and did and said all they well could against the church and minister too, which made it exceedingly unpleasant for the pastor. There was also an ex-pastor living there who had had a good deal of influence in days past, and who seemed bent on no other minister succeeding in that place. However, about the time we were going, the congregation seemed to be all drawn towards us, and the few (and we never knew just how many the few were), that opposed our coming, seemed desirous of our staying. There had been, before v^e went there, a great deal of trouble in another congregation, caused by a party calling themselves the New Light, and they succeeded in deviding the church, and they have not been near so strong from that day to this. It is very difficult for any minister to suit that congregation long, and 206 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. indeed it might be said, no one will be likely to stay very long on that charge, let him be ever so prayerful and careful. We had no particular re- vival upon the charge from the fact that we did not have as hearty a co-operation as we should have had, and also because there was not that unity among the members that there must be in order to have a genuine revival of religion. We are glad to be able to say, that notwith- standing all, we left the charge in a better condition than we found it. Our next move was to Nottawa, Michigan, to which place we went in the winter of 1894, having received an earnest and unanimous call to that charge. We necessarily had to make considerable sacrifice, moving just as we did in the dead of winter, having to sell many things for much less than they were worth, and not only so, leaving a parsonage and going where we had to pay rent, and where we were to receive much less salary than at Northhampton. But what boots salary, when you are acting from principle, in the fear and love of God ? And this I know we were doing. We were afraid of offending our Heavenly Father. That is the reason why we did so. It is true, some of the Brethren in the Ministry, advised us to get a smaller field of labor, thinking we could serve the charge longer if we did not have to work so hard as we must have done had we remained on the Union Charge, but notwithstanding that advice, we should not have gone when we did, had we not been afraid of displeasing God. Accordingly we went, and arrived there on Saturday evening, and received, what we then sup- Experiences on charges. 207 posed, a favorable reception. True, there were a few things that seemed to augur evil, but we hoped for the best, and entered upon our work in the Name of the Lord. We soon found things in a very unenviable condition ; certain parties who had faithfully promised to come back to the church, ( for about one half of the congregation had, through the influence of a minister of a sister de- nomination, left the church and gone elsewhere ) if we became pastor, failed to do so. Welabored and plead with them, they treated us scornfully, and very unjustly, though they had never known us, and knew nothing against us. They said they had no hand in calling us, and therefore should do nothing to support us. "Let," said they, "those who called you, support you, for if you suppose we are going to support you, you are very much mis- taken indeed.'' So it was, they would not be ap- peased, nor persuaded, and so like some of old, we ceased, saying, "the will of the Lord bQ done." What was the result? Plainly this, the congrega- tion was depleted, and of course unable, or at least unwilling to pay what they had, by their officers, agreed to pay, and as a result, we suffered financi- ally, and also in feeling, for it would be impossible to have much real satisfaction laboring under such disadvantages circumstances. There were a very few who kept saying, "Ah well, it will all be right in a few years at most ;" The congregation will be greatly increased, and then we shall be able to pay a larger salary : If we can only get along for a year or two, we shall be all right. A year passed, but there was no improvement, or but very little at least, in the attendance upon the Sanctuary, 208 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. neither was the Sabbath School in anything hke a flattering condition, although it may be said, in commendation of Mr. C — the superintendent of the school, that, so far as he was concerned, he cer- tainly was very faithful in that department of church work: Not a single one of those who had strayed away, came back to their former fold, and even some who had avowed such loyalty to the church, and who had promised to do so much, provided we would come, were cold and indifferent, and half- hearted, in the service of Christ, and failed to do anything like what they had agreed to. The re- sult was, discouragememt, with its deadening in- fluence, settled down upon the whole congrega- tion, and but very little indeed could be, or was done. One man who wanted to be the leader of the church, and who had had as we suppose, at one time a good deal of influence, who had the most means of any member of the church, had said, he would give seventy-five dollars, if it would be necessary, rather than that the church should not be maintained, flew from his word, forgetting what the Psalmist says, "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." His wife kept telling the pastor's wife, that Mr. S. would pay one hundred dollars the first year, rather than that the pastor should not be paid what had been so faithfully promised him. The parson said to his wife, "Do not be deluded by any such hosh as that, for Mr. S. will never, never pay that amount. It is no use talking. Again and again Mrs. S. would speak of it, and again EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 209 we would say, ''There's nothing in it." So the sequel proved. When the year was up, what did we do ? Wh3^ simply forgave one hundred dollars, although our salary was smaller than it should have been at any rate, for, although we were to have help from the Mission Board, six months passed away before we received one dollar of help. The Nottawa congregation had also promised us a donation, and that amounted to a very small sum, although we should always be thankful for favors whether large or small, but the so-called donation was a matter of salary that was promised as a debt, and not as a gift. After all there is but very little consistency or real religion either, in some congregations. Selfish- ness, and worldliness, and bigotry, are prominent with many of the members, and you wonder where the pure spirit of the Gospel of the meek and lowly Jesus obtains. O, for a baptism of fire to burn selfishness and bigotry out of all the churches ! How could we stay and be successful in such a place as this ? We could get no one to take or fill the oflices. No one cared enough about the pastor to undertake to raise his salary ! He might eat less rations, and wear less clothes, and have fewer comforts, or go elsewhere, what did they care? They would do no more than just so much, and so much was in some instances but a small sum. The people of the St. Paul's congregation re- quested us to move into their midst, giving as a reason for our so doing, that they could do more for us then than they could when we were ten miles away. They offered to move us free of 210 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. charge, which they did, and they kept their promise, and helped all we suppose they were able to, until the last day we were with them, and they will always live in our hearts, and we shall always pray the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, to bless them both in basket, and in store, both in body, and in mind. Well, our moving to C, was very much dis- approved of by Mr. S. He thought we had no right to move away from Nottawa, without his advice at least, and we had not deigned to ask that ad- vice, and so all was wrong; and he was very much displeased over the whole affair. But notwith- standing all that, we lived : for which, blessed be the Name of the Lord. The Lord hath been mind- ful of us. While we were at this place some very strange things took place. "The Christian Crusaders," as they call themselves, came to N. and held a series of meetings in the M. E. Church. They first made application for our church, but our officers not being at all in favor of all their noise and show, and of their very peculiar manner of worship, for it is different from almost everything one has ever heard of, then made application to the P. M. C. and their consent was given, but the building proving too small for the crowds that gathered, for great crowds came to see and hear some new thing, as if the "old old story," which we have heard so often, and which has always been the power of God unto Salvation to every one that beheveth, to the Jew^ first, and also to the Greek, EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. was insufficient to save any longer. They then made application to the Trustees of the M. E. C. and obtained leave to occupy their house. Those Crusaders held forth for nearly ten weeks, and their peculiarities, more than anything else, we think, brought a great many people to hear them. Their Captain was rather able in some directions, but he is by no means a scholarly man, and he is dreadfully denunciatory and fearfully sarcastic, condemning all who do not come up, to what he calls the true line of duty. Notwithstanding all this, however, there was quite a stir among the people, and a goodly number were hopefully converted. Whether the most of them have remained faithful or not, we, are unable to say. They had musical instruments not of all sorts, like Solomon, but of several sorts, such as a Drum, Cornet, and other suchlike instru- ments, and also tambarines that they played quite skillfully whenever they had testimony meet- ing. They also sold papers in the Church, right in the midst of the meeting, and never forgot to take a collection. Then they expected the people to bring to their houses ( for they keep house in the neighborhood where they hold meetings) all they needed for the support of all who constituted the family, which sometimes consisted of 8 or 10 persons, free of charge. As for us we found it an impossibility to perfectly harmonize with them. We did however, all we conscientiously could, to help the work of grace forward, as we never wish to hinder anyone who is trying to be the means in 212 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. the hands of God, of the salvation of immortal souls. As for helping our Church, the3^ were a decided injury to it ! They professed to have the power to heal, but we have the first case yet to see that they claim to have healed, that we cannot account for upon natural principles. Another very strange thing that happened while we were at Colon, Michigan, is the follow- ing: We occupied a part of a house belonging to a Miss H., who also lived in the same house. She was to have the privilege of going into the cellar, which we were to occupy, in common, through our part, and also the privilege of going up-stairs in like manner. Well, it came to pass that at one time we were about to hold a communion season in the St. Paul congregation, and we went over there to preach on Friday eve, preparatory to the Holy communion. It was August 30, 1895, between the hours of 5:30 when we left our home to go to the aforesaid appointment, and 9:30 when we returned to' our home, that all the money we had, save tweny-five cents, which I took in my pocket to church, and also some from my wife, amounting in all to nearly fifty dollars, was taken, unless a part of it was taken one day previous. When wife and I came home that eve- ning, we found that the house had all been gone through, our bedroom was all in disorder, and our money was gone, and we had every reason to believe that the Miss, who lived in the same house and who had access to our own rooms, and who was the only one that could have known where wc kept our money, or whether we had any EXPERIENCES ON CHARGES. 213 money, was the one who took it. Of course we were unable to prove it, and so we could do nothing in the case. It was a base and cruel act, and unkind in the extreme, and it is to be hoped that whoever took that money will have no peace of conscience till he or she comes, makes acknowledgment, and also makes restitution. I hope the Lord will enable me to find out, to a certainty, who the guilty person is, so that I may not charge any one wrongfully. I am sure I do not desire to be un- christian, but I would like to know, if it be possi- ble where that money went to. It was more than we knew how to spare; our income had been small, and we had lived savingly, but God is able to make his grace abound, and to give us back, in one way or another, more than we lost. Glory be to His Name. How uncertain is everything earthly! O, let us set our affections upon heavenly things, for they perish not. O Lord, help us to put our trust under the shadow of thy wings, till the storms of life are overpast. So we finished, in a few more months, our pastorate in this place, and resigned the field, not because we thought we ought to, but because the few members there were yet in the Nottawa congregation were bound they would have their own wa3', whether right or wrong, and whether the preacher was paid his just dues or not. They did not, and would not settle with us, although we had forgiven them nearly one-half of what they had agreed to pay. Well, why mourn over 214 LIGHTS AXD SHADOWS OF LIFE. the shadows of the past, and wh^v refer to them, only to magnif\^ the Grace of God, and to show how deceitful is the heart of man I O m3' soul, wait thou only upon God, from Him cometh my expectation. He only is my Rock and my deliverer. In the winter of 1896, we moved from Colon, Michigan, to Wooster, Ohio, after having spent a few weeks in a visit at Chicago, during which time wife and I were sick : but through a kind providence and the care of friends, we recovered, and lived to praise and bless the name of God. Thus the reader ma\' see that we have traced our steps in the ministry, from the 3'ear 1852. when we first began in Uniontown, Stark county, Ohio, to preach the everlasting gospel to the children of men, to the year 1896, when we re- signed our last pastorate in Colon, St Joseph County, Michigan, a period of forty-four \'ears ! At this point we feel like singing, "Here I'll raise mine ebanezer ; Hither by th\- help I'm come; And I hope by thy good pleasure. Safely to arrive at home." J. J. E. REJOICE FOR THE SAVIOR IS COME. J. J. EXCELL. re-joice for the Sav - ior is come, The Sav - ior once re-joice for the na-tions of men, Each kindred and re-joice for the bless-ings of peace, To eacli of his 9 p — o — -L| 1 1 j-g » » prom-ised so long, Each one in his heart should prepare him a home, peo - pie and tongue, Shall learn of the love of the won-der-ful Lamb, chil dren be - long, Then pray that his king-dom may great-ly increase. CHOKITS. s And joy - ful - ly sing him a song. Ee - joice for the Sav - ior is ■0- ^ ^ M. A • ^ .0 ^0 0 0 0 #— a — 1-(5?— I — I 1 1-» » » ^ come, he is come, The Sav - ior once prom - ised so long ; Be sure in your heart to prepare him a home, And joyfully sing him a song. By permission. 216 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XIII. Extracts from Diary, and Extracts of Sermons. It is exceedingly pleasing for one to be able to look upon the scenes of day-life in the past, to be- hold the goodness of God as manifested in the ex- periences of e very-day life, when we have taken the pains all through life, more or less, to record scenes, and acts, and words, and feelings, and thoughts, and emotions, of ourselves, and of others. We will therefore at this juncture, call attention to certain extracts which we now^ make from our diary, hoping they may not only be in- teresting, to the reader, but that he maybe enabled to see the guiding hand of Jehovah, in the life we are writing; and not only so, but that he may find these extracts helpful to him, in some way, as he treads the journey of life; and that he may see that the life of a minister of the Gospel is by no means a lazy life, but that it is full of care, anxiety, and labor; and that, if there be any one who really needs the sympathy, love, and prayers of the saints of God, it is the minister of the sanctuary. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 217 Well, we have gotten into the sunshine of heaven, and feel, that by his grace we are ac- complishing good. April 8. Preached this morning at the Stone church, from Acts xxxvi:28. In the evening spoke from Luke viii:18. I enjoyed good liberty, and trust it was not in \ain that I labored. O Lord, my God, own the labors of thy servant, and crown them with success. April 14. I went today with my family, to brother B's. I found them all well, and doing well, both for time and eternity. What a pleasant thing it is to meet a Christian family, and to enjoy their hospitality and kindness. " The fellowship of kindred minds, Is like to that above." " Before our Father's throne, We pour our ardent prayers ; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one. Our comforts and our cares." April 15. Went, this morning, to another ap- pointment and attended Sabbath School, which was well attended, and was very interesting. I spoke about twenty minutes, to parents, teacheis, and scholars, upon the importance and work of the Sabbath School. April 26. Having been at my brother's, I took leave of him, and started for Cuyahoga county. I arrived at Mr. O. P. F's about"? P. M. We had some difficulty in regard to a horse which I had purchased of him, through his brother. As we could not agree, I proposed to 218 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. leave the matter to arbitration. We did so and the matter was soon adjusted. May 29. Went today, in company with father, to Mr. C's where I joined in the bonds of holy wedlock, two persons, Mr. T. O. and Miss S. C. They are a very fine couple, and I hope they will do well. The bride's mother is such a gentle, kind, and loving lady. She always makes it just as pleasant as possible for all who sojourn with them. Father thought he had never stayed with any family over night, where there were more blankets on the bed, and more as a reserve fund. June 9. The past week has been one of un- usual trial and difficulty, but I have been sustained by the Lord of Hosts. I need a greater spirit of watchfulness and prayer, so that I may be enabled to overcome all my spiritual foes, and be enabled to say, we are more than conquerors through Him that hath loved us, and given Himself for us. January 20, 1865. During the last few days I have enjoyed a good degree of the love of God that casteth out all fear. I delight in the service of the Sanctuary, and my prayer is, O God, make me more useful for the future, than I have been in the past. I long to see sinners converted to God. O Lord, revive thy work in the hearts of thy people, and may much good be done in the Name of Jesus. January 26. Today, with the assistance of God, I have succeeded very well What a blessing it is to have such a Friend as God is. A Friend upon whom we can rely in every time of need. Blessed be the Name of the Lord Most High ! EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 219 January 27. Today I felt at peace with God through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for the gift of His Son. February 10. This evening I spoke to a densely crowded house, from John 5:6. I never saw better order, and the people were remarkably attentive. A goodly number were smitten by the hammer of God's Word. I hope the good effects of this sermon may be realized ere long ! I sometimes think we trust too much in self, and too little in God. " Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh hut in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows ; for so he giveth his beloved sleep. February 13. While discoursing this evening in Reedsburg from Rev. Ill, 17-18, a woman in the congregation, who had been brought under the in- fluence of the Word, could no longer contain her- self, but cried out from her heart, for mercy. She was deeply convicted of sin ; sought for, and ob- tained pardon by believing on Christ. Bless the Lord, O my Soul. "Salvation, O the joyful sound. What pleasure to our ears. A sovereign balm for every wound, A cordial for our fears." Many, during the meeting, professed to ob- tain the pardon of their sins, by believing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The church was much revived, and encouraged. I' hope the good 220 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. effects of the meeting will be felt through all eternity. April 13. 1856. This A. M. finds me alive aad enjoying the blessing of health and strength, with the right use of reason. During the past week I have been tried a good deal. There are so many things on earth to mar the peace, and hinder the progress of the believer. I have long since been convinced, that man is a fallen being. I do not think it could be possible for man to suffer so much, if there were no sin in the world. At times I am almost discouraged in view of the hardships and dangers there are in this world, to which we are constantly exposed ; but I know I shall be lost, if I do not strive ; and I can but perish if I try. But then I shall not perish, but I shall conquer by the help of God. Yes, I shall not die, but live eternally with God in heaven, if I prov^e faithful. Thank God for the prospect of heaven. May 25. Had the privilege of listening to a sermon delivered by the Rev. Jesse Hines., from, "Come thoa with us, and we will do thee good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." The discourse was concise, practical, pointed and pungent, and was delivered in his usual style. The audience was large, and very attentive. May 26. Still exist as a monument of the great mercy of God. How much the Lord does for unworthy me. His mercies are new every morning, and fresh every evening. How great is His faithfulness to the children of men ! In the A. M. went to see brother M. who is sick. Found him getting better. He appears to EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 221 be very quiet and resigned. In the afternoon, went to see Rev. J. Montgomery. Spent the afternoon very pleasantly with them ; they are a remarkably kind family, and are doubtless living in the possession of the pearl of great price. May the Lord guide them by His counsel, and afterward bring them to glory. May 31. This A. M. went to Wooster, to take my brother and sister to the cars. Bro. B. felt poorly, which made me feel sad to part with him. However, I was compelled to bid them, good bye about 3 o'clock, and they left on the cars, while I returned home. This is a world of care and anxiety, but, *' Beyond this vale of tears There is a life above. Unmeasured by the flight of years ; And all that life is love." June 28. This was a day of trial and tempta- tion; at first I felt disposed to murmur, but in thinking over the mercies of God, I felt like prais- ing him for his goodness ; for indeed he is very good to us. My prayer is, O Lord, help me to trust in thee, and not be afraid. Oct 11. Feel pretty dull today, mind is cloudy and gloomy, but I ought not to complain; for I have more than I deserve. May the Lord enable me, to be thankful for all the mercies bestowed upon me. Attended a meet- ing of the Consistories today, who met for the purpose of electing a delegate to Classis. I offered to resign the charge, but they said they would not accept my resignation ; if I offered it. 222 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. They, however, objected to my saying much upon the subject of Slavery. I find a minister of the Gospel has a very difficult position to fill. If he preach the whole truth, some of the people will be offended : and if he run around the truth, he perils his soul. May the Eternal God be my stay and support, and help me to declare the whole counsel of Cod ; whether the people will hear, or whether they will forbear. December 25. This day is kept in remem- brance of the advent of the Savior into this world. Yes, about 1856 years ago, my Savior was a child, in human flesh arrayed, all meekness, innocence, and purity. What a blessed gift to man, is Christ I •'God so loved the world that he gave his only be- gotten Son. that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " 0 for this love let rocks and hills. Their lasting silence break ; And all harmonious human tongues, The Savior's praises speak. "Angels, assist our mighty joys. Strike all your harps of gold ; But when you raise your highest notes, His love can ne'er be told. Reflections on the commencement of the year. January 2, 1857. My soul, thou hast entered upon a new year : how stands the case with thee? Art thou at peace with God. having become ac- quainted with Him? Art thou His child by adoption and free Grace ? Is Christ thy Savior, and has his blood been applied to the washing away of thy sins? Dost thou dwell in God. and does He dwell with thee? Hast thou a title to an inheritance that is in- EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 223 corruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away? Art thou travelhng in the narrow way, prepared by Christ, in which the Apostles and Prophets walked ; and in which they lived and died ? Or, art thou walking in the way which leads to endless pain, in which go the giddy and the gay? O my soul, be candid, and impartial with thyself, while considering thy condition. Remember thy God sees thee, and knows the thoughts and intents of thy heart. He, and He only, knows the motives by which thou art influenced. Yes, He knows whether thou art a child of Grace, or an heir of the devil. Every thought of thy heart is known to Jehovah. Be careful then, how thou jadgest thyself while thou art in the presence of the King Immortal, the invisible. God, in His great mercy, hath spared thee another year. Through all its dangers and difficulties he ha» been thy guide. His Almighty arm hath mercifully delivered thee from death, and thou art a monument of His amazing mercy. Many who were better than thou art, have been called away, while thou art still preserved. Others have been strangers to some of the benefits conferred upon thee. What love and kindness have been manifested unto thee ever since thou hast had a being ! My soul, God has done great things for thee. He has given thee thy birth in ^ Christian land, and brought thee up under the in- fluence of the Gospel. Before thou had'st a being, he made provision for thee b\^ giving his only begotten Son, that thou mightest live through him. In view, there- fore, my soul, of all that God has done for thee, what hast thou done for him? How hast thou 224 LIGHTS AXD SHADOWS OF LIFE. spent thy time during the past year? Hast thou spent it in doing good as well as in getting good ? Hast thou glorified God in thy body and spirit, which are His ? Hast thou set an example worthy of imitation, before the world? Have all the powers of thy mind been employed in serving God? Hast thou been instant in season, and out of season? On every proper occasion hast thou witnessed for Christ ? Has thy conversation been seasoned with salt, so that it administered grace to the hearer? Hast thou been the light of the world, and the salt of the earth? Hast thou been instrumental in the hands of God, in the salvation of souls? Hast thou fought the good fight and run the heavenly race? Hast thou been thankful to the Giver of all mercies for His many favors bestowed upon thee? Hast thou aimed to please God,. and save the soul? If so, then thou hast acted prudently, and God will bless and smile upon thee. On the other hand, m}^ soul, hast thou been regardless of God^ Have thy days and nights been spent in sin? Hast thou served th^^self, instead of serving God? Hast thou lived in rebellion against God, refusing to submit to Him? Hast thou fol- lowed the desires and inclinations of thine own evil heart? Again, hast thou made a profession of religion, and at the same time, b^^ thy work and conversation, shown to the world, that thou art a stranger to grace? Has thou taken upon thee solemn vows, and then neglected to perform EXTRACT'S FROM DIARY, ETC. 225 them? Have all thine actions proven to the world that thy vessel was empty of oil ? Alas! alas ! my soul, for thee, if thus thou hast spent thy time! Further, my soul. What is now thy condition? Hast thou peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ? If thou shouldst be called away soon, art thou prepared for heaven ? Has death to thee lost its sting, and the grave its terrors? Can'st thou say, come, wel- come death, thou end of cares, I am prepared to meet thee? Perhaps thy life may be short, if so, art thou by grace prepared to exchange worlds ? If thou shouldst be spared many years ; art thou determined, in the strength of grace, to battle for the right? Dost thou now, in the presence of God enter into a solomn covenant with Him, that all the powers of thy mind and body, all thy time, and talents, and property, for time and eternity, shall be given to Him? Art thou willing to go where He directs, to do as He commands, and, at all times and under all circumstances, to do, and suffer the will of thy Heavenly Father? If so, then my soul, call upon God to be with thee, en- able thee to be honest with thyself, to dis- charge all thy duties faithfully, and make thee more useful during the present year than thou hast been in the past. At last, my soul, may God receive thee to Glory. ^ May 3, 1857. Went today, with wife, to Brook- field, and found her sister's people all pretty well. We tarried there two or three days, and then re- turned to her father's, tarried with them one 226 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. night, and then came to Akron, Summit County. We were entertained very kindly by Dr. Weimer. May 7. Today went to Marlboro by way of Uniontown, We called on a former neighbor of ours. Found her well, and, I think doing better than usual, having embraced the Savior, and united with the Church! I hope she will prove faithful, and be the means, in the hands of God, of the conversion of her husband. We took dinner with them and had a good time. Went in the Afternoon to wife's sister's folks, and found them pretty well. Left wife there and went to Deerfield to see my aged father once more. I found him pretty well, for which, God be thanked. May 9. This afternoon I do not feel well at all, neither in body nor in mind. I cannot enjoy myself very well in any place where there is no religion in the family ; no blessing asked at the table; no prayer in the house. I was taught, and I am glad I was, to fear God, from my youth, and to invoke the blessings of Goddaily. We travelled till about noon and then went to a Mr. Smith's, in Stark County and tarried the remainder of the day with them. This has been a very dull Sabbath to me, and I have made but little, if indeed any progress, in grace today. O God, bless me with the pardon of all my delinquencies. May 13. Today went to see one of my members who is very sick, but she seems prepared for glory. May 15. Went again to see the sick sister, EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 227 and, at her request administered the Lord's Supper to her, and to a number of others who were there. We had a very solemn time, and the Lord was with us. The rehgion of Christ is able to sustain and comfort us, even in a dying hour. May God sus- tain and comfort this aged saint. Sept. 28. This afternoon, I left, in company with my brother, for Wooster. We arrived there in time for the cars. We started for A., had a pleasant time, and arrived there about five o'clock in the evening. Here we were compelled to wait until seven o'clock, before we could go to Lima ; we spent the time in walking and talking. At the appointed time, we again took the cars, and pro- ceeded to Lima. We called on Bro. Stephens and found him well ; we then went to the residence of our brother and found him at home ; we tarried there two or three hours, and then started for Pittsburg, Pa. We had a pleasant and delightful trip. In the car, we occupied, was a man who had lost the right use of reason. I should think he was about twenty-five years of age. They were taking him to the Lunatic Asylum. Poor fellow ! His great theme seemed to be hanking. Per- haps he had been in some great business, and had lost his money, and, having placed his affections too much upon the things of this life — when his money was gone, he was bereft of reason. I pitied him greatly, and I prayed God to con- tinue to me the right use of reason. Sept. 29. To-day we arrived in the city of Pittsburg, about five o'clock A.M. First we took 228 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. a walk over the city and beheld some of its im- mense buildings. Next, we crossed the river in a ferry-boat and went to Birmingham, where some of the Ward people li\e, who are related to my brother John. We took dinner with Mr John Ward and had a very pleasant time with him. Pittsburg is very smok^^ and black, on account of the furnaces which are in blast, the greater part of the year. After spending a short time in Birmingham, we took a stroll over the city. First we visited the rolling-mill, and saw a great many men busily engaged ; their work is very hard, owing to the excessive heat ; the most of them were nearly in a state of nudity. Next we called to see the gas works; the gasometer is probably about 150 feet in diameter, and thirty feet in depth. There is a large furnace, probabl}^ 18 feet in diameter, and about 20 feet high. Here they make all sorts of glass ware; chiefly, however, tumblers. After that we passed through Scotch Hill market ; this, together with many other buildings, were destroyed by fire in 1845; the fire caught from a washer-woman's shanty; as it was very windy. The Baptist church next claimed our attention. This is a very imposing structure, and was built in 1812. The Catholic church, is a very grand building, an immense structure and seems to bid defiance to chance and time. It is not only large, but very beautiful, and seems to inspire the mind with awe. Market street was very fall indeed, as this was EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 229 market-day. Here is plenty to be seen! What a grand varietj of earth's productions! How abundantly the earth brings forth, both for man and beast. How good the Almighty is, who "crowns the year with His goodness, and makes his paths drop fatness." The city-hall, over the meat-market, is capable of seating from eight to ten thousand people. Next, we called on Bro. Wykes, who lives on Market street. We found him tolerably well, and, I trust, doing well, both for time, and eternity. There was great bustle in the city ; everybody seemed to be alive, and on the wing. Here are Wealth and Poverty strangely intermingled. Here is a lady clothed in silk, and faring sumptu- ously every day, while there is a woman in rags and tatters, who has scarcely enough to keep body and soul together. Here is a splendid mansion, there is a wretched hovel ! Next, we went to the State fair, held in the suburbs of the city. There we saw much to de- light the eye. The mechanical department was very good ; and the floral department, delightful. Here we see how profuse Nature is, in her productions ! We see some of the rich provisions God has made for our wants ! He has blest the labor of the Agri- culturist, and well rewarded him for his toil. Here we see Nature's handi-work, and the skill, and art of man. After spending some time in sight-seeing, we returned to the city ; and, on our return, called on the Rev. Mr Thomas, of the M. E. church, with whom I had formerly been acquainted. I was very 230 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. glad to see him, for I had not met him for a number of years. He was doing well, had a good charge, and gets a good salary. At length, I left the city for home. I felt al- most exhausted, for we had eaten nothing since morning, and preachers, as well as other folks, need food. Nothing very special occurred on my home- ward trip, but, with the blessing of God, I arrived safe at A, at about 7 o'clock at night, and took lodging. I was so extremely tired, that I could not sleep for some time, but at length found rest. Glory be to God for his goodness. September 30. I awoke this morning quite poorly, but at the same time thankful to my heavenly Father for his care over me. I had to wait again for the cars, but at length, after a very tedious ride, arrived safe at home, and found my family well. It may be well to relate, in this connection, an incident that occurred at this time. As we have already stated, we were hindered on our return trip, in consequence of not being able to make close connections, and, therefore, were unable to get home as soon as we desired. We had made arrangements to marry a certain couple, but did not get there until the knot had been tied by a very kind ministerial brother, by the name of M., who happened to be going by at that time. The parson's wife is always very watchful and thoughtful, and she was desirous of having the two, who were at the parsonage, made one, and so made happy. She called the neighboring parson in, and he very kindly tied the knot. So EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 231 the two were made one, and went away happy. Then, what is perhaps better, and the most note- worthy, is this, that the brother did not retain the fee, but gave it to the resident pastor's wife. Very few would have done so, but that brother was a noble man, and one whom we- always loved, and respected. Upon another occasion, when the young parspn wanted to buy a sheep for three of his children, that brother very kindly gave the fourth child a lamb, so that each of the children could have one. He was a grand, good man, but he has gone to his long last home, and his children have risen up and call him blessed. October 28. This morning I feel well, for which I am thankful to Almighty God. Went to W to-day and had a pleasant time. October 29. I do not feel well to-day, but I desire to be submissive, and more obedient to my Heavenly Father. I am too much disposed to in- dulge in repining at the dispensation of God's providence. O my God, forgive the sins of thy unworthy servant. "Increase my faith, increase my hope, When foes and fears prevail ; And bear my fainting spirits up, Or soon my strength will fail. O keep me in thy heavenly way, And bid the tempter flee ; And let me never, never stray, From happiness and Thee." November 25. This is Thanksgiving Day. I preached at Reedsburg from Psalm cxiyii:15 to last verse. We had a good time, for the Lord 232 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. was with, and blest us. I had good liberty, and the people were interested. April 14. This afternoon I visited a sick lady, who lives near Small- Town. She expressed a de- sire to be baptized, and, after the necessary ex- amination, and manifestation of a proper faith on her part, I proceeded to baptize her in the name of the Holy Trinity. She seemed to enjoy the occasion well, and appeared to be ready to die. After singing and prayer, I commended her to God , hoping if she should be called away, she might be taken to mingle with the blest in heaven. Apr. 26, 1859. This A. M. I arose very early, and went in company with Rev. H. to Wooster, where we arrived about 5 o'clock. About 6, I started for Cincinnati, but as the train was late in consequence of the failure of the engine, I did not reach Crestline in time to make the connection for Dayton. Finding I could make it at Forest, I went there, and arrived in time to take the Express for Dayton. On the way I grew very ill, insomuch that I hardly knew what to do, for I could scarcely hold up my head. However, by the help of God, I arrived safe at Dayton. I inquired for the Rev. G. W. W. . but he had gone with his aged mother to Columbus. I went with Bro. Swander, who lives at G. W. Ws, who very kindly took me to a Mr Shaffer, with whom I had a pleasant interview. From there I went to Bro. Taylor's to see if I could purchase a church bell, but, finding he had none to suit me, I con- cluded to go to Cincinnati. I tarried all night with Mr. Taylor. He appeared to be a very fine man, and I had a pleasant time with him, but my visit EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 233 was not unalloyed, for I had a grievous head-ache and I could get no relief all night. Apr. 27. This A. M. I feel better, though still not as well as I could desire. Dayton is a beautiful city, containing about 13,000 souls, and a good share of business is done here. I am now at the depot! What hurry and bustle! Some are travelling in one direction, and some in another. Friends are parting perhaps never to meet again on earth. Some are going for pleasure, and others are on business. Some are about to settle in the far West, there to try their fortune in a strange land. Now I am on my way to Cin. The country through which we are travel- ling is very fine, and in some places delightful. I arrived in the city of C. about 11 o'clock, and was soon on my way to the place of business. After an hour's ride, I was at Mr. Coffins. I found him a very agreeable man. After some conversation with him, I went and took dinner in the city ; after which I returned to Mr. Cofiins's and bought a bell of him. After this I spent several hours in the city, seeing and hearing what I could. Cincinnati is indeed a very fine city, and every thing looks delightful. I ascended a very high hill from which I had a very fine view of the city and the surrounding country. I saw the river rolling along in all its grandeur and glory. I cast my eyes across it, and saw the town of Newport in Kentucky, where poor, degraded human beings are kept in servitude, O, w^hat a disgrace! After I had seen considerable of the city, I left for Dayton about dark, and soon found my way to my brother W's. I found him well and genial. 