The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-23
2oth Annirernnrr ser,nnn

20th AnniVerHHry sermon.
The 25th anniversary Of the ministry ofthe Rev.
Z. Buckingham in the First Presbyterian church |
OF Canton occurred on last Sabbath. We are per. |
mitted to mako the following extracts from ser
mon preached by the Pastor on the occasion He !
took for his text the following passages:
Hitherto has the Lord helped u"
Having therefore obtained help Of God con-
tinue unto this day"-AcfS 26s22
After some Introductory remarks in explana-
ton OF these passages in their primary references
come to-day to reyisv the dealings of our
Heavenly Father with Us minister and people
lation between US has existed IL Is good r. 20 \
back in thought over the path along which We
have been led by the providence and grace OF God.
note its lights and shadows, its joys and sorroWs
its conflicts and victories its successes and fall
ures and gather from It occasions for gratitude
and Thanksgiving and incentives 70 duty.
That my ministry among you has been conti-
nned for 50 many years il owing entirely to the
grace ofGod bestowed upon you and me. Though
the pastoral relation as recognised in the Prosby
teriAn church, Is designed 80 be permanent, and
OF the church in this country. .it has now to very
, great extent lest its character Of permanency.
announced in a religious journal that such q min
lister was Installed with dattering prospects over
growing church, in tive or three years the an
nouncement Is made In the same journal that the
pastoral relation between that minister and
church has been dissolved. The instances are
rare indeed, in which ministers remain in charge
Of the same church more than from three TO seven
years. Wherever the fault may lie. the present
rotary system in the ministry OF our Church is in
furious 20 bath, ministers and churches
| By the grace Of God, the relation between my
/ self and this church has been continued durinKa
period OF twenty-five years Gods proTidence led
me here had resigned my charge in Coshoc-
ton, IN May 1876 In the fall, received . letter
| from Mr. GrisWeld, in which he stated that Rev.
/ Mr.. Taylor had resigned the Pastorate OF the
| church in Canton, and invited me TO come and
- preached one whole sermon in the after
noon, and part Of another in the evening, when
| alley burn, on Walnut street,
| The next morning, l met the session at the
| house Of John Saxton, told thsm upon what terms
| would come 10 Canton, and they told me what
the church eoald do. The result Of that visit and
interview was An invitation from the session 70
spend enc year with the church. On the third
sabbath in November, ls4s, ] entered upon my
The invitation cordial and unanimous. The
support continued from year to year has been
for the most part cordial and unanimous. say
I have sometimes, during my ministry here,
| noticed Indifference to me, the -cold shoulder,
has, occasionally been turned to me; persons
have remained away from the Sanctuary, evident
| ly dissatisfied abost something. / have not felt
il duty or ADVISABLE 20 run amer persons In that
state Of mind. have never had the vanity to
suppose that could please every body. My
Master did not Paul did not. have never, in my
work 80 utopian. 1t has been my honest and con-
slant aim to commend myself 10 Him whose truth
business and juds msnt OF my hearers, but not to
crafty the fancies Of the fastidiOus the whiTs
of the dyspeptics.
When 1 came here, had no thought that I
| would remain mo. e than year. There moth
lHS t ipee1a @ 1ngnE or Ps5oSins ron iS IN ths town
thing finished; there were no indications oi
RF41speTity or gr9wth; here was c9InParatiTey
| and the indications were that Canton would be
but tributary 70 her nearest neighbor on the vest
| Not the sound Of the whistle or a single engine
broke the stiffness OF the days. The old sexton
rang the Court House bell morning, noon and
! night to tell US that the day passing. Bui
the town in 1916 very much like a thing void
| of life. There but little inducoment for q
man to pitch his here. 1 found tho church
weak tie congregation small and with a down
. | Owing 10 causes which ne. d not detail there
was not that unanImity OF feeling, that cordial CO
operation in efforts TO do good, which are 80 es
sential 10 make the work of a'rninister pleasani
and successful. AZ the close OF the first yeaI
prospects were more encouraging. Old feud'
were healed, and found the members of the
church gathering around mo- ready to uphold my
hands and work with me for the upbuiding of the
} church. When came to know such men a. Hi
| ram GriswOid, John Saxton. John Gaff, John Har
ris, Thomas Goodman, George Williams, Alexan
der Bieree and Others men and women too, o
prayer and labor, whose hearts beat in sympathy
with mine and with my Master and his cause, ]
felt that the church must live and grow, and
