Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-11-03


self. or mention any Of his pcions. lie ksp,
self always In abey snce, thAl lho gracs o. God
might be maEnlhed, bis favoRlte motto beng,
"By the grace OF God, I am what am" He
was q living rebuke 10 the conceIted and would.
be great men that came In contact With him
and yet he never was obtrusiye, In volunteering
his crltlcIsms, or urging upon any one his
opinions.
Ho was also an exceedingly frank, or candid
man In all his dealings. He never waited to
be urged to do any thing, but consented, when
asked, with unaffected simplicity rarely found
10 any public man, or refused with great prompt
ness, II he was unable TO comply With the re-
quest. lie never had policy In any thing he
ever did but great end TO accomplish, for he
always acted from Christian principles, and
not from mere feelings or personal motives.
These noble traits of character, as found In
DR.. Hoge, were NOT due entirely 10 constitutions
al peculiartles, or early advantages, but TO the
grace Of God, and bis close adherence TO the
revealed principles OF the divine law: He was,
by nature, "of like passions with ourselves" ("
and tho reason why he became 80 much more
eminent as man than many around him Ia TO
be found, "In his diligence In business, fervency
In spirit, serving the Lord" This leads us 10
remark, that DR.. Hoge was an eminent Chri'iGn
man. Ills piety was not of the negative kind,
like that Of 90 many in our day, but q life In
the soul, principle that regulated ell his ac-
tlohs. His life was an embodiment Of all the
truths be 80 ably preached from year to year,
and the result of hard labor and many struq-
giles. No aspirant In the school of painting
lived more constantly under the shades OF Raph-
ael or Of Reubens, than he did under the mys-
terlous shadow Of the "Holy, Harmless, Unde-
NJ A frnxx atV Al
date for military glory ever drank deeper into
than he did into the spirit cf "tbe great Cap
tain of our salvation" He strove hard 10
initiate Him in all His imitsble perfecsions.
He did this, not simply bys careful and ezssaie
study of the scriptures "that testify of Him !"
but by spending hours daily In reading them
pTayeytuly and meditatipeLy, 80 as to catch their
hidden meaning aud divine beauty. Thus, he
lived, literally, on the marrow and fatness of
the Gospel. Such uourishment would natural
y manifest itself In the growth OF the inward
man, and the Increasing strength of his religious
principles. So plain and prominent were these,
that the worldly and the fashionable, the care
less and profane woud say, sometimes, to make
their assertions emphatic, that they were az
true and correct ss Dr.. Hoge. Christians we're
often heard exclsiming, "Let our death be the
death OF that venerable saint, and our latter
end be like his" One of the most eminent
scientific men in our land said once, IL am
compelled to believe that there is truth and
power in the Christian region whenever think
Of DR.. Hoge. Why, If all were like him, we
would be in need Of no civil laws, Judges, po-
licemeD, jails, or penitentlaries, | know that
am expressing your sentiments, my hearers,
when say, that the life of DR., Hoge, more
than that CT any other man perhaps, was a liv-
ing sermon to you on your own duty; an incessant
reproof to you of your negligence of 1t; and q
perpetual mooitor to you of your obligations to
that God whom be so dearly loved aud faithful.
ly served. You could not look at him, In hie
old age and feeble health, vending hIs way to
the house of prayer on dark and stormy nights
without feeling rebuked-nsy, condemned.
He was not only an exemplary Christian, but
yOpino husbsnd and kind father. He met with
the excellent lady that afterwards became the
shaFeR Of his joys and sorrows, In the most
providentlal manner, at Wheeling, on his re-
turn on one occasion from his fathers house to
his new field Of labor. Her name was Niles
Woods, and descendants on her mothers side
from the same ilustrious encestors with him
eelf. Sbe belonged to one of the best families
In Virginia, and was eminently qualified by ed
ucation and grace to become the distinguished
help-meet OF James Hogs. On the 18th of
December, 1910, they we're united in the holy
bonds OF matRimony, and soon afterwsrd started
for their new home In the West. Bound by the
ties of kindred as well az of affection, they com
menced their married life 90 missionaries of The
cross. In that capacity, they Wed with each
other ln their exhibition of self denial and zeal
in the service Of the Master. Mrs. Hoge is
aat N ho haan n nnndal fash harf ind r-,,
gality, and hospitality, notwithstanding her
feeble frame and delicate health.
Tney were blessed with large family, the
old record containing the names Of eleven
children committed to their care. These were
intended to draw out the finer feelings Of their
nature, and develop some of the most attrac.
tive Of the Christian graces. But four of them
were taken away In infancy to chasten their
feelings, teach them submission 10 the Divine
will, and qualify him to sympathiEe with the
afflicted In his congregation. This accounts, In
great degree, have no doubt, for that ten.
der pathos which ia sald to have marked his
words and prayers 10 tho honse of mourning !.
He was peculiarly tender on such occasions,
aud able 10 say 10 the bereRved, III am o man
that hath seen affliotion." But he was remark
ably happy In his own family. feel that
am now treadinR on the verge of sacred, if not
forbidden ground. The presence of 60 many
members Of that favored circle, remind me Of
my duty TO be careful 10 speaking of family
affairs. Bat as he was the same consistent
Chriatlan at home that he WAS abroad, l am re-
lieved Of much embarrassment, and encouraged
to say, in general terms, that but few parents
ever gained the respect and profound veuera-
tlon OF their children In the same degree that
DR.. Hoge did. He was their friend, counsellor. :.
and, l may add, their oracle. His will was the
law Of the family, his wishes the principles BY
which 10 was regulated, and his presence ia
light and joy. In his conduct toward his chill
dren, he combined, In the happlest manner,
dignity of bearing, to command respect; deols.
Ion Of character, 10 secure obedience; jussness
of requisitlon, to insure confidence; and mild
ness of temper, 10 elicit the purest love. As
few parents only have such traits OF character,
few only enjoy, In the same degree, the respect,
The obedience, the confidence and love Of their
children. res.
He neglected nothing that he believed to be
fos the physical, Intellectual, or moral WELL
being Of his family. Observing the readiness
with which children initiate every thing around
them, he procured for their play, ,things domes.
tioated animals that possessed traits Of charao,
ter we'll worthy OF imitation, because he was
satified that good Eesults would flow from it.
You can see from thIs, as well a. from many
other things of like character, Dr.. Hoge's pro-
found knowledge OF human nature, and the
Importance he attached to the careful training
of little children. He used to say publicly and
rriva lalv that a helIavad G0d vonlA varif, an