284 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. He is decidedly a very fine man, both a Christian and a gentleman. After tea we went to meeting. It was rather of a financial character, but was, amusing and interesting. I returned home with brother W. with whom I tarried all night, and b3^ whom I was treated very kindl3\ I retired to rest thankful for the mercies of the day. May God be praised for His goodness, and my friends thanked for their kindness. April 28. To-day came home from my trip, found my family well, and thanked God for His care. April 29, To-day I left home, in company with the most of my family, and started on a visiting tour. We had a very pleasant ride, and, about dark, arrived at Massillon. We remained over night with a family by the name of Ricks, with whom we had a delightful time. April 30. To-day we travelled towards Deer- field. At noon we stopped and took dinner with a Mr. Creekbaum, with whom we were partially acquainted. After dinner, we pursued our journey; and, about dark, arrived at my father's. We found them as well as usual. Everything about the old homestead looks very natural. May 1. This is a beautiful morning. All nature is vocal with the praises of the Triune God. After breakfast, we went to the M. E. Church, in Deerfield, Portage County, Ohio. I was kindly in- vited to preach, by the pastor, Rev. B. Warner, and I consented. I spoke from Psalm xiii:24. I enjoyed a good degree of liberty, and trust the Lord was very precious to our hearts. After preaching we had general class, and I enjoyed it EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 235 much. In the evening went again, and spoke from Psalm viii:5. I did not enjoy as good liberty as I have at some other times. May God follow with his blessing the remarks made by his servant. May 2. Spent the day in visiting and talking, and had a good time. In the evening, spoke at the West School-house from Acts xx:28. I had a good time and humbly trust some good was done in the name of the Lord. May 23, 1859^ Went this morning to the home of a widow, by the name of Werns, where I preached on the death of her daughter, from I Thess, IV : 13-14. There was a large attendance, and the hearers were very attentive. I hope they were edified, and God glorified. This woman has been greatly afflicted, having buried a husband, and eight children. She has but one child living. Susan died in peace, and has gone to a better clime. In the afternoon, I went to see Father Bender, who is not expected to live, being afflicted with Cancer of the stomach. He seems to be well re- signed, and I trust will be prepared for Heaven. May, 25. Called to see a very sick woman, a Mrs. M. who lives very near the gates of death. I administered the sacrament to her and sung, conversed, and prayed with her. She appears to be in a good frame of mind, and is preparing for glory. June, 3. This morning one of the sharpest frosts occurred that ever visited this country, at this season of the year ! it has done immense dam- 236 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. age. I suppose there will be a great many sorrow- ful hearts, nevertheless I trust all will be over- ruled for the good of all, by our indulgent Lord. January 1, 1860. Through the tender mercy of God, I have been brought to see the commence- ment of another year. Many have been the difficulties through which I have passed ; but the hand of God has sustained me, and brought me thus far along the journey of life. Had it not been for the help of Deity, I should long ere this have given over the struggle for human existence ; but, thanks be to His name. He has been with me in the past ; is with me still ; and I trust, will be with me to the end. "For He has been with us; And He now is with ns; And He says He will be with us to the end." Blessed be His name forevermore. I have made but little progress during the past year, in any thing. I have done but little, compa^ativel^^ in study. It is true, I have been engaged in the book business, and have done a little; but O, so little! I have accomplished but little good, and am compelled to say, am an unprofitable servant." I desire to do the will of my Heavenly Father: but, O my weakness and inefficency ! How far short I come of the glory of God ! O Lord, forgive my wanderings ; and love me freely. O, that I might start anew this day in the service of my God, and be more useful during the present year, than I have been in the past. During the past week I have accomplished but little. O that all my short-comings and imper- EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 237 fections, may be blotted out of the book of God's remembrance. I went to C. in the afternoon, the weather was extremely cold; but I fared pretty well. I spoke to a small audience from Romans iii:24. i then went to another appointment, where I spoke from Revelations xxii:I4. There was good at- tention : but nothing special occurred. In the eve- ning, spoke at Reedsburg from Romans iii:24. January 7. To-day I have been reading and writing. I was reading the life of Bramwell. What an amount of good he accomplished. I find it will not do to compare myself to him. My faith is small : I am so foolish, and ignorant. Lord, make me to feel that when I am weak, then am I strong. January 14, 1860. To-day I have taken great enjoyment: for which God be praised. In the e /e- ning, I spoke to a respectable audience from Mark v:24-34. I had good liberty, and I trust the Lord was with us. Many felt the enkindlings of His love, on the altar of their hearts. Some of the brethen were particularly blest ; shouted ; and praised God for His goodness. Some of the hear- ♦ers, however, manifested apathy and indifference. May God grant them repentance unto life, and take their sins away. During the past few weeks, quite a goodly number have been brought nigh by the blood of the Lamb : and the church has been greatly strengthened, and encouraged. " O that the world would taste and see The riches of His grace. The arms of love, that compass me, Would all mankind embrace." 238 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Jan. 15, 1860. This A. M. I attended the funeral of Father Maury, who hved in the neigh- borhood of one of the congregation, of the Quad- r 11 pie charge. He lived to a good old age, being eighty-three years, and some months old when he died. He had been quite feeble for some months, and appeared very dull. He was sick but a few hours, and then departed : leaving a world of care and toil, of sin and sorrow, for one of bhss and happiness at God's right hand. He had been for many years, a consistent member of the Lutheran church; and had always endeavored to adorn the doctrine of Godliness, by a well ordered hfe, and a chaste conversation. As his life had been faithful, his end was peaceful. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Father Maury sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. A large circle of friends, relatives and neighbors, followed his mortal remains to the silent tomb. He was buried in Reedsburg, and the occasion was improved by the writer from 2 Tim, iv : 6-8. There was a large congregation in attendance, and the most of them seemed deeply interested. I hope some good was done in the name of the Lord. In the afternoon, I went to another appoint- ment, where I spoke to an attentive audience from Romans vm : 7. I hope we shall all be led to see more and more the great turpitude of sin, and the great ne- cessity of redemption by Christ Jesus. After preaching, I rode a distance of ten miles, and preached to a crowded house from Jer, ^tii:21-22. The interest was good, the feehng solemn and deep EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 239 and indicative of good. It is strange, however, that we cannot persuade sinners to act. They ap- pear to feel it a duty to serve God ; but to get them to act, and make a start for the Celestial city, is the difficulty. February 28, 1869. I have spent the most of the day in preparation for the pulpit. I find I have need to study, and that dihgently, in order that I may rightfully declare the counsel of God. I often wonder that I was ever called to preach the Gospel ; and yet I know I was. I am so un- profitable, and so unworthy, and come so far short of my ideal of a Minister. O God, graciously assist me by the influence of thy Holy Spirit. March 22, 1869. Today I attended two funer- als, one a child of Mr. Campbell's, and the other, a daughter of Mr. Thomas, who lives in this place (Brady's Bend). She was subject to fits which had evidently much injured her mind. She went down to the creek to get water, and fell in, as it is supposed ; for when they found her, she was lying dead in the water. This is a very sad accident, but we have the satisfaction of knowing that she was a very pious child ; a member of the M. E. Church, and was at the prayer-meeting only two evenings before this took place, so we have hope in her case. August 21, 1870. This morning I went to hear the Rev. Dr. Cox, of the First M. E. Church, preach. His discourse was founded on a few of the first verses of the fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians. His main object was to show, that while there 240 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. are many things which we might deny, it is vastly more important to know what we believe. To believe a few truths, and that with a posi- tive, active faith is of the greatest importance. The truths of the Bible are but few, but very important. It is not necessary, he said, for one to stop and argue about the doctrine of the Incarna- tion, he should make himself acquainted with the fact, that Christ Jesus did come into the world to save sinners. If he believed that positively, it would change his entire life. It would subdue his passions ; and assimilate him into the mind and will of Christ. For illustration, he said, there is electricity enough in one drop of water, if discharged from all its surroundings, to charge a cloud, to dart the lightning, and arm the thunderbolt. So there is power enough in one truth to change the entire character and life of a man. He said, that philosophically there was no system of religion that coald save man, and historicrlly there was none that had saved him. That the great design of Christianity was to save man We were well pleased with the sermon. May God bless brother C. in his labors of love, and crown them with success. The church to which we now refer is the oldest church in California, and was organized in 1849, by Rev. Wm. Taylor, who is usually called the Live Yankee. In the afternoon we attended the Sunday School, which is in a very prosperous condition. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 241 There were 209 scholars and 16 teachers in attend- ance. The singing was very fine, and the order quite good. In the evening I went to church, and preached to a small audience, from 1st Peter 2:24. I hope good was done. Hubbard, Ohio, Feb. 20, 1871. I felt very unwell to-day and did not arise till very late, and then, before I arose, I was startled by the an- nouncement that my father was not expected to live. I at once arose, and made preparations to go and see him. I started on the afternoon train, and reached K. that evening. Having learned that the probabilities were that father was either better^ or dead, I went no farther that night. I did not rest well during the night, for my rest was much disturbed by thinking of my father. A part of the time I seemed to be carry- ing him about from place to place. Tuesday morning I started for father's, hut learned on the way, that he had passed over the river ; yes, that he was dead ! With what terrible weight that sound fell on my ears ! I looked back, with great satisfaction, to the days and years that were gone, never to be re- called ! A few years before that, we were all at home together, enjoying each other's society ; as well as the advice and direction of our beloved parents ; who did so much for us, but who were then gone, and the chilhren were all scattered ! Sometimes I think I should like to bring those days back again, that I might live them over ; but it is all in vain, for they will never come to 242 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. US again. What a loss it is to part with pious parents ! I went over to my brother John's ; and from thence to his daughter's, and there I found Mrs, E. Excell. February 22, 1871. This morning we went to the house of mourning ! The funeral was held in the M. E. Church at the center of Deerfield, Port- age Co. , Ohio. It was conducted by the Rev. C. Brown. He preached from Matt. 25 :21 His Lord said unto him, ''Well done." The preacher did very well. There was a pretty large audience in attendance. Hyms sung, at the house, 106? M. E. H., at the church, 1094, 1083, 1086. This has been a very sad day to us all ; but I hope it will be sanctified to our good. Very much on such a day as this, 28 years ago, our dear mother was laid to rest, and I must say, that through all these years I have never found any . one who took her place, Ah ! there is no one like a good and kind mother. After the interment we all met at the home- stead, but there seemed to be no attraction there since father had gone. Wife and I then went to John's at Lima. February 23, 1871. Wife went to Alliance, and brother John and I, went to the farm. We met a part of the family there, and endeavored to make arrangements with regard to the disposal of thp. property, but nothing was accomplished. August 17, 1871. This afternoon 1 started for the State Camp-meeting, held at Canton, Stark County, Ohio. I went as far as Kavenna. I found my sister's family (A. Jewell) greatly EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 243 afflicted. Mr. J. had fallen from a building, and broken his arm, and also injured his shoulder. There had also been a sick young man there by the name of Philpott. August 18. This morning I pursued my way toward Alliance, where we changed cars for Canton. I arrived at anton a little before noon. I walked out to the Camp Meeting, and found it to be a most delightful place ; situated about a mile from the town. As for the Camp Meeting 1 must say, that I enjoyed it very much indeed ! There were many seekers of religion, and we have reason to believe many hopeful conversions. How many, I am not able to say ; but there were many forward for prayer ; almost every time an opportunity was given to come forward. There were also a good many who professed to attain unto what some call the higher life ; or the blessing of sanctification. It certainly is a great blessing to feel that you are fully consecrated to God ; but I fear many are mistaken upon this point. We should all trust Christ for a present and full salvation. I never before had just the same feeling that I possessed on Saturday and Sabbath . I felt that I was fully saved, yes, fully the Lo rd's ; and that I could trust him fully. Surely Christ is a full, complete, and suf- ficient Saviour ; able to save unto the uttermost ; and, O, how much there is in that word utter- most ! Lord, help me always to trust in Thee ; for the just shall live by his faith. I 244 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. At this meeting, I heard a number of in- structions and interesting sermons. August 22. This is a very beautiful morning, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour: God has done great things for me ; whereof I am glad : and for which I bless His name. October 22. This morning I went with brother Winchester to the Grand river, to baptize a young lady by the name of Dice. There were several in attendance, and we felt that the spirit of the Lord was there. Came back to meeting, and at 10 :30 spoke to a tolerably large audience, from Nehemiah 4:6. " For the people had a mind to work." After preaching, I led a Bible Class, and had an interesting time. In the afternoon went, in company with three of the children, to N. Madison and preached from Deut. 32:31 i enjoyed the service, and trust good was effected. Be pleased, in thy goodness, dear Lord, to follow with thy blessing, all the labors of thy servant to-day, for Christ's sake. November 30. This morning I preached a Thanksgiving sermon from Psalm 95 :l-2. O come, let us sing unto the Lord ; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation, etc. 1st. Our unparalled prosperity should be a cause of thanksgiving to God. Not quite a hundred years have passed since we declared ourselves free and independent. Then there were but thirteen colonies, now there are forty states. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. .245 2nd. We should devoutly thank God for the privileges and blessings of a free government. » (1) Liberty of speeeh, (2) of the conscience, (3) of the press. (4) Liberty of person. Reference to American slavery and our de- liverance therefrom. Slavery was introduced into the American colonies in 1620, by a Dutch vessel, which unloaded a portion of her human merchandize, at Jamestown, Virginia. The event was almost simultaneous with the landing of the pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, December 22, 1620. IsTumber of slaves at the declaration of Independence about half a million. At the com- mencement of the war of 1861, four million. 3rd. The facilities for intellectual and moral culture, which we, as a nation, enjoy ; is a cause for gratitude. (1.) The public school system. (2.) Colleges and Universities. (3.) The progress of the arts and sciences. (4.) The Bible, the Church, and the Sabbath School. An effort is being made to destroy the C. Sabbath. 4th. Our friendly relations with other nations. 5th. The bountiful supply for all our wants. 6th. The progress of Christianity is a cause for gratitude. There is much to deplore, but still much to rejoict over. (1.) The condition of the Jews. (2,) The nations are becoming more and more enlightened. January 1, 1872. I begin this year with 246 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. thanksgiving and praise to God ; for the bless- ings of his providence. He has been very good to me ; and I desire to show forth His praise. The past year has been one of conflict, but it has also been one of victory ! • I feel that I have been brought much nearer to God, and I want to walk by faith. Lord, help me. I am often tried and tempted, but my refuge is in God. I left home quite early, and went to Ravenna to attend a family gathering. I arrived there at two o'clock. All enjoyed it greatly. I shall always remember it with gratitude. Our brothers and sisters, with all their com- panions, were there, save mine. I was sorry she could not be there ; nevertheless, I enjoyed the meeting very much. O, that at last we may all meet in heaven. July 24, 1875. I now have the privilege, through the kind love and care of my Heavenly Father, after a very pleasant ride on the river, of attending a Camp Meeting, which is being held in the state of New York, with my brother Benja- min. The first sermon which I hear is preached by an old gentlemen by the name of Hunt. The effort, for an old gentleman, was very fine indeed. "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1. The power of God. 2. The great principle by which the christian is brought into possession of that power. 1st. God and His power are Immutable. God governs the world by His physical EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 247 power. He governs the moral world by His moral power. If there be any change, it must be in us. The Agent is the Holy Ghost. Our faith must take Christ as our Prophet, Priest and King. 3. There are but few first principles in science, and in religion. 4. Faith brings us out of bondage. God is Omnipotent. But He cannot save us alone. Angels cannot. God has made it possible for us to be saved . 5. The Truth is Eternal. It is only truth to us, when we have a moral perception of it. Paul did not know the truth until it was re- vealed to him by the Holy Ghost. Faith in God's law, will give us a view of God's holiness. Faith is the principle of obedience. Unbelief is the opposite. (1) Faith in the Gospel, apprehends Christ as the High Priest. (2) . As an infallible Teacher. (3) . As a Supreme Euler. Faith is a justifying act. The fact of conversion is known to God ; and the Holy Ghost reveals it to the individual. We must have a sense of the Divine Presence. A divine consciousness of the power, and willingness of Christ to save. I will here record a few anecdotes, which were related at C. M. 1st. To explain the power of early culture. 248 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS Olf LIFE. A little boy was very sick, and he called his brothers and sisters around him and asked them to sing, "Jesus the Name high over all" etc- After they had sung a verse or two, he himself joined in singing, and seemed to be very happy. He divided the most of his things among the family, giving one to this, and the other to another, and so on. At length all had been distributed but a little sled. He said to his mother, that he wanted to give that to the boy that had used him the worst. So he said, ''let it be a little while. " Some time after this he said, " Ma, I do not know to whom to give it, for all the boys have been kind tome." At length he said, I will give it to such a boy, mentioning his name ; and that was the poorest of any one in the place. His mother said to him, why do you want to give it to that boy ? He said, ''why mother, that boy had such poor shoes on his feet , and I made fun of him, because he was so poor^ ; and I want you to give him that little sled, and ask him to forgive me ; and tell him, I trust God has forgiven me." Shortly after this incident, he said, "they have come after me to take me to glory. " What a good thing it is to have our children instructed in the way of Righteousness. Early Conversion. Mrs. Wheeler spoke of a little daughter of hers, who, though only five years old, and not- with-standing she had always been a good child, felt, at one time convicted of sin. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 249 After she had retired to rest, at about the hour of twelve, she thought she heard her little child sobbing and crying. She went up-stairs, and the little girl brushed away her tears. ^'See- ing," said her mother, ''that she was not disposed to break the trouble to me, I asked her what was the matter ?" She broke out crying, O mother, I am such a sinner ! I don't love Jesus as I should." Her mother told her that she had been such a good girl : but she said, no, I am such a sinner. Her Ma after praying for her, was happy in hear- ing her testify, that she loved the Lord Jesus, and that He had forgiven her. Since that time, that little daughter has been loving, and serving Jesus. July 28, 1875. Brother and I have had a delightful ride upon the lake. True, it was a Httle rough last night, but aU passed off very pleasantly indeed. We arrived safely at Toronto about 8 o'clock A. M. and then proceeded to survey the city. We were very much pleased with it. The main buildings, for the most part, are very majestic in their appearance. Among the items of peculiar interest, are the churches and schools. We went to the sexton of St James church, who very kindly showed us the interior. It is a very massive affair. Imposing indeed in its appearance. There are small, but neat seats, not so grand of course, as the chief seats in the building are, but still very comfortable. They are placed in the aisles, and are so arranged as that they can be taken out, when not desired for use. It is said, that in the galleries and aisles, there is room enough to seat seven hundred people. 250 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. The sexton receives about $600 per year, for taking care of the church. The salary of the rector I did not learn. The cost of the church was about $300,000, and the steeple is said to be the highest on the continent. Next we went to the Metropolitan church ; Wesleyan Methodist, which was built during the Presidency of Dr. Morley Puncheon. It is a very fine church indeed. Not so stately, nor imposing as the Episcopal church of which I ha\ejust spoken, but for practical purposes, for beauty and elegance, and for neatness, it is superior to the Episcopal. This cost about $100,000. The organ will be as good as any in the city; that, and the furnishing of the church, cost about $20,000. The minister receives $2000 salary and his house furnished ; $500 for horse hire, besides other matters; so that he is very well provided for. We then went to view the Normal school build- ing, which covers a very large area of ground. This is designed for the preparation of students for teaching, and is supported by the government. No pains have been spared to make it, not only beautiful, but useful, and profitable. There are very fine specimens of Sculpture, and also very fine paintings. The rooms are open to visitors every day, ex- cept Sundays, from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. The walks and arbors in front, and around the buildings, are so beautiful, that one almost fancies himself to be in Paradise. If the art and in- genuity of man in connection with Nature, accom- EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 251 plishes so much, what will the Eternal City be ^ If earthly bowers are so pleasant, what will the Garden of Paradise be? If this state of trial is so beautiful, what will the reward be? It is to be feared, however, that a great many will miss the way, and never reach the Eternal City! About 4 o'clock, we bade farewell to the city and started for the states. We took a steamer and came to Buffalo, arriving there at nine o'clock ; although a part of our journey, was accomplished by rail road. As we passed by on the cars, we saw old Niagara leaping and plunging as wildly as ever. So time and tide wait for no man ; but roll on ever, and ever. O may we all be ready when we take the leap into the future, and may it not be a leap into the dark, but a happy translation from Earth to Heaven. We remained a few weary hours at Buffalo, and then left for Cleveland, arriving at the city by 8 o'clock in the morning. In a few hours I started in company with my wife for Brecksville. We had a very rough ride in an old hack. So the world goes: sometimes we ride easy, then again, it is very rough. Sometimes we meet with smiles, then again there are nothing but frowns. Sometimes we meet with cheery words, and O how much they help us; and at other times, we hear nothing but words of censure; until we are almost discouraged, and feel like giving up the struggle for immortality ! 252 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. O it is a good thing to he established ; to feel that you are on the Rock; and that the Rock of ages can not move: to feel ''that all things work together for good, to them that love God." June 18, 1876. What a world of sorrow, toil and trouble this is ! How many and various are the temptations to which we are continually ex- posed ! How many are the afflictions to which we are liable! And yet not-with-standing all this, we cling to life with wonderful tenacity. Life is almost one continual scene of trial and vexation ; and we by no means wonder that Solomon should say, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." There is so much wonder and mystery in this life ! Why should we be so perplexed and chastened all the time ? Are all these trials necessary ? Are they sent by our Heavenly Father, or has He but little to do with them ? Are they brought upon us by ourselves, by some mismanagement which might have been avoided had we been more careful? Or, are they sent in kindness, to teach us lessons of our own weakness, insufficiency, and depend- ence? There is much of disappointment here, and per- haps it is necessary for us, else we should desire to stay here always, and this is not our home. Here we have no continuing city, therefor we seek one to come. We are so slow to profit by experience. If a man had walked a certain path a thousand times, and had stumbled over an obstacle in that EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 253 path, every time, one would think him very slow not to observe and avoid it. Have we not suffered our- selves to be overcome a thousand times ; and have we not stumbled as often ? O ! why do we not take warning, and avoid the obstacles? Surely we ought to grow in wisdom, as we grow in days, weeks, months and years. Why do we not lay fast hold on God, and re- ceive grace to enable us to overcome ? This is the victor^' that overcometh the world, even our faith. O ! for mighty faith to overcome all things that are wrong, and to appropriate to our souls all that we need! Friday morning, August 11^ 1876. Another ecclesiastical year has almost passed away ! How swiftly the torrent rolls, and bears us on- ward to the ocean of eternity ! When we were very young time seemed to pass so slowly. Often have we wished it went faster ; but now the case is otherwise. Time seems to hurry us onward ; so much so that there does not seem to be half time enough to do what we desire to. So much of life is necessarily taken up with the little affairs of life, that so little re- mains for the more important affairs of the soul. The one thing needful should occupy our chief attention. The Saviour said, ''Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you." To know just how to spend the time to the very best advantage is a very grave question, 254 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. and one that I have never been able to solve satis- factorily to myself. My desire is to do the will of my Father in heaven. April 1. To-day we went to N'elson Ledges, in company with Aunt Barnes and her daughter Dora. We had the satisfaction of meeting many of the Mecca people, and the Sunday Schools from Me. and Gilman's. There were two other schools there also, one from Nelson, a union school, and the other from Braceville. There was also a re- union of the Mills family. I spoke twice that day, and I hope some good was done. Taking all things together, it was in truth a pleasant time. Tuesday A. M., Sept. 19, 1876. I have slept in peace and awoke finding my kind Preserver near. After spending some time with my sister Mary, I started for Conference, to be held at Steuben- ville, Ohio. I arrived there safe by about 6 o'clock P. M. and was taken to my lodging on Seventh street, to the home of Bro. Taggart. After tea I went to hear Dr., now Bishop Vincent, lecture on ''The Model Husband." 1. The Iron husband. 2. The Silver husband. 3. The Golden husband. There were about 500 persons in attendance, and the lecture was very fine indeed. I am inclined to believe, however, that there are very few Model Husbands living. There was one remark, among others, which EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 255 he made, which was very true; and that is, that in order that home may be a "Model one," there must not only be a model husband, but a model wife." September 20. Conference met this morning, Bishop Ames in the chair. Prior, however, to the transaction of business, the sacrament of the Lord's supper was administered to a large number of Communicants. J. R. Mills was chosen Secre- tary; and the standing committees were chosen by the Presiding Elders. in the evening heard the Rev. Thoburn, missionary from India, preach. Text 1st Cor. 14: 39. Covet to Prophesy. 1. Allusion to Roman Conquerors. They gave gifts to their friends. So Christ gave gifts. The best gift is to prophesy. Strange that we pay no more attention to it than we do. What is the reason ? 1st. We do not fully comprehend the meaning of the term. We restrict it to foretelling. It used to be to preach. Allusion to the young men in the time of Moses. Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones. To prophesy means to teach, preach, and comfort. 2. The ambiguous meaning of the ministry. 256 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. 1. The Roman Catholic view. 2. The Episcopal. 3. The English Minister, We should keep the New Testament idea. Paul had nearly all the gifts. John Wesley, and Whitefield were prophets. Methodists w<:re first, evangelists. There are many prophets. He alluded to himself to show the necessity of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He had prepared a sermon but it all vanished, and he had another plan given him. Covet to prophesy. Not to for-tell, but to forth-tell. Characteristics of Prophets. 1st. The Christian Prophets must be sent, God must send us. A pastor need not be sent, he may be called, 2. A man must have a message. If a man have a message, it gives him power. He alluded to a young man, whose wife said he had no message. He sought till he obtained one, and then preached with power. 3. He must be brave enough to deliver the message. We want courage. Refer to Elijah. Tongue of £re. We must be anxious to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. What does Sanctification mean? The Holy Ghost must fill us, EXTBACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 257 It brings us nearer to God. Allusion to the burning bush What must I do to obtain it ? 1st. Put yourself in a proper attitude. Oration is not prophecy. Essay is not prophecy. It was a very fine effort indeed. Thursday afternoon Sept 21,1876. Listened to a lecture b3^ Dr. Vincent. 1st, An apology for a class of ministers who have no particular interest in Sunday Schools. They pray for it, pat it on the back, call it a good thing, etc. Why do they excuse themselves ? 1. They do not believe in specialties. I am a minister. *^That is nothing but a practical specialty." "I want a specialty that will involve thought." All right. 3. It is not delightful. 4. The Sunday School has to do with children. I am not going to be a mere children's man." 5. The idea obtains that we have less family Religion. This s/70t27(i not be the case. We should have home culture. Another idea obtains that the Sunday School is a substitute for the pulpit. That is a grand mistake. There should be no less preaching on the account of the Sunday School. If either is to be neglected, let it be the Sunday §ch9ol. . Practical work may degrade, or exalt, accord- ing to the ideal. 258 LmHTS AND SHADOWS LiPE. 1 advocate Sunday Schools on the ground that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth. The truth appealed to. The truth applied. The truth obeyed. The church is the instrument, in the hands of God. We want to go to Heaven on high ground. Truth is to he illustrated at home. Home should be a model of God's government. The pulpit is to persuade men to be saved. 1st. The home. 2nd. The pulpit. 3rd. The school. Of old there v^ere teachers, asv^ellas preachers. What shall the minister do for the Sunday School? 1. Be interested in it. I want you to give your full attention to it. Sunday School work is a large work. 2. Be enthusiastic in it. Read what books you can upon it. 3. It is the duty of the preacher to teach the people that the Sunday School is a part of the church. 4. He should persuade his people to attend. Insist on the children attending Sunday School. Exalt Bible Study. 5. Our modern system has promoted Bible study. 6. We should increase the teaching power oi the church. 7. The minister should appreciate children. Sept. 22. Bishop Ames spoke from He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.'' EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 259 1. The matter of pure Revelation. Great demonstration. 1. Miracles. 2. Prophecy. They furnish evidence. Look at the spirit that animates the soldier. The spiritual temple is grander. What is Christianity? We must settle this matter. One says, ''it is a system of pure morrality.^^ It must be more than this. Seneca taught pure morrality. We may live and die in doubt. One says, 'St is a system of Ritualism." Many lay wonderful stress upon that. There could be no internal evidence. Some consider that Christianity has some "abstract truths, or opinions." It is something" to be received. There must be experience. Refer to Isaiah. Thy spirit hath garnished the heavens etc. What does the New Testament say touching the Spirit? God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts. One says,'* I am afraid of this doctrine, it leads to fanaticism." Look at the word. Ask, and receive, that your joy may be full." The Bible teaches that there is a spiritual influence. It is for our personal consciousness. Not every kind of Faith. Something more important than faith in Rocks. In Development. 260 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. We are to have faith in God. Refer to Peter's confession of faith. Thou art the Christ. That was a revelation from God. The confession of the Christ. Christ was asked, art thou the Son of God? The confession, the trial of Christ. What was understood by the first Apostle ? God called Philip to the Eunuck. God never gives a revival upon any other preaching than that of the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Bishop wished that he were an artist, so that he could paint the scene, when the Apostles were gathered together, praying for the descent of the Holy Ghost. They waited till the spirit was poured out, and then Peter preached. If we come down to the Reformation. How did Luther begin ? With the old doc- trine of justification by faith. Come down to John Knox. He preached faith in Jesus. Wesley was converted under the preaching of Martin Luther. Refer to the eating of an apple. What other test would God have made ? The ten commandments show that they are from God Where should we have the evidence of our conversion ? In the consciousness. The best testimony. September 25, 1876. I have enjoyed the ses- sions of Conference very much. I have been EXTRACTS PROM DIARY, ETC. 261 well entertained, and have been greatly strengthened. September 27. To-day we went home, going by way of Lima, Atwater, and Edinburg. We stopped and took dinner at Brother Day's. After dinner we resumed our journey, and arrived safe at home. September 29, 1876. I have been making some preparation for moving, but have ac- complished but little . September 30. Started for my new appoint- ment in company with Viola. We took dinner with Mr. Brockett in freedom. Then we went to Edinburg, and stayed all night with Mr. Chapman. October 1. This morning I began my work on my new charge, and, by the help of God, I mean to do my whole duty. October 2, 1876. This afternoon I went over to Smithtown, where I lived the first winter I kept house. It was there I first became ac- quainted with Miss Elizabeth Davis, who sub- sequently became my wife. She was a very good little woman, but with a frail constitution. She only lived to bless me, about three years. How strange it seems, that those we loved so well, and with whom we were so happy, should so soon leave us. Between us there never was any trouble. Pleasantly and happily, the time passed away True, we had in common with all mankind, our trials and difficulties, but we always rejoiced in each other's society ; and 262 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. tried to make each other as happy as possible. But we did not long enjoy each other's society, for, after having moved West, and having lived there about one year, we came back to Portage County, Ohio, where my wife sickened and died ! I have, since that time, found very kind and loving friends, who have done their duty by me, and who have tried to enter into my views and feelings ; but no one has ever been able to do so, as fully as she did. She has been for years at rest, and when and where I shall reach the end, I know not. October 7. I started for my appointment with a part of my family. October 8. Preached to a small audience, from, ' ' Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ' etc. In the afternoon, went and took dinner with Brother Spicer. 1 then went to Atwater and spoke from • Hebrews 6: 18. October 10, 1876. To-day I preached the fun- eral of Mrs. H. Norton, who died from a tumor, after a great amount of suffering, which she bore with Christian patience and resignation. She had been converted to God in early life, but, owi^g to surrounding circumstances, did not unite with the visible church, still, during her life, she en- deavored to carry out the principles of Religion. She was sustained, during her afflictions, by the power of divine Grace, and I have no doubt she has gone to a better mode of being, to mingle EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 263 with the Redeemed in glory. She left a husband and several children, to mourn their loss. " Is not e'een death a gain to those, Whose lives to God were given ? Gladly to earth their eyes they close. To open them in heaven." October 30, 1876. To-day I started for the Centennial at Philadelphia. Wife took me to Rootstown, where I took the train for the city. Nothing very remarkable occurred, save that we had a very tedious ride all night on the cars, and arrived safely in the city the next morning. I was blest with the society and companion- ship of a Mr. Haymaker. We found the Centen- nial very fine indeed, and we enjoyed it very much. There are ten thousand things to be seen. Some are of much more importance than others ; but all go to show forth the wonderful power and goodness of God, and the great ingenuity, and skill of man. November 1. This morning we went again to the Exposition. What a wonderful place it is, and how much there is to be seen ! What an im- mense throng of people, surging backward and forward, here and there, and every- where. Ah, when the next Centennial shall come, very few, if any, of those who are here to-day will be alive ! Few and evil are the days of our pilgrimage, for we spend our years as a tale that is told. November 2. To-day Mr. Haymaker, Mr. Page, and myself, went to the city, and saw many 264 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OP LIFE. objects of interest ; such as the Masonic Temple, United States Mint, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, Girard College, the Zoological Gardens, etc. We were very much entertained, and instructed. This is the best day we have seen at the Ex- position. November 2. To-day went again to the Ex- position, saw a great many new things, and then left for home, bidding the city of brotherly love, Good-bye. November 4. Came home to-day after a tedious ride over the mountains, and got to E. about ;^ o'clock P. M. I felt very thankful to the Father of mercies for His great care, and abundant goodness to me. Blessed be the God of the Heavens and the Earth. November 22, 1876. This evening I called to see Mr. Ellison with whom I attended school when we were boys. O, how many changes have taken place since then ! He has wandered up and down the country for 22 years, and has now come home to die ! December 1, 1876. To-day the spirit of Mr. Ellison took its flight to another world. He suf- fered much, and, for the most part of the time reason was dethroned. There were, however, some lucid intervals, during which he prayed the Lord to have mercy upon him ; and we hope that by the abundant grace of God, he was accepted. December 2, 1876. To-day 1 attended his funeral, and improved the occasion as best I EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 265 could from, "It is appointed unto men once to die.'' I trust the L ord was present, to own and bless the effort. It seemed strange that we should be separated so many years, and then I should be called upon to bury him ! " How frail at best, is dying man, How vain are all his hopes and fears." December 16. 