consented to be installed as q Pastor
, What work has been done by US az Pastor anc
people during this quarter Of century, and whA
has been the resultl During this period hav'
: preached 2Ss3 sermons-most Of these haT'
written oat in full with considerable care havi
, aimed At some variety in the subjects discusses
in these sermons. I have aimed 70 bring on
clearly. fearlessly, faithfully all the distinctly,
doctrines and duties Of our holy Christianity
think can take you TO record this day that
, have not Stunned TO declare 70 you the who'll
counsel of God. hAYe not asked OF any mar
! trhat should preach, or hop. | NAV have erred
sometimes in the selection Of my subjects and il
the manner Of presenting them-there have beeI
periods in the history Of my ministry here WheE
clear my own conscience and avoid the cens-rel
of my fellow men During the las quarter OF /
century the country has been agttated by grea
questions and events, such as SiaVery-the -Fu
! ! gitive Slave Law"-the Mexican war and the wa
I OF the rebellion. Many said these politica
. questions and matters, with which the 1ninistel
. Of Christ mad nothing to do; Feeling as eVe
have, that the minister of Christ did cease 1,
be citizen when ne became a minister; and tina
il was his duty 70 bring the principles Of the Ri
BILE TO bear upon men in all the relations and du
ties Of life, in the family, in the church. in socie
ty, in the counting roSm, on the farm, IN,
polls. Ihave not hesitAted to speak my homes
} | convictions and sentiments all these Rrea
: | questions. 1 know that have been censured 10
: SO doing. Some, because Of my utter1nces in th'
pulpit, have, for the time being, Withdrawn thei
support from me- and urged others 20 do tn,
same. But feel proud in the conviction that
community, even OF those who differed from nns
and censuT0d me, than / should IL had put m,
T conscience and principles in my pocket stool
= q coward and dumb dog among you; more thar
this il ever refuse to plead the cause Of oppres
> sed and crushed humanity black or white, or Il
, | who would overthrow the institutions Of M
J county, may my tongue clsAye 70 the roof Of m.
have attended $50 funerals; solemnised q
marriages for which have received 81 ISL 40
the lowest marriage Zee 20 ce1ts, the highes
) SIS. have administered the supper Of our Lor'
one hundred times and attended about 1900 meet
Jugs for prayer. have lost oy reason OF sickness
D fourteen Sabbaths, and during the last ffteei
I years but Two whole Sabbaths and six half days.
: What has been dOne BY the church or Jssu
and his cause during the period Z You have sus
/ tatned among you the means of grace, have no
| permitted the candle-stick 70 be removed out O
is Piacs or the tlres to 60 Eo out % upon the altar
Pastor and to meet the incidental expenses Of tn
l church, you have given about S29. 200. For i'm
fry and the bell. end for the erection Of the par
: : sonage over $4.o0O. For erecting and finishing
: | of beneVolence, such as Foreign and Home Mis-
: sions, Bible, Tract and Education causes. abou
7 | ST.6Oc. Making 95,7OO as the amount y~ised II
Il this church and congregation in twenty-fv
| years for the cause of the Redeemer. This is
| pecuniary record Of which neither you nor you
children need be ashamed.
What have been the the results Of the means o
grace, and the labors Of Pastor and people durini
? this quarter of century, All the results o
Gospel appliances in any congregation are no
! known on earth, they viii not be known until th'
| revelations Of the last day Good impression
+ | are made by the preaching of the Gospel IN tn,
! | sanctuary, OF which the minister has no knowl
! edge, because they not developed in repen
ia ce and faith and godly life, until those upOI
I gregation As ar As have been able to learn Ii.
results of the preaching of the Gospel and of oul
prayers and efforts as minister snd people, they
7 | are embodied in the following schedule: Thers
l has heen added to the church curing my minis
= t1y, by letter, 1856; on examination, ia. wholS
= 1umber 320- Dismissed, 100; expelled, II; died
these figures show that our work has not been en-.
tirely in vain in the Lord the records OF results
is not what il should have been.
Great changes have trsnspired in this town
during this guRrter Of a century. As have al.
/ ready remarked Canton, when 1 commenced my
work here, was a small and unimportant town
There seemed but little enterprise little business
activity. Tha men who had money we've not dis
posed to any very great liberality in its appropr
alton in directions for the improvement cf the
town. These years have wrought wonderful
changes. In 1916 there were three Potteries ia
blast, three blacksmith shops, one gun barrel fac
tory. q small foundry, one -four mill and a brew.
ery; these constituted the man ufacturing interest
| Of