The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-21


ten to the invitations of few families to com
mence his ministry in Amherst county. Be-
sides some highly cultivated individuals of
both sexes that were not professedly religious,
there were in the county few of the choice
people Of God. l bear in mind one, an intel
ligent physician, and highly educated man, a
Scotchman, of good family, lone Of whose
brothers was professor of Mental Science in
Edinburg, whose lectures published after his
decease were read with great INTEREST," He
was man of much religious reading and
thought, and fine literary taste, and firm
Presbyterian. At the earnest request Of these
people Mr.. Hendren asked for a transfer to
Hanover Presbytery, and was received in the
regular way October 18th, 1908, at a meeting
held at the Cove meeting house. This was
matter of joy to the old pastor Robinson, as
also the fact that Mr.. Lumpkin, who was
licensed in the spring of the same year was at
this meeting invited by regular call to the d.
5. church near Charlottesville. The old man s
strength was renewed by the prospect of the
good to be accomplished by these two young
men in a county 80 dear to him, and so much
in want of minister of the Gospel.
At the fall meeting Of Hanover Presbytery
at Amherst meeting house, October. 1910, Mr..
Hendren was ordained on call put in for him
the April preceding, at Old Concord. W. S.
Reed was ordained at the spring meeting, his
examination on sciences being passed in com
pany with John B. Hoge and Charles Fl. Ken
non. Mr.. Hendren was called to open the
Presbytery at the Cove with his trial sermon
for ordination and having passed his exami-
nation he was set apart as pastor OF the flock
that had been gathered in Amherst, of which
Dr. Brown was an elder Jesse FL. Turner
was at the same meeting licensed to preach the
Gospel
These names are mentioned to show the com.
pauions in the ministry that entered the sacred
office about the time of Mr.. Hendren s ordi.
nation. All these men were held in high esti-
nation in succeeding years for their intellectual
and moral worth and some greatly exalted as
ministers.
Mr.. Hendren labored assiduously in his vo.
cation in Amherst and Nelson, at the same
time teaching a classical school. The labors
of this double vocation taxed his strong con-
stitution. In the year 1911 he was united in
marriage to an esteemed young lady, Miss
Rivers, believing that presbyter should be
the husband of one wife. This was a happy
marriage cOnnexi0n.
He was induced by the congregations Of
Messy Creek and Union, in Augusta county,
to remove to the Valley of the Shenandoah,
and become their pastor in 1917, to the great
grief Of the little flock in Amherst.
The personal friendship between him and
MIR. Robinson commenced in the time inter
vening his licensure and his ordination, and
was broken only by the death of the old pastor
of the Cove Frequent visits and more fire.
quent letters passed between these pastors. A
few of the letters written by Mr.. Robinson
have been preserved, but none of those written
by Mr.. Hendren in reply The first of these
letters bears date June l4th 1914; and the
last, August 3lst 1919, few months before
the death of writer. These contain all the
records written by him of his inward life, his
trials and his labors. And their great excel
lence is in their simplicity and evident truth
fulness. He tells with the utmost candor his
trials, his difficulties, his sicknesses, and his
wants. not for the purpose of complaining, or
for sympathy. but that he may excuse his de-
ficencies, and get aid from his young friend
and in doing this he tells what most we want
to know of a ministers domestic life, whom
God called to great usefulness, through multi
piled sufferings, and set, as the world would
say, to defend at great disadvantage an impor-
tant part of the walls of Zion. If we had the
answers of Hendren there would be sketch
OF the trials and joys of two ministers of ex-
ceeding interest both kind, of clear intellect
improved by study, laborious servants of God,
one gentle, and the other whrlwind of emo
ton. Their communion seasons were often en-
rapturing. Generally both would speak be-
fore they left the pulpit If Robinson began
and made Felix tremble at the terrors of the
law, Hendren would follow and make Agrippa
say, thou persuadest me-almost persuadest
me to be Christian" IF Hendren began in
his calm, kind, and yet serious earnest way of
preaching the Gospel, before he closed he
would strike some string in Robinson heart,
and he would arise like his great prototype,
and break forth in strains and emotions as if
he was ascending in chariot of fire. The
Piedmont of Virginia has heard wonderful
specimens of pulpit eloquence from other lips
than of Waddel and Turner; some would be
best when alone; others, and perhaps most in
well assorted pairs. each rousing up and setting
off the other Said professor of Theology
who bad been student of Baxter, of Lex
ington: 1.-The old man is great but wants
waking up; nothing rouses m like "a good
sermon. Let man preach ever so splendid a
sermon in the forenoon, in the Old Church,
and if Baxter breaches in the afternoon, he
will excel him, and never seem to know that
he has done anything uncommon. He is the
hardest man to precede in preaching ever
heard. " And this excellence Of the ministry
has been as various as the individuals have
been numerous, and as distinct as the person
atty Of the ministers. Robinson and Hen
dren admired each others excellencies pos.
sessing each some excellencies the other had
not, each esteemed the other his superior. So
it was with the two Presidents Graham and
Smith. The presence and voice of the one
stimulated the heart of the other, and the I'M
premeditated strains carried the audience
along with them. Christ sent out his disciples
two by two, to cheer and assist; if one should
fail, the other should hold him up.
SENEX.
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN
To the Churches of Montgomery Presbytery.