1 have preached and held meetings every evening this woek ; except Satur day evening. The meetings have been well at- tended, but there has not been that interest man- fested that we could desire. 0 Lord, give me Faith in Thee, and confi- dence in the Church. I came home through the cold, but was protected by the arm that moves the Universe. O that grace and mercy may be manifested to us, all our days . Jan. 1, 1877. We had our second quarterly meeting at At water last Saturday and Sabbath. The Presiding Elder was with us, and, better still, the Lord of Hosts was present. Glory be to His Name. The congregations were good, but there were not as many communicants as there should have been. 1 resolved, in the strength of Grace to live close to God. O that the Lord would graciously revive His work. Subject, The Psalms, Gladstone. 1. As a book of devotion for all ages. 1st. Suited to the wants and conditions of all man. Made for the Hebrews from two to 266 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. three thousand years ago, but they are for all people. The Hebrews were local, Christendom is world-wide. (1.) Look at the prayer of Moses. 90 Psalm Lord, etc. The frailty of man, the eternity of God. (2.) Look at the security of the righteous, 91 Psalm, "He that dwelleth in the sacred place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. " (3.) Look at the intense longing of the soul after God. 42 Psalm, "As the heart panteth after the water brook," etc. (4.) Look at the confidence of the church in God. 46 Psalm, "God is our refuge and strength." (5.) Penitence for sin, 51 Psalm. 2. Their contents. 1st. X^^y monotheistic. God is the God of Israel, but He is the God of all. Sing unto God, O ye kingdoms of the earth, O clap your hands together, all ye people. He is exhibited in the majesty of perfect one- ness and omnipotence. His presence is not con- suming but soothing. Witness the 23 Psalm, " The Lord is my Shepherd," etc. 2nd. The doctrine of depravity is taught in the 51 Psalm. 3rd. The forgiveness of sins, 32 Psalm, " Blessed is he whose trangression is forgiven," etc. 4th. The doctrine of purity, 51 Psalm. 4th. A future life, " I shall behold," etc. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 267 Oct 14, 1896. During the last few days, noth- ing very special has occurred. We have enjoyed usual health and strength ; for which we desire to be thankful to our Father in heaven. This is the anniversary of my birthday : and I desire to consecrate myself anew, to the service of my Divine Lord. Oh ! how swiftly the time passes ! It seems but a few years since I was a child ; at my mother's knee. It seems as if I could hear her say, Our Father which art in heaven etc ; and request me to repeat it after her, which I did. Now, I am seventy-one years old. It seems as though it were impossible ; but so it is. How many have come and gone, since I came upon the stage of action. How many changes have taken place since then, and through all those changes the Lord has graciously led, and guided me, by His Holy Spirit. I have to regret, however, that I have done so little for the Master, while he has done so much for me ! And then I have not lived as close to Him, as I should have done. Oh ! that I had done more, and lived closer to God. The past year has been one of considerable conflict and trial, especially so, as I had to give up my Charge ; with no prospects of being able to secure another. This, to me, is a very severe trial, for I desired to continue longer in the Active Ministry. I often wonder that this is so, and yet I see other men have to be laid aside, even sooner than I have been. Would that I could find something to do, whereby I might glorify God, and accomplish some good. 268 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LlFfi. I suppose I must patiently wait, and hope in the Lord. If the Lord has, ( and I suppose he has ) other laborers who can do the work better than I, I must try to be contented and happy, under all the circumstances. The Lord is able to make His Grace abound to me, and He will enable me to trust him fully : and enable me to spend the residue of my" days, in such a way, as to glorify Him. Oct 17. For the last few days I have had the privilege of attending the Synod of the Presby- terian church, which has just closed its sessions. The Sunday School convention which preceded it, was very interesting, rather instructive, and very suggestive. They had a young lady, from Cincin- nati, who taught a primary class, and made a very good impression indeed. There were also some very interesting papers read. The various reports of the Synod elicited a good deal of attention ; and a great interest was manifested in the subject of missions. A gentleman, from this place, ( Wooster ) who had been in China for some time, spoke very encouragingly of the work there, and an effort was made to raise money enough to send another missionary there, who had, some years ago, labored acceptably; and who desired to be reconimissioned. $1000 was pledged for that purpose. All things considered, it was a very enjoyable time. May the Lord bless all the members of the Synod, by crowning all their labors with great success. p:xtracts from diary, etc. 269 Dec 7, 1896. How swiftly time passes away, and we are constantly nearing the other life ! ! We are almost at the close of another year. It seems as though very little had been accom- plished during the past 3^ear. The most of the time has been taken up with the minor affairs of this life. True, I have improved our property somewhat, have spent sometime in visiting rel- ations, have passed through a siege of moving, have spent some time with company, and have de- voted a good share of the time to study. I have taken a very deep interest, in the study of the New Testament in Greek. To me it is de- lightful; and I pray God, that my faith in His v^ord may be daily increased, and that my love for Him, and His ways, and works may abound. July 14, 1897. This day the spirit of Rose, daughter of my sister Adelaide Jewell, passed away very peacefully indeed. She suffered in- tensely, caused by the intense heat, and was de- lerious, a good part of the time. I did not know of her illness; or I should ha e gone to see her. It was only a few weeks ago that I went to see her, and had such a pleasant visit with her. She kindly took me over to Rootstown, to see her Aunt, my oldest sister. We remained there, but a short time, coming back to Ravenna. Ah! little did I think when I bade her good-by that day, that that Would be the last time I should see her on earth! How uncertain is life, and how necessary it is to be always ready, for we know not when the Master will call for as ; for He said, " in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. " 270 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LlFfi. She had been married about 11 years, and was full of expectation ; but how soon she passed away ! In early life she gave herself to God ; and her name to the M. E. Church ; and she has been a faithful servant of Christ ; and has early gone to her reward. She will be missed so much, both from the church, and from her home, for since the death of her mother, she has had great responsibility laid upon her. July 16. To-day we laid away the mortal re- mains of Rose; to slumber in the dust, till the morning of Resurrection; when she will come forth, arrayed in beauty, and glory. The occasion was improved by the Rev. Philhps of the M. E. Church. May God sustain and comfort all the bereaved. A Sermon by Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage. Text, II Samuel 12:23. There is a very sick child in the abode of David, the King. Disease, which stalks up the dark lane of the poor, and puts its smothering hand on lip and nostril of the wan and wasted, also mounts the palace stairs, and bending over the pillow, blows into the face of a young prince, the frosts of pain and death. What are courtly attendants, or victorious armies, or conquered provinces, under such circumstances? What to any parent is all splendid surroundings, when his child is sick ? Seven days have passed on. There in that great house, two eyelids are gently closed, two little hands folded, two little feet quiet, one heart still. The servants EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 271 come to bear the tidings to the king, but they can- not make up their minds to tell him, and they stand at the door whispering about the matter, and David hears and says to them, "Is the child dead?" "Yes, he is dead." David rouses him- self up, washes himself, puts on new apparel, and sits down to food. What power hushed that tempest? What strength was it that lifted up that king that had been dethroned ? Oh, it was the thought that he would come again into the possession of that darling child. He wipes away the tears from his eyes, and he clears the choking grief from his throat, and exclaims, " I shall go to him. ' ' Was David right or wrong ? If we part on earth, shall we meet again in the next world? "Well," says some one, "that seems to be an impossibility. Heaven is solarge aplace, we never could find our kindred there." Going into some city, without having an appointed time and place for meeting, you might wander around for weeks and for months, and perhaps for years, and never see each other ; and heaven is vaster than all earthly cities together, and how are you going to find your departed friend in that country? John went up on one mountain of inspiration, and he looked off upon the multitude, and he said thousands of thousands." Then he came to a greater altitude of inspiration, and looked off upon it again, and he said "Ten thousand times ten thousand." And then he came upon a higher mount of inspiration, and looked off again, and he said, "A hundred and forty and four thousand and thousands of thousands." And he came on a still greater height of inspiration, and he looked off 212 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. again^ and exciaimed : A great multitude that no man can number. How are. you going to find your friends in such a throng as that ? Is this doctrine of future re- coghitioh of friends, a myth, a guess, a whim, or is it a granitic foundation upon which the soul-pierced of all ages, may build a glorious hope ? Intense question ! What does my text imply, 1 shall go to him ? What consolation would it be to David, to go to his' child, if he did not know him ? We read in the first book of the Bible, Abraham died and was gathered to his people. Jacob died and was gathered to his people. Moses died and Was gathered to his people. What people? Why, their friehds, their comrades, their companions, of course it means that, it cannot mean anything else. So in the very beginning of the Bible that is taken for granted four times, The whole New Testament is an arbor, over which this doctrine creeps like a luxuriant vine full of the purple clusters of consolation. James, John and Peter, followed Christ into the mountain. A light falls from Heaven on that mountain and lifts it into the glories of the celestial. Christ's garments glow, and His face shines like the sun» The door of heaven swings open. Two Spirits come down and alight on that mountain. The dis- ciples look at them, and recognize them as Moses and Elias. Now, if those disciples standing on the earth, could recognize those two Spirits, who had been for years in heaven, do you tell me, that we, with our heavenly eyesight, will not be able to , rec- ognize those who have gone out from among us, only five, ten, twenty, thirty years ago ? EXTRACTS FROM DlARY> ETC. 273 The Bible indicates over and over again, that the angels know each other, and then the Bible says that we are to be higher than the angels, and if the angels have the power of recognition, shall not we, who are to be higher than they in the next realm, have as good eye-sight and as good capacity? What did Christ mean in his conversation with Mary and Martha, when he said, "Thy brother shall live again?" It was as much as to say, "don't cry, don't wear yourselves out with this trouble, you will see him again. " The Bible describes Heaven as a great home- circle ; now that would not be a home-circle where the members did not know each other. The Bible describes death as a sleep. If we know each other before we go to sleep, shall we not know each other after we wake up? Oh, yes, we shall know each other a good deal better than we do now, for now, says the Apostle, we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face. It will be my purified, en- throned, and glorified body. There are, in addition to these Bible argu- ments, other reasons why I accept this theory. In the first place, because the rejection of it implies the entire obliteration of our memory. Can it be possible that we shall forget forever those with whose walk, look and manner, we have been so long familiar? Abraham said to Dives, "Son, remember." If the exiled and lost remember^ will not the enthroned remember? When John Evans, the Scotch minister was seated in his study, his wife came in and said to him, " My dear, do you think we shall know each other in heaven?" He turned to her and said, "My dear, do you think 274 LIGHTS AXD SHADOWS OF LIFE. we will be bigger fools in heaven than we are here ? Again, I think that one reason why we ought to accept this doctrine, is because we never in this world have an opix)rtunitv to give thanks to those to whom we are spiritually indebted. The joy of heaven we are told, is to be inaugurated by a re- view of life's work. These Christian men and women who have been toiling for Christ, have they seen the full result of their work? Oh, no. In the church at Somerville, New Jersey, John Vredenburgh preached for a great many years. He felt that his ministry was a failure, although he was a faithful minister, preaching the Gospel all the time. He died, and died amid dis- couragements and went home to God ; for no one ever doubted that John Vredenburg was a good Christian minister. A Uttle while after his death there came a great awakening in Somerville, and one Sabbath two hundred souls stood up at the Christian altar espousing the cause of Christ, among them my own father and mother. And what was peculiar in regard to those two hundred souls was, that they dated their rehgious imj^ress- ions from the ministry of John Vredenburgh. Will that good Christian man before the throne of God, never meet those souls brought to Christ through his instrumentality? Of course he will know them. Outline of a Sermon by Bishop Simpson. Rev. 20:12-13. And I saw the dead etc. introduction. 1. The deluge not so mournful and general as the Judgment will be. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 275 2. The deluge of temporal, but the last Judg- ment of Eternal consequences. 3. The deluge not extending to all, but the last Judgment extended to every one. 1. The time, Luke 24:36. 1st. It cannot be tixed. 2nd. It cannot take place till human existence has ceased. 3rd. It will be public. 4th. Till all influence of mankind has ceased. 2. The circumstances which shall precede. 1. Many changes before. 2. General peace prevailing. 3. Men eating and drinking and careless. Luke 17:25. 4. The dead be raised. 3. The circumstances which shall accompany. 1. The sun be darkened. Rev. 6:12. a. Figuratively, all glory of men pass away. h. Naturally, the spots of the sun may be en- larged and the sun be darkened. 2. The moon red, bloody ; the light of the sun decreasing. 3. The stars falling, partly understood by the elements surrounding the earth. Rev. 6:13. 4. The heavens pass away. 2 Peter 2:10-12. a. The atmosphere composed of two gases, surrounding the earth. They will explode and set the earth on fire. The elements of fire every-where. 4. The circumstances of the assembly. 1. 'The throne and the Lord upon it. Matt. 25:31, a. God will not judge, but the judgment will be given to the Son. 276 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. 2. Christ the most proper person to judge. a. In favor of the prisoner. h. Righteous, not to be bribed. c. Omniscient, not to be deceived. d. None to be able to escape his judgment due. 5. The scenery of the judgment. The books opened. The books of the law. a. Patriarchal. 6. Mosaic. c. Christian dispensation. 2. The law written in our hearts, our con- science. 3. They will be judged according to their deeds. a. All they did, they said, they thought, all will be revealed. 4. The witnesses present. a. The holy angels, who ministered unto us. b. The fallen angels, who tempted us. c. Our own conscience. d. Our memory. e. God the Omnipotent. f. Our fellow-men against whom we have sinned. g. Our fellow-men to whom we have done good. 6. The principle of the law. 1. The importance of the law. 2. No escape. 3. All have sinned. 7. Who are those in the book of life ? 1. Who believed in Christ. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 277 2. Who had no opportunity to know his will, can be saved by his merits. 8. Sentence pronounced. ' 1. Separation to the right and to the left of the judge. 2. Sentence given to the right, eternal life. 3. Sentence given to the left, eternal damna- tion. Primary Elements in Church Prosperity. E. Chesney, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Wooster, O. Acts IX:31. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up, and v^ralking in the fear of the Lord, and in the consolation of the Holy Spirit was multiplied. There is nothing more desired by earnest Christians than the prosperity of the church of Jesus Christ. With fervency they offer the petition of the Psalmist, " O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." There are, however, in the history of Christianity, but few subjects upon which there has been a wider difference of opinion than the one. What constitutes true church prosperity ? Differences in regard to it in the past have led men widely apart in their efforts to build up their individual churches, and these differences have led to wide diversity in the character of the churches, and their spiritual efficiency. The prevailing idea, in these modern times, of church prosperity is. I conceive, very different from that which was entertained in apostolic times, and in the change there is rather signs of retro- gression, than improvement. A very common 278 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. modern idea of what constitutes a prosperous church is, that it is composed of factors hke these : the possession of a large, well equipped and ex- pensive house of worship : an organ, mammoth in size, powerful in tone, and artistic in its con- struction : an expensive choir, or quartette, fully capable of discoursing the church praises in oper- atic style and unintelligible manner ; a large, fash- ionable, rich, and influential congregation ; and a preacher posessed of the most fascinating charms, whose elocution is perfect, attractiveness unique, manner above criticism, ability to captivate the masses unsurpassed, will not offend the most sensitive and fastidious, and whose praises are upon the lips of all men. Now I have no desire to raise objections to any or all of these factors, which some look upon as the sum total of church prosperity, for they may be rendered tributary to the advancement of the church, yet I have no hesitancy in declaring that these axe not the prime elements of true prosperity in the church. A church may possess all these and not be a prosperous church. She may have none of them and yet be in a most prosperous condition. There are primary, and there are secondary elements in prosperity, and we must be careful that we do not put the second- ary in the place of the primary, and relegate the primary to a secondary place. God's words to Samuel will apply here. "For the Lord seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh upon the out- ward appearance, but the Lord looketh upon the heart. ' EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 279 If we would have right views of the church of Jesus Christ, and the work it was intended to do, we will find it profitable to study early Christ- ianity as it unfolds to view in the Kew Testament Scriptures. There we will find the divine idea of a gospel church, and there we will learn the true significancy of church prosperity. Our text, in a few words, gives us a suggest- ive and commanding insight of primitive Christ- ianity. In this bit of history, we may find the answer to the question What are the prime elements of church prosperity'^ For sometime prior to that referred to, the church had endured severe persecution at the in- stigation of Saul and others, but now Saul was converted, and the Jews were too much taken up with their own troubles to persecute the Christ- ians, consequently the church enjoyed the bless- ings of peace. There was peace within the church, and there was peace without. During the unsettled condition of affairs through which the church had passed, there was no opportunity for the development of some of the more important traits of Christian life and character, but no sooner were the adverse con- ditions removed, than the church assumed a nor- mal state, and developement took place in symet- rical proportions. Then the divine ideal of church organization stands forth vitalized and en- ergized, and exhibiting the characteristics which were approved by God. Being built up, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the consolation of the Holy Spirit the church was multiplied, We have then as 2S0 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS QF LIFE. Cardinals, Development in Christian life and grace : Reverence for God and divine things ; the consolations of the Holy Spirit, and; Increase in numbers. Development of Christian Life and Character, There can be no real church prosperity, where there is not development on the part of those who compose the church. This thought is embodied in the word rendered "being built up." The term is architectural, and signifies '^to build up as a house. A large quantity of material heaped together, in confusion, or even piled in an orderly manner, however valuable, it may be, does not constitute a house. There must be a plan for the building. The pieces must be prepared to fill a definite place in the building, and they must be fitted together in a proper manner. Nor is there anything preposessing about the low skeleton of a building which is not advancing towards com- pletion, however well it may be designed. There are many, so called churches, which consist only of a heterogeneous collection of individuals with- out any of the scripturally prescribed character- istics of church building material, and who in no sense can be said to be growing into a holy temple in the Lord. There are also by far, too many churches and professing christians, who, like the unsightly weather beaten frame- work of a build- ing, gave great promise at the beginning, but whose undeveloped, nonprogressive . condition tells a sad tale of neglect and defectiveness. Very much is suggested in God's word, sett- ing forth the importance of Christian development. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians, expressed EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 281 his earnest desire, that they might, grow up in Chr st in all things." The Apostle Peter was more specific, and exhorted the Christians of the Dis- persion to, " Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." The two-fold growth which Peter in this pass- age specified, that in grace, and that in Christian knowledge, cannot be dispensed with in individual or church, without the result being spiritual de- formity. Both are necessary in order to develop a symetrical christian life and character, and prepare for real efficiency in the kingdom of Christ. Some professing christians give prom- inence to the one, while they entirely neglect or ignore the other. God's word gives equal prom- inence to both. They are intended to be inter- dependent, and the one to act as a stimulus to the other. To fail in growth, in grace, or in the knowledge of Jesus Christ leaves the individual or the church open to divine censure. It was the fault of the church at Laodicea, not-with-standing her attainments in knowledge and wealth, that she had not developed in grace. While she was not charged of error in doctrine, she was so deficient in those graces which adorn christian life and give it earnestness^ and attract- iveness that she became offensive to God. Because that church was luke-warm, she was re- jected by God, and was stripped of all spiritual power . According to the law of atrophy she ceased to be. An illustration of defectiveness of the op- posite kind is found in those Jewish Christians to 282 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. whom the Epistle to the Hebrews was addressed. The writer administers to them a severe rebuke on account of their lack of advancement in Christian knowledge. Because of their deficiency he informs them that he was unable to discourse to them as he desired, concerning certain great gospel truths. "For" says he, "though ye ought on account of time to be teachers, ye again have need that some one teach you the first rudiments of the oracles of God, and have become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. " The lack of Christian edification, and the tendency to one sided development are the bane of multitudes of professing Christians to-day. There are many, who, for years have been members of the church, are no larger in the Christian life to-day, than when they entered it. There are others who if we may judge by their words, are constantly clamoring for an excess of grace to the disparagement of Christian knowl- edge. Their religion is solely of the emotional character. Their religious life ebbs and flows with their feelings. Such persons are often fan- atical, and abound in superstitions. They are lacking in Christian stability. There is a third class, whose religion is all seated in their intellects. They give pre-eminence to knowledge, while they neglect entirely the cultivation of the Christian graces. They are adepts in formulating creeds, and in collecting principles, but because of that which they have ignored they bear no fruit, and lead none to Christ. Their religion is cold, re- pellant, formal and destitute of spiritual power. Now the Christian or the church which runs E]!^TRACTS FROM DIARY, E'TC. 283 to any of these extremes, will be weak and de- formed. Symetrical development is essential to the greatest efficiency. A symetrical growth in the Christian graces and knowledge is always at- tended with power. In the early church there was symetrical development and it was continua- tive. ''They were being built up." Their re- ligious teachers placed before them a high ideal and towards its attainment they constantly strove, A second element of prosperity in the early church was, Reverence for God and Divine Things. Edification has reference to the inner life ; walking to the manifestation of that life before the world. The first may be likened to accum- ulated capital, the second to the product of the capital, Not only were those early Christians being built up in Christian knowledge, grace and spiritual life, but in practical religion, their lives corresponded to the requirements of the gospel. "They were walking in the fear of the Lord." In doing so they kept their eyes open that they might see the way in which God pointed ; they kept their ears open in order that they might hear all God had to say to them ; and they made straight paths for their feet, in order that they might walk in the way of God's commandments. The fear which possessed them was not like that which seizes the slave who is in dread of his master, but it was that reverence which produced a profound regard for the person of God, his character and his words. Where such fear for God as this exists, the individual will be careful 284 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. to do only that which God approves, and en- courage only such a mind as was in the Lord Jesus. His walk before the world will not be of the reckless and indifferent kind, but he will earnestly strive to have it conform to his Father's will. The religion of those early Christians was the genuine article, and its influence upon their lives led them to adhere strictly to all God's command- ments. They never enquired how little they might do and still satisfy God^ or whether there were not some of his commands which might be set aside without imperilling their salvation. They were, the rather, eager to do his command- ments, and their reverence intensified with their development in spiritual life. They were con- tinually realizing the near presence of their Lord, and remembering that he held them responsible for the extension of his kingdom and the con- version of the world. No church can prosper only as her members walk in the fear of the Lord. The third element in the prosperity of the early church was. The Presence and Aid of the Holy Spirit. The early Christians were spiritual men. They were born of the Spirit, they lived in the Spirit, and walked in the Spirit. As the man who is born of the flesh is governed and controlled by the flesh, so the sons of God are governed and controlled by the Spirit of God. Not only were those early Christians baptized in the Spirit, but the Holy Spirit dwelt in them, led them, aided them and comforted them. Extracts i^roM diary^ etc. 285 The Holy Spirit was given to the church for a Comforter. It is his work to reveal Jesus Christ to the believer. He is the co-worker of the people of God, who gives efficiency and success to their work. In no emergency is his presence lacking, and at no point is his consolation deficient. The Holy Spirit's relation to the church is the same to day, as it was in the days of the early Christians. God's people may have the same measure of his aid to day, as the early church had in her day. The extraordinary gifts of the Spirit have been withdrawn, it is true, but they were of lesser importance : the ordinary gifts of the Spirit are continued and they are the all important. The Spirit is to abide with the church forever, to illuminate men in the truth, convict of sin, righteousness and the coming judgment, to re- generate, comfort, and sanctify. Any church may have that measure of the Spirit's power she desires and lives for. There is no reason outside of the church herself, why she should not be as efficient for service now, as the church in Apostolic days. *• God will give his Holy Spirit, to them that ask him ; are the words of Christ. When a whole church is developed in Christian grace and knowledge, has an increasing reverence for God and divine things, and is controlled and aided by the Spirit, that church will be a mighty force in her sphere. She will be clothed with ir- resistable power, and will be a standing argument for Christianity. Other things may be wanting, but these elements of power will be more than all besides. The membership may be poor; they may be socially and intellectually inferior to others, but 286 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. she will be posseSvSed of unmeasured spiritual power. The fourth element of prosperity in the early church was, Multiplication In Numbers. There is an intimate relation between the first three factors of church prosperity named, and this fourth. They are related as antecedents and consequents. The first three are the combined power of the church, the fourth, the necessary re- sult of their united force. **And being built up, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the fear of the Lord, and in the consolation of the Holy Spirit they were multiplied. The result is as certain as the existence of the combined forces. There are conditions in nature which ensure re- production, so are there also in the church of Jesus Christ. Where no sons are born to the church, it is, not only a calamity, but also a sure evidence of defectiveness in the spiritual life. Some one or all of the first named elements are wanting. The question is often asked by churches. How may we increase our numbers? Here is the answer. There is a law which regulates increase. Obey the law and the result will be certain. A living vigor- ous Christianity must have its power. When a church is fully alive, the burden of souls will be upon her, and men under the power of the truth and Holy Spirit will yield to the truth. The church which is right in life, doctrine, ex- perience, and practice must prosper ; the Lord will add to her day by day such as are being saved. October 9, 1898. This is a lovely morning, and all nature seems to rejoice in God the Creator. We are now spending a few days in Chicago EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 287 with E. O. Excell. We have enjoyed the privilege of attending some of the sessions of the Rock Island Conference of the M. E. Church. This is its fifty-ninth session. They are having a very in- structive and entertaining time. They are a fine looking body of men, number- ing about 300. Among them are a large number beyond middle life ; men who have been inured to much hardship and fatigue, to toil and labor of ministerial life. Yes, men who have fought vali- antly for the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who have taken many out of the ranks of Satan, and brought them into the army of the Living God. That is to say, they have been the honored instruments in the hands of God, of so doing. They are worthy of commendation, but all the honor and glory belong to God ; for what- ever good is done in the earth the Lord doeth it. Among the items of especial interest is the re- port of Bishop Hartzell touching the work of the Lord in Africa. He states that the Missionary Board has expended $40,000 and that there are at this time 250 Missionaries employed in that field. He said, a great and good work had been done; and there were exceedingly large opportunities for doing good in that immense field. He also stated that in all his associations with Bishop Taylor, amid all the vexatious and difficult questions 1 1 had arisen, there had been the very best of feeling between them : and that Taylor had manifested a very sweet and kind disposition toward him, and that he, Hartzell, had been very kindly received, and treated, by all the Missionaries ; and that the whole journey of 400000 miles had been one of 288 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. peace and happiness to him. He also stated, that the B. Government would duplicate every dollar that the church v^ould raise for the enlightenment of Africa ! The Reports of the P. Elders were very inter- esting indeed, and they showed, not a large growth, but perhaps a steady one. One of them spoke very touchinglj^ of himself, stating that he had been nearly fifty years in the ministry, and had seen much of the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. On Sabbath, seven young men were ordained by Bishop Warren, and constituted Deacons in the Conference. The Bishop spoke very briefly to them, but said, we want men who know for themselves, that Christ has power on earth to forgive sins. We do not want Blind Leaders of the Blind. We want men who know the way to Christ, to teach others the way. Sketch of a Sermon by Bishop Warren. Text, Eph. 3:14 21. Introduction. Which of the Apostles do you like the best ? Is it John ? John was very impulsive and full of fire. So much so that Christ called him a Son of thunder. At one time, he desired to call down fire from heaven to consume a city, th^t had not received Christ, as he, John, thought they ought to, and Christ rebuked him, and told him, he did not know what manner of spirit hs was of. See what a wonderful man John became by grace. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 289 When he was eighty years old, he was carried upon the shoulders of his brethren and said to those who were seventy years old, " Little children, little children, love one another." Are you like John was ? Seek to become what Grace made John. Do you say, I like Peter ^ Well Peter was very self confident, and very strong in himself. When Christ said, all of you will forsake me, he said, though all these insignificant weak ones might leave you, I will rzerer leave you. See how afraid he is of a maid! she said, thou art one of this man's disciples ; he said with an oath, for he knew he was not telling the truth, like other men who can not believe themselves and who resort to an oath to make the assertion stronger ; "licrzow not the man.'^ Jesus had said to him, when thou art recon- verted strengthen thy brethren. See Peter on the day of Pentecost, standing before the multitude in Jerusalem, and boldly telling the Jews, that they had killed the Just and Holy one. If you have been like Peter was before that, seek to be- come like Peter was by Grace. Then there was Thomas. Poor doubting Thomas, proud of his doubts, as most men are. He said to the disciples, if you are silly enough to believe the report of a fev^ scared women, touching the Resurrection of Christ, I will not believe unless " I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and jjut my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side." 290 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Thomas brings the highest truth, to the lowest proof. After he had seen the Lord, he cries out, "my Lord, and my God !" Which of the Epistles do you like the best? Is it Gal. or Romans, or Heb. or Eph.? Of all, perhaps Eph. is the grandest and best. Now, some of the declarations of the Word, almost take away one's breath ! No such ideals can be found anywhere as are found in the word of God. God, when he sets before us ideals, gives the means whereby we may attain to them. Let me set before you the steps by which you may reach the ideals of the text. 1. The eyes of the understanding enlightened. Poets fly on the wings of their imagination, but they cannot achieve their ideals. Hear what God says about man. Let us make man in our image, after our like- ness, and let them have dominion, etc. By sin man lost dominion ! Man ought to be great. Look at the greatness of God ! 1st. We are to love God. • He referred to the babe. It knows nothing at first. The chick knows where and how to pick. But how ignorant and helpless the child is ! The mother enlightens the child, teaches it to say mother, and thereby teaches the relation between the child and mother. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 291 It is not enough for us to love God, we must become like him. Paul's prayer, according to the riches of His glory. 1st. To be strengthened with might in the inner man. Bishop referred to his own conversion. Said when he was about 17, he felt the need of the Savior, and went to Church, where a meeting was being held for the conversion of sinners, and where they invited sinners to come forward and kneel at the altar, in the good old fashioned way. He said he had made up his mind to go for- ward at the singing of the hymn. Come Ye Sinners etc., but did not seem to have the strength to go, and so went away without making the effort. He went the next night and it seemed as though he could not go, but in his despair said, "O God, help me to go." I was not converted then he said, but the Lord helped me to go. So God will always help. We should ask large things of God. He quoted a part of a hymn. " Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring, For His love and power are such, Thou can'st never ask too much." It was said of Alexander that he told a certain man to draw on his treasury. It was told him that many thousands were asked for and that the person asking was his enemy. Well, said Alex- ander he honors me by asking so much. 292 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. So we should honor God by asking largely. 2. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. 1st. This involves consecration. 3. Rooted and Grounded in Love. Comprehension. We cannot fully comprehend. Love is measureless I 1st. Every thing that God does surpasses knowledge. When He said, let there be light, it was Wonderful ! We have written hundreds of books upon the subject of light, but we do not yet understand it. There are new discoveries continually, such as the X rays and so on. When God would enhghten the earth, he made the sun : which gives light upward, downward, ever^^ where, and if there were a million other worlds, the sun would enlighten them, just as it does this earth. 4. To be Med with His Spirit. God does not want us to be feeble minded, half idiots, but to be strong men, full oiknowledge. 1st. We should have 7o Ft first, th&n knowledge. A man might love a dog. Man must not only love God, but he must know God. ( 1 ) God loves music. So we should love Harmony. ThereT is no discord in the world of nature. ( 2 ) God loves Beauty ; so should we. October 13, 1898. The last few flays have EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 293 been spent very pleasantly indeed. One day I went to visit the Tabernacle in which Dr. Dowey officiates. I saw him but a few minutes, however, as he was detained at the Sanitarium, which is an immense building situated on Corner of Michigan Avenue and Twelfth street, Chicago, 111. The Zion Tabernacle is an immense structure, capable of holding 3000 people. I listened to a sermon delivered by a man who had formerly been a Methodist Minister, but who, for some reason or other, had left that denomina- tion, and joined the Zion Church: or, as it is called by Mr. Dowey, The Christian Catholic Church; and Divine Healing Mission. I was not very forcibly impressed with the services, still I have no fault to find, nor any par- ticular criticism to make, further than I do not think there is love enough shown in reference to those who differ, and differ honestlj^ from them. The Apostle said. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Sermon, Excell. Psalm 31:19. Goodness, when applied to God is absolute; when applied to man, is only relative. We say, he is a good man, but we do not mean that he is ab- solutely holy, but that he is a Christian man. Goodness means virtue, excellence, kind acts, etc. A man to be acknowledged good, must per- 294 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. form virtuous actions, must lead a virtuous life, he must execute kind deeds ; or else no one will or can consider him good. There is throughout all the civilized world, a knov^n distinction between good and evil, between right and wrong, between truth and error. There is that which men choose to call virtue on the one hand, and that which is called vice on the other, and the one is as distinct from the other, as day is from night; as light is from darkness; and they can no more be confounded, than God and Belial can. Mj Proposition is, that God is absolutely good. I shall proceed to show the excellence of His character. 1st. From Nature. 2nd. From Grace. 