Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-19

Rowel adorned his days with many good
deeds. Ministers, not only Of his own but of
other denominations, have found in him sin.
cere friend, and in his house a welcome home.
He was, furthermore, a constant attendant
upon the services Of the sanctuary. During
my connection with this church he has been.
so far as | remember, in his place every Sab
bath. While younger persons have absentad
themselves he has been present. Something of
this may ayebeen owing to his health freedom
from domestic cares, and the noarncss Of his
residence, but the most oft was due TO hisdeep
interest in the worship Of God lie was also
good hearer. He listened as if be did not
intend to be a lorgetfu hcaror Though So
advanced in years, he seldom slept inmeotine
He did not distract attention even by amy iu-
difference Of manner In the pmycr-mcetug
he was generally present. and prompt 10 bear
his part. As o member of the Sunday school
we miss him. He did not think himself Zoo
old to belong to it. He cxerted heaIthul
influence over US all in this respect Isn't
it too bad, said one Of the younger scholars,
on hearing Of his DEATH =" that Father Bowell
is dead2 Tie was oi.cqw IN NE Sundqy
sclooi."
Because an excellent spirit was iu this
sleeping brother as well as in Daniel Che
Prince Of Prophets, my own communion with
him has been most pleasant. He interested
himself largely in bringing me here, aud
bear willing testimony TO his worth In all my
intercourse with him.
And yet he did not think himself better
than others In honor lac preferred others.
He would make a self.applicaton of ans
truth, and was willing to profit by all that he
heard. One evening, after a sermon doliy-
cred on the duty and benefits Of secret prayer,
he rose in the meeting and said that he re-
garded secret prayer as very important. and
to him it was most solemn 10 go Ql0Re before
God lie said he felt himself reproyed bv
the sermon, for he had not observed his pri-
yate devotions as he ought. He bore no hard
feelings toward the preacher, but was crate
iul for the reminder he had received of his
duty. And, to express his feeling. better
than anything else, he quoted from memory
the fifth verse Of the Hist Psalm "I.ot the
righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness
and let him reprove me, it shall be an exceI-
lent oil, which shall not break my head
Though we might differ from him, perhaps, in
the Interpretation Of this passage, aud couse-
quently in its application, yet his reference TO
it under the circumstances exhibits the spirit
Of the man.
Through the grace Of God, | think, much OF
the goodness belonging to this brother re.
suited from his love Of the closet. But
! think, also, that the intimate acQuaiut-
ance which he had with the Holy ScriD-
lures, contributed still more toward making
him what he was. As much as any man i
ever knew, he had the Bible at his tongues
end. His exhortations and PRAYERS were
sometimes a string Of well-arranged scriptu-
raj pearls. He could quote as readily from
one part Of the Book as from another. being
equally familiar with the Old and the New
Testament Generally, too, he repeated the
whole Of the passage he desired, though
only part of it illustrated his point; thus
showing that he repeated, not what he had
heard merely but that Of which he had been
an eyewitness In some remarks made re-
Gently in Sabbath school meeting, he admit
ted us to the secret Of his might in the Scrip
lures. 1t began to develop in early life.
ln his boyhood he said there were no Sunday
schools. Books were not so cheap and abun-
dant then as now. The only books at
his childhood home were the Bible, Watts S
Hymn-book, and the Primer. These furnished
his mental food. Often said he, shave
| read the Bible through at night, by the
light Of wood fire, and the truth then COM
mitted to memory has been of great use to
me through life" His wel-worn family Bi-
Bile testhes to the fact that it was his choicest
companion during his protracted term. Not
only we're its teachings the corrective of his
earlier days, and the mould in which his de-
nominational opinions were run, but also the
staff Of his ripper age. The streams Of truth
flowing to our children, are numerous, but
he drank at the fountain-head. Hence. the [
strength Of his religious convictions, the dis .
tlnctness of his views, the clear perceution of
his duty. The utteranees of the different
schools of theology were of little worth to
him, unless supported by Thus saith the
Lord" Calvinism, Armiuianism, or any
other ism, had not so much interest for him
as the unadulterated word of God, without
note or comment. He certainly had no need
that one should teach him "the first princ- /
piles Of the oracles Of God" lie fed, not on
milk, but on solid food, " For every one who I.
partakes Of milk is inexperienced in the word .
Of Righteousness, for he Is a child But solid /
food belongs to those who are of full age /
who by use have their senses exercised to dis |
oern good and evil He had chariig for
Christians of every name, but lored his own
company of believers, for the reason that they, /
in his judgment, were more biblical than I
others. He did not hesitate to say that he /
desired all to become Baptist or Bible Chris
tians, not simply because he desired to be .
one, but because he felt it was right, and .
therefore pleasing to God
Being dead, he yet speaks" His works .
do follow him, while he rests from his abors /
He fell with his face to the foe, and his armor
on. He has frequently said to us OF late, as .
you remember. that it would not be long be- .
fore he would be taken from us. But it
almost came to pass in our relation to him. /
as in the relation of the Prophet Elijah to
his successor Elisha; And it came to pass /
as they still loe'H on, and tqihea that behold. /
there appeared chariot offre, and horses Of
fire, and parted them both asunder; and Eli /
jah went up by whirlwind into heayen.t
And Elisha saw it. and he cried My faibesainy
father, the chariot of Israel, and the horse
men thereofw
On whom, my brethren, on whom shall the
mantle of our assembled father and brother fall? /
AT our worship the Sabbath previous to his
translation, and at our prayer-meeting only the
night before, he was loiM rs, but now, We trust,
he knows with the Apostle Paul that it is gain
to depart and be oih Christ lie fought
the good fight. He finished his course Only
for the sake Of his family, and for the sake
of the church he loved, can we wish him
back For his own sake, we can not even
whisper desire that, like Lazarus, he may
t.acforn1 - ,roll ,rttI lts.,