The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1857-12-12
From the Puritan Recorder.
President Davies,

paclty, as preacher, glance VIII Oe CaKeI
at his early life. He was of Welsh de
scent, born 1924. His father, planter OF
the Delaware, possessed simplicity of man
ners and undoubted piety. His mother
similarly characterized, believing he wa:
giyenin answer to prayer, named him Samu-
el. Like the mother and grandmother o.
Timothy, she taught him betimes the Scrip
lures; her efforts being rewarded by hi:
uncommon proficiency, and her prayers an
swered in his early conversion. Long har-
ra8sed with doubts, by prayerful study Of
the Bible, one by one they disappeared
and he attained comfortable evidence OF
being anchored on the Rock of Ages.
From the period of fifteen, when assum-
ing the VOWS of a public religious profes-
IS s;s5i'zs gzadcT c,;i:sc. the
purpose of being an 'out and out Christian
in his conduct" Thus decided, desirous OF
making known the Saviour, he entered with
becoming zeal on his preparatory studies,
instructed by Samuel Blair, a profound
scholar, careful theologian, and an i'm
pressive preacher. From his school of the
prophets, many excellent pupils graduated,
doing honor to their teacher, as scholars
and Christian ministers. Among the num-
ber, inferior to none of them, was Davies.
Ordained at the age of twenty-three, he
brought to the work of the ministry, valu-
able stock of human learning, popular Ia
lents, fervent piety, rightly directed zeal,
and style of composition and delivery
which made his preaching engaging and i'm
pressive.
While extensively read in books, it was
his privilege to have that highest and best
kind of instruction, indispensable to the
herald of the Cross, to wit, the teaching of
the Holy Spirit. Thus qualified, his minis
try, at the commencement, and at later pc
piods, resembled Whitefeld's. General at
tention was excited, hundreds focked from
all quarters, to hear him, and, what is bet
ter, numbers were converted.
At the end of year, the scene of his la
bors changes. More extensive fields, wider
desolations engaged bis attention. In
Hanover county, Virginia, with which dis
tmguished names are associated, was spent
much the larger part of his ministerial life.
Sowing beside all waters the precious seed,
repeated harvests, rich in results, gladdened
his sight. ellis sickle preserving its fine
edge, he was a most successful reaper"
during eleven successive years. Feeding
the sheep and the lambs, he dispenses the
bread of life to seven different congrega-
tons, some of them forty miles apart. In
teresting fact7 In one assembly he counts
three hundred communicates within the
brief space of three years.
Another change of residence awaits Da-
vies, and only another, when the earthly
gives place to the heavenly. Chosen PreSi-
dent &c Princeton COLLEGE, n post made va
cant by the de3sth 81 the lanente6 Edwards,
he enters on the duties, cheered by the
prospect of more eminent services, and a
broader field of usefulness. Many were the
hearts beating high in view of his future
career, and the day of prosperity about to
dawn on the College. But, mysterious
providence! before the services of the in
auguration had passed. from the memory,
while fresh in the duties of his Office, at the
early age of thirty-six, he enters his home
in the heavens.
Three volumes of his discourses, pewaded
by rich vein of Gospel truth, have long
been before the public, edifying and quick
ening many journeying to the better coun-
try. "What is the chalf to the wheat2 He
that hath my word, let him speak my word
taahtaHg:-a passage giving shape and
complexion, point and energy, to Daviess
pulpit preparations.
Many excellencies pertained to him as a
preacher CmgM discrimination may be
instanced. Defning clearly the language
of the Bible, he drew the line between
saint and sinner with such precision, that
each one knew on which side he stood, to
which class he belonged. Deeply versed in
the Scriptures, and in the science Of the
human heart, brightly dividing the word,
the humble believer was sure to retire from
his ministrations refreshed; the doubling
experienced relief; backslders were admo-
nished false refugees exposed; the Socinian
the Pharisee, the infdel, the scorner and
the careless, were pointedly addressed.
/ He was copiom. By this, is meant no.
merely that he preached much and various
ly, but that his ideas on given topic were
not soon exhausted. Imbued with love t.
Christ and the Gospel, it was easy to expa
tate on the rich themes of redempton;
scribe well instructed, his discourses, no
limited TO few fayorite themes, took a wide
range, urging, at the proper time, whateve
would promote the growth and stability o
those to whom he ministered
He was told preacher. Against tn,
sins, the errors, the vices of the times, hi
voice was lifted up like trumpet. Ridi
culed by some ON the right hand and on tn
left, his ardor and courage remained un
changed. 1t is related that when on a yisi
in England, in behalf of the College, he wa
invited to preach before George the Third
Sitting by the side of the monarch, was hi
youthful Queen. So enraptured were the
by the preachers elOquence, that the King
forgetting the sacredness Of the day, an
the occasion, expressed his admiration S
audibly as to interrupt the service. Maxim!
Il solemn pause, turning around, the preach
er fastened his penetrating eye ON the King
and said, in a manner peculiarly his own
"When the lion roars, the beasts Of til
forest tremble; when Jctor0h speaks, l.
the kings of the earth keep silence befor
him.
He was an ca,Ncst preacher A ship cal
penter once remarked, that he could usual
build a ship from stern to stern during tn
sermon, but under Mr. Whitefeld he coul
not lay a single plank. Whether he couI
have done more under the preaching
J Davies, admits of Question. Tremblin:
:, in view of the responsibility attaching
[ tho Gosnrl ministry bn could not me ofhp