1. From Nature. What a wonderful Book, is the book of nature ! It is spread out before us, inviting us, to pe- ruse its instructive pages. Look at its multiplied volumes, at its marvelous teachings, at the extent of its details, at the wonderful, and, we might say exhaustless fund of its information ! Truly all the Sciences should be hand-maids to religion. Surely no true Scientist can be an Infidel. No matter in what volume of nature you look, you will see the term " Goodness " enstamped in letters of gold. God is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord, and thy saints shall EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 295 bless thee. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and talk of thy power." Let us look at a few examples in Nature^ whereby we may unfold, illustrate and enforce this great truth, that God is supremely good, even in all places of His dominion : so that all of us, from our inmost souls, may cry out, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord, God Al- mighty, just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee O Lord, and glorify thy name, for thou only art holy? I shall take it for granted, that all my readers acknowledge the Work of Creation attributable only to God, as the production of a Self-Existent and Underived Being. Manifestly the Universe exists. How came it into existence ? One of the properties of matter, without which it does not, so far as we know, exist, is Inertia, which is a property of matter by which it resists any change of state, whether of rest or motion. Now, if a body, after it has been created, possesses no power to put forth any effort what- ever to change its position, or state, how could it have put forth any effort to create itself, before it had a being? Verily the Universe is the Effect of an Eternal Cause. 2. There is manifest design every- where. Suppose I strike my foot against a stone, when taking my morning walk ; and I am asked, how 296 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. catne that stone there? I might say, that stone has been there forever, and it would not be easy to show any absurdity in the answer of the case, although to be sure, I do not mean to be under- stood that it, ( the stone ) existed from all eternity; but that it might have been there for ages, for any thing that might be shown to the contrary. Suppose on the other hand, I found an organ, a parlor organ, if you please, in the path, and I was asked the same question, how came this organ here? I certainly should not say, it has been here for ages. 1. Because if I knew anything of the proper- ties of the materials, out of which the organ was constructed, I should conclude that inasmuch as there were no marks of decay upon the organ, it could not have been lying in the pathway long. 2. If I know any thing at all about the con- struction of the instrument, I should certainly think it had been made for use, and not abuse; and that it must have been left here by accident, and that it had not always existed as an instru- ment of music, but had been made for a specific purpose. The whole arrangement of the organ manifests skill and design. The various parts of it have been so arranged, and connected together, as to respond to the will, and touch, of the Artist. "Nor would it, I apprehend, weaken the con- clusion, that we had never seen an organ made; that we had never known an Artist capable of making any; that we were altogether incapable of executing such a piece of workmanship ourselves, or of understanding in what manner it was per- EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 297 formed, all this being no more than what is true of some exquisite remains of Ancient Art, of some lost arts, and, to the generality of mankind of the more curious productions of modern manufacture. Does one man in a million know how oval frames are turned, or does one man in a thousand know how Nitro-glycerine is made? Ignorance of this kind exalts our opinion of the unseen and unknown Artist's skill, if he be un- seen and unknown, but raises no doubt in our minds of the existence and agency of such an Artist, at some former time, and in some place or other. 2. Nor would it invalidate our conclusion though some of the keys would not work, or that the instrument sometimes got out of tune. We might not be able to account for the irregularity of the instrument, but we should still be satisfied that it had a former, or maker. 3. Nor would it bring any uncertainty into the argument, if there were some parts of the instrument concerning which we could not discover how they ministered to the production of the music. We should still be fixed in our minds touching this one thing, that it must have had a beginning; that some one made it. Now let us look, for example, to the eye. Compare, if you please, the eye with a telescope. As far as the examination of the instrument goes, there is precisely the same proof that the eye was made for vision, as there is that the telescope was made for assisting it. They are both made upon the same principle, both being adjusted to 298 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. the laws by which the transmission and refraction of rays of light are regulated. These laws require, in order to produce the same effect, that the rays of light in passing from water into air, should be refracted by a more convex surface than when it passes out of air into the eye. Accordingly we find the eye of a fish, in that part of it called the crystalline lens, is much rounder than the eye of terrestial animals. What plainer manifestation of design can there be than this difference? The eye therefor, is a most wonderful instru- ment; and shows us plainly, in its construction, the wisdom and goodness of the Supreme Being. Think again, of the wonderful power of the eye! We can see a very large object, and at once turn from its contemplation, to behold a very minute object; and yet we, ourselves, have not been conscious of any change whatever in the eye. Verily the eye is a wonderful piece of mechanism ! Then there is adaptation of the light to the eye, for the eye would be of no use to us, were there no light. In whatever direction we look, we shall see evidence of benevolent design. God has given us the five senses, in order that we might have pleasure in the exercise of them. Had God been a malevolent, instead of a benevolent Being, he doubtless would have made the senses very different. He might have placed us amid objects entirely unsuited to our perceptions, and they would con- tinually have offended us. He might have made every thing we tasted hitter, every thing we saw loathsome, and every EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 299 thing we tomched a sting; every smell a stink, and every sound a discord. 3. Deity has superadded pleasure in many in- stances that we know oi. ^or instance. We are nourished by food, and it is necessary that w^e should take it in suitable quantities and at regular intervals, but we might have been impelled by hunger to partake of food, or, knowing that we could not long exist without eating, we might have partaken of food as a customary duty without there being any pleasur- able sensation, experienced in the act of eating. But, behold the goodness of God ! He has not only made it necessary for us to eat, but has so arranged it as that vsre derive a great deal ot pleasure in eating. 3. In the various productions of mother earth, we have another evidence of the goodness of the Supreme Being. Look at the various grasses that grow for the sustenance of beast, whereby they are fattened, and prepared for the use of man. See the various cereals which are grown for food, both for man and beast. See the different kinds of fruit, too numerous to mention, all of which has been, evidently de- signed, to promote man's comfort and happiness. Look, if you please, my dear readers, on the di- versified landscapes. See the lofty mountains, the far stretching valleys, the majestic river, the roll- ing ocean, the silver lake, the beautiful waterfall, the meandering stream, the rugged hill, the level prairie, the teeming city, the quiet village, and re- 300 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. member that for all these beautiful things we are indebted to the goodness of God ! ! Look at the beautiful floral gifts of the Al- mighty. Who can tell of all the beautiful things created by the benevolent Creator, to regale the senses with their delightful odor; and satisf}^ and gratify the eyes, with their splendor ? 4. In the pleasures and comforts of social life, we see manifest goodness, on the part of the Creator. ( a) The foundation of all good society is the home. Indeed society, well-regulated society, cannot exist without the home. Ah ! there is no place like home, for there the loved ones dwell. What a blessing to have the counsel, the care, the lo e and society of parents ! What a privilege to enjoy the affection and love of brothers and sisters ; what a blessing, above all others, to have the companionship, the love, the affection, and help of a kind husband, or wife. Afflictions have their uses. No chastisement for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them which are exercised thereby. The trial of our faith, is much more precious than that of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire. The cultivation of meekness and patience, is to be learned, during^ the weary, painful, lonesome hours of affliction and sorrow. Evidently, God intends, by all our afflictions, losses, crosses, cares and toils, to develope in us EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 301 a greater faith, an intenser zeal, more meekness and patience, and a greater trust in His promises. " The world can never give, The bliss for which we sigh ; 'Tis not the whole of life to live, Nor all of death to die." "Beyond this vale of tears. There is a life above. Unmeasured by the flight of years ; And all of life is love." O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up etc. 2. The goodness of God as seen in Grace. It was a wonderful manifestation of Oranific power, and infinite goodness, in the creation of all this mighty Universe, out of nothing, by the word of the Almighty ; for He spake, and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast. And this is equally true, whether the world was made in seven such days as ours, or in thousands of years. The heavens are the work of his hands. They shall perish, but He shall remain: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment ; and as a vesture they shall be folded up, and they shall be changed : but God is the same, and His years shall not fail ! It was a- wonderful manifestation of goodness, in the form of love and mercy, when God, to save the inhabitants of a fallen world, gave His only begotten Son, that they might be saved. The greatest manifestation of love the world had ever witnessed, was that of a man dying for 302 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. his friends : but God gave His Son, to die for His enemies ! Behold, then, the wonderful love of the ador- able Redeemer, who died, not merely to save his country, or His friends and neighbors, but His foes ! On the cruel cross, in the agony of death, he cried out, ''Father, forgive them; they know not what they do." Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever love like thine ?" (1). The Gospel is a ministration of mercy. When a person has been accused of crime, and arraigned before the bar of justice; there are bat two ways of escape (a) if he be found not guilty in the eyes of the law, if after a clear and impartial trial there has not been sufficient evidence of guilt to convince the Jury that the accused is\^i//7t_7, and they have brought in a verdict of not gailty ; then the prisoner goes free, and he can never be tried for that offense again, for, according to the law of the U. S. a person cannot have his life imperiled twice for the same crime. Or, if he be found guilty by a competent jury, he must, either be pardoned by the proper author- ity, or expiate his crime, by suffering the penalty. In the plan of salvation, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, makes the believer free from the law of sin and death. In the great work of the atonement, "Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. " In the work of G-race we are not saved by law, but by the Gospel. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 303 2. See the goodness of Deity in the applica- tion of His love to the believer. Hear the new-born babe cry out, "O Lord, I will praisQ thee, for though thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and now thou dost comfort me." As children of God by adoption, we have a title to a mansion in heaven; for when our earthly house shall be dissolved, we shall have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the iieavens. See the care of the All- Wise Father. He keepeth His children as the apple of his eye; He covereth them with His wings of protection. He supplieth all their need ; for "they that fear the Lord shall not want any good thing." 3. The goodness of God is manifest in the wonder- ful provision he has made for us in the Great Hereafter. Ah, life is full of wonder and mystery, but there will be glorious unfoldings, in the other life, by and by. Here are trials and temptations, griefs and sadness, but yonder are joy and gladness. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we shall see him as he is. " Jesus said, "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me : for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." Praise ye the name of the Lord. 304 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. N. B. The above sermon was preached by the writer in the Bell Church, North Madison, Lake County, Ohio, in the year 1878, the day the church was burned down. THE SELF-ASSURING SOLILOQUY. A SACRAMENTAL MEDITATION. Song of Solomon VI:3. I AM MY beloved's AND MY BELOVED IS MINE. The mutual love of a true husband and wife is incomparably precious and significant. It is a sweet memorial of what love was in Eden. It is a blessed type of what love shall be in Paradise. It is the Bible emblem of the mutual love of Christ and His church. The figure runs through all the Scriptures. History and prophecy, the gospels and the epistles alike draw upon the intimacies of the human, to illustrate the blessedness of the divine relation. We need not wonder at this ; for this love in the home bears four characteristics, which make it the worthy type of the more exalted affection, — it is pure, unselfish, unchanging, and uniting. The text is in keeping with the general tenor of the Scriptures. It is the voice of the bride w^e hear in these words ; — " I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." It is the expression of her com- placent and comforting consciousness, by the believing spirit, — "I belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to me." EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 305 It is, then, a fitting theme for our thought, as we sit to-day around the table of our Divine Lord. I invite you, my brethren, to a simple, heartfelt meditation upon this. SELF-ASSURING SOLILOQUY. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." Two channels are open here for the flow of our peaceful and happy thoughts. I. I AM MY beloved's. This is the voice of the conscious but trust- ing weakness. The first element of strength and jojj in this survey of our relations to Christ, is not that he belongs to us, but that we belong to him. It is the soul's sweet consciousness, "I am his." i. I am Ms, for he made me. He has in me the most absolute right of possession, for he is my Creator. The mighty Maker of the worlds, and of all things therein, I bow down before him in adoring wonder and praise. But he is also the artificer of my whole personality. He formed my body, and he fashioned my spirit. It was his in- finite and marvelous wisdom and skill that built this physical frame, and made it a fitting temple for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. He gave me, too, my soul. He endowed me with faculties of mind, capable of an indefinite and immense ex- pansion. He gave me that wealth of affection, which most appropriately centers its intensity upon himself, and in the scope of its influence em- 306 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. braces all my fellowmen. He has invested me with the mighty prerogatives of will and choice, and made me, under the silent persuasions and en- abling of his loving Spirit, the solemn arbiter of my eternal destiny. Yes ! I am his ! He made me! He is my adorable Creator! But there is a more tender tie. 2. I am my beloved's, for lie redeemed me. I was the lost and wandering sheep, ready to perish on the mountains of sin, and in the thickets of the de- stroyer. It was he, the compassionate Shepherd, who sought me, and found me, and brought me safely to his fold. I was the captive sold under sin, and in bond- age to the enemy of my soul. Mine were, indeed, hard masters ; and my servitude was grievously tormenting. But I was delivered ! It was my be- loved who saved me! He paid my ransom -price ! He bought me, not with money, but with blood, — his own precious, priceless blood ! And now, with all my heart and soul, I am my beloved's, — his, and only his, forever ! I was the prisoner doomed to die. My life was the just forfeit of my sins. But I was rescued by my beloved. He came into my pri«^on-house. He put my chains upon himself, then pointed to the open door. He bare my sins, and bare them to the death. In my room and in my stead he bowed be- neath the heavy load on Calvary. He paid my debt, and then came forth to take my outcast ^oul, and to restore it to the fellowship of purity, and EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 307 home, and heaven. He, himself, it is, who has re- deemed me, and / am His. 3. I am my beloved's, for it is he that sanctifies me. Slow progress do I make in holy living. And with shame I bow before Thee, O thou best be- loved of my soul, that, after so long a time, I am not worthier of thy love. But it is his work and he will finish it ! To him does it belong to send the Spirit, sanctifying agent, and to appoint the minis- tering instruments of holy growth in the course of my earthly life. For himself he sanctifies me; and I am his ! With all my heart I give myself to him. " in the perpetual covenant, which shall never be forgotten. " Yes, I am his ! His by every blessed, solemn right ! He made me, bought me, and beautifies my soul with his salvation ! He accords to me a safe and happy place in his heart ! I am his own pecu- liar and his precious treasure ! And this is only half the story. n. MY BELOVED IS MINE. "He takes me," is the bride's first thought. And immediately she thinks, "I take him." Or rather, — and in this disclosing her true deep love that sees the bridegroom's doing in it all,— her thought is, "He takes me;'' and "He gives himself to me." " My beloved is mine." 1. He is mine, for he gave himself to me. With an utter and infinite abandon he gave himself for my salvation. For me he lay a babe in Bethlehem, and slept a tired teacher on the breaking waves of 308 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. stormy Galilee, — and was stretched a lacerated body upon the cold stones of the garden sepulchre ! For me he sat in the weary noon- tide at Sychar, — and among the sorrowing disciples at the paschal feast. For me he stood before the tomb of Lazarus the Lord of life, — and before the governor to be ad- judged to death. For me he bowed the knee in Gethsemane's mysterious agony, ^ — and for me his bending head on Calvary received the final stroke of infinite justice. For me he lives and reigns, forever mine, my Lord, my Savior, and my God ! "My beloved is mine.'' 2. He is mine, and all his earthly interests are mine. As the child, looking upon his father's treasures, says, with unwavering confidence, "These are ours;" so does my soul survey the cause and kingdom of my Lord. They are his, and • they are mine because they are his. Therefore do I love the gates of Zion; in them appear the stately steppings of the King, my royal brother and my Lord. Therefore do I sorrow o\^er the decays of our spiritual Jerusalem ; I am but mourning over the ruined altar of my own fireside. Therefore do I rejoice when tidings of prosperity come to Zion ; it is my own banner that waves in triumph on the field, — it is my Captain, before whose feet our enemies shall lick the dust. 3. He is mine, and all in heaven is also mine. "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the w^orld, or life, or death, or things to come ; all are yours : and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. His throne shall be my EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 309 throne, his vast dominion shall be mine ; and I shall live and reign with him, his years my days, and all his glory the rich inheritance of my never- dying spirit ! With his own hand shall he invest me with the purple robe, and put the starry dia- dem upon myh ead, — all so unworthy. For this I count the cross as nought, and glory in the trials of the way. The present life and future glory all are his, and mine in him. For he is mine, — "My Shepherd, Guardian, Friend, My Prophet, Priest, and King, My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End." This is enough ! "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." In this sweet consciouness I come to this Table. I am all unworthy, but my belo\ed is worthy. I am full of sin, but he takes it all away. His righteousness is mine; and he turns his face this day to mine in love. " The opening heavens around me shine. With beams of sacred bliss. While Jesus shows his heart is mine. And whispers, 7 am fif/s/" THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. Sermon preached by Rev. S. Ezra Neikirk, in the Reformed Church of Wooster, 0., Sunday morning, Sept. 11, 1898. Text, " Upholding all things hy the luord of His power.'' Heb. 1:3. During the last few days many of us have been thinking of the wonderful care that God has exer- cised over the lives of our soldier boys, who, after 310 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. experiencing the terrors of the never-to-be-for- gotten Santiago campaign, have been permitted to return in safety to their homes. Many a mother's earnest prayer has been answered, and to-day thousands of hearts are overflowing with thankful- ness to the God that shielded alike from foe and pestilence. My text tells us of that Almighty and every where present power of God, upholding aiid governing heaven and earth and all creatures. It also in this, the special intervention of the Almighty in the lives of individuals. It is a great and com- forting doctrine. Nothing comes by chance, nothing by accident. In the wickedness or the thoughtlessness of our hearts, we talk of fate and chance ; but sincere faith has no such words in its vocabulary. The ancient saying, "the dice of God are loaded, "is one expression of the thought of the unerring hand that moulds history and destiny. We can predicate three attributes of Providence. Fore-knowledge, Fore-ordination and Efficacious Administration. This is an analysis of the subject on the God side. You and I are more deeply in- terested in the human side, and I hear you ask the question "How does God's providence operate in my own life ? This is the question I want to answer. First — He directs our paths. A Samuel when but a child hears the voice calling him by name, and commanding that he take up the work assigned to him. A Paul is halted in one course and his whole life purpose changed to suit the plan of his Master. A Pillar of fire by night and a pillar of EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. * 311 cloud by day, led the Hebrews in the (to them) aimless wanderings of forty years. A tract was laid on the breast of a sleeping sailor in a New York Hospital. On waking he read it; and the Gospel took hold of his life. It led him to be a sailor missionary for thirty years. Second — He overrules our dangers. I tremble as I read the romance and tragedy of Daniel's life. In the den of the king's lions his life is spared. When a royal fugitive hid in a cave, the spiders spun their deceptive web across the mouth, turn- ing the eyes of the pursuer from the place where the royal victim lay within his grasp. An English -American was arrested in Cuba, during the ten year's war, and condemned to be shot. The American consul intervened to no avail. The effort of the British consul was futile ; the day of execution of the cruel penalty came, the man stood over the pine box that was to be his cofl&n, the firing squad awaited the command to fire, when a carriage rolled up and the two consuls with their national flags rushed to the condemned man, and, wrapping him round with the silken folds that stood for the power and glory of two mighty nations, said ' ' Fire on these flags if you dare." The Apostle Paul said, "I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor any other thing shall be able to separate me from the love of God." Third — He ordains chastisement. Sometimes our faith is staggered here. Does God ordain trouble? Yes. Does he send us sorrow? Yes. The experience of Job doubtless comes to the 312 * LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. most of men. Happy is he, who in the hour when the hand of Providence rests heavy with punish- ment well deserved and designed, to correct and warn, is able to say with the ancient sheik, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Fourth— !ie permits affliction. Job said, "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Afflic- tion, like the refiner's fire, purifies our souls from worldly dross, and prepares us to an appreciation of the glory of our heavenly home. Fifth, and last. He showers blessings. ' Providence means manna to the Hebrews, and bread to Elijah There is no room in the Christian's heart for discouragement. "Nevertheless, he left not him- self without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. " (Acts 14:17.) We possess the blessings of friendship and affection ; the beauties of music, art and litera- ture ; homes of comfort. Comforting doctrine. Precious promises ! God's ways are mysterious and unsearchable, but His love for the creatures of his hand sur- passes every conception of the human heart. The hairs of our head are numbered, and the wanderer is never out of sight of the Father's eye. EXTRACTS FROM DIARV, ETC. 313 GAMBLING. Sermon by T. W. Bellingham, Ph. D,, L. L. B.. Text : Hear This All Ye People. Psalm 49:1. Of all the evils which have been introduced into society, gambling seems to be the most fasci- nating and the most excitable. Never in the an- nals of history has the serpent invented a surer path of ruin to the thousands who participate in sin, than the game of chance, which is so greedily indulged in by all classes of society. The rich, the poor, the learned, and the ignorant are found supporting this nefarious business. Gambling is no modern device of the evil one, but an ancient vice. So that from time to time immemorial, it has been co-extensive with the abode of man. The Assyrians, Egyptians and Babylonians gambled, and, under the Eoman dominion, it prevailed to such an extent that legis- lation had to step in to suppress it- Dr. Newman says, when sailing up the Persian Gulf, ' ' I saw a company of Mohammedan pilgrims en route to some sacred shrine, and they divided the twenty- four hours of the day, between prayers and games. When they did not pray, th-ey gambled !" Christian England so called, is no exception, for even there during the fifteenth or sixteenth century^ the government to its shame used this means to accumulate money for various public works ; of which the British Museum and West- minister bridge are monuments of this mode of raising money. America is not behind in this 314 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. vice, as Kentucky and Louisiana in the lottery schemes truly manifest. These are known to the general public, to say nothing of the other dens of infamy found in all our large cities and in some of our larger and even smaller towns. I entered one of these Alsatian dens some time ago in one of our \Vestern cities, and was sur- prised to see with what avidity men entered into this vile practice. Here were the tables, and the bills in abundance lying on the boards. I passed from one to another of these tables, watching the process by which men were beguiled into the folly of staking their money and reputation. The games contmued. Were it not for that visit to this den, I could not tell you as accurately as I now do. the awful temptation to which men are subject in these places. I noticed a yoimg man apparently a novice at the gaming table, stand there gazing intently at the table. He seemed to be in a mesmeric state, as he watched the winner. I saw him begin the game, and trembled for the result. He appeared to have, as it is termed, good luck, as he was on the winning side, and his store was increasing rapidly. Thus deceived by the men of good fortune, he became more and more intent with the game in progress, and was blind to the imprincipled and sinister wretches, who carried on this im- justifiable and infernal business. The game con- tinues, and this unthinking yoimg man still stands on the winning side, when a sudden change takes place, and he finds himself the loser, to the tune of dollars. I shall not say how many. I wished to talk to the yoimg man to warn him of E^tTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 315 his folly. Fain would I have done so before he began this, as I afterwards discovered, his first game, but was denied that privilege by those who were there to get such men into the foils, and keep them there till they were fleeced. I talked with him afterwards, and he informed me that he was spell-bound ; and under that awful pressure he was compelled to play. This is a true picture which came before my notice, not painted upon canvass, but real in every detail. Tne Bible teaches, that x^e are to use the world and not abuse it. Now we notice that gambling is the abuse of an innocent pastime. Games are right in their place. Recreation is necessary to insure health. The large, well- formed bodies of the ancient Greeks were de- veloped by manly and timely exercise. It would assuredly be wrong to do away with all pastimes, and rear up the generations in an unsound and unhealthy state. Of course, the game which I have brought to your notice, carried on in a regular den, finds nothing but condemnation. In every healthful and manly exercise one can think of, there is associated with the same, * the gambling man who enters every arena, for the sake of making money. It has even found its way into churches, for what are those Bazaars and fairs in our churches, but another species of gambling. Call them what we may, they are evils of the same nature ! The man who trifles with the god of chance, if he lose, gets nothing but a troubled and aching 316 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. heart ; if he win, gets all without giving an equiv- alent and herein comes the idea of robbery ! We not only pity but sympathize with the merchant who has staked all that he had in an honest business concern, and then loses his all ; but he who enters upon a game of chance and loses his all in an attempt to rob others, while he has our pity, cannot command our respect or sympathy. The argumentum ad misericum diam finds no weight in our hearts, for right has been trampled under foot, while wrong sits enthroned. Gambling is a way of obtaining money with- out work. Why content yourselves, ye gamblers, straining your nerves in that which is no work ? Why lead lives of dissipation and lechery, when you can enjoy the fruits of honest labor ? If I were an artist, I would draw a picture. If a dramatist, I would write a drama of seven acts. The first scene would be a happy home ; blessed with the prattle of four children, two sons and two daughters. The house would ring with merry .peals of laughter. In the morning the sun would rise from behind the eastern hills, and send its gladdening rays around this happy home. In the evening when it had gone its circuit, and the earth had performed its revolution, the western hills would hide the sun from view, but there is always sunshine in that home. Scene II. A few years have rolled by, and I see a father engaged in a game of cards with his four children, and the curtain drops. Scene III. In a hotel two young men, appar- ently commercial travellers, are drinking, and having a social game, where the conscience is EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 317 lulled to sleep, by the thought that it is only for pastime. Scene IV. A mother pacing the floor waiting for the return of her two boys, who were never known to be out so late before. The father has gone to seek the two sons. Returns with one leaning on each arm. The scene closes. Scene V. A den of gamblers, where pro- fessionals congregate to spend hours, and stake their all upon a game of chance. The eyes are dazzled by the money lying on yonder table, and the nerves are worked to a strain of excitement hard to bear. The money is laid down to be won or lost. Scene VI. A den of thieves, where men are convened for the purpose of planning some robbery. These are desperate fellows, and murder leers out from their eyes. Scene VII. A gallows, where hangs sus- pended the form of that once noble boy, who was the joy and pride of his parents. The curtain drops. I ask is this merely imaginative ? Is it not true as life itself ? What father or mother would wish their daughter married to a young man who gambles ? There is but one safe retreat in this world for man, and that is in the fold of the Divine Redeemer; only there are we safe from all the ills to which flesh is heir. Is there a gambler present ? Let me point you to Him, who can take away this prurience. He will create within you a desire for better and nobler things, which will last when the sea shall give up its dead, and earth and hell deliver up their prey. The tune of the gambler 318 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. on that final day, will be a melancholy wail, sound- ing in the ears of all, who hear not the sweet voice of the Master. Let me point you to Jesus, who never played a game of chance, to save you from a gambler's defeat, and a gambler's hell. REV. GEORGE MATHER. Presiding Elder, Wooster District, North Ohio Conference. Sermon. Text, Matt. 5:13-14. ''Ye are the salt of the earth, ye are the light of the world." These are the words of Him "who spake as never man spake," and by two familiar figures show the relation that Christ- ians, and therefore the church, sustain to the world — viz., the conservative and revealing power of a genuine spiritual life. First, as to conservative power. Every good house-wife knows that salt preserves vegetables and meat for family use, that otherwise would decay and become worthless and injurious, and recognizes also the fact that there must be a close contact to secure the desired result. So Christians are the power of salt in society and nations to prevent moral decay and ruin. A spiritual church keeps a public conscience alive, and makes more decided enforcement of law, and moral reform more certain. It seems to be a divine law, that so long as there remains in a church or nation, an element that the Holy Spirit can possibly use to revolu- EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 319 tionize them in the interests of righteousness, that church or nation cannot perish ; but if ' 'the salt has lost its savor,-' inevitable ruin must fol- low. If there had been only ten righteous persons in Sodom it had not perished. Again, there is a deep-seated, and ineffaceable instinct in the human heart, that there is a Su- preme Being who hates sin and loves righteous- ness : hence the philosophy of sacrifice and prayer in every age, among all nations, Heathen as well as Christian. The results of the grosser sins, especially such as intemperance, licentious- ness, lying, etc. , are so disastrous to society, that no one can doubt their violation of Divine law. In great crises of individual and national life, when utterly vain seems the help of man, men and nations cry to God for deliverance. Even a company of infidels, in sudden and extreme peril, will instinctively pray to Him, who, they have claimed, neither hears nor answers prayers ; and they cannot help it ; the Theology of the heart in its deepest consciousness, in a moment ; sweeps away the false Theology of the heart, even though a life-time of study framed it I God never will have occasion to judge a lost soul which will not itself furnish evidence to justify the Divine Sentence. Gamblers, thieves, murderers etc, say in their hearts, like Balaam, "let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Second. The Revealing Power. Light creates nothing, but reveals that which already exists. The Savior commands Christians, ''to let their 320 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. light so shine before men, that they may see their good works, and glorify their Father which is in heaven." Paul exhorts the Phillipians, " to be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as hghts in the world." If Christianity does not by its spirit and life show its superiority to any other religion, it has not that revealing and convicting power which belongs to it, and must have, if it becomes the religion of the entire earth. The law of contrast is an important factor in the affairs of common, as well as spiritual life. The clean garments that the house-wife hangs out on the line in a June-day, will in summer days of green grass and leafy-trees, though equally clean, seem less so in the June-day, in contrast with the unsullied whiteness of the newly-fallen snow : the sraight fences, painted buildings, fat cattle, and clean fields of the neat and thrifty farme r reveal the lack of his careless and indolent neighbor : a beautiful, clean christian-life by the side of a decidedly unchristian life, reveals its sad need of reform. Hence, so far as the church conforms to the spirit and doubtful pleasures and ammusements of the world, does it lose its power to convict the world of its need of a religion that is truly Divine. " Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness," contains the secret of power which alone can win mankind to the cross of Jesus Christ, l^o true spiritual life, however humble, can fail to hasten the coming of that Kingdom when the will of EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 321 God shall be done in earth, even as it is in heaven. Outline of a Sermon by Wm. Beamwell. 1 Thessalonians, 11:3, 4. The Trial of Christians. In treating this subject, I would, in the first place consider this trial : 1. God trieth our hearts. 2. We are allowed of God to be in trust. 3. Our conduct in executing this trust. 4. We must not seek to please men, but God. 1. God trieth our hearts. 1. God trieth the peace of our hearts. Persons from certain considerations of station, connections, prospects in life, etc., may soothe and calm their minds, speaking peace, "when God hath not spoken peace. " Those persons may have no acquaintance with the religion of the heart. Satan, the grand adversary of man, uses every means to preserve the children of men in this false security, and to ■prevent all proper inquiry respecting their Sal- vation. This is an effectual bar to conviction, godly sorrow, and true repentance. 2. He trieth our love, ^t is to be feared that thousands of persons are led to substitute natural affections for Divine love. But have we not a display of natural affection, existing in a striking- manner, amongst the brute creation ? Yes, both in the male and female. See this exemplified in the cow, the sheep, the dog, etc ; and yet we can 322 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. not imagine that any of these inferior creatures experience in any measure the love of God. By submitting to his natural feelings, a man may be led astray, in any situation in life, yea, in every part of his practice in an official capacity. n being influenced by natural affection, governors may act contrary to all proper order, to every law of God or man, and be led in every case to act contrary to all propriety. And in the case of masters with their servants, when they are in a good humor they may bestow particular favors upon them, perhaps in such a manner as to lessen their proper authority and due subordin- ation ; and, when actuated by different feelings, they may become very tyrannical in their pro- ceedings, to the great injury both of themselves and their servants. Their natural feelings may cause parents to neglect their duty toward their children, and to treat them in a manner which is directly opposed to the oracles of God. God tries our love, whethe r it is from him, and agreebly to his law. Ministers of the gospel ought to be upon their guard in this particular, especially respect- ing our discipline among the people. We may make our feelings the law, and proceed with the utmost partiality, in a number of cases. But it was St. Paul's special charge to Timothy, "before God the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels," to observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. 3. God tries our faith. There is a faith which cannot be of the operation of God. Many of our modern believers must be tried. They believe God to be a glorious being, that his cause EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 323 is eternal, that he is wise and good, of great lov- ing-kindness to all men, that he is too good to punish any of his creatures, and that he has made no place or provision for torment. These are persons who profess to be of the most liberal sen- timents, and if those who have to maintain the truth of the Gospel should proclaim, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, instantly their reply is, you are illiberal." Suppose we happen to say, "He that believeth not shall be damned !" They exclaim, ''Oh you are quite illiberal ! We think much better of God than that !" If we tell them, that the punishment of sinners will be eter- nal, and that there will be no end of their misery, they again cry out ''Illiberal!" and say, "We cannot indulge such hard thoughts concerning God. These persons, in their admiration of the mercy of God, forget His holiness and His justice. They, in effect, divide the Divine attributes, and take away from the everlasting Jehovah, what so essentially belongs to him. True faith, which is of the operation of God, believes all the attributes of God, all the contents of the book of God ; both the promises and threatenings, the rewards and punishments Let us be careful, my brethren, never to shun to declare the whole counsel of God. For God tries our faith. 