Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-01-03

life of cold inactivity and sinful sloth in the work OF
the Lord and 0! that it may be the happy com
mencement-day of life of redoubled diligence, and
abundant success in the service of the Lord Jesus
as his ministering servant. As have this day with
my whole heart and soul, endeavored to dedicate
myself to God, as poor lost sinner, trusting my
helpless soul entirely on the fathfulness of my Cru
cited Saviour for salvation, looking to be justified
from all my guilt, through the righteousness OF
Christ alone and resting on his word for the con-
tinued and indweling power Of the Holy Ghost, the
promised Comforter, to sanctify and renew me day
by day in the inner man; therefore pray that the
Lord may accept the offering, worthless and inAg-
nifcant as it is and that he may choose to show
forth his power in the weakness of his undeservng
servant that he would make me polished shaft
and place me in his quiver; that he may deign to
feed thousands of his dear flock through my instru-
mentality; and O that he would bid multitudes
of sinners flock to the banner of Jesus, and become
his Soldiers, while they hear me, as the King SER
want, sounding the trumpet Of the everlasting gos-
pei, proclaiming the glorious jubilee, the joyful
year of liberty and rest to the captves of sin and
Satan"
Thus clothed with full ministerial orders-with
a deep sense of his own insufhciency, but with a
firm reliance on the faithfulness of precious prom
isng Saviour, and the asuf6ciency Of divine grace
his soul filed with the love of God, and his heart
wholly devoted to his calling-he entered upon the
great work of feeding the flock of Christ, and Of
warning lost sinners of their danger, and persua-
ding them to 'Behold the Lamb of God.
He removed, with his loved and loving wife, to
Mount Tabor in Union District, where he taught
school for time, and where he organized Church
to which he preached for many years. When he
went to this place the community were noted tor
their wild, reckless disregard of all things sacred;
but God "had many souls in that place" and he
was the happy chosen instrument for the accom-
plishment of a great work in Tabor; and hundreds,
we doubt not Will be recognized in the day Of Eter-
nifty as having "been born there will hail him
as their spiritual father-and will be placed, as
stars, in his crown of rejoicing for ever and ever
There 'the desert was made to bud, and the will
derness to blossom as the rose
Thence he removed to the bounds Of Bullock S
Creek Church, and became the Pastor Of that
church in May, 1929, which relation continued un-
til he was transferred from the church militant to
the church triumphant having preached his last
sermon tothat congregation in May, 1866. His Pas
torate in this congregation embraced period OF
just thirty seven gears.
During his entire ministry, so long as the indie
pendent Presbyterian Church retained its separate
organization, he supplied three, or more churches
owing to the number of churches in the Body, and
the fewness of ministers though he always be-
ieved that no minister could supply efficiently and
successfully more than one, or almost, two churches
But God was pleased to pour out his Spirit upon
him in every church to which he ministered; and
many were added to his churches ''of such, we
trust, las shall be saved His churches being Of
ten at considerable distance from him, his phys-
cal labors were very great; but they were performed
cbeerfuly for the sake of the church, and for the
love of God and of souls.
The year 1882, was memorable one in the his
tory of the Independent Presbyterian Church, on
account of ''the great revival with which it was
favored and in which the other Christian denomi-
nations of this country largely shared During that
wear. and the one or two years which followed,
whilst the tide of this wonderful season was gradu
ay ebbing, vast crowds hocked to the house Of God
.-Christians eagerly received the word Of life -
they spoke often encouragingly and joyously to
each other-and sinners came 'as clouds, and as
doves to their windows. They cried in distress
of soul, s'What must we do to be saved?' and be-
ing directed to ''beevc in the Lord Jesus Christ,
they Welded, and rejoiced in believing. MIR. Rus
Sell labored almost incessantly, and with the most
DISTINGUISHED power and success during this period
MANY who participated in those scenes will never
forget the power, and the overwhelming eloquence
with which he proclaimed ''the glorious gospel OF
the blessed God" He often seemed to be almost
inspired. He was to the humble child OF God, and
to the sincere pentent, ''son OF consolation, IN
deed but to the careless sinner, he was son Of
thunder"
He was an impressive preacher at all times, but
no theme could ever so fire his SOUL or call forth in
such power his surprising eloquence OF speech
and act as the wondrous love Of Christ tor poor
perishing sinners. We have heard men of deeper
lore Though his learning was Of no mean order,)
and we may have heard men of superior intellect
but we have never listened to one who possessed in
a higher degree the power Of moving men souls,
when, in the days of his vigorous manhood, he
would tell the simple story of the Gross Of Christ
The untiring zeal of this man of God, in his holy
calling, and his remarkable power and success as
preacher of the gospel, may be seen from the fact,
that during the forty years Of his ministry, he
preached three thousand eight hundred and fifty
four sermons, and admitted to membership in his
churches, on profession of their faith in Christ,
one thousand eight hundred and sixty three per-
making an average, for the entire period, OF
ninety-six sermons per annum, and forty-sx admis-
sions During the first twenty-five years OF his
ministry, the average number of sermons was one
hundred, and the average number admitted to his
churches was sixty.
Surely, if it be true that ''they who turn many to
Righteousness, shall shine as the stars i'll the rma
ment, forever" the subject of this brief and very
imperfect sketch shall wear resplendent crown in
glory, and shall celebrate in sweetest notes. the
high praises of the once crucifed," his loved Re-
deemer for ever more For thirty years prior to
the union of the Independent Presbyterian Church,
with the Presbyterian Church, he was the acknowl-
edged and honored leader inthat branch of the
Church in which his lot hadbcen cast. He loved
this Church and her peculiar doctrines, but he nev
er considered the difference between his own and
the parent-church, of sufficient importance to JUS
tify a separate organization Hence, in every
successive effort which was made to ''heal the
breach" and to unite those who harmonized in all
the leading doctrines of Gods word, and in every
important principle of church policy,h gave to
such efforts his hearty approval, and his earnest