Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-11-19

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ing of true religion and ''enlarging the place
lengthenng the cords, and strengthening the stakes
of Zion. ~ :,'s %: ''.T ~ '"''-' " ''i'. '7
This, the first Pastor of Bethesda, was born il
South Carolina, in 1776 Educated. in the State
he began and closed his ministerial labors il
this Church. He married the daughter Of Dr.
James Alexander In 1884, at his own request
Bethel Presbytery dissolved the pastoral relation
father Walker pleading that age and attendant in
trinity, untitled him for the discharge Of pastora
duties. The step was regretted by bis people
who held him still in the" highest regard which
continued unabated until his death. From his re.
lease from the Church until. 1s47, he resided a,
mong his married children. He then removed,
with Nilsson, to DeSeto County, Mississippi, where
he remained until bis; death, which occurred April
10th, 1852. Thus ended the earthly pilgrimage
Of this servant Of God, in the eighty sixth yeal
Of his age. Of him, our late and lamented broth
/ er Bishop said: Father Walker possessed, natu,
rally, robust constitution, and was blessed with
good health during the greater part of his active
life. His mind, by nature, was much above the
ordinary grade, and was improved and cultivated
| by an education such as our Southern country al
that time; afforded. He was well Versed in the
Calvinistic system Of Theology, so ably illustrated
and defended by our old Diyines. These, with the
essential prerequisite of decided and unquestioued
piety, certainly qualified him for life of useful
ness in the Gospel Ministry y = And (he fur.
theradds) taking into view the power Of his ex:
ample; his influence in the school room his pas
toral yisitations his influence in the house q
mourning and at the funeral and the effects Of his
public preaching; and remember these labors con;
tinued without ceasng for forty years, in the same
community, but to an everchanging population;
say, take all these things into view, and frankly
confess that when I thus contemplate the man,
there appears to my mind to be a grandeur, nay, a
moral sublimity connected with his life and labors,
which I cannot describe. And had never heard
of the results.uf. .hislabors, from rhat I know Of
the power with which God has clothed the Gospel
Ministry, should suppose bis usefulness was very
great; and this supposition is abundantly verified
| in the whole history of his connection with the
Church, which he served for nearly half a century.
u Mr.. Walker was succeeded inithe Passionate Of
Bethesda by Rev. Cyrus johnson, whose labora
rebeganin 1884 and dextended the Fall OIL S39.
His labor here seemed to have yielded the fruits
of strong manly piety in the membership, and q
thorough indoctrinaion of althe congregation, in
the great truths Of the Gospel andthose doctrines
as interpreted in the Confession of Faith, he being
characterized as an able, perseyering and Efficient
exponnder of Calvinism, in not amplyits distinct
iye but all its vital features The records Of the
Church, under him, show that in the absence Of
any extensive outpouring Of the Divine Spirit,
there were still additions to the Church at nearly
ereryieommunion, and there was thorough, sys-
tematc instruction of the young in the catechism,
by dividing the congregation into wards, which
were regularly visited. by the Pastor and Elders
and all, old and young were subjected to process
of close questioning by the Pastor, who had fa-
miliar tact at imparting instruction in this way.
The weekly prayer meetings, with the elders par.
ticipatipg, and all the benevolent schemes and
charities were kept live and vigorously maintain
ed by him. Thus the period of hia pastorate
here may be denominated one of substantial bene,
fit to the Church, deepening the foundations of re.
igion in the pious, and preparing the minds of the
young and the middle-aged for future Gospel
harvest, and, at the same time, gradually making
additions to the membership. Mr.. johnson was
native of North Carolina prepared for College
under DR.. Nc R.. Wilson, of Rocky River, and
was graduated with the first distinction in Hamp-
den Sydney College, in 1921, under President
Gushing. He studied Theology under DR.. j.
Robinson, of Poplar Tent Church., at the same
time teaching in the family, and using the Library
of Rev. John Williamson, of Hopewell Church,
was licensed to preach in 1923, and ordained by
the Presbytery of Concord in 1924. He was Pas.
tor Of Beerheba, in Bethel Presbytery, for several
years; he thence removed to the lower part Of
York District, where he taught large academy
organized and preached to Church called Mount
Pleasant, near where Zion, in Bethel Presbytery,
now stands, and also supplied the Church Of Cedar
Shoals. In 1884 he entered upon his labors as
Pastor of Bethesda-not, however, renting his
connection with his school. In 1889, the relation
was dissolved and Mr.. johnson removed to Neck
lenburg County, N. c., and the spring following,
was installed Pastor of the Churches Of Providence
and Sharon, 10 the bounds of the first Of which
he lived, and conducted very Aourishlng classical
school In this new relation his usefulness was
very great his services Pastor and teacher both
being highly appreciated After six years he was
induced to leave this field and repair to Charlotte
in Is45, where he became Principal Of the -four.
ishing female academy, and in the following year
became Pastor of the Charlotte Church. A few
years subsequently to this, he abandoned the Acad-
emy and sold out his farm. Having, Mt this pc
Rod, been greatly chastened by the hand of death
removing half his children, he devoted himself ex-
clusively to his pastoral work. From this time to
his death, every impulse of his heart and energy
of his life, were consecrated to the high purpose
of winning souls to Jesus, and building up his
Church in faith and holiness and good works. The
results were soon happily visible in his charge. In
the years 1S4s and 1852 bis people were visited
with the outpourings of Divine Grace, in the first
of which, several dozen were added to the commu-
Mon of the Church, and, in the second year men.
toned, nearly hundred souls professed CONVEX
sion. His abors in Charlotte were greatly contrib.
utary to the growth Of the Church. He found a
feeble Church, with twenty eight members and
two Ruling Elders, but through bis instrumental
ty it arose to have one hundred and sixty-four
members and seven Elders, and full bench Of
n