4. God tries our joy. I need not expatiate much upon this particular ; for it will be very easy to discover, that there is much joy that is not from God. The mind may be affected with gladness from different causes, circumstances, and practices in I 324 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. the world. Some rejoice in their own superior strength ; and others in having rich relations. Some rejoice in receiving great possessions ; others, on account of certain deliverances. Some are jovful because they have obtained victories over their enemies ; and others delight themselves in worldly pleasures. We may rejoice in a thousand things, and yet our joy may be merely natural ; it may not be of God, but carnal and ministering to destruction. St Paul said, Our rejoicing is this, the test- imony of our conscience, that in simplicity, and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the Grace of God. we have had our conversation in the world. This kind of joy is in hope of glory ; it is unspeakable and full of glory. It is with trembling ; it is constant and forever more. 0. God tries our hope. There are few persons in England who believe in a future state of rewards, but who hope to be saved. Yet it is possible that we may be greatly deceived in our expectations. Some hope to be saved because they are not so wicked as many of those around them ; others, because they have many sufferings in this world. Some, because God is merciful ; and others because their eyes are opened. And some persons indulge in hope, because they once knew the way and walked in it. Thus do some hope on one false ground, and some on another ; but there can be no hope, except that which arises from our standing in the grace of God. or Christ in you the hope of glory. God tries our hope whether it be built on a good or a false foundation. He tries us by the gospel. We live under this EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 325 glorious dispensation, and we must be acquitted or condemned according to the law of our dis- pensation. Outline of a Sermon by Rev. John Flecher. Daniel III, 14. In this chapter we have an account of those worthies, who quenched the violence of fire. (I.) The dedication of the Image. (II.) The children accused and arraigned. (III.) Soothed and threatened, but preferring death to sin, God's law to the king's, faith to honor and profit. (IV.) ^Nebuchadnezzar's anger, their punish- ment, and deliverance. (V.) The effect it had on the King. This account may be applied to the trials of God's children, in all ages. The God of this world sets up, in opposition to the Gospel, three images : the first, a golden, profit ; the second, an airy image, honor ; the third, a beautiful, pleasure. The first, profit, is worshipped by setting our affections upon it, by making it the prime, if not sole object of our thoughts, and lord, even of our Sabbaths We bow down to this golden image, by unjust dealing, running in debt without taking care to discharge it, choosing rather to wound our conscience than our pocket, by countenancing or suffering evil for lucre's sake, forgetting that "the love of money is the root of all evil. " The second, honor, is worshipped, when we desire the applause of men, or shrink from ,duty for fear of their rage or contempt. 326 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. The third, pleasure, when we indulge the flesh, by excessive eating and drinking, by un- cleanness, vain shows, and heathenish sports ; when we delight ourselves in dress, furniture, our persons, etc. In a word, when we do not sanctify the enjoyment of the creature, by the word of God and prayer. As the people of (lod will not bow down to this threefold image, they are accused, threatened and ridiculed. Their duty, under such circum- stances, is to bear their testimony against this idolatrous worship of the God of this world, to possess their souls in patience, to believe in the Lord's will and power to save them ; not to comply by halves, or compromise the matter with the world ; but to be ready to offer up their lives, and leave the event to God, in a steady purpose not to offend him. All came to the dedication, even from afar ; but how many stay from the house of God, though at the door ! All bowed down but three. How many now are going to turn their backs on the Lord's table ! From the dedication of our Church, from days set apart to be kept holy, Satan takes oc- casion to enforce the worship of this three-fold image. Now, remember the duty of God's people, and quit yourselves like men Some petty Nebuchad- nezzar s have sent to gather together, not princes, but drunken men ; and have set up, not a golden image, no, nor a golden calf, but a living bull. O ye, that fear God, be not afraid of their terror, be EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 327 not allured by their music ; confess the God of Shadrack, Meshack, and Abed-nego ; and pray- that these offenders may, with Nebuchadnezzar of old, resolve, not only to do nothing against, but not even "to speak amiss of the God of Shadrack, Meschack, and Abed-nego." To you my brethren, who worship the image, what shall I say ? Shall Nebuchadnezzar rise up in judgment against you ? He blessed the God of Shadrack, Meschack, and Abed-nego ; will you curse him ? For inasmuch as you do it to one of his followers, you do it unto Him. Nebuchadnezzar made a decree, that whoever should speak against the God of Shadrack, Mes- chack, and Abed-nego, should be' cut in pieces, and their houses made a dung-hill ; and will you cut in pieces with your tongues ; or turn into a dung-hill, by rist and mobbing, the houses of those who fear and love the God of Shadrack, Meschack, and Abed-nego? No other God can de- liver after this sort, saith the heathen : and give me leave to add, no other God can punish after this sort. The King of kings hath anointed Jesus ! He is lifted upon the cross ; upon a throne of glory. The decree is gone forth. At the name of Jesus every knee must bow. All tongues, nations, lan- guages, patriachs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, angels, archangels, and saints, above and below, "all must fall down.' In heaven, trumpets, thunders, lightnings, voices : on earth, the terrors of Sinai ; all say, " Kiss the Son, ' He 328 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. is not a dead image, but the living God. He comes ; the trump of God may sound to-day. O, let Him bless you now, in turning every one of you from his iniquities, and you shall keep the feast in heaven. Extract of a Sermon by H. Bushnell. Forgiving one another, even as God for Chrisfs sake hath forgiven you.'' — Eph. 4:32. Under these words ''even as,'' and the relation or comparison they introduce, a very serious and high truth is introduced ; viz : that our human or Christian forgivenessess are to correspond with the forgivenesn of sins by Christ himself ; to be cast in the same molds of quality, and bestowed under similar conditions. Thus we read again, ' ' forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any ; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." Again, in Christ's own words, "forgive^ and ye shall be forgiven, " ' ' for if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you ; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses." He will not even allow us to pray for forgiveness, save as we ourselves forgive. Forgive our tres- passes, even as we forgive those who trespass against us." I state the point thus distinctly, because in the matter of forgiveness among men, a kind of EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 329 lapse, or sinking of grade, appears to have some- how occurred, so that holding still the duty of forgiveness, we have it in a form so cheap and low, as to signify little when it is practiced. " O, yes, " says the brother, finally worn out by much expost- ulation, on account of a grudge he is holding against another who has greatly injured him, ''I will forgive him, but I hope never to see him again." Christ does not say that to the man whom he forgives. Another degree of it, which would prob- ably pass, says, " Yes, let him come to me and ask to be forgiven, and it will be time forme to answer him." How can I be expected to forgive, where there is no repentance, and the wrong is just as stubbornly adhered to as ever? What but a mock- ery is it for me to forgive, when there is no forgive- ness wanted, and my adversary has not even come into the right ?" Well, then, suppose that Christ had stopped just there. Nobody is asking to be forgiven, all are in their sins, and all mean to be there. They love their sins. They have asked no release or forgiveness. They are not repentant in the least degree. Why, my friends, it is just here that Christ and his gospel begin, just here, in fact, that His forgiveness begins ; viz, in forgiving, giving Him- self for, and to the blinded and dead heart of un- repentant men, to make them penitent, and regain them to God. If we are to understand this matter accurately, as it stands in the Nev^ Testament, we need to ob- serve that two very distinct and, in some respects, dissimilar Greek words are employed here, to de- 330 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. note the virtue tinder consideration; both of which are translated by the single, very beautiful, but strangely dishonored English word, forgiveness. One signifies merely a letting go, a release of charges, an exemption from punishment, the merely negative good of not being held in condemnation ; a word accurately translated here and there by the w^ord " remission," The other signifies the very positive and oper- ative matter of sacrifice and suffering, to gain the heart of an adversary ; that which not merely lets go, but prepares men to let go. Literally this word means "to bestow grace." Thus in the text, where it is translated forgive, we may read, " dealing: grace, one toward another, even as God for Christ's sake, hath dealt grace towards you." Now both of these words are names, we have said, of the same grace; viz, the grace of forgive- ness; only one names it from the last incident or effect, and the other from the initiative movement of love and operative goodness, in which it took its spring, just as one might name the dawn, as a mere effect, or call it the sunrising, as denoting the cause or spring of the returning light; where of course the names are co-incident, though inherently different from each other. Nothing is further off from Christ and his apostles, than to suppose, in any case, that the forgiveness they speak of is nothing but the letting go of charges against the penitent. They have understood always that the grand reality of the forgiveness preached, is that which went before, in the putting by of so much injured feeling, the going after them that want no forgiveness, the EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 331 giving for, and suffering for, by which they may be drawn to God ; just that which is described historically and transactionally, when the apostle says, who gave himself a ransom for all," " who gave himself for me." This is the grace, that Christ gives himself for us, and so works in us, by his sacrifice, that we are transformed, reconciled, covered in with God's feeling, in one word, forgiven. Do not understand me to say that the higher Greek word is made up of the verb to give ^ with the preposition /or, like our English word, it is not; it signifies literally and simply '^dealing grace,^^ or ''dping grace upon," which is repre- sented by the genius of our tongue, in the word "forgiving;" and, what is remarkable, the Latin and all the principal modern tongues, (as in con- dono; pardon, vergeben ) make up their word sig- nifying remission in the same way, by compound- ing their verb to give with a preposition answering to /or; giving it, as it were by vote, and declaring it as their inward sense or conviction, that the true forgiving of wrong and evil is that which has its beauty and greatness and the spring of its operative power, in a giving for the sinners and the sins to be forgiven. We say that Christ first prepares a ground of forgiveness; by suffering before God ( penally or not penally ) in a manner to even the justice of God, he is able to let go, remit, release the charge of, in that sense forgive our sin. What does that signify, that God has let go, taken off all charges against his enemy? Just nothing but a most barren mockery, unless he has 332 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. somehow got into the man's bosom and executed his pardon by making the sins let go of him. So the real forgiveness is that Jesus came, to be for his adversary and execute the great release in him. Long ages ago, before the foundation of the world, his mind of love began to grapple with the wrong and bitter woe of his adversary. If we know to forgive, we shall be like Christ our Master, we shall be giving ourselves for our adversary, circumventing him by our prayers, con- triving ways to reach his tenderness and turn the bad will he is in, taking pains, even to loss and suffering, that we may get him into the right again ; thus to accept our remission, and be joined to us openly for Christ our Master's sake. SERMON OUTLINE. Unconscious of Being Without God. By Rev. J. C. Burkett. Text. — ''And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.'' — Judges 16:20. Introduction. — Every intelligent mind has some knowledge of his dependence on God for every thing. Condition of a man's heart, makes it possible for God to be with him or absent from him. I. Why the Lord departed from Sampson..^ A. Because he did not commune with God. (a) He depended on his own judgment in his daily dealings with man. {b). He thought his strength would serve him for all occasions. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 333 (c). He soon found himself in trouble. No faithful soldier will go to war without some one to be his guide. B. Because he sinned against God. (a). Samson was found in a wicked city with a wicked woman. Bad associates and bad places have led many souls to Hell. {h). His own sin led him into this trap. This is a common sin, and one that has doom con- nected with it. (c). God left David, Solomon, Peter and others when they went into sin. 11. Why Samson did not know that God had left him. a. Because he thought that God would wink at sin. {a). He must have thought that on account of his position, God would overlook him. Satan is a fine trainer of conscience in the evil ways of life. {b). He must have thought that it was no one's business to complain against him. (c). Mothers and fathers, and sometimes young women, wink at such sins in men of position and honor, (?) but if a poor woman falls she is cast out. b. Because he must have doubted whether his strength could be taken from him by his friends or enemies. {a). His wife and so called friends betrayed him into the hands of his enemies. {b). Many a good Christian has lost his 334 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. strength in the cause of Christ by uniting with a companion of the world. III. Result of being without God's help. a. Samson soon learned that he could not mix with the world and have God with him. {a). When he turned from God he was left alone. h. He soon learned that he was the servant of his enemy. {a). They put out his eyes and the first thing the devil does to a wayward Christian is to make him blind. CONSECRATED SERVICE. A Sketch. Rev. J. O. Campbell, D. D. Matt. 6:10 — "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." It enhances the value of the Lord's prayer to feel that in some measure it is intimately associated with his own experience and struggles. It has the blood streaks of his own experience in it. It is the distilled dew of his mountain medita- tions. There is also upon it the consecrated blood of the agony of the garden, that God's will might be done here on earth. It is rich in biographic traits. It IS almost instinctive to associate the words, "Our Father," with the opening experience of the boy of twelve years of age who must be "about his Father's business." EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 335 "Hallowed be thy name," expresses the thres- hold reverence of a life in which " the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom." "Thy Kingdom come" finds its echo in, "Seek ye /irst the kingdom of God and His righteousness." That means not only to seek it early in life, but to continue to make and keep it ^irst in the ambitions and aspirations of life. "Thy will be done," became a realized ideal in the life of him who could say, "my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me." The very structure of the Lord's prayer is interesting and instructive. Structurally it is built on the same lines as the decalogue, the tables of the law, the first four of which relate to our duties to God, while the last six relate to our duties to our fellow-men. So the first petitions of the Lord's prayer con- cern our duties to God, and the last petitions con- cern the interests of ourselves and our fellow-meh. Here is a ver^^ instructive hint. We are apt to reverse this order by beginning in our desires and devotions at the level of our own personal needs about bread and forgiveness, etc., instead of put- ting the name, the kingdom, and the will of God ^rst where they belong. Paul's salutations and prayers are a happy model for us in this respect. Then structurally the petition of our text is a sort of spinal column of the Lord's prayer. It is pretty much the objective point of the prayer, to have God's will done, "as in heaven, so on earth." 336 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. All the petitions that go before lead up to it as all the petitions that follow depend on it. God's name is to be hallowed and his kingdom is to come, that his will may be done on earth. When God's will is done, his name is hallowed and his kingdom has come. When God's will is done, there will not be much trouble about bread, forgiveness, temptation and deliverance from evil. This petition is saturated with the idea of con- secrated christian service. 1. The Rule of Authority in this Service. — **Thy will" — God's will, there can be no other. That is the significance of the refrain in the prayer of Jesus in the garden agony. "Thy will not mine be done." It is the will or "wish" of God that is here emphasized. It is that "good, acceptable and perfect will of God," which is the test of all reasonable service. Discrimination must be made as to the two aspects of the will of God, referred to in scripture. God's will is referred to in the Bible as the ex- ecutive of his decrees, and as such belongs to "the secret things" of God and relates to the kingdom of providence. But the aspect of God's will here referred to, concerns the revealed will or wish of God, and relates to the kingdom of grace of vt^hich this will is sovereign. It is this aspect of God's will which is brought into view when we are enjoined to do those things that please God . We come under God's will as the executive of EXTRACTS FKOM DIARY, ETC. 337 his decrees of necessity. We come under God's will as sovereign in the kingdom of grace by voluntary choice. Thus Paul saluted this new rule of authority upon the threshold of the kingdom by asking, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" God's will or wish was henceforth to be the law of his life. It is Christ's "easy yoke'' which he does not thrust upon us, but asks us to ''take my yoke upon you" of our owm free choice. II. The purport of this service. That God's will be done. This aspect of God's will is as- sociated with something to be done by us. It is not the will of God that is to be endured merely, but that is to he done. This is not a petition for submission as is often supposed, but for strength to do that will; ' the emphasis is not upon passive endurance, but upon positive endeavor. This is not a lazy man's prayer. Note the emphasis laid upon human effort and energy — the everlasting do, — as the channel along which the answer to this prayer is to come. " Hallowed be thy name." How, b^^ whom ? Not in some magical, mysterious way, but by the person who makes this prayer his own. " Thy kingdom come." How? Where? Why in and through the person who prays it. " Thy will be done." How and by w^hom ? Why by the person w^ho utters the petition. 338 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. There is something intensely personal and individual in every one of these petitions. They all come straight back to the petitioner clothed with divine blessing for fulfillment. They mean, that God helping me, his name shall be hallowed, his kingdom shall come and his will shall be done here on earth, in and through me as opportunity offers. The prayer is not only to be offered up, but is to be lived up to. "Give us this day our daily bread," means that with God's blessing, I shall earn my bread in the sweat of my face. "Forgive us our debts." Yes, but just " as we forgive our debtors." "Deliver us from evil." Yes, but just as we re- sist unto blood in striving against sin. There is to be, with the assistance of divine strength, the utmost outgo of human effort and energy to see that God's will is done here upon this earth. The answer to these petitions is to come in God's strength being made perfect in our weak- ness, that in and through us God's name may be hallowed, his kingdom may come and his will may be done. It is God's strength working through human effort and energy that this prayer is to be answered. Ill The Pattern of this Service — "As in Heaven." Angels are God's ministering spirits. God's will is not a hard task master to them. To do EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 339 His will is both a pleasure and a delight to them. Their chief joy is to do the things that please Him. God's wish is the law of their being. There are no questions of casuistry in heaven. There is no need to have the line between innocent and questionable pleasure defined. That which will pleale the will of God is so well known and so cheerfully done, that the service of God is a perennial source of pleasure and delight. God loves a cheerful giver and doer, because he responds to the heavenly service. The Christian that looks upon God as an hard task-master is not in harmon3^ with the heavenly hosts. When a man says that he knows it must be the will of God for him to do a certain thing, because he finds it so hard to do and dislikes it so, he is far astray from the Spirit of this prayer. Doing the will of God ought to be a joyous, cheerful and whole-souled service, "as it is in heaven. ' ' IV. The Place of this Service,— "On Earth." Right here in this world, with all its contrary winds and cross currents, is to be the place of this consecrated service. It is here within the sphere of human activity where the pressing need is, that God dehghts to have his will done. 340 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Jesus sums up his ministry in his intercessary prayer : "I have glorified thee on the eavth^ " Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples. " The spirit of this prayer is not pessimistic. It looks forward to the time when God's will shall be done on earth "as it is in heaven. " "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." This is the will of God, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Son, to the glory of God the Father." Sermon by Rev. J. J. Excell. Text, Psalm 39:4. Lord make me to know mine end, etc. Introduction. The Psalmist at this time was bitterly per- secuted by his enemies, and even his son Absalom sought his life. In the midst of his sorrows and afilictions, he was desirous of walking circum- spectly : hence he says, " I will keep my mouth as with a briddle, while the wicked is before me." It would be well for us all, if we were more careful with our tongues. I. Make me to know mine end. 1. It is necessary for us to know how feeble we are ! EXTRACTS P'ROM DIARY, ETC. 341 (a) . Liable to be called off the stage of action at any time. (b) . We should realize that man, at his best estate is vanity. David, aHhough a King, was but mortal ! Our days are but a hand-breadth. II. What is the Chief End of Man? 1. Rightly to know God, faithfully to serve Him, and to enjoy Him forever. 2. Nothing has an absolute end. Things may change their form, but do not cease to exist. But there cometh an end. 1. An end of probation. Here we are on trial and forming characters for Eternity. As we sow, we shall reap. An inseparable connection exists between sow- ing and reaping. The time for reformation will soon be gone. 2. An end of toil and care. To the children of God there remaineth rest. 3. An end of sorrow and affliction. Heaven is a place of pure delight. Paul said, "for to me to live is Christ, but to die is gain." ''There I shall bathe my weary soul, In seas of heavenly rest. And not a wave of trouble roll, Across my peaceful breast." ^^Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail 1 am.^' 342 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. III. The Measure of Days. 1. At the longest, the time is short. How short our time is. We are all passing away, and shall soon be gone ! 2. The time of our departure is wisely hidden . We should always be ready. 3. The ways of Providence are strange and mysterious ! 4. It is enough for us to know, that He who sitteth on the throne of the Universe, cannot err. "What though thou r^ulest not, Yet Earth and Heaven and Hell, Proclaim God sitteth on the throne, And ruleth all things well." "NOT YOUR OWN." By the Rev. J. C. Hill. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price' '—1 Cot. VI, 19, 20. When you buy a thing and pay for it, you call it your own. God considers what He has bought and paid for. His own. You know what a slave is. He is a man who has been bought and paid for to be a servant, and he is required to work for his master as long as he lives, without receiving what we call wages, because he has been bought and paid for by his master. All his time belongs to his master, because he has paid for it. He considers that he owns the whole of the man, his hands and EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 343 feet and mind. We have no slaves now in our country, but that is the way in which slaves are regarded by their owners. They are not their own. A man who is not a slave, thinks he is his own. He has a right to the use of his own hands and feet and mind. Instead of having to work for one master, whether he is treated well or not, a free man can work for whom he pleases. He feels that his bod\^ is his own, and that he can do as he pleases. This is all true, in a certain sense, but Paul in our text says, it is not true of believers in Christ Jesus. He tells them that they are not their own, "Ye are not your own," for God has bought you with a price. The price that God paid for you was the life of His Son, Jesus. Believers, then, have no right to their bodies, to use them only for their own advantage. You have been bought by God, and hence He owns you, just as really as a slave is owned by his master. So we find Paul calling himself, not a mere servant of Christ, but a slave of Christ, one who has been bought and paid for. We must, then, yield our members to the service of God. 1. Your hands must be God's. You must then see that you do not let Satan use your hands as though they were his. You can do a great many bad things with your hands. Remember, then, that your hands are God's, "not 3'our own," and let them do nly those things that will be for God's glory. 34-t LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. II. Your feet are God's. You must not let them do Satan's work. Do not let them carry you away from the right path. III. Your eyes are God's. Keep your eyes, then, at work for Him. You can sin a great deal through your eyes. Eve began to sin through her eyes. Turn your eyes aw?y from whatever would lead you into sin. IV. Your ears are not your own. Take heed, then, what you hear. It is through the eye and the ear that most of the evil enters our souls. Do not listen then to anything that you know is wrong. V. Your tongue is not your own. The tongue is the one member of our bodies that is most apt to cause us to sin, and it therefore requires most care. If. before you speak, you could just remem- ber that your tongue is God's, and not your own. then you would not say so many bad things ; you would not use so many angry, unkind words ; you would not cause trouble by your thoughtless words. If you remember that you are not your own. that your hands and feet, and eyes and ears, and tongue and heart are God's, then you wiU be a slave of Christ, hke Paul : but in that service you will have a liberty that the slaves of sin and Satan know nothing about. Ax EXTRACT FROM BiSHOP C. F. FoWLER. Speaking of those who object to the Bible, and of the evidences of its truth. Bishop Fowler says, An inscription recently found on the Island of Sehel, in the center of the First Cataract, speaks EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 345 of the sorrow of the ancient king, on account of a famine caused by the failure of the Nile ''to over- flow its banks in seven years." We also have a modern instance, A. D. 1064 to 1071, when the Nile failed again for "seven years." Again, Isaiah ( ch. 21 ) prophesies the down- fall of Bab J' Ion, and tells of the forces of Elam not of Persia, that shall be appointed as the scourge. Cyrus has long been held to be a Persian. The Greek and Roman authorities speak of him as a false witness. But the archaeologist's spade has brought out the fact that Cyrus was really of Elam. Thus the old record rises into full authority. Again, much criticism has been expended upon Abraham's offering of Isaac as a burnt offering upon Mount Moriah. The whole account has been rejected as monstrous and impossible. Yet the old record shows that this stern test was in exact ac- cord with the spirit of the times and the faith of the surrounding people. The Carthaginians sacrificed 200 children as a peace offering to their gods, when pressed by the Sicilians, and the tyrant of Syracuse bound them by treaty to cease from this practice. The exodus has often been made a stumbling block by over- wise criticism. It is impossible, the critics say, for a whole people to depart in the night, taking their flocks and herds. Yet in our times, in this very country, we have witnessed an exodus from that very land of Goshen. Moham- med Ali wished to manufacture silk, so he planted Goshen with mulberry trees, and attracted Syrians from Damascus, and Bedouin Arabs from Babylo- nia, to whom he gave fertile pasture lands, and 346 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. freedom from taxation and from military practice. They prospered and multiplied for many years. After the death of Mohammed Ali, an attempt was made to tax and conscript them. Protests were disregarded. Thereupon in one night the whole population, with their herds and flocks, moved away to their kinsfolks to the east of Egypt, leaving their houses empty and the valley a deso- lation, in which condition it was when De Lesseps dug his fresh water canal. It is vain to criticise the truth of what we see accomplished under our o"Wn eyes. The statements of the Old Book come out of the most critical candid examination possibly mod- ified in some trifling particulars, but reaffirmed^ in all the great essentials and outlines of their narra- tions. At some points the higher critics may have helped to better interpretation, but as a whole they have been corrected and overwhelmed by the very investigations they have stimulated ! Let us now turn to the scientific evidence con- cealed in the Book itself, anticipative, prophetic hints of science. We have collected witnesses un- earthed by science in criticising the Book. We will now collect witnesses concealed in the Book itself, showing certain knowledge of what science has revealed in these later ages. Water Marks.— In his great book, "Nature and the Super-natural," Horace Bushnell gives by way of illustration, the following incident: "A gentle- man was sued for the payment of a note which he said was aforgery. Experts pronounced it genuine. Defeat and bankruptcy seemed ine\itable. By chance the lawyer for the defense held the note EXTRACTS FROM UIAKY, ETC. 347 before the light, when he discovered the water marks in the paper. The mills that made the paper were built after the date of the note. The man's defense w^as complete. The proof was at hand all the time while he was searching every- where for it." So we find certain water marks in the Bible, that are the sure defense of pur Bible, and our faith. We will indicate only a few of these inwrought evidences : Mental Philosophy. — In a general way we find in this book statements, truths, conceptions, visions, exalted disclosures that are exactly suited to man's higher nature. A voice from the skies calls in the human ear in a dialect that can be understood only by an accusing conscience, acknowledged by a sovereign will, and negotiated only by a living faith. It is true to the highest mental philosophy. Tripartite Nature. — In our most modern re- searches in psychology and physiology, we are coming to some clearer understanding of ancient statements contained in the Book. We now know that the gray matter in the brain has special relation to our motor energy, to our animal life, our bodies, that the mass of our brain matter in the anterior portions of the hemisphere of the brain has to do with a certain determining and combining power in the nature of animal intelli- gence, and that the posterior portions have to do with our affections and passions. All these we have in common with animals. But man has still higher powers. Even Tyndall admits the ex- istence of a "chasm, intellectually impassable," between physical facts and human consciousness. 348 •LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. And Huxley endows his "conscience automatons" with free will, and declines to admit that he will even be proven to be the "cunningest of clocks." These form his spiritual notions and lift him into another grade of being. Sermon by Rev. Frank Smith, pastor of the m. e. church wooster, ohio. Text. Timothy 3:16. "God was manifest in the flesh. " I. What is the true idea of Christmas? I. What is the idea associated with it in the minds of many children ? {a) That it is a day of joy and gladness, owing to the gifts that will be brought to the children by Santa Claas. That is a superstitious idea handed down to us from generation to generation. It is an idea that the speaker is not in sympathy with. It is false, and therefore misleading. (6) That it is simply the anniversary of the birth of a man, the man Christ Jesus. That is not the whole truth, nor the most important one, either. II. The true Idea is this, viz. : i. That Christ had an existence prior to the incarnation. (a) The Old, as well as the New Testament Scriptures teach this. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 34.9 In many places of Scripture, Christ is called the Angel of Jehovah, the Angel of the Lord, etc. He appeared to Abraham on His way to Sodom, also to Moses at the burning bush, and at Mt. Sinai. He appeared to Jacob. He also led the children of Israel through the wilderness. John the Baptist said that Christ was before him, and yet he, Christ, was born after him. Christ, himself said, " Before Abraham was I am." The Logos was in the beginning. There is no Chronology here. It is simply " in the beginning." "All things were made by him and for him. " 3. Christ appeared in the Besh to manifest God. {a) Christ said, "he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." ''I and the Father are one." 4. Christ appeared on earth to give us a model. (a) We look in vain for a model. Neither Socrates, nor Plato, nor Cicero, nor Abraham, nor Job, nor Moses would be a model for us. They were noble characters, but they were not faultless. {b) Christ alone is the faultless one. Pilate said, I lind no fault in him. 5. Christ became incarnate to teach us the Father-hood of God, and the Brother-hood of man. Many do not ha\^e proper views upon this point. 350 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OP LIFE. A SERMON BY TIMOTHY DWIGHT, S. T. D., LL. D. Ninth Commandment. Exodus XX 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Under this Command are properly ranged the following subjects : I. Truth. II. Lying ; III Perjury ; and IV. Slander. 1. Truth is an account of the real state of things. Mathematical Truth is an .account of the real state of Number and Quantity. Philosphical Truth treats of Material bodies and their operations ; and Moral Truth of intelli- gent beings, their relations, their duties, and their actions. The real state of things is that, with which only we have any concern ; and with this our con- cern is infinite. A collection of truths is called knowledge. In the Moral World, the truth con- cerning God, his pleasure, ourselves, the relations we sustain to him and to each other, and the duties springing from these relations, enables us to obey him ; to become blessings to each other ; and to ob- tain the blessings of immortality. Falsehood, in these respects, would lead us in- finitely astray. 2. Truth is, in itself, a rich source of enjoy- ment. a. Truth is always capable of yielding more delight than fiction. EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 351 When I speak of the actual state of things, which God has made, as in every respect more beautiful, glorious, and desirable, than any which the mind can imagine, I mean the whole state of things. The Universe is a* single sj'stem. The whole, taken together is a perfect system ; the result of the perfect views of the All-Perfect Mind. In such a sense is it perfect, that it is truly said, Jehovah shall rejoice in his works. The Character of God ; the Meditation of the Redeemer ; the Agency of the Divine Spirit ; the dispensations of mercy ; the restoration of sinners to virtue and happiness ; the consummation of all things ; the blessings of immortality, the glory of Heaven ; and the future union of sanctified minds in that delightful world ; leave out of sight, and out of remembrance, all the creations of Poetry ; all the splendid excursions of Imagination. Into these things. Angels desire to look. 3. That great division of Truth, which is called, Moral or Evangelical Truth, is, in an im- portant sense the foundation of all Virtue. Sanctity them through truth I Thy Word is truth.— John 17:17. Of His own will begat he us with the Word of truth.— James 1:17. The truth, said Christ to the Jews, shall make you free. Evangelical truth is the means of changing the human soul, and turning it from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God. The law of the Lord, says David, is perfect, converting the soul. But the lav^r of God is noth- ing but truth, communicated in the perceptive form. Truth, then, is of very great importance. f 352 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Virtue is nothing but voluntary obedience to truth. All the motives to virtue are found in the general system of truth ; as all the motives to sin are found in systems of error. Real Virtue rejoices in* the Truth. The Importance of Veracity. 1. Almost all the truth, which we know ^ we derive from communication; and, of course, almost all the benefit of truth, which we enjoy. 2. Veracity is the only foundation of conh- dence. We are indebted to confidence for almost the whole of our happiness. Confidence is necessary to the existence, and operations, of government. A state of absolute distrust, is a state of ab- solute misery. Distrust would dissolve the whole frame of, and texture of the social body ; the joints and the ligaments, the energy and the life. Without confidence, God himself would cease to be the Moral Governor of intelligent creatures. A being distrusted, can never be loved, reverenced, nor voluntarily obeyed. Where there is no Ruler, there can be no con- fidence in the subject. A Ruler, without truth, could offer no motives to his subjects, which could induce them to obey. The Kingdom of God, or his Government of the Intelligent Universe, rests upon truth, as its foundation. S. Veracity is the source of inestimable personal ood. Veracity is the first constituent of an JionoraMe, and even, of a fair reputation . EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 353 A bad man, who is known to always speak the truth, will always command a considerable share of respect ; but a liar is despised of course. Conscience abhors a lie ; and solemnly, and dreadfully reproaches the Liar. Veracity is the source, also, of all personal Dignity. Veracity makes us like God. Veracity is the source of Usefulness. T. EXCELL. " Blessed is he that watcheth at my gates. Rev. J. J. ExcELL. 1^ U 1. Oft - en I've ob 2. At the gate I've 3. Praise the Lord for tained a bless been ad - mit such a bless ing, When I've bowed the ted, Gate of mer - cy, ing. And his wond-rous 1 1 h ^ i t i — 5 sup-pliant knee; Je - sus br free in - deed, All my grace to me. Peace and ought a sweet re-f sins have been re - ioy I'm now pos - g resh - ing, And It mit - ted. And from ess - ing, Je - sus -i -V \/ U — L L ' y y ^1- 1 ^ CHORUS. I S . _Q K s: 1 n ^ N-n— •-^ « ^-^ fell on e - ven me. them I now am freed. I am watch - ing for my sav - eth e - ven me. ^ n 9^|r-iz. % \ ^ 1 M 1- ' » » — ^ _^ — ! » » e> — — [ ly — h-^— ^ « ^ Sav - ior At the — x^. 1 j9 ^ — • ' -s_ gate of ear - nest ^= iL J pray'r; He will CAi 9 ^ ' ^ y ^3 ^ -j — =1 h man - i - fest his f s — i — 3 g av - or, For he £ * * ♦ L^^_• — ^ — ^ — L^^_ J al - ways meets me there. -«» » » # :t=l: U— • !• .je ^ -tl 1 -t y EXTRACTS FROM DIARY, ETC. 355 CONTEMPT. Speaking of contempt of God and his Word, one of the worst cases we ever witnessed, was that of a man who had had his arm terribly cut by a saw, to whom we were introduced by wife's father. We found him suffering extremely. He said he had been hurt while carrying out a vow that he had made to God some years ago, and yet, at the same time, he disowned any belief in a God, or in a future life ! Yes, he said he had been left an orphan after the close of the war of 1812, and his mother had indentured him to a man in one of the Western states; that the wife of the man had been very cruel to him; oftentimes not giving him enough to eat ; that his clothing was hardly sufficient to make him presentable; that he undertook to run away from the family, but that his plan failed ; that he sat on a bed and cried, and promised God (if there be any God), that if he would spc.re his life, and bring him out of his, then deplorable con- dition, that he would always be good to the orphans. Just after he had been wounded by th*i circular saw, he was taken to his house, and while he was lying on the floor, in agony, a Presbyterian minister by the name of Stephens, called in to see him. He was one of the first to call in. Mr. Stephens, seeing the man in great agony, 't said to him, in a slow and plaintive tone, "Mr. Y., we must all, sooner or later, be brought to see our true condition. The injured man looked sneer- 356 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. ingly into the face of Mr. Stephens, and said, Mr. Stephens, if you have called in here this evening, to see me, as a friend or neighbor, I am thankful to you, but if you have come in with any clerical intentions, I pray you to leave your Clerical Robes outside of my house, for if I have got to die, foi' God's ^sake, let me die, without the benefit of the Clergy! ! Mr. Stephens felt that his kindness in calling upon him was not appreciated, and so of course he withdrew. After we had entered the room, Mr. Hess intro- duced me as a Minister of the Reformed Church. "Well," said the man, "that is better than some churches, and the reason is, because it is smaller.'' "The most corrupt churches are the Pres- byterian, and the Methodist, for they are the largest, for the larger a church is, the more corrupt she is. We found him a very rank Infidel, having had his mind poisened by such writers, as Tom Paine, Rosseau, DeAlembert, Huxley and others ! ! It was no use to argue with him, and so we proposed to leave him, but simply asked him whether we should pray for him. Never to my dying-day shall I forget the infernal look he gave me, when he said with contempt, ''If you think you have got hold of the hell-rojje and can make the old man hear , ring away "The trouble," he said, "with you Church members is, one prays for one thing and another for something else, and the old man gets confused." SAD THOUGHTS, 357 CHAPTER XIY. Sad Thoughts ! ! There are some things which occur in Hfe, which are very pleasant ; and the remembrance of them is very precious ! If youthful days have been spent in virtue; we recall them with glad feelings; and we love to linger in memory, with dearly beloved, departed ones. O, the happy moments, hours, and days, we spent with them ; when as yet we knew but little of sorrow and^ sadness ! The house of God is thronged with worship- pers; many are being drawn after God, and holi- ness. Some are inquiring the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward. The Gospel is preached, night after night, and appeal after appeal has been made to the unconverted. They have been exhorted to flee the wrath to come, and to take refuge in Christ. Some have not only heard of, but have accepted Him. They have ceased to do evil ; and have learned to do well ; they have broken off their sins by righteousness, and their transgressions by turning unto the Lord. They have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus. ''Old things have passed away; and behold, all 358 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. things are become new." Some have been "al- most persuaded but only almost; like Agrippa of old, and "almost, is but to fail." There is one who has been awakened, and led to see that he is indeed a wretched sinner; needing the "washing of Regeneration, and the renew- ing of the Holy Ghost." He is almost inclined to ) yield, but ah, there is so much to forarke; so much to repent of; so much to have forgiven. He is unwilling to confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus; and, lest he should see with his eyes, and hear with his ears, and be converted to God, he says to the Holy Spirit, "Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." But when, ah, when did he call? We know not when. He may have called when it was too late; for the Scripture saith, "because I have called and ye have refused, j stretched out ^my hand, and no man regarded; therefore, I will laugh at 3'our calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. He is unwilling to yield, and so leaves the church again and again, lest he should be per- suaded to yield to be saved by fafth in Christ. He will go out and mingle with his boon companions, take a glass of liquor, and drown, if possible, all good feelings ! Thus, by stultifying conscience, provoking God, grieving the Holy Spirit, and refusing to hearken to the calls of mercy ; he went on from sin to sin ; until, so far as we know ; he died with- out hope in Christ! He might have been saved, for Christ shed His blood for him ; the Holy Spirit plead with him ; mercy was freely offered him ; SAD THOUGHTS. 359 the church faithfully labored and prayed for him ; his heart was somewhat moved by Divine influ- ences; but for all that, he yielded not! O, the blindness of the human heart! O, the stubborn- ness of will! O, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the folly of refusing to hearken to the voice of God! Another is an earnest, faithful and devout christian ; so far as all human appearance go. He appears to be useful in the church, occupies the position of a class-leader in the society of which he is a member ; and those w^hom he leads have confidence in him, and regard him as a man of God, as one consecrated to the service of Christ. He maintains family piety, for he not only prays in church, but in his family : for he thinks it his duty to bring up his children in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." After some years there happens to be a preacher on the charge, whom he does not like ; and some things are done by him, and some of the members, which he does not like ; and, in the hour of temptation, he lays down the cross, and commences at once to backslide* Of course he did not intend to lose his hold on Christ ; but whoever did, when he first became disaffected ? He gives up his class-book ; he will no longer have any official position. He will only be a private member. It is not long however, before he with-draws from the church. He can, as he tries to think, do about as well without the church, as with it ; or as well outside, as inside of a corrupt church i for all at once the church has become very cor- 360 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. rupt in his estimation I It is a bad step ; but he takes it ; and others have taken it to their eternal sorrow ! ! He soon ^ives over praying, either at home , or abroad. In fact, he soon gets into the habit of swearing. He has spent years of his life in the service of his Master ; and although the Master has never in a single instance deceived him, because his fellow-men, as he thinks have, he turns his back upon Christ ; refuses to serve Him ; and no longer trusts Him. So he proceeds step by step in the career of evil, until he speaks contemptuously of God, and His word; he cares but little about the means of grace, although oc- casionally he attends the house of God. He seems to have lost all compunction for sin ; and is openly impious ! Effort after effort is made for his recovery, but all is in vain ! There are those in whom he still has con- fidence ; but he will not hearken to their advice. He seems bent on his own destruction ! Once the writer had a plain talk with him, and besought him to return to the Shepherd and Bishop of souls ; but it was all of no avail ! He said, "Once I enjoyed the favor of God, but now I have no desire to serve Him I know that I was converted, and I stood well in the church, for years, but now I am outside ; and I have no desire to be in. It is to late for me. We said to him, "Come back ; do your first works over ; return unto the Shepherd of Israel. He will receive you ; for he never turns any away who truly seek him." Commence where you left off. Put away all your objections. Do not SAD THOUGHTS. 361 stumble over other men's failings. Do what is right yourself ; trust in God for salvation, and all will be well. ' But he. said, Sir, it is no use ; all is over with me. It is too late, too late. I just as much expect to be dammed, as I expect to die ! I shall never be saved, for it is all over with me ! ! I 362 A LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XV. A Sacred Spot. There are some places in this life where we love to linger, and the longer we linger, the sadder we become. Yes, we linger there till tht sun has sunken behind the Western hills, shedding it may be, a soft and beautiful radiance over the Eastern sky ! Such is the home church-yard, where lie the mortal remains of some of our loved ones; for ''who hath not lost a friend?" It is very true what Longfellow says, *' There is no flock, however watched and tended But one dead lamb is there ! There is no fireside howso'er defended, But has one vacant chair. The air is full of farewells to the dyin^, And mournings for the dead ; The heart of Rachel for her children crying. Will not be comforted. The grave is indeed a hallowed spot. No hunter disturbs the pretty birds that build their nests in the beautiful trees that are planted in the Cemetery; not so much for shade (for the dead need no shadow,) but for beauty, and as evidences of love and affection. A SACRED SPOT. 363 They also speak of the Resurrection. The trees seem to say, "your kindred lie not here, they are above." There, in one corner, is a little marble slab with these words thereon, "Mother, I've prayed to Jesus, and He will take care of me." Yes, Jesus takes better care of him, than we pos- sibly could. At his side lies a little sister, cut down early ; only sick a few short days, but taken to another and better land than this, where they die no more; but are as the angels of God in heaven. Yes, those two sleep side by side, and the little evergreen that we planted there, has become a large tree ; for the two children have been there for some years. No, not the children, only the dust. They have gone to the kingdom of glorjr! How we should like to see the door open, so that we might get a glimpse of the beauty and glory of the Eternal City ! We wonder what they are doing, for me thinks they are certainly active. But we must wait till we shuffle off this mortal coil; until we shall be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven; then, "we shall see as we shall be seen." An Elegy on the Reedsburg Cemetery. The sun has set, the moon has risen high ; The stars are peeping out the azure blue, I stand alone, yet feel that God is nigh ; His mercies manifold are ever new. The busy world has sweetly sunk to rest ; The tired limb will be refreshed by sleep, But I am oft by carking care oppressed, As steadfastly my weary way I keep. LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. The angel death has early snatched away Two darling ones, who sweetly slumber here; Their spirits flew to realms of endless day ; That sacred thought doth oft my spirits cheer. Here sleep two little sleepers side by side, And each is in his little narrow bed ; So sad were we the nights on which they died ; How lonely is the path which now we tread ! The one had flowing curls and auburn hair, With rosy cheeks, and dark and sparkling eyes, Elastic step, was also very fair ; But ah, so soon he laid him down to die I The shades of death are gathering very fast. And many friends are gathered in the room. But ah ! the die will very soon be cast ! For he must quickly pass into the tomb ! The parson and 1 he kindred daily pray That God should give the little sufferers rest. But, ah ! He gently dies one weary day ; His life to spare, our Father saw not best. . As dies a wave upon the ocean shore, So easil}^ his spirit sank to rest. As~sinks the gale when angry storms are o'er, So did his spirit leave the trembling breast. The house is stilled, the mantel-clock is stopped ; The scalding tears run streaming down the face. The scene is quickly passed, the curtain dropped. So soon the little pilgrim run his race ! His merry sports and childish plays are o'er; No more with us he'll climb yon chapel-hill ; He'll go with us to Sabbath School no more! His merry voice no more our hearts shall thrill ! The place is very sacred where he sleeps ; So near the place where once a chapel stood ; And where. an angel now'^his ashes keeps. The angels of the world accomplished good. A SACRED SPOT. 365 He sleeps so sweetly in his narrow bed, Forever free from sorrow, toil and strife ; While we who stay on earth so ofcen dread The burden, and the care of mortal life. Here stands a neatly finished marble stone To mark the quiet resting place of one Who loving was, and spake with gentle tone, He's gone, and left us weary, sad and lone ! This little ever-green that slowly grows Upon his little, grassy, mossy bed, Is pointing up to glory and it shows 'Tis only dust that's here, the child has fled ! His little sister sweetly sleeps by him. The months she spent on earth were \try few. She never was defiled by actual sin ; And therefore penitence she never knew. A sickly, weak and very tender child, ' With constitution frail, too weak to stand The weather of this life, however mild ! She's gone and left, for aye, this earthly strand. We know not why they left the earth so soon, Why did they fly so soon from us away ? Alas! their sun has set ere it was noon. But brightly shines in an eternal day. J. J. KXCELL. In another place in this sacred enclosure, lie the mortal remains of one, who, when his country called for volunteers, when a traitorous band had torn down the stars and stripes, when the free in- stitutions of this country, and the liberties of the people were in jeopardy ; took his life in his hand, and went forth to face the foe, and defend the country he loved so well ! He had, up to the time of the war, never been far away from home ; he had been raised in the neighborhood of the Ceme- tery, where now he sleeps, and, like all young 366 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. people, was devotedly fond of his mother and home. But, not-with-standing, the love of home,^ and the love of mother, he leaves both ; in order that he may save both ; for, if the battle be lost, if the government be destroyed, all the institutions which we prize so highly, will be gone; and home, and liberty, will be gone; and all the security of home will be gone; and mother herself; although she may not be gone, will no longer be able to en- joy her home as she has been wont to. He goes therefore from mother, and kindred, and friends, and neighbors, and from all the associations of his youthful life, to endure the toils and fatigues of heavy marches; to stand before the weapons of war; to be exposed to all the toils of camp-life, and to die, if need be, for his country ! Yes, he went out in health and strength, but he came back a corpse! How the heart of his mother sank within her, when she heard that he died far away from home! If we remember rightly, his father went into the far South, to obtain his body, and after some labor and search, secured it. He is brouL'ht to Sunshine, to the home of his youth, to the mother who gave him life, to the sisters and brothers whom he had only known to be loving, and kind, and good. See the agony of that mother, the anguish of that father, the grief of those brothers and sisters, and the distress of those relatives and friends ! Oh what a pall of darkness rests upon that house ! ! His remains, in due time, are taken to the church of which his parents were members ; ap- propriate services are held, and then the body is A SACRED SPOT. 367 taken up the gently sloping hill, and deposited in the quiet church-yard, there to sleep the years away, till the Resurrection Morn. A very beautiful, and somewhat costly, monument marks his resting-place ; the number and name of the regiment, and the time and place of his death certified. We think, as we stand by the graves of those who fell in the defence of their country, what an immense amount of suffering, and privation, and death, and treasure, the perpetuity of this government cost ; but at the same time, the liberties and blessings which are continued to us, and shall be, we humbly trust, to our children and children's children, are worth vastly more than they ever cost. We remember many others whose ashes lie here ! A father and a mother in Israel, with whom we became acquainted at our introduction to Sunshine, whose family did, perhaps as much or more, to make us comfortable, as any other family with whom we are acquainted. Indeed, we may truthfully say, that they were a remark- able family, not so far as education is concerned, for they were not highly educated, not having had the advantages of culture that many have enjoyed, nevertheless, they had Christian cul- ture They were taught, both by precept and example, to fear Hod and keep his command- ments. Yes, they were all brought up in the school of Christ, and they all became, in that school of schools proficient scholars They were a very affectionate and kind family. Nor was there ever any great difference of opinion among I 368 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. them, for they had one heart and one mind, and strove together for the good of Zion. In very early life they were all consecrated to God, by their christian parents, who taught them the doctrines and duties of religion. Their mother said to us, that she had spent sleepless nights, praying that her children might all be brought into the bosom of the Church, and become the followers of Jesus. She also said, that she thanked God, who had permitted her to live long enough to see her prayers answered in the Sal- vation of all her children, for at that time, they were all consistent members of the Church of Christ. She was indeed a happy mother, and her soul rejoiced in God the Lord, who had done such great things for her and her family ! Many times we have enjoyed their society, and shared their hospitality. How we miss them when we are far away ! Yes, that father and mother were very kind indeed to us when we first went to "Sunshine," for we were young in the ministry, with but little experience, but they were a great help to us, and with their help and that of others, (for there were others who helped us greatly,) we were enabled to accomplish g^ood. To God be all the honor and glory. Both of those beloved parents have, years ago, passed over the river; and indeed, nearly all their children with whom we were so well acquainted, and with whom we took such sweet counsel ; among whom were, Samuel, and William, and Josiah, and John, and Davjd, and Rebecca, and ■Mrs. Slusser, have gone the way of all the earth ! Only Mrs. A . Brown and Cornelius yet remain ! 'J.J. EXCICL 1. I stand 2. The hills 8. No |)ois ■ J. J. EXCELL. up - on a are robed witli 'nous winds nor sum - liv - gas - mit ing cs — ^- grand, By faith green, Sweet flow there, For # cv i: P i-i see the val - leys fresh and prom - ised land. The in - ter - vene, And pure the air. No ^ • ^ ^ ^ land pre - pared for liv - ing stream - lets sick - ness can an - #^ • ^ ^ • ■#- me. flow, noy. — • — » — 1 t : ^ 1 1 — U 1> , J — 1 ^ 1 — a ^ ^ 'm — H — J — S . — S — S— t Lo, what en - rapt - ured vis - ions rise O'er all the- There trees of won - drous kinds are found, With lus - cious No trou - ble there nor a - ny pain. But life, e - fields of fruits they ter - n al par - a - dise, Which now all a - bound, And end life, shall reign. And ev -fr • ^ ^ . • by faith I less - ly they er - last - ins: see. grow. joy- None ever leave that land above. Where all is peace and joy and love. For there none ever die; They range the fields of pure delight, And bathe their souls in floods of light, And dwell with God on high. Ah, when shall I from time remove? When shall my guardian angel come, And bear me safe away? [night, Oh ! could I leave this world of And go to realms of pure delight, And everlasting day- 370 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XYI. Offenses. The Blessed Redeemer taught us a beautiful lesson upon the subject of forgiveness, in His sermon on the Mount; for He commanded us to say, "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Peter was anxious to know how far he should carry out this principle, hence he said unto Jesus, Lord, ho w often shall my brother tres- pass against me, and I forgive him ? Until seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until seventy times seven, that is until four hundred and ninety times. And if thy brother trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn to thee, say- ing, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. Then again, Christ said, it is impossible but that offenses will come, etc. I suppose if we are ever so careful and honest in our convictions of right, and our performance of duty, we shall not always be able to live with- out giving offense to some one. Occupy whatever position we may, in church, or state, somebody will take exceptions to our mode of procedure; OFFENSES. 371 and will become offended at us. People see things from different stand points, and what might ap- pear wrong to one, might not be to another. Still, there is such a thing as absolute right, and no person ought to be ignorant of that fact. It is, however, a great pity when people, calling themselves Christians, become so offended that they cannot be reconciled, no matter what concessions the offending party may make. During our pastorate at Industry (Kent) we thought it best to try and repair the church by the following means : We organized a society who should make such things with their needles and thread as they, in their wisdom and good judgment, thought best, and have them for sale; and if they could not be sold at private sale, then have a Church Fair and sell them to the highest bidder, and let all the pro- ceeds go into the treasur3' of the Church, for the above mentioned purpose. Well, this was done, and the ladies of the Church, and others who were friendly to her, met together from time to time, and labored faithfully, until they had finished quite a goodly number of useful and ornamental articles. It was decided by a majority of them, to have a Church Fair, and instead of having things sold at auction to the highest bidder, as the pastor thought would be the best way, (and he has never seen cause to change his mind on that subject, for he has never yet been converted fully to the idea of a Church Fair, but still thinks it would be much better to raise what money is needed, in some less objectionable way,) they con- \ 372 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. eluded to have all their goods numbered, and then let each one pay so much, and draw his number. This, of course, the pastor opposed, and would do so again under the same circumstances ; for we do not believe that Christ and his Apostles would have had a Church Fair. Under these circum- stances the pastor gave great offense to the Presi- dent of the Sewing Society; and, although he made all the apology he thought he ought to, for having, like Moses, spoken unadvisedly with his lips, and, although, up to that time, she had pro- fessedly been one among his best friends and co- laborers, he has never succeeded in having her act friendly toward him ! What a pity it is to offend a lady ! The writer has often regretted this, but so far, has never been able, so far as he can discern, to satisfy that sister. If this should ever meet her eye, we would very kindly say that we hope our foibles will not keep us out of the Kingdom of Heaven, if they do from her friendship; and we sincerely hope that by and by we shall meet in the Kingdom of Glory, where there will be no such thing to mar our friendship. We sometimes wonder where true friendship is. People will profess to be your friend to your face, and behind your back oppose you. They will say, perhaps, " I hope you will be returned to the pastorate," or, "I hope you will remain our pastor," when, at the same time, they mean no such thing, and are secretly trying to have you re- moved! What a nice thing it is to have "love without dissimmulation ; to abhor that which is evil, and to cleave to that which is good." A DONATION PARTY. 373 CHAPTER XYII. A Donation Party. ' The kind people of the — charge conceived the happy thought of ministering to the physical wants of the parson, and his family, by a dona- tion. They, therefore, appointed a day, when the members of the charge, and all others who might feel so disposed in the generosity of their hearts, should come together and give whatever the3' felt disposed to. Accordingl3^ early in the morning, some of those who lived several miles away from the parsonage, put in their appearance; and before noon of that day, there were a goodly number of wagons and other vehicles in and around the parsonage-yard . Many, and various, were the different articles brought that day ! A large pile of potatoes placed upon the floor of a large spring-house, was a very interesting sight ; especially to one who loves potatoes as well as the parson and his family did. There were bags of wheat, of oats and of corn; rolls of butter; hams and shoulders of meat; and various articles too numerous to mention, besides a small pile of money. Then the day was so very pleasant for, the people made it 374 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. SO by their kind looks, loving words, and benevolent acts. A sumptuous dinner was prepared by the donors, and all who ate together that day, hoped to eat bread together in the kingdom of heaven. Many of those v\^ho met there that day, will never meet again till they meet on the other side of the river of death. Ah, how the scythe of time cuts down all the inhabitants ot the earth ! The proceeds of the party were not credited, or rather charged on- salary, as is sometimes the case; but were indeed a donation. Sometimes the people out of the so-called largeness of their heart, make a donation-party, drum up all they can, get as much as possible donated — donated did we call it? Yes, donated they call it — and that is the idea that obtains with some of those who come to donate, who, otherwise would not come at all; and, after the managers of the so-called donation- party have gotten what they could, donated, then, after having most carefully estimated the value of the various articles brought, and reckoning them worth a little more than market-price, because they are for the preacher, (for it is supposed that a preacher can pay a little more than cash value for the privilege of being a preacher), charge the same on quarterage or salary ! Mirabile dictu ! Can that be called square dealing ? If a man gives, must he have pay for it ? How can God approve of such a course of conduct as that? s. all it a donation, publish it in the paper, that so much has been donated, when it has all been applied on salary. What a sham and a lie ! A DONATION PARTY. 375 To the credit of the good people of Reeds- burg Charge it should be said, that they have never been known to act thus with any minister they ever had. No, they never stoop to such meanness, and littleness, as this, but, on the con- trary, have been wont to give from year to year, in the same generous way they gave the first time to the young Parson. Those donations were a help in more senses than one ; for they not only helped the Parson and his family to live, but strengthened the bond of union between them : and also became a means of grace to the parties themselves; for, "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Then, by these means the Parson became better acquainted with the members of his flock, and with others who waited upon his ministra- tions : and they, in turn, became better ac- quainted with him and his family, and also with one another. Then again, it is not so much the amount that is given, as the spirit of love and kindness with which it is received. Whenever the parson thinks of all the kind people, who, in different places, and at different times, have ministered to his necessities, he prays the Father of mercies, and the God of all grace, to bless all who are still living, with the blessings of his love ; and to enable them to so live on earth, that by and by, they may all sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. 376 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Here follows a list of the various donations which we have received from time to time, on the different Charges, upon which we have labored since we began to preach the Everlasting Gospel to the children of men, viz: 1854-7, Reedsburg Charge,.... $ 21.10 1857-8-9, " " 123.18 1860-1, " " 58.00 1864-6, Wadsworth, 100.00 1867-8, Kent, 128.28 1869-10, B. Bend, 424.16 1871- 2, Madison 164.10 1872- 3, " 74.80 1873- 4, Greensburg, 25.97 1874- 5, " 110.28 1875- 6, Nelson, 10.00 1876- 7, Edinburg, 25.00 1877- 8, " 10.00 1878- 9, Brownsville, 21.79 1884-5, Reedsburg, 80.40 North Madison 25.00 Liberty Center 25.00 Union Charge, 5.00 Nottawa, 50.00 Total, $1482.06 IDEATH RECORD. 377 CHAPTER XVIII. Death Record ! * Died, of apoplexy, on the 28th of March, 1856, H. I., after a short illness, aged 74 years, 2 months and 15 days. The deceased was born in Berks County, Pa., January 13, 1872. Several years ago he em migrated to Ohio, where he has since lived, till the day of his death. He was re- ceived into the Church in Pa., but did not enjoy experimental religion until some years after. At least that was his testimony. He was convinced of the absolute necessity of a change of heart, a good many years ago. He sought and found a deeper work of grace. He then felt that he was truly a child of God by adoption and free grace. Since that time he has been endeavoring to walk the high-way of holiness. He was an active and efficient member of the church to which he be- longed, and adorned the doctrine of godliness by a chaste life, and a meek and quiet spirit. He was the father of thirteen children, all of whom survive him, and many of them belong to one or another branch of the church. As a father, he was affect- ionate, and as a husband faithful and confiding ; as a neighbor, agreeable and obliging; and as a Christian, humble and exemplary. 378 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. The church has lost an efficient member, but our loss is his eternal gain. His wife preceded him to the spirit land, but he has gone to join her on the sunny banks of eternal deliverance. During the last winter of his life he failed very fast, but felt, with David, that though his heart and flesh failed, God was the strength of his heart, and his portion forever. His remains were followed to the tomb by a concourse of friends and neighbors, who mourn their loss, but not without hope. A sermon was preached on the occasion, in the absence of the writer by Rev. E. — , from Rev. XIV:13. ''Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence forth." Thus closed the earthly labors of one who was much beloved and respected by us. Died, near Foot-Hill, Ohio, May 6, 1856, M., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C, aged 6 years and a few months. She was very ill nearly seven weeks, and suffered severely, and several times her parents thought she could not live an hour; but day after day she lingered, till death closed the scene, and she was transplanted from earth to heaven to bloom forever in the paradise of God. She left a father and mother with several brothers and sisters, to mourn their loss, but their loss is her gain. Farewell thou dearest child, farewell. Departed this life, on the morning of Feb. 26, 1857, in P., A. C. O. S. S., son of H. K. and A. S., aged 11 years and seven days. He was a lovely child and much beloved by all who knew him. He was very healthy and bade fair to live a long life, but died young. He attended school during the past winter, up to the day of his death, which DEATH RECORD. 379 was caused by an accident. His teacher says he was a good boy, and that he paid great attention to his studies. He came home from school Mon- day evening, the 23d, ate his supper, and then went with his two older brothers to take the horses to water, when the colt he was riding, threw him; and then gave him a blow on the head which made him senseless. He was taken to the house by his weeping father, where he lived till half-past 10^ o'clock, Thursday morning. His parents were almost broken-hearted. He was buried on Friday following, and a sermon was preached on the occasion from Job XIX:21. Departed this life, in the hope of a blissful im- mortality be3^ond the grave, in Sunshine, county of , Ohio, Miss E. eldest daughter of Wm. H. E— in the 15th year of her age. Her disease was con- sumption, which for months preyed upon her vitals, and at length brought her to a premature grave! She suffered very severely during her illness, but we trust she has gone where there is no more pain, and where all tears are wiped away. She expressed herself ready to depart and be with Christ which is far better. On the 16th her mortal remains were lodged in the narrow tomb. A sermon was preached by the writer from Eel. Xn:7. On the 17th, near Reedsburg, Miss A. Lerch, in tbe 30th year of her age. The deceased had been a consistent member of the Lutheran Church for a number of years, and had been faithful to her vows. Her health had been very poor for years ; nevertheless, no one ex- pected that she would so soon be calleld away. 380 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. On the 17th she started for church, being de- sirous of attending the Lord's house. The language of her heart was, "My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord's house, my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." She was not, however, permitted to reach the earthly sanctuary, but, in a few moments entered the heavenly. She stopped at the house of brother A. Funk, and laid down, but, in a few moments, slept the sleep of death ! On the 19th her remaines were taken to the Reedsburg Cemetery, there to lie till the resurrec- tion morning. The occasion was improved by the ministers. Died, near Lattasburg, Ohio, of quick con- sumption, in the triumphs of a living faith, Janu- ary 18, 1864, Mr. S. Myers.— The subject of this brief sketch had been living careless of religion, up to a year or so of his death, but we are thankful to be able to say, that he became enlisted in the work of salvation, and humbly sought the Lord by supplication and prayer; until he was satisfied of his acceptance with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. During his sickness, which lasted some time, he sent for the writer, who instructed him more perfectly in the way of salvation, and after having examined him in regard to his faith in the Redeemer, baptized and confirmed him. He appeared to be ver}^ much comforted after his baptism, and remarked to me that if he had known there was so much comfort and peace to be derived from religion, he would have been dedi- cated to God in baptism long ago. A few days later he desired to celebrate the suflierings and DEATH RECORD. 381 death of the Saviour, in the holy Eucharist, which privilege was also granted him. During the last hours of his life his faith in God was unshaken, and his prospects for glory bright. At length his happy spirit took its flight to paradise. He died as the christian dieth. He left a wife and three children ; may the Most High be their comforter. The above is onlv a small part of the funerals we attended throughout our ministerial life, nor are they by any means one-half of the obituaries we published, but they may serve as examples. When sickness comes, when death knocks at the door, every one feels the necessity of the mercy of God and His pardoning love, through Christ Jesus. Ah! there is nothing we can substitute for Christianity. Nothing but the Grace of God can satisfy the demands of the soul ; hence the Psalm- ist says, "return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." With Christ we are rich and have everything. Without Him we are miserably poor; Yea, forever undone! " Thou, O Christ, art all I want ; More than all in thee I find ; Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick, and lead the bHnd." Chas. Wesley. The thought of death is peculiarly solemn ! Yes, a dear brother of mine, when speaking of the mystery of human existence, said, that to him, the saddest thing of all, is, that everything has to die! Who can comprehend the giving up of earthly ex- istence? How is *' the golden bowl broken?" Per- haps there is no pain, whatever, when the candle of life goes out, at least with the child of God. 382 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. We mi^ht ask a thousand questions, but there comes back no answer. This much we are assured of by the Word of God, It shall be well with those who fear God and keep His commands. Mrs. David R. Mowry died of Apoplexy in Chester township, Wayne County, Ohio, aged 70 years and 3 days, Nov, 5 1898. The deceased was converted to God in early life, and maintained her integrity during all the years of her earthly pilgrimage. About thirty- five years ago, she united with the newly formed congregation of the Reformed (Jhurch at Lattas- burg, (>hio., organized by the Rev. J. J. Excell. About six years ago her husband was taken to the land of rest. Since that time she has trodden life's weary journey alone, though her children, of whom there are four sons, have been quite helpful and kind to her. During the last summer her health has been very precarious, and when the messenger came, he came suddenly, but she was ready ; for her hope and trust were in the Savior of sinners. She has left her children the legacy of a good life. On November 7th her mortal remains were deposited in the beautiful Cemetery at Reedsburg, Ohio. An ap- propriate sermon was preached by the writer ; a large and attentive audience being present. May the Most High comfort, guide, and bless all the relatives, and may they all at last meet in heaven. A Sketch of the Death of Eminent Women. Susanna Wesley. She had, says Wesley, no doubt, no fear, nor any desire but to depart and be with Christ. DEATH RECORD. 383 He and five of her daughters stood around her bed when she expired, on the 23d of July, 1742. When no longer able to speak, but apparently still conscious, her look, calm and serene, was fixed up- ward, while they commended her to God in prayer. She died without pain, and at the moment of her departure her children, gathering close around her, sung, as she had requested with her last words, ''a psalm of praise to God. Mary Fletcher. On the 14th of August, 1809, she writes: Thirty years this day, I drank the bitter cup, and closed the eyes of my beloved husband ; and now I am myself in a dying state. Lord, prepare me ! I feel death very near. My soul doth wait, and long to fly to the bosom of my God ! Come my adorable Savior ! I lie at thy feet. On the 27th of September she writes: "0 show thy lovely face ! Draw me more close to thyself ! I long, I wait for a closer union. It is amazing how many complaints I have, and still live. But they are held by the hand of the Lord. About a month later ( October 26 ) she says ; I have had a bad night ; but asking help of the Lord for closer communion, my precious Lord applied that word, ''I have borne thy sins in my own body on the tree." I felt His presence. I seem very near death ; but I long to fly into the arms of my beloved Lord. I feel His loving kindness sur- rounds me. On the 9th of December she entered into her eternal rest, "I am drawing near to glory;" ''There is my home and portion fair;" "Jesus, 384 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. come, my hope of glory ;" "He lifts His hands and shows that I am graven there," were among her last utterances. "The Lord bless both thee and me," she said to a Christian friend, and died. There was at the last neither sigh, groan, or struggle ; and she had all the appearance of a person in the most composed slumber ! Lady Fitzgerald. Benson, the Methodist commentator, visited her a short time before her death. He wrote, she is now sinking fast into the grave. But her faculties do not seem much, if any, impaired, save her hearing, which is very imperfect ; and the graces of God's Spirit, especially humility, resigna- tion, and patience, are in lively exercise. Happy was the choice she made when she gave up the gay world and the pleasures of a court for the cross and the reproach of Christ. She died a painful blessed death. On the eighth of April, 1815, when she was nearly ninety years old, her clothes caught fire, and her servants, hastening to her, found her wrapped in flames. She lingered till the next day, with a faith which triumphed over her agonies. I might as well go home this way as any other," she said to her family. Her last words were, " Come,|Lord Jesus! my blessed Redeemer, come and receive my spirit." Hester Ann Rogers. In three or four years after Wesley's departure she rejoined him in heaven. Her death was full of pathetic beauty, though attended by the saddest anguish of her sex. After giving birth to her fifth DEATH RECORD. 385 child, "she lay composed for more than half an hour, with heaven in her countenance, praising God for his great mercy, and expressing her grati- tude to all around her." She took her husband's hand, and said, " My dear, the Lord has been very kind to us. O, he is good, he is good ! But I'll tell you more by and by." In a few minutes afterward her whole frame was thrown into a state of agitation and agony. After a severe struggle of about fifteen minutes, bathed with a clammy, cold sweat, she laid her head on his bosom, and said, I am going." Subduing his alarm, ''Is Jesus precious!" he asked. "Yes, yes, O yes," she replied. He added; "My dearest love, I know Jesus Christ has long been your all in all ; can you now tell us he is so ?" "I can — He is — Yes — but I am not able to speak." He again said, "O my dearest, it is enough ! She then attempted to lift up her face to his, and kissed him with her quivering lips and last breath. She died in 1794, aged thirty-nine years, during twenty of which, she had walked continually^ with God "in white.'