Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-10-22
A GOOD MAN GONE.
DEATH OF REV. DIR. DAVIS.
Remarks Of DIR. Ford During
the Funeral Services on
Sunday.

Rev. DIR. Davis has caused more thai
ordinary grief and sorrow In the com
munity, aud we pay our meet Of tribut
to his memory. He was a faithful min
lister Of the Gospel, a good Christian
and charitable gentleman. DIR. Davi
was 3 native Of this State, and died II
the forty-secOnd year OF his age. w,
well remember that about the time bi
church, on Court street, was finished, h'
received the degree Of Doctor Of Divinity
from the college at Princeton, KY, and
none could have worn the title better
One Of his last remarks was, at is hard
10 be struck down and cut off from
friends and family, but my time has
come; God doeth all things we'll" His
eight years pastorship furnishes a good
! record. We are satisfied that the follow.
ing remarks Of DIR. Ford will be read
with interest. He knew the deceased
well and speaks feelingly:
The chamber where the good man
meets his fate, is privileged beyond the
common walks of life. But few cham
bers OF even the good and holy can be
compared in their holy influence with
that where he who lies still in death
before us met his end. DR.. Davis
preached in this house on last Sabbath,
NAAe AtAAA VI OENVbEAF VI AAk DaN1AEH VI
Scripture, "Be careful for nothing but
in sl things with prayer and snppliea-
ton and thanksgiving, make your re-
quests known unto God" Up to that
time be expressed himself as feeling re-
markedly well, and repeatedly said, 81
never felt better in my life" He had
been TO Kentucky during the summer,
snd when he returned he said, 4" I weigh
twenty pounds more than I did when I
left" He never looked better or seemed
more cheerful. He would now read q
few more notes made during the last i'll
ness Of DR.. Davis by q Of the medical
attendants, DR.. Snyder, which would
prove both interesting and instructive.
On the night Of the Sabbath referred
to, DR.. Davis was taken i'll. He had
some chilliness followed by violent re-
action, and all Of the phenomena attend-
ant upon the worst forms of remittent
fever. These symptoms continued with
slight abatement every evening until
Thursday morning, when the storm sub
sided but did not go of. On Friday
afternoon hiccough troubled him Oeca-
siOnally. On Saturday morning after
some hours Of sound sleep, he awoke
with the hiccough greatly aggravated /;
black vomit soon followed, and other
symptoms indicated his approaching end.
He seemed conscious Of the fact and
asked, Ami dying?" When informed
that he would not probably recover, he
exclaimed, "BIess the Lord, forever and
ever this is what ! said for MOlIie's
benefit and her mothers" This oldest
daughter and wife, 'It IS what I said
when they came down stairs" they had
been III with the fever.") His oldest son,
Charley, being brought to his bedside,
he said to him with great fervor,
" May the Lord bless you nay son !
Always speak the truth-bea good boy
sYsid everything wrong, because it Is
mean He then turned to his family
physician and said, doctor ! am hap
py !l His friend replied, "You are on
responded, "TGDa safe! Bless the Lord
f0reUer and eUer ~ Soon after he COM
meuced singing aloud that favorits hymn
beginning with, How tedious and
t-asueless the hours in which those OF
his friends present, who could, Joined,
for the hearts of some were too full to
follow him. After a pause he exclaimed,
"Oh! is it possible that / shall o be
in heaven that I shall soon be in
glory with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ~
He then prayed, "Lord, let me have no
fear-iet me be free from doubt-let me
triumph g~loriously! =" Soon afterwards
he repeated the whole Of the 23d Psalm,
and then called for the reading OF other
Psalms. After they were read be said,
That tells Us what we are to be.
We are to reign with Christ
forever and forever" His little son,
Harry, being presented, be said to him,
" Harry, they say your father is dying.
BE 8 mighty good boy, my SON." To his
loving wife he said, my dear wife, put
your whole trust in Christ. The Lord
will provide. I commend you and the
children TO Him and 70 the word Of His
grace He several times repeated the
words Of Paul "For u light afnictiOn,
which Is but for a moment, wOrketh for
US a far more exceeding and eternal
weight Of glory" DR.. Ford then said,
on Friday, as 1 have Just stated, a
marked change for the worse took place.