* Elizabeth Wallbridge. One day a Clergyman received a hasty summons informing him that she was dying. It was brought by a soldier whose countenance bespoke seriousness, goodness, and piety. ''She is going home, Sir, very fast," said the veteran. " Have you known her long?" asked the pastor, "About a month. Sir ; I love to visit the sick ; and hearing of her case, from a person who lives close by our camp, I went to see her. I bless 386 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. God that ever I did go. Her conversation has been very profitable to me. " Over the face of the invalid, though pale, sunken and hollow, the peace of God which passeth all understanding, had cast a triumphant calm. The preacher read aloud, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." At the sound of those words, the sufferer opened her eyes, and something like a ray of divine light beamed on her countenance as she said, "Victory! Victory! through our Lord Jesus Christ." A severe struggle for breath took place in the dying young woman, which was soon over. The Pastor said, "are not His promises now very precious to you ?" " They are all Yea, and Amen in Christ Jesus." What are your views of the valley of death now that you are passing through it? "It is not dark." "Why so ?" ' ' My Lord is there, and He is my light and my salvation." The Lord deals so gently with me that I can trust Him. A convulsion came on. When it was past, she said in broken gasps and sobs, "the Lord deals very gently with me." Lord, I am thine, save me — Blessed Jesus — precious Savior — His blood cleanseth from all sin. — Who shall separate ? — His name is — Wonderful — Thanks be to God — He giveth us the victory — I — even I, am saved — O grace, mercy, and wonder — Lord, receive my spirit ! Dear Sir — dear father, mother, friends, I am going — but all is well, well — " DEATH RECORD. 387 Lady Huntingdon. In the year of Wesley's death, 1791, the Countess of Huntingdon, burdened with eighty- four years, closed the most remarkable career which is recorded of her sex, in the modern Church, by a death which was crowned with the serenity and hope that befitted a life so devout and beneficent. Through a lingering and painful ill- ness she gave utterance to sentiments, not merely of resignation, but of rapture, When a blood- vessel broke, the presage of her departure, she said ; "I am well ; all is well, well forever. " I can see, wherever I turn my eyes, whether I live or die, nothing but victory. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh ! The thought fills my soul with joy unspeakable, my soul is filled with glory ; I am as in the element of heaven itself. I am encircled in the arms of love and mercy ; I long to be at home; O, how I long to be at home!" A little before she died she said repeatedly, "I shall go to my Father this night;" and shortly after, " Can he forget to be gracious ? Is there an end of his loving-kindness?" Almost her last words were. My work is done; I have nothing to do but to go to my Father. Lines Inscribsd to a Beloved Wife. Farewell my dearest wife, farewell, My anguish great, no tongue can tell ! The bitterness of death is past, N And thou art taken home at last. Thy life was spent in works of love ; By strength of Him who reigns above. 388 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. In faith and hope of endless joy Thou didst thy talents well employ. The cares of public life were thine. But never did'st thou once repine, To do God's will was thy delight; And trust in Him, both da\^ and night. Our Father blest us with a band Of boys and girls, who nobly stand For God and truth; and sweetly sing The praises of their God and King. Ah I much the\' owe to thee, my dear. For all thy counsels and th^' cheer. Thy godly life, th\' teachings true. They constantly should keep in view. 0, may we all so run our race While days and years run on apace, That when our days on earth are past, We all may reign with Christ at last. And then in heaven we'll sweeth' sing Loud halleluias to our King, Who brought us by His grace and love To dwell in His bright home above. So children, let us live for God ; And humbly learn to kiss the rod That lavs our brightest prospects low, But makes to us His comforts flow. Our God is He, our treasure still. We faithfully must do His will; Then, when the toils of life are o'er, We'll meet on heaven's eternal shore! J. J. EXCELL. Wtlliam Bramwell. He left Conference a few hours before adjourn- ment, to prepare for his departure to his appoint- DEATH RECORE. 389 merit. After some religious conversation with his host, he retired to rest, expecting to be called at two o'clock in the night, that he might begin his journey before dawn. He was afterward heard praying in his chamber : " O Lord, prepare me for thy kingdom, and take me to Thyself." About two o'clock he was again heard saying; "Lord, bless my soul, and make me readj^." He went down, soon after two o'clock, and took some refreshment. During this early repast he very often lifted up his hands and his eyes, and with great earnestness said, Praise the Lord ! Glory be to God ! He then said to the servant, " we will pray a little. " They knelt down, and he prayed very earnestly for him- self, for her, and for the whole family, beseeching God, that they, as well as himself, might be made ready for heaven. " The Lord bless you," he said to the servant, and departed into the shadows of the night. In a short time he was brought back dead ! ! Two of the Leed's watch had seen him stand- ing in the street, as if suddenly taken ill. They ran to help him ; he fell upon his knees, and his soul was translated. What a sudden, but glorious death ! John Wesley. On Tuesday, the first of March, he began the day by singing one of his brother's Lyrics : " All glory to God in the sky, And peace upon earth be restored ; 390 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. O Jesus, exalted on high, Appear, our omnipotent Lord ; Who. meanly in Bethlehem born, Didst stoop to redeem a lost race, Once more to thy people return, And reign in thy kingdom of grace." " O wouldst thou again be made known. Again in thy Spirit descend ; And set up, in each of thine own, A kingdom that never shall end! Thou only art able to bless, And make the glad nations obe}^ And bid the dire enmity cease. And bow the whole world to thy sway." His voice failed at the end of the second stanza. He asked for pen and ink, but could not write. An attendant, taking the pen from him, asked, " what shall I write?" "Nothing," replied the dying patriarch, " but that God is with us." During the forenoon he again surprised his mourning friends by singing the rapturous hymn : " I'll praise my Maker while I've breath And when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler powers ; My days of praise shall ne'er be past. While life, and thought, and being last. Or immortality' endures." Still later he seemed to summon his remain- ing strength to speak, but could only say in broken accents, "Nature is — nature is' — One of his attendants added, "nearly exhausted; but you are entering into a new nature, and into the society of blessed spirits." "Certainly,'' he re- DEATH RECORD. 391 sponded, clasping his hands and exclaiming, ''Jesus !" But his voice failed, and though his lips continued to move, his meaning could not be understood. He was placed in his chair, but seemed suddenly struck with death. With a failing voice he prayed aloud: "Lord, thou givest strength to those that speak and to those that cannot. Speak, Lord, to all our hearts, and let them know that thou loosest the tongue " Kaising his voice, he sung two lines of the Doxology. "To Father, Son, and Hoh'^ Ghost, Who sweetly all agree — " But he could proceed no further. "Now we have done, let us all go," he added. He was again laid upon his bed, to rise no more. After a short sleep he called all present to offer prayer and praise. When they rose from their knees the second time, he took leave of each, grasping their hands and saying, "'Fare- well ! Farewell ! Again he attempted to speak, but observing that he could not be understood, he paused, and collecting all his strength, exclaimed, "The best of all is, God is with us." Then lifting up his dying arms in token of victory, and raising his feeble voice in holy triumph, not to be expressed, he again cried out, "The best of all is, God is with us." 392 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XIX. EXCLUSIVENESS AND BiGOTRY. Upon a certain occasion, one of the apostles of our Lord, answered and said, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we for- bade him, because he followeth not us. Jesus said unto him, forbid him not ; for there is no man that can do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is for us. " Again, when the Samaritans did not receive Christ, because His face was as if He would go up to Jerusalem, two of His disciples, James and John, who seemed to be very full of zeal, said, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come dowii from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did ? O yes, they were ready, in their haste, to destroy those who did uot act just as they thought they should. But what did Jesus say? Did he say, "Yes, destroy all those who do not ac- cord with your way of thinking?" No, Christ turned and rebuked them, and said, '* Ye know not what manner of s^Jirit ye are of. For the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." EXCLUSIVENESS AND BIGOTRY. 393 Paul deprecated a spirit of exclusion and bigotry ; for he said to some of his brethren, " are ye not carnal and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul ; and another, I am of Apollos ; are ye not carnal ? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man ? I have planted, Apollos watered ; but God gave the in- crease. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth ; but God that giveth the increase. " Jesus prayed that all his disciples might be one. That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and in thee, that they also may be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we are one : I in them, and thou in me ; that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." From these passages we may see the great importance of unity, and the sad result of its want! Whether the time will ever come when there shall be but one church in Name, is a great question, and one that we are unable to answer, at the present time ; but there is still too much bigotry and exclusiveness among those who profess to be the followers of the "meek and lowly Jesus. There is plainly nothing to be gained by the Church of the living God, in the indulgence of a spirit of selfish exclusion. Let each one have his 394 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. ' choice, and exercise his judgment in regard to chnrch relation, but, at the same time, let "brotherly-love continue," and "let each esteem others better than themselves." When I was a young man the different branches of the church oftentimes waged a greater war against one another, than against sin itself. The true Church of Christ is made up of all true believers, and there is great need in these days of infidelity, materialism and skepticism, doubt and formalism, for the Church of God to arise and shine, to put on her beautiful garments, and present a solid front against the works of darkness and sin. Let the battle cry be, on to Victory ! on to victory ! in the name of the Lord of Hosts. "The world for v hrist We shall conquer though we die ! " Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God, He, whose word cannot be broken, Formed thee for His own abode ; On the Rock of Ages founded, What can shake thy sure repose ? With salvation's walls surrounded, Thou may'st smile at all thy foes." Newton. When we commenced teaching an Academy, in Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio, there was no church of our fathers, in that place ; and as the usages, customs, and forms of worship of the church in that village, were very similar to those EXCLUSIVENESS AND BIGOTRY. 395 to which we had been accustomed in our youth, and to which we had belonged, we thought it to be our privilege, and even duty, to attach our- self to that branch of the church ; which we did, and they very kindly received and tenderly cared for us. By them I was licensed ; and having received a call to preach the Gospel, was subsequently ordained I have labored contentedly and happily, for a goodly number of years in that branch of the church, and I am thankful to record that God has blest my labors therein, to the conversion of hundreds, not to say, thousands of souls. It is strange how soon a current may set in against one ! While we were actively engaged in the prosecution of our work, in building up the church, whose cause we had espoused, no one ob- jected particularly to us. We were beloved and respected by nearly all who knew us, and es- pecially by the church in whose communion we had been for years : but when it was supposed that we might possibly change our church relation, and labor for some years in another branch of the Christian Church, some of those who claimed to be among our warmest and best friends, opposed us ! ! mirabile dictu. In this connection I beg leave to say that in passing from one field of labor to another, I have acted honorably, in the love and fear of my God, with a constant eye to His glory, and to the sal- vation of souls. Whenever I have changed my 396 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. church relationship, I have been regularly and honorably dismissed, and am thankful to be able to say that while I have always felt, with Wesley, that ''I the chief of sinners am, but Jesus died for me," at the same time there has never been aught against my moral character, and the idea that I had ever been excluded from the Conference or Church from any cause what- ever, is as false as Hell itself 1 1 This is to certify. That Joshua J. Excell has been admitted by the Pittsburg Methodist Conference, as a Local Preacher in Ravenna Station, he having been ordained to the office of an Elder, according to the usage of the German Reformed Church, of which he has been a member and Minister ; and he is hereby authorized to exercise the functions pertaining to hin office in the Methodist Episcopal Church, so long as his life and conversation are such as become the Gospel of Christ. Given under my hand and seal, a,t Massillon, Ohio, this Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord 1867. E. Thomson. It was with reluctance that we gave the con- sent of our mind to change our church-relation, and thereby leave the church which had so kindly treated us. We had grown up, so to speak, in that church, and had, by the help of the Almighty, ac- complished good therein. We had held every position within the gift of the Classis, from the EXCLUSIVENESS AND BIGOTRY. 397 secretary-ship of the Classis to the delegate to the highest body in the church. We had been esteemed, beloved and respected ; and there was really nothing that we asked for, that we did not receive. We had been unfaithful, it is true, and unworthy of so much lov^e and con- fidence, as were shown to us, but the church had had compassion upon us, and the Lord had graciously led us by His Holy Spirit, in the paths of righteousness ; and we were constrained to say, " surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever," Praise ye the Lord! "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and thy truth's sake " Further on the subject of bigotry, permit us to say, that we never could see why a true Christian should be so full of prejudice; or why he should be so exclusive. If a man is a Methodist, why should he think that all who are not of that same branch of the family of God, are outside of the fold of the Redeemer ? If he believes in a full and free salvation, let him see to it that he daily walks with God, that he constantly enjoys the witness of the Spirit, and that he daily grows in grace and in the knowledge and love of God. Let him put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering ; forbearing one another, and forgiving one a mother, if any man have a quarrel against any. If one believes in the doc- trine of perfect love, let him see to it that he is possessed of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. Let him, in the S98 ' LKiHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. language of Wesley, modestly profess it, and, in- stead of continually boasting of his possessions, choose to sit humbly at the feet of Jesus. There can be no doubt but that the M. E. Church has, in the hands of God, accomplished much good; for "their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. " There is scarcely a nation, or kindred, or tongue, or people, that has not been blest, more or less, by the influence of Methodism ; and yet, after all, it is not Methodism that saves, it is Christianity. It is a good thing to be methodical, but it is a better thing to be Christ-like. It is a good thing to believe in Free Grace, but it is a better thing to be made free from sin, and to have fruit unto holiness and the end thereof everlasting life. Methodism, as such, will not save us, but Christ is an able and willing Saviour. Let him therefore that glorieth, glory in the Lord. Once at a large gathering of Methodists in the city of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, many gave evidence of the saving power of Christ, and many spoke of the wonderful power of methodism, or rather many spoke with such deep feeling, of the fact that they were Methodists. At last one Methodist preacher arose and said, "I thank God for the Presbyterian Church. My mother died when I was quiet small, and left me in the care of my grandmother, who was a devout Christian, and a member of the Presbyterian Church, and who brought me up in that faith. At length, chiefly through her influence, I became a child of God; and I was converted in my grandmother's armchair ; and although I saw proper to unite with the M. E. REMINISCENCES. 399 Church and am now a minister of Christ in that church, at the same time, I thank God for the Presbyterian Church." Yes, bless God for any church who is the means of lifting up fallen humanity, and that publisheth to the ends of the earth, the salvation of the Lord. Oh, that the time may soon come, when all the watchmen upon the w^alls of Zion, shall see eye to eye, in the great work of saving the world ; and when the kingdoms of this world shall have be- come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. Numerically the M. E. Church is very strong. She has 16,000 ministers, and 2,850,000 members. God bless her. 400 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFfi. CHAPTER XX. Reminiscences. Forever Gone. ' Tis gone ! the lovely scene is o'er ! No more to fill the ravished sight, Scenes once departed come no more To fill with rapture and delight. The day was fair, the sun was bright, Not e'en a cloud was in the sky ; We little dreamed of coming night, As happy moments flitted by. But, beautiful as was the day — Though happy were the hours we passed, They could not with us alwa3'S stay. Not life itself, can eyer last. The hour for usefulness was here : And some were in distress indeed ; The widow's heart had need of cheer — The orphan too was much in need. One heeded not the bitter moan. He cared not for the wailing cry ! He might have hushed the sigh and moan ; But ah ! the moment hasted by ! The day of youth was full of mirth, And nought of care the stripling knew ; ' Tis gone, like other things of earth — Away ! away ! it quickly flew ! REMINISCENCES. 401 The time for precious seed to sow Was here ; it fled for aye away, For onward still through life we go : Not many are the years we stay. Life's busy day, so full of care. On which we suffered loss and pain Is gone! and we may wonder where, But it will ne'er return again ! A prattling child of tender years, Whom father loved, and mother kissed, Has quickly left this vale of tears, And, ah ! how very much she's missed ! The lovely miss of sweet sixteen. With rosy cheek and sparkling eye. Elastic step and graceful mien, Is gone to realms beyond the sky ! Thf loving wife, whose tender care And patient love for wedded one — Who did his cares and labors share, Has gone to rest, for life is done! The anxious care, corroding strife. The aching head and throbbing breast Are gone ! they ended with the life — The weary o o es are now at rest. The struggle with the monster death. The anguish of departing day, Will terminate with parting breath, And all be left with mortal clay. ExCELL. Some, with whom we have been well ac- quainted, were called away in very early life. I remember a case or two in point. A young man had been brought into the fold, at one of the meetings held in one of the congregations . Some of his companions, or those who had been his companions, in sin, made sport of him and 402 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. tempted and tried his soul ; but he held on his way, trusting in God for deliverance, and de- liverance soon came ! He had been preparing some land for sowing, having already ploughed it, and was about to harrow it. While unloading the harrow from the wagon, he accidentally let one of the teeth strike him in the temple, and he died almost instantly ! What a grand thing it was for him, that he had given his heart to God, and had found peace by believing on Jesus. I thought as I saw him lying in his narrow bed, what care you now about all the scoffs and jeers of your persecutors? They cannot hurt you struggle is over, and we trust you are safe in the kingdom of God. Another case I now think of. In one of the congregations, at a meeting held for several weeks, among others who came forward to the altar, was a young man, the subject of many prayers, of good morals, of respectability, and of fair promise for life and usefulness. If you had seen him then, you would not have thought that his race would so soon terminate ; for he was rugged, and in good health and strength. In con- versation with him one evening, he told me, that he desired, when he did start for the kingdom of heaven, to make a sure thing of it. " e said, there were those who, by the course they pur- sued, brought reproach on the cause of Christ ; and he did not propose to do that. He asked me if I did not think it would be better, in view of the fact that so many people backslide, for him REMINISCENCES. 403 to wait until he was older, yea, till he was settled in life ? I told him that according to my commission, I had no right to tell him to wait one hour ; that now was the accepted time, but that to-morrow it might be too late. ' also said, that he had no assurance that he would live to be settled in life, and therefore by all means he should come now. We were about to close the meeting for that night, but while we were waiting, he and several others came forward for prayer. He sought and found pardon, became settled in life some time afterward, lived happily for a few years with the wife of his youth, an estimable lady, then took the typhoid fever, lingered a little while and then bade the world farewell ! It was a great comfort to his wife and parents to know that he had sought and found Salvation ; and to know that he was ready to enter into that beautiful city that Christ prepares for His people. We shall ever remember, with gratitude, the kindness and love of man\' of the people of all the Charges wc have served, and devoutly pray the Father of mercies, to guide and keep them, by His Holy Spirit, in the pathway of purity. To those who are alive at this writing we would say, " Put on therefore the whole armor of God, that y^ may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this world, and against spiritual wicked- ness in high places. " Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of 404 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. righteousness ; and your feet shod with the prepar- ation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked ; and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and sup- plication for all saints ; and for me, that utterance may be given unto nie, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador. I hope 3^ou will all have one heart and one mind, and strive to- gether for the faith of the gospel. Do all things without raurmurings and dis- putings. That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the w^ord of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. Life is, indeed, very important, and it hasteth away! "What is your life?" "It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away." I asked a babe, a little prattling boy — His father's greatest pride, his mother's joy— I assked him, what is life ? He just replied, "I do not know." Then laid him down and died! I asked a maid, with rosy cheeks so fair, With sparkling eyes, and flowing auburn hair, And, what is life ? To her I gently said ; "Life? Life is joy," she said, and then she fled! KEMINISCENCES. 405 I asked a merry school-bo}^, as he run Around the school-house, very full of fun, What is this life ; please tell me now I pray ? He said, "To merry be, and laugh and play." I asked a bustling man, one full of care And thought, and could be at his ease nowhere. I said, " Dear sir, please tell me what is life ?" " Ah, life," he said, "is full of toil and strife." 1 asked a man with dissappointed hope. O'er whom the stormy waves of trouble broke, I asked him, " What is life ?" " Ah, life," said he, "Vexation is, and nought but vanity." I asked an aged Christian, as he bent Beneath the weight of many years well spent; Is this short life, my brother, all in vain ? He said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." I asked my Bible, and it seemed to say. Life is the time for thee to watch and pray, To die to sin, to live by faith alone; To trust in Christ, who did for sin atone. I asked the Lamb of God for sinners slain — Who bore our griefs, and carried all our pain ; My Saviour dear, O what is life ? I said ; "It is," He said, "to dwell in me your living Head." Every one can, by the Grace of God, so shape his course, that life may be a grand success, and death a glorious triumph. Praise ye the Lord. 406 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XXI. Thoughts on Heaven. And I saw a new heaven and a new earthy etc. Rev. 21 :l-3. "If a man die, shall he live again ?' ' Job xiv. 14. "The word man is here used in its generic sense. It is employed to denote class, instead of sex, or an individual. The question of the text is answered satisfactorily, if there is for any and all human beings, a future state of existence, a life beyond the tomb. " — Zartman. This question so full of interest, we shall now answer in the affirmative, by the following considerations. 1. Man^s mind is capable of indefinite ex- pansion, and of endless approximation toward the Supreme Being, and at death he is but par- tially developed. We inter therefore, there must be a future state of being, where we shall progress faster and forever, in wisdom and knowledge and understanding, provided we are Christians at death. 2. The fact that all mankind have an idea of a future existence, is a presumptive argument in favor of the immortality of the soul. THOUGHTS ON HEAVEN. 407 Every nation, kindred, people, and tongue' have an idea of a future state of being. There is something within us which tells us we are immortal. We bury the remains of our friends, in the cold damp grave, but we are satisfied that thty are in a better state of being. If they were Christians on earth, they are happy in heaven. 3. Another presumptive proof of the immor- tality of the soul, is iound in the fact, that rewards and punishments are but imperfectly administered in this present life. The righteous often suffer greatly here, and sometimes go down to the grave under false charges, while, at the same time, the greatest criminals often go unpunished ! I. Arguments from Scripture. This doctrine is taught in a great variety of Scriptural passages ; a few only of which, we shall nov;^ call attention to. "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?" Eccl. 3:21. Dr. Clarke translates this passage thus: "who considereth the immortal spirit of the sons of Adam, which ascendeth. It is from above: and the spirit or breath of the cattle which descendeth. It is down- ward to the earth, that is, it tends to the earth only." Prof. Roy translates it: "who knoweth the spirit of the sons of Adam that ascends up- ward to the highest place ; or even the spirit of the cattle which descends downward into the lowest parts of the earth?" Now, these translations essentially agree, and 408 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. we are distinctly taught, that the spirit of a man and the spirit of a brute are distinguished one from the other. We are also taught by the ex- pression "the spirit of a man that goeth upward," that the existence of the soul will be elevated and continued, and therefore the soul will live after the death of the body. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." II. Heaven is a Place. In affirming that heaven is a place, we do not design to deny what others affirm ; that it is a state. We believe it is both a place and a state. Jesus taught His disciples to say, "Our Father which art in heaven." If God dwells there, it must have locality, though we may not be able to say just where it is. Christ said, " I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." Abraham looked for a city that hath found- ations. "But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly. II. Heaven, the city which hath foundations, may he supposed to be located in the center of God's created Universe. This globe is but a speck, amid the vast works of God, an opake atom compared with the glittering host that bestud the sky. The sun is the center of a system, around which are thir- teen planets constantly revolving, of which the earth is one. 'J he nearest of these planets to the THOUGHTS ON HEAVEN. 409 sun is Mercury, and it is distant thirty-seven millions of miles. The earth is ninety-five millions of miles from the sun. The most dis- tant planet from the sun is LeVerrier, and it is distant 2,800,000,000 of miles. As the diameter of a planet's orbit is double its distance from the sun, the system to which this world belongs must occupy a space of 5,600,000,000 miles from side to side, supposing a straight line to pass through the center. As there are many fixed stars far in the distance beyond our solar system, it is more than probable that they are centers to other systems, and in the center of all these systems we may suppose that God has his throne, and that there is heaven. III. Heaven will he a place of unmingled and full enjoyment. It is not possible to describe the joys of heaven, yet we may know what will constitute some of the elements of heavenly joy. 1. Heaven will be free from all evil, of every kind and degree. There will be no sickness there, no bodilv pain, no sorrow of heart, no parting of friends, no lonely feelings, no desolate hours. There will be no wasting of strength there, no withered forms, no wrinkled brows, no growing old, no dying. There will be no moral eril there, no sin, and of course no curse. 2. The associations will render it a place ol happiness. In this world our associations are all imperfect, and many with whom we are often compelled to mingle, are absolutely wricked. There will be no evil persons there, no unholy 410 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. thoughts breathed, no profane words uttered, and no painful or corrupting examples witnessed. All the good of all ages, "the spirits of just men make perfect, and holy angels will constitute the society of heaven-" Lee's Theology. 2. The emplo\^ments of heaven may be sup- posed to contribute to its felicity. There will be no unoccupied time there hanging heavily upon us and passing too slowly away. There will be no exhausting and unpleasant duties to perform there. "Then shall I see, and hear, and know All I desired or wished below ; And ever3' hour find sweet employ In that eternal world of jo}-. — Wesley. IV. " Heaven will he a £nal state, eternal and changeless, only so far as change is implied in pro- gress, in happiness and glory.'' Lee. Paul declares it to be "a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Cor. V:l. Peter calls it "an inheri- tance incorruptible, undefiled and that fadeth not away." Yes, blessed be God, we read of a more beauti- ful place or paradise than the one in which Adam and Eve were placed, though that was indeed very delightful. We read of a new heaven, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, of palms of victory, of crowns of glory; of seas of love, and rivers of pleasure ; of mansions of rest and endless felicity. I. The Character of the New Jerusalem. (a). Heaven is the seat of bliss, the place of THOUGHTS OF HEAVEN. 411 pure delight. Everything therein is calculated to render the inhabitants happy. (b). There shall be neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things shall have passed away. The reason heaven is such a happy place is because it is a holy place. God is infinitely happy, because He is infinitely holy. Yes, God is not only holy, but holiness itself. The more we become like unto God, the happier we shall be. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The Heaven of Heavens is a still more edifying object of our attention. The high superiority of this happy and glorious world is strongly marked in the Scriptures, whence alone we derive any knowledge of it, by that peculiar epithet, The Heaven of Heavens. As the God of Gods is distinguished by this phrase above all other Gods, so the Heaven of Heavens is, in a manner indefinitely similar, intentionally ex- hibited as wholly superior to all other Heavens. In the same Scriptures, we are taught, that this glorious world is the house of God; or the peculiar and favored place of his residence; the place where the manifestations of himself are seen, which he is pleased to make, as the most especial displays of his presence and character. Present in all other places, he is peculiarly present here. It is also, as we are further informed by the same Scriptures, the throne of God ; the seat of universal and endless dominion ; where the divine authority is peculiarly exercised, and made known, and the splendor of the divine government ex- 412 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. hibited with singular effulgence and glory. It is the residence of His most favored creatures ; of the saints ; who are redeemed by the blood of His Son; and of the Angels who, innumer- able in multitude, stand round about His throne. — DWIGHT. THINKING OF HEAVEN. EXCELL. _g— . 1 J. J. EXCELL. I — 1. I love to think of that glo - ry Land; The heaven prepared for me, 2. I love to think ol the Lamb of God, Up ■ on the great white throne, 3. I love to think of the wondrous Song, The saints and an - gels sing; S::_:5-_;SL__:^:_ff_^E: r-S-- — al " — • — r» 1 5— r- I soon shall meet with that hap py band And my Re - dee - mer see. Who shed for all his most precious blood. And ransomed all his own. All glo - ry, ho - nor and praise belong To our E - ter - nal King. I . |N ! ^. m- -m- -m- -m- -m 5--^- W ■ m 1 ~ 1 P 1 rW'--—r --Z^zMrFzu. izi-tf: ^ " ^ ' Sing, sing of our home, Our beau - ti - ful home! Sing beau- ti-ful home, Sing beau-ti-ful home ! home. home! jN — ,v Each day we are nearing our beautiful home. Sing, sing of our home. Sing beautiful home, home. Our beau-ti-ful home, Each day we are nearing our beau-ti-ful home. Sing beautiful home, — =r . r4 home, 414 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE, CHAPTER XXII. Thoughts on Temperance and War, We desire to lift up our voice and pen against the accursed system of Intemperance! This Carnival of crime certainly should be stopped, "this fountain of iniquity should be dried up," To produce this sentiment, the pulpit, the church, and the press must do their duty. 4, In these cities we have no prohibitory law, and if we had it, it would probably be trampled in the mire. The dram-shops have more influence over the public authorities, than the authorities have over the dram-shops. In fact, the dram-shops nomin- ate and elect a number of our public officials. Will these men turn against the very power that elected them to office ? Doth not the ox know his owner, and the ass his master's crib? 5, If thousands of drinking dens are allowed to deal out misery and death, I hold that the dram-seller ought to be obliged to make provision for the drunkard's suffering family. If the liquor- seller w^ill take the bread out of the mouth of the THOUGHTS ON TEMPERANCE AND WAR. 415 inebriate's wife and child, then, by law, he ought to be made to support them. And whenever it can be proven, that a man commits murder under the influence of hquor, then the man who can be proved to have sold him the maddening drink, ought to be indicted and punished. Why not ? What can you and I do to suppress the tipp- ling houses ? We can stay out of them, and urge others to do the same. The dram-seller opens his bar simply to make money. Let us see to it that he don't get a penny of ours. If the Christian Church would rise up in her might, and determine in the strength of Grace, that the saloons of the land should go, they would surely cease. But ah ! look at the apathy and in- difference upon this subject. See the wonderful interest and zeal manifested during the late war ! See how the people rallied to the standard of the government. Was the government, as such, at stake? Were our free Institutions in danger? Were we likely to lose our privileges and blessings as a nation? Had we not territory enough to give to every man within our borders a home, and millions upon millions of acres left? Had Spain threatened to take any of our possessions from us, or had she bombarded any of our cities ? Had she taken one of our vessels of War from us? Had she, in any way, harmed us, unless it might be said, that her reign of cruelty and dreadful mismanage- ment crippled our commercial interests in Cuba ; and some of our people had suffered by her mis- rule. Were our schools, and colleges, and semin- aries, and universities in danger of being over- thrown or destroyed? I think not. It was not a 416 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. question whether we should be a free people, but whether Cuba and other isles of the sea should be free ; whether we should become stronger, and Spain should become weaker. All for humanity's sake ! Yes, all for bleeding humanity. All to save bleeding", outraged, starving, oppressed Cubans ! To give to them ( so it was claimed ), the same privileges that we enjoy ; that is, to govern them- selves, and to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, irrespective of- Spain. So war was declared ; war against what and whom? Against the ram power ? No ! Against the slaughter of men and boys, if not the slaughter of women and children ? No, but against a seventh rate power of the earth, against Spain! One among the basest, it may be of kingdoms, but one of the most impoverished of nations. To avenge what? The destruction of the Maine ! The desolation, suffering, wretchedness, want, and privation of Cuba ! So millions of money have been spent, almost as freely as water ! Huge preparations have been made for war. Scarcely a Sabbath, prior to the declaration, and hardly one since, but has been employed either in preparing for war, or in carrying it on ! If a "battle was projected, it could not be deferred till Monday, lest it should spoil; or lest the enemy might gain some advantage during the Lord's day ; or else that, as some have said, the better the day, the better the deed; there- fore as the Sabbath is said to be a holy day, war waged on that day, or a battle fought on that day, or a victory gained on that day, would be holy. O what a farce ! What inconsistency ! To my mind what absurdity! All this for the sake of humanity! THOUGHTS ON TEMPERANCE AND WAR. 417 We must work on Sunday, we must /ight on Sun- day, for the God of the Sabbath will not take care of our armies over Sabbath, if we are not engaged in service ! So the nation rushes, like the rushing of the sea. The most intelligent, the most relined, the most christianized, the most exalted, the most powerful nation, ( as is claimed by some who are not well posted in history ) racks her brain, and employs her energies, and spends her money, in the preparation of the most destructive and deadly missels that can be found upon the face of the earth ! Indeed, we think it hardly supposable that his Satanic Majesty, with all his art and in- genuity, could invent any machine of destruction, any more dreadful and to be dreaded, than some of the warships of this nation ! ! ! Missionaries are employed to preach the Gospel of peace and good- will to men, in order that the ends of the earth may see the Salvation of our God ; and that the time may soon come when Christ shall reign king of nations, as He now reigns king of saints. That barbarity may give way to Christianity ; that cruelty and blood-shed may cease ; and that the poor heathen may be turned into saints What is the sequel ? It is this : the heathen are shot down being to feeble and unwarlike a people to successfully contend with an enlight- ened and rich nation. Yes, the poor, degraded, ignorant, superstitious, impoverished, treacher- ous, cruel, and blood-thirsty Spaniards are killed. In a few brief hours, one beautiful Sabbath day, when people ought to be in a worshipful frame of mind, or be at rest from toil and care, 418 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. there is a sea-fight off Manila. All America re- joices at the news that comes flashing over the cables on Sunday. Yes, on Sunday ! May 1-1898, when the first word of the battle reached the United States. Even Spanish phrases could not conceal the fact that the encounter had been a brilliant victory for the valor of American sailors, and the strength of the American ships. A Spanish fleet virtually annihilated; a city in a terror of capture! So the war has gone on costing over $1,000,000, perhaps, two millions per day, till nearly all the war vessels that Spain had, have been burnt or sunk; till Cuba, and Porto Rico, Manila, and other Spanish possession have been taken from Spain, by this most enlightened and greatest Christian nation on the face of the earth (as it is claimed) and thousands upon thousands of ignor- ant, treacherous Cubans and insurgents have been killed, thousands of Spanish homes have been made desolate, and universal weeping has gone forth over all the land of the Dons! Not only so, but many (and I doubt whether it will ever be known just how many) of our own sons and brothers have lost their lives in the struggle for humanity ; and man^^ more have suffered injustice at the hands of robbers, and still more have lost health and strength, which, perhaps, they will never recover! And all for what? For humanity. Further, what seems so strange and unchrist- ianlike to me is this, that ministers of the Gospel will preach up war. and thereby inflame the mind of the people, teaching them to be retaliative and revengeful, instead of teaching them the pure THOUGHRS ON TEMPERANCE AND WAR. 419 principles of the Gospel of good-will to men ; instead of subduing the savages by the power of a holy love, and the compassion of the Adorable Redeemer, make them to lick the dust. Many so- called Christians ( but where is the spirit of the Master, who said, "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven : for He maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just aud on the un- • just.'