] entered his room in the evening, and
after sitting a while in silence, he beck
oned me TO bis bedside, and commenced
telling me now and when he took sick.
/ told him J knew it all, and that 1 trusted
that God had still work for him to do,
and would spare him. He said d" The
Lord can carry on his work without
me; 1 submit entirely to His wilIn-
my trust is in the blood and righteous
ness Of the RedeemeT.' He asked me
to pray for him, which l did, and left
him, feeling hopeful Of his recovery,
and a joyful admiration Of the man
and his full faith Ia Christ, which Ian
guage would fail TO eXpress. There was
in the mans whole manner and look 8
loftiness and trust really sublime. On
Saturday morning his physician called
upon him. He asked him, "Is there
any hope for me? Do you think / am
going to die?" The answer was silence
accompanied witk tears. Rev. DR..
SteadmaE. Rev. Mr.. Witherspoon, aud
Rev. Mr.. Graves had now arrived. He
told them he was going to die, and re-
peated aloud the whole Of the 23d Psalm.
Prayer was then offered, and he Joined
in it with q calm resignation. This was
about 10 am. Through the lingering
hours OF tue day he frequently asked the
time, and to each who entered, adj
dressed himself with calmuess, recon-
mendiug the religion he had preached 10
them, and exhoFtinE them to meet him
in heaven. "Tell your people" said ne
to DR.. Graves and myself, THAT / die in
this fsith-faith in Jesus" cit mag
seem singular" said he, to some people
that a professor Of religion and q minis
ter Of the gospel dying should say, as l
feel, that am n poor sinner, deserving
of nothing but this IS q part Of religion.
Religion may be said to have two halves
to it one half to know and feel your
self q sinner; the other half to know
that Christ is your Savior.n He
repeated with touching emphasis the
5lst Pain" Have mercy on me, oh
God! according toThy loving kindness"
and when his memory failed in repeating
il, he called on nae to read the remainder
while he made remarks, most striking
and affecting, on almost every verse. /
then turned 10 the 2Sth Psalm and read
down to the words, " Waituponthe Lord
and be Of good courage when he inter-
rupted me, saying, Now let US wait
wait upon the Lord. Lord, I wait for
Thee l shall soon be in glory" He re-
quested-nsming the page in 3 hymn
book from memOry-thst q fsvorite song
Of his should be sung, Iasked him what
tune. He answered Near" and said,
AZ will start it - and he die, with q
calm, steady voice, and we joined with
him in singing it. In the course OF the
evening Rev. Mr.. Graves read to him the
Sth OF Romans. He anticipated the read
ing, repeating much of ithimself. When
the 18th verse was reached, For ye have
not received the spirit OF bondage again
unto fear, but yehsye received the spitito Of
adoption whereby we cry Abba Father
ne exclaimed, ~ would not give that
glorious doctrine for worlds.lf He soon
after complained of darkness; his sight
and hearing began to fail; but ne re-
tanned his mensory and general con-
seriousness clear until about 4 pm. At
fifteen minutes after four he turned him.
self and seemed to be in great agony.
We all prayed in deep anguish, that that
would be spared US, and God would per
nit him TO die without a struggle. Our
prayer was answered; ne breathed
calmly, and evidently without pain and
10 entire silence for about ten hninutes,
and then, without a pang or struggle, he
sweetly fell asleep in Jesus. blessed
are the dead that die in the Lordg /
am reminded hat twelve years ago to-
day, the Rev. DIR. Porter departed this
life, and this fact was now more forcibly
brought to their memories by the sudden
death Of their late beloved pastor. 1
trust that the death OF U dear brother
Davis will be q lesson Of wisdom to US
who are left behind, and that we shall
all strive SO to live that our end may be
as peaeeahle az his proved to be, and
that we may all meet him in the heaven
above.