^ ) glory in the destruction of human life, and other's property I I weep before God when I hear the savage and cruel remarks made by professors of religion concerning their^ enemies ! O for the spirit of meekness and kindness and love ! O that those who profess to know Christ would imitate Him, who, when he vv^as reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened not ; but com- mitted himself to him that judgeth righteously. The sufferings of drunkard^ s families. Where there is one family made desolate by war, there is a hundred made desolate by liquor. Look at an army of one hundred thousand men, a standing army; or rather, an army of prisoners held in the clutches of King Alcohol, or King devil ; which you please, marching from day to day, and from year to year, to the grave ! ! People will lavish their money and their provisions, on the poor boys as they are called, who have come home from a one hundred days' war; and that is all 420 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. right enough ; honor to whom honor is due ; and it is due the soldier, that he be properly cared for ; but who lavishes food, money and clothing upon the widows of drunkards, and the orphans of those who have fallen by rum ? Talk of the oppression of the Cubans, the op2:)ression of the Liquor King is infinitely worse; for no tongue can tell, and no pen can describe, the wretchedness and hellish - ness of such an oppression ! Yes. Cuba must be free, and if Spain will not free her, the United States must, and will. All right, to a certain ex- ^ tent ; but who will buckle on the Sword of Truth, and take the helmet of Salvation, and go forth in the Name of the Almighty, for humanity's sake, yea, for the sake of justice, purity and truth, and tight the liquor traffic, and determine that he will never give over the struggle as long as time lasts ; till the hosts of hell are conquered, and mankind are free 'f Cost of the War of the Rthellion. — In the Union armies, probably 300,000 men were killed in battle or died of wounds or disease, while doubtless two hundred thousand more were crippled for life. If the confederate armies suffered as heavily, the countr3' thus lost one million able- bodied men. Tlie Union debt when largest (August 31, 1865), was 2,844,000,000. The Confederate war debts were never paid, as that government was overthrown. Assassination of Lincoln. — In the midst of the universal rejoicings over the advent of peace, on the evening of April 14, the intelligence was flashed over the country, that Lincoln had been as- sassinated. Thus in the midst of great rejoicing we THOUFHTS ON TEMPERANCE AND WAR. 421 were plunged into the deepest sorrow : on account of the death, yes, cruel and untimely death, of one of the noblest, grandest, and best men that ever sat in the presidential chair ! ! Speaking of Slavery and its Abolition. — It would seem that contrary to all our expectations, and despite all our prejudices, God meant to use the North, and especially his servant Lincoln, as instruments in His Almighty hand for the utter extermination of American slavery; and so on the first of January, 1863, the immortal emanci- pation proclamation was issued. Lincoln pre- pared the original draft in the July preceding, when the union forces were in the midst of reverses. Carpenter repeats President Lincoln's words thus: "I put the draft of the proclama- tion aside, waiting for a victory. Well, the next news we had w^as of Pope's disaster at Bull Run. Things looked d-arker than ever. Finally came the week of battle of Antietam. I determined to wait no longer. The news came, I think, on Wednesday, that the advantage was on our side. I was then staying at the Soldier's Home. Here I finished writing the second draft of the proclama- tion ; came up on Saturday; called the Cabinet together to hear it, and it w^as published the following Monday. / made a soleian vow before God, that if General Lee loas driven hack from Mary- land, I luonld croiun the result by the declaration of freedom to the slaves/' Thus by the hand of God. four millions of slaves became freemen. So our Heavenly Father brought good out of all this evil ; but we have not outlived the ter- rible influence of the Civil War yet ; and it will 422 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. be many years before we shall have outlived the effect of the late Spanish and American war ! We may glory in our wonderful Army, in our tremendous Favy ; we may boast of our wonder- ful victories, and of our little loss of life ; we may glory over the destruction of, perhaps, fifty or more thousand Spaniards and the acquisition of the beautiful island of Cuba, and the enlarge- ment of our territory ; we may cry, ' ' Remember the Maine," as long as we may, but it will always be true, that God has said, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. J. J. EXCELL. ^ ant l^car^. J. J. EXCEIJ.. 1. Bless- ed Je 2. Life is full 3. Let nie go 4. There with all sus, I am v'i^a - rv, Wea - ry of this of care and sor - row, Earth can nev - er to live for - ev - er With the hap - py the ho - ly choir, Who the great Re- toil and strife, And my path is oft - en drear - y, Let me sat - is - fy, Let me go be - fore the mor - row, To the saints a - hove, There I'll sing and tire nev - er, In that deem-er praise, I shall use niy gold - en ly - re, Chanting # ^ (S ^-ft ^ 0 — ^ ^ # ^_ tt fa CHORUS. to; 9 quit this mor - tal realms a - bove the home of per - feet ev - er - 1 ast - ing mi life, sky, love, lays. ^ — ^- wea - ry, 424 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XXIII. Incidents. While we were living at Industry, Ohio, busily engaged on the Parsonage improvement, a man under the influence of liquor, called to see us, and stated that he knew not what to do, for his wife, he said, had gone off, having left her home. He said, I know not what makes me act the fool so, my father always told me there was one black sheep in every family, and I am the black sheep. My brother is a very nice man and many a time my father has prayed for me, boo, hoo ! Mr. E — I wish you would get my wife to come back and live with me. I will give you fifty dollars, and a load of stone for the parsonage. I never saw a woman that I loved as well as I do her. If you cannot get her to come back and live with me, get her to part in peace, for I do not want to have any trouble about it. I will give her half what is in the garden, and half what is in the house. A few days after that, we buried this man's brother, a man who had feared God from his youth, and the wife referred to above, came back, and, so far as we know, they are still living together, and the man in question, is leading a somewhat better life. INCIDENTS. 425 Once when we were at a prayer-meeting in Kent, Ohio, a Scotchman who was employed in the Railway shops, was present, kneeling close to the pastor, and, when engaged in prayer, being somewhat embarassed, asked the Lord to bless the sinners and bring them all up on the Broad-Guage ! The Atlantic and Great Western, now called the Erie, was a Broad-Guage at that time Doubtless what the dear brother desired, was, that sinners should be brought out of the Broad- way of destruction, into the paths of right- eousness. 'Once in a stone church on the banks of a river, two brothers were at a protracted meeting. One of them was earnestly seeking the pardon of his sins, while the other, who had been blest sometime previously was directing him, an well as he could, to the Savior of sinners. Among other things, he said, "Reuben, you must give up all for Christ." He asked him if he had given up all? "Yes, ' said Reuben, "I have given up all." They were both millers by trade, and the one who was seeking justification, owned a large, fat hog, and his brother thought it possible that he was thinking too much of the animal, and so he addressed him thus, ' ' Reuben, have you given up that hog?" Reuben said he had. Ah ! they were good brothers, although they were not well educated. They have long since passed away, and are now resting, we believe^ in glory. 426 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. CHAPTER XXIV. Review. A vessel had been out in very bad weather. For some time she had been driven up and down, while neither sun nor stars appeared. The crew lost heart and great gloom was on board. Mean- while the captain spent considerable time in the cabin, working hard over the ship's reckoning. He gave his mind and heart to the problem of knowing as exactly as possible the position of his vessel. At 1 st a great blow came on. The captain called his men about him and told them of his solicitude, and of the crisis which was upon them. By his careful reckoning he judged the ship to be but a few hours from Boston Harbor. They must believe that, and run before the gale, or stand out to sea. The men were timid. The night was dark and tempestuous. It was a great risk. On went the ship plunging through fog and sea. The captain stood at his post saying, "We must be coming in very soon now." In an instance a flash shot down upon the deck. Men and ship and cordage were transfigured in the joyous illumina- tion. Not far off rocks and reefs were visible; but the careful and conscientious reckoning of the captain had proved exact, and all was safe. REVIEW. 427 This story comes back to me as I sit down in my study, having just returned from the cemetery. We laid at rest the body of an aged Christian lady, who fell asleep in her ninetieth year. She was the widow of a Presbyterian minister (Rev. John R. Davis, of Troy, New York,) and through a long stretch of years she had acted her part with courage and patience. Her mind was strong and her habit studious. The Bible was to her the verity of verities. This is the point of this article. She held the old faith with the grasp of w^hat our " new departure" men would call credulity. She moved along the sea of life, meeting its tempests and its calms with the reckoning of Christian faith. God's word was all she wanted to settle every problem; to determine every position. She came at length near the haven. Darkness and mist were in the air; flesh and heart were failing; but she knew exactly where she was. She had not followed cunningly devised fables. She was fixing her position not by conjectures and possi- bilities, but by the measurements of eternal truth. As she was entering the haven, the glory of the celestial lamps shone upon her. She was calm, assured, quiet and peaceful; without rapture, but with the utmost repose of faith, she went into the haven she had long been seeking. Now let me say how grandly certain this old faith appears in such a test. A life of ninety years must take in all weathers, and prove all problems. This faith of the fathers does for the soul what it engages to do. The old Bible is good enough for us. Yes, it is an excellent plan to frequently enter into an examination, and ascertain where we are. 428 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Examine yourselves ; " know ye not that the love of God is in you except ye be reprobates, and I trust we shall not be found reprobates, If upon a review of the past, we find that we have made con- siderable prog-ress in the right direction, the Re- view will be attended with satisfaction and pleasure. The ship has been at sea for many days, the sea has been very rough, and the winds have been contrary ; and consequently it has been very hard sailing. Now. if the Captain finds, upon very careful examination, that he has made considerable progress in the right direction, so much so, that he is almost near the desired haven, he rejoices at the prospect before him. The traveller has been a long time from home : but, if he sees that all along the way he has been the means of doing great good, he is pleased with the past, and de- lighted with the prospect before him; for he knows the journey is well nigh ended, and that he is almost home. When we first went to the Reedsburg charge ( as we have before said ) we were received with great kindness and the peop''e ministered to our happiness and comfort. They labored with us for the u\3-building of Zion and for the spread of the Gospel, and we can thankfully say, that by the Grace of God and their co-operation, we were en- abled to accomplish good. The societies were small but they were knit together in love; harmony and peace, with a little exception, always prevailed during our ten years stay among them. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." REVIEW. 429 Let us now take a more enlarged Revieio of Life. We have already noticed that the writer of "Lights and Shadows," was born in London, England; in the year 1825 ; that he came to America with his parents, in the year 1832 ; that he was converted to God at the age of 15; that he united with the M. E. Church soon after his conversion ; that he was licensed to preach the Gospel at Uniontowm, Stark Co., Ohio, in the year 1854, that he was ordained by the Sandusky Classis of the Reformed Church in ttie year 1854, having received a call from the Reedsburg Charge ; that he has served the follow- ing Charges in the following order ; viz. Meltz- heimer and Osnaburg, Reedsburg, Wadsworth, Kent, Brady's Bend, Pa., Hubbard, Ohio, Madison, Greensburg, Nelson, Edinburg, Brownsville, N. Jackson, Pleasant Valley, Reedsburg, North Madi- son, Liberty Center, Union, and Nottawa Mission. Total 18. Covering a period of forty-four years ; that he has travelled during that period, about one hundred and tifty thousand miles, equal to six times round the earth; that he has preached over 3500 sermons, conducted about 600 funerals, married about 300 couples, received into Church, by Con- firmation and profession of faith, several thousand. Has received as salary about $22000, and as dona- tions about $1500, In a review of the past, we see what won- drous changes have been effected, since we came upon the stage of action. At the time of our birth, George the IV, was King of Great Britain. The event, perhaps, of the greatest importance during his reign, was the admission of Catholics 430 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. to sit in parliament. George IV died June 26, 1830. At the time of our removal to this country, William iV, brother of George IV, was King of England. One of the most important changes which was made in the government, was the Reform bill, which was passed in June, 1832. It was a very important change in the form of the British Government, and apprehensions were entertained by the enemies of the measure, that it would lead to the overthrow of monarchical in- stitutions in England, but such views have by no means been verified by its operation. The reign of William IV, was remarkable, for having been the only one in all British history in which there was no foreign war, and no execution for high treason ! Groivtli of the Church. The prayer of the Son of God referred to in the 2nd Psalm, has not yet been entirely fulfilled, but at the same time great advance has been made. Since we have lived in America the churches have made wonderful advancement, and their influence has been felt all over the world.. In the matter of organization, it may be said, that the Church of Jesus was never better organized than she isat present. Fifty years ago there was no Missionary Board belonging to the Reformed Church, and of course, no Missionary Superintendent. There were but few Synods, if indeed more than one. Now there are eight. There are various societies now connected with the churches, of' which we know nothing REVIEW. 431 when we were young, viz : the C. E. Epworth League, Y. M. C, B. of A., and P. W. T. C. U. W. F. S. and others too numerous to mention. During the past fifty years what wonderful progress has been made, and what stupendous works have been wrought out by the skill and in- genuity of man ! See the improvements that have been made in agricultural implements. Cornpare the present method of reaping the grain with the manner of reaping it when we first began to live on this terrestrial ball. Consider also the many and va rious inventions for the use and behoof of the human family. When I was a boy there were no sewing machines ; but very few Railways ; no telegraphs, much less any telephones, no reaping machines, much less type- writing machines ; no audiphones, no X-rays^ none of a thousand other things too numerous to mention. When we were young it took six weeks to cross the ocean from New York to Liverpool ; now, the voyage can be accomplished in five or six days. It also required about six months to go to California, now, one can go in a week, or even less. In all departments of labor there has been a wonderful improvement ; in all the arts and sciences great advancement ; in all the ways of life, and in all the customs of society, great changes ; ( some for the better and some for the worse) and yet with all the discoveries that have been made in the world of letters and of art, with all that has been done by the preaching of the Gospel, and by the labors of Christian people, 432 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. it is still true, that man unsaved by Grace, is without hope and without God in the world. In some directions there has, as we think, been great advancement made in the church, but in some others there has been retrogression ! The following extract will express, very nearly, our position. "It cannot be believed by the faithful and observant watchmen in Christ's Church, that Satan has been idle during these latter decades. On the contrary, proof is abundant of his activity on various lines. If he is not deceiving the very elect, he is surely trying to do it. The hard shell Puritanism of the past has given way to a more Scriptural and rational conception of Christianity, and there has been steady advance in every de- partment of Theological Science; but error in other directions has also been marching on and inviting men to follow. False views of Christianity and the Church, prevail to an alarming extent; especi- ally in certain quarters, the result being worldli- ness, frivolty and looseness in faith and practice, even in the very house of God. The Puritanic idea of religion was too one sided and narrow, and too strictly casuistic and severe; but it has never been charged with buffoonery and levity. There is, in these days, a tendency more or less pronounced to looseness in religious belief, the practical effects of which are evident. There are highly respectable Christian denominations that of late years do not seem to be shocked by the antics played in many of their churches ; where there is no sign of a pul- pit, only a platform lor the orator; where there REVIEW. 433 seems to be but little concern about any particular kind of doctrine; where most of the crowd go to be amused ; where laughter is provoked by the sallies of wit and vulgar slanq- indulged in by the preacher; where prayer itself is part of the vain display ; where the singing is performed by a paid quartett of worldlings ; where the priestly charac- ter.of the ministry is either never thought of or is sneered at; the kingly reduced to the personal power and magnetism of the preacher; and the prophetical, what there is of it, holding in the dis- play of worldly wisdom exhibited by the hireling on the stage. On the other hand, there is in the religious movements of the day, with an appearance of genuine earnestness, great effort to effect grand religious results by all sorts of machinery of human invention ! The old apostolic methods, if not discarded entirely, are at least in danger of being superseded, or decently buried by the modern devices. Where is the army of writers on church catechization, and the solid lesults ac- complished through it by those who still practice it as the one thing needful in congregational work? The belief is wide-spread that the children of the church and of the world receive the best of Christian instruction under the numerous methods now in use; whereas, as a matter of fact, some of the most important truths are not taught at all. To the mass of the present generation of youth, the fundamentals of Christian doctrine are un- known. It is vainly supposed that skipping 434 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. through the Bible is the grand modern discovery how to promote Christian knowledge, when on the contrtiry the catechism (if it is the right kind and is properl3^ used) is the key and guide to the divine oracles— not the irresponsible and miscel- laneous Bible drill in common practice to-day." There never was a time in the history of the world when there were more deadly weapons of destruction made, than are at present. The art, skill and ingenuity of man, have been put to the rack ; to invent the most powerful and deadly instruments of destruction, found on the face of the earth ! Look at our war ships ! See the Nashville, Yorktown, Concord, Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts and Oregon. Then look at the crusiers, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Min- neapolis, Boston, New York, Brooklyn and Phila- delphia ! In these times, he who can make the most deadly stroke, is accounted the greatest hero! I suppose if some one could invent some tremendous vessel or instrument of destruction ten times more deadly than any at present con- structed, and some infernal being from the bottom- less pit, trained in some military school of ten times the training capacity of any in the world, could, in one brief hoar, sink all the Brittisli Navy, and destroy all the people of Great Brittain with his guns, his name would be more frequently spoken than the name of Jesus! He would be called A Most Wonderful Man ! God hath wrought out most wonderful thing^ REVIEW. 435 for this nation, during the past fifty years ! He has delivered us from the terrible curse of American Slavery. He has saved us from the hand of those who attempted to destroy this government. He has wonderfully prospered and blest us, so that we have become a great and mighty people. He has opened a door for the Gospel, into every nation under heaven ; He has blest us with the finest of the wheat, and with oil out of the rock. What, therefor e, should we render to the Lord for all His blessings bestowed upon us as a people ? We should heartily repent of our N'ational sins, such as Intemperance, Sabbath-breaking, Infidelity, ingratitude and Licentiousness. We should see to it that we press not the widow and the fatherless. In fine we should put away iniquity far from us, lest it prove our ruin ! The Goodness of God to Me. He* has blest me with my birth and education in a Christian land ; He has surrounded me with sacred environments, and blest me with the holy influences of the Church and Sabbath school. I bless His adorable Name for his marvelous loving kindness ! All my life I have revered His Word, and loved the courts of His house. Praise ye the Lord ! In calling me to the Christian Ministry. I was unworthy of being called to such a high and holy calling ; but, at the same time, I am glad that I have had the privilege of declaring, for nearly a 436 LIGHTS AND SHADO Ws]OF JlIFE. half Century, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am glad to say, that, not-with-standing all my un- faithfulness, God has used me for the promotion of His cause, for the glory of His Name, and for the salvation of precious and undying souls. I would that I could have remained longer in the active ministry, but at the same time, it must be, that God has plenty of workmen ; so that I ought to be resigned to His will. If I can be fully satisfied that He designs I should spend the remnant of my days in a more peaceful and quiet way, if need be, than in preaching regularly, and having the over- sight of churches, I should be content. I have ob- served as I have passed from point to point in life, that when a minister ceases the active work of the ministry, there are but few who care to help him ; and, as a consequence, I have known several who have eked out an existence for several years after they have been placed on the supernumerary or superannuated list. It may be, that a small portion lias been doled out to them from time to time, but they he ve had to live as best they could on what they received. Men who have been em- ployed by the government in the army, if they have been in any way injured by bullets, or by sickness, or by exposure, or in any other way, and indeed a good many who have never been injured at all, are taken care of by the government ; and many who have pensions, are also provided with soldiers' homes where they have all that heart can wish. All that no doubt is right, and just, for those who have stood for the stars and stripes, and who REVIEW. 437 have done nobly for their country. But, with a little exception, what church pensions all her old soldiers ? Where are the homes for those who have stood for righteousness and peace ; who have un- flinchingly fought the battles of the Lord and of the Church, not merely for 4 years, or it may be for 5 months, but for 20, 30, 40 or 50 years? Tho^e who have borne the burden and heat of the day ; that have been through fire and through water. Those who are battle-scarred and way worn ! If they have been fortunate enough to save something from year to 3^ear, and have not been unfortunate enough to lose it all in a night, or in a day, are happy indeed if they have a home that they can call their own, after having moved so often. But what of those who have never re- ceived large salaries or have been unfortunate, as many are? Where are their homes? Where shall they spend the eve of their days? And who will provide for them when they are unable to care for themselves? Echo answers who? Humanly speaking, what is there for a man to devote his whole life to the work of the ministry, and make the sacrifices that some of us have made, and which seemed necessary to make, in order to please and glorify God, and be true to one's convictions of duty, and then, when in order to enjoy the necessities of life, he resorts to (if you please) book selling, he is looked upon as a rather suspicious person, because, forsooth, he has become an agent; as if all agents were good-for- nothing fellows, unworthy of patronage, because 438 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. some have acted dishonestly and have gulled the people! It has come under our own observation, that ministers who had borne the burden and heat of the day, who had labored hard and long, in clearing up the land, and preparing it for the present generation of professors, who, after they were considered too old to have work, and still were not too old to eat and to drink and to wear clothes, and who had not been able to lay by enough during the many years they spent in ministerial life, to purchase such things as they had need of were compelled to adopt hook-selling (which to my mind is one of the most trying and distasteful of callings, not dishonorable, for all legitimate work is honorable) were considered a nuisance and a bore ! But, says one, is there not in the Reformed Church a home prepared for Aged Ministers and their wives V Yes. there is a lovely home pro- vided for all such, but there are certain require- ments which all are neither willing nor able to comply with, Viz. Applicants must present a certificate from a reputable physician that they are of sound mind and free from serious, incur- able diseases. Men shall be at least sixty-five years of age, and pay an admission fee of two hundred dollars ; and women shall be at least sixty years of age, and pay an admission fee of one hundred and fifty dollars. Applicants for admission, who have property, shall be required to secure the same to the Home, before they are admitted ; but the Home will pay them two per REVIEW. 439 cent^ per annum on the value of the same. In case they acquire property after their admission, if they remain in the Home, they shall be re- quired to make it over to the 1 1 ome. Members may furnish their own rooms, but after their death the contents shall become the property of the Home. Well, in som^e respects that seems like a very good thing, but if a minister has not the initiation fee, how can he enter, and then if he have property he may feel like taking care of that himself. Our great desire is to finish the work God has given us to do, in sudh. a manner as to secure His favor, and be ready to enter, in through the gates into the city of the New Jerusalem, and sit down with Abraham, and with Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all the Redeemed, in Heaven ! What a blessed thought ! How it tills me with emotions too large for utterance ! I have near and dear friends on earth, but nearer and dearer ones in Heaven ! There dwells my Heavenly Father, there reigns my adorable Redeemer, He, who gave hhnseJf for me. There ^re many with whom I have been ac- quainted on earth. Yes, many to whom I have spoken the Word of Life, who are now dwelling in light, unapproachable by mortals. They walk the golden streets, the\^ see the King in His beauty, and drink of the crystal streams which flow from the throne of God and the Lamb ! When I come down close to the river, I hope to be able to say to those who are gathered in the room, friends, do not weep for me, for I am going 440 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. home ; Yes, to my Heavenly home. I have long been seeking a city that is out of sight, whose Builder and Maker is God. The world may look dark and forbidding. Everything earthly may fail to satisfy us, and we may often feel, as did Solomon, "all is vanity and vexation of spirit," never tiieless we will joy and rejoice in God our Savior. He will never, no never forsake all those who put their trust under the shadow of His wing. Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my saltation. He only is my rock and my salvation ; he is my defense ; I shall not be greatly moved. Away, my unbelieving fear ! Fear shall in me no more have place My Savior doth not yet appear, — He hides the brightness of his face ; But shall I therefore let him go, And basely to the tempter yield ? No, in the strength of Jesus, no, I never will give up my shield. Wesley. A Short History of the Churches of WoosTER, Ohio. Reformed Church. The history of this church dates back to 1810. Some families of the Reformed faith, settled at or about ^Vooster, before this. In the summer of 1819, the Rev. Henry Sonnendecker, from Wash. Co. Pa, preached in a school-house at ooster on the 1st day of August. This was the first sermon REVIEW. 441 ever preached in Wooster by a minister of the Reformed Church. At the close of the sermon he was entreated to settle in this community and organize a Reformed Congregation. He did so, became their first pastor and served them seven years. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles Zwisler, who was succeeded by Rev. Begerman who served them three years. The next Pastor was Peter Mahenschmidt who served one year only. He was succeeded by Rev. D. Kammerer who was elected Pastor Nov 10, 1844. Other Pastors have served from time to time The present one is Rev. Ezra Neikirk who succeeded Rev. Beck and who is prospering nicely, the Church and Sabbath school being in good con- dition. The Strength of the Reformed Church in U. S- A. Synods 8, Classes 57, Ministers 1,029, Members 242,299, Literary and Theological schools 18. Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church. This religious body was organized September 18, 1840, by the Rev. Solomon Ritz. The following is a list of officers and members of the church at the time of its constitution. George Reiner, J. A. Lawrence, Elders ; Henry D. Miller, Israel Windel, Deacons ; Members — George Reiner, John A. Lawrence, H. D. Miller, L Windel, Isaac Notestine, A. Fox, Conrad Oiler, Benj. Lehman, M. A. Fox, Mary Johnson, Catharine Miller, Fred Hoke, Fanny Lehman, Mary Windel, Elizabeth Ritz. . 442 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. Rev. Ritz served the church two years and six months. N"ov 1, 1843, Rev. George Leiter became pastor but he served but one year. Other Pastors have served since. September 13, 1855, the corner stone of the new church edifice was laid on North Market street. The last pastor was the Rev Dr. Criley, who served several years. The present pastor is the Rev. Gideon Smith. The Church and Sabbath school are in good condition. M. E. Church. Ministers representing this religious denomi- nation held service in Wooster and vicinity as early as 1817-18. The date of the organization of the church is involved in doubt to the extent that we will not undertake to fix it. At a quarterly meeting conference, held in Wooster, December 15, 1832, for this circuit and district, Wm. P. Christie was P. Elder ; Shadrack Ruark and L. D. Bevins, C. P ; Samuel Mont- gomery and William Spencer, Local Deacons ; E. McKinley, A. Briggs, C. Howser, S. Chacy, Jesse Warner, John Floyd and Samuel Oldfield, Exhort- ers ; A. Stewart, A. Warner, J. Sampson, D. Chacy, C. Yordy, George Snyder, H. Kizer, D. Black, M. Warner and William Spear, Leaders. The present P. Elder is Geo. Mather, and the Preacher in Charge P. Smith. The congregation is very large, the Epworth league prosperous, and the Sunday School very flourishing. Church of Christ. The Church of Christ, meeting in Wooster, was organized July 26, 1835. The following REVIEW. 443 statements are taken from the records of the Church. We, the Disciples of Jesus Christ, Hving in and near the town of Wooster, being desirous of attending to all the ordinances of the Lord's House, do unite ourselves together in a congre- gational capacity, taking for our guide or dis- cipline the New Testament of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And we propose, as soon as practicable, to appoint Bishops and Deacons, whose duty it shall be to take charge of the tem- poral and spiritual interests of the congregation, according to the Holy Scriptures. And in order to protect ourselves from imposition, we further agree not to receive any person claiming to be a Christian who is not known by us, or who does not present a letter of commendation from some congregation. To the above we have authorized our several names to be affixed. Wm F. Pool ; Peter Willis and Klizabeth his wife ; Frederick Kauke and Elizabeth, his wife ; John Miller and wife ; Jacob Wachtel and Elizabeth, his wife ; Samuel Zimmerman and Mary, his wife ; George R. Zimmerman, Guffeth L. Jones, Elizabeth Scott, Eleanor Jones, Mary McCurdy, Elizabeth Hickman, Kebecca Hull, Sophia Zimmerman, Kimball Porter and Susannah, his wife. In the year 1847, the church completed a house of its own on the corner of Walnut and South street. The first regular pastor was J. H. Jones, who began his labors for the congregation in the year 1845. He remained till 1857 Within the last few years a new Church edifice has been erected on Korth Buckeye street. The present pastor is Kev. Mr. Ross. 444 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. First Baptist Church. This church was organized August 2, 1812. The constituamt members were; David Kimpton, Lydia Kimpton, Ezekiel Jones, Hannah Jones, Oliver Jones, William Robinson, Ann Robinson, Catherine Kirkendall, Thomas O. Jones, and Philip B. GrifFeth. While the confession of faith and covenant was being adopted and ratified, in what was then known as the ''Block House," a body of men with guns were on guard about the building to warn and protect those within, in case of an attack from the Indians. The first officers of the church were: Rev. Thos. G. Jones, pastor; John Robinson, clerk; and Oliver Jones, deacon. Religious services were maintained for sometime in private houses, but in 1814, a frame house of worship was erected upon the rear of the lot now occupied by the English Reformed Church. The present house of worship was com- pleted for occupancy in 1839, and was remodeled in 1865. Of the first quarter of a centurj^ of the church's history, there is a minute which reads thus: "From the time of its constitution until 1827, the church enjoyed almost uninterrupted prosperity, although her increase in members was comparatively moderate." The present Pastor is the Rev. Mr. Chesney, and the church is prospering. Church of God. The church was organized in Wooster, Ohio, in the month of May, 1848, by Elder A. Megrew, it then consisted of but 10 members. The officers REVIEW. 445 chosen were, Charles Hoff, Elder, and J. F. Wine- brenjier, Deacon. The ministers appointed to the Wooster circuit for the ensuing year were Thomas H. Deshire and H. Soule. Their first church property was purchased for the sum of |69.50 by J. P. Winebrenner, from Lindol Sprague and John Hanna, administrators of the estate of James Clendennen. It was the old building, to the east ot' the present Bethel, where in the pristine days, stood the old carding factory. It was repaired and fitted up for a church, and sold for that purpose for $530. The new building was commenced in 1854, and finished in 1855. The present pastor is Rev. Bellingham. Presbyterian Church. The Scotch-Irish element had but a limited representation in the early settlement of this region, but large enough to sow the seed of Presby- terianism. They had in them the ring of the true metal, and blue was their color. Among other fruits of righteousness from this goodly seed, is the First Presbyterian Church of Wooster, Ohio. The remodelling of the present house of wor- ship was undertaken April 28, 1874. The addition of wings on the East and West, and the arrange- ments for prayer-meeting and Sabbath School in the lecture room, together with the neatness of finish in the interior, were at a cost of about 114,000. On Sabbath, May 16, the house of wor- ship was formally rededicated to the worship of God. Rev. A. A. E. Taylor, President of Wooster University preached the sermon from I King, VII: 7. The Church at this time is in good condition 446 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. under the pastoral care of Rev. Lowry who sue ceeded Dr. Hills who had been the pastor thirteen years. United Presbyterian Church. The associate congregation of Wooster, Ohio, was organized in August, 1817. Rev. John Walker, D. D. and Rev. William Wilson presided at the meeting w^hich was held under a large tent, erected at the South end of Buckeye street, Wooster. John McClellan, Sen., WilHam Ewing, Sen., Andrew Reid, Sen. and John McKinley, were the elders installed at that meeting. Rev. Samuel Irvin began preaching as a stated supply early in 1820, and was called and settled as pastor soon after. He resigned in May, 1835. Rev. Joseph McKee was installed in 1837 and resigned in 1849. Rev. Hugh Sturgeon began his stated labors in 1852 and resigned in 1857. Rev. J. W. McFarland in 1857, and resigned in 1864. Rev. R. H. Pollock, D. D., began January 1, 1865, and was released on resignation January 18, 1876. Rev. H. A. McDonald began May 13, 1876 and preached until January 1877, but never was installed. Rev. David A. Wallace, D. D., L. L. D., began his labors in the congregation in January, 1878, was installed April 15, 1878, was elected professor in Xenia Theological Seminary, and notified his congregation of his acceptance October 20, 1883, and on October 21, 1883, died suddenly. Rev. R. A. Gilfillan began preaching May 1, 1885, and resigned April 19, 1886. Rev. John A. Wilson, D. D., commenced his labors REVIEW. 44.7 November 1, 1886, and resigned October 23, 1893 to accept a professorship in Allegheny Theological Seminary. Rev. John D. Irons, D. D., commenced preaching October 1, 1894, and continued until November 1, 1895, when he resigned his charge to accept a professorship in Xenia Theological Semin- ary. Rev. J. C. Campbell, D. D., came into the congregation as pastor May 17, 1896, and still continues. In the summer of 1898, he was given leave of absence to become Chaplain of the 8th Ohio Infantry Volunteers in the Spanish War, in which capacity he served about four months, until the regiment was mustered out of the service after the close of the war. The first house of worship erected by the con- gregation in 1819 stood on South Buckeye street in the Southern part of the city, near the railroad. It was a frame building. It was replaced by a brick one on the same site in 1837. The present church building was erected on North Bever St., in 1868. It is a brick structure. The present membership of the charch is 233. Nov. 1898. I WILL sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever ; with my mouth will I make known thy faith- fulness to all generations. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart : and I will glorify thy name for evermore. PRAISE ye the LORD. Praise God in His sanctuary : praise Him in the firmament of His power. " My soul, bless thon the LORD, His goodness loud proclaim. For all His- benefits conferred, Still thank and bless His name." J. J. EXCELL. 448 LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE. QUIA TUUM EST REGNUM, ET POTENTIA, ET GLORIA IN SECULA. AMEN. The Apostles' Creed. Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, creatorem coeli et terrse. Kt in Jesum Christum Filimn ejus un- igenitum, Dominum nostrum ; qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria virgine ; passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus ; descendit ad inferna ; tertia die re- surrexit a mortuis ; ascendit ad coelos, sedet ad dextram Dei Patris omnipotentis ; inde venturus est judicatum vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum. Credo sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam ; sanctorum commun- ionem ; remissionem peccatorum ; carnis resur- rectionem ; et vitam seternam. The Lord's Prayer. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. INDEX. Author— Birth of 8 Parents 9 Conversion of. 11 Struggles of Early Life 13 Death of Mother 17 Children of. 33 Call to the Ministry 41 Success 63 Incidents of Life 74 Days of Darkness 89 Thorns and Briers Ill Pleasant Places in Life 124 Experiences on Charges 139 Diary and Sermons 216 Sermons— By Rev. Cox 230 By Rev. Hunt 246 Bishop Vincent 254 Bishop Thoburn 255 Bishop Ames... 258 Dr. Talmadge .....270 Bishop Simpson 274 Rev. Chesney (Wooster) 277 Bishop Warren 288 Dr. Hills ( Wooster) 304 Rev. E. Neikirk (Wooster) 309 Rev. T. W. Bellingham (Wooster) 313 Elder G. Mather 318 Wm. Bramwell (England) 321 Rev. H Bushnell 328 Rev. J. C. Burkitt 331 Rev. J. O. Campbell (Wooster) 334 Rev. J. J. Excell 340 Bishop Fowler 344 Rev. F. Smith ( Wooster) 348 Dr. Dwight 350 Sad Thoughts 357 A Sacred Spot 362 Donations 373 Death Record 377 Reminiscences 400 Thoughts on Heaven 406 Temperance and War 414 Incidents 424 Reviev^ 426 Songs— Sow In Faith.... 68 Help Me Sing 73 Will Meet Again 88 Let The People Sing 109 Let Us Sing A Song 123 Drifting With the Tide 138 Rejoice for the Savior has Come 215 Watching at the Gate 354 Heaven is Near 369 Thinking of Heaven 413 I Am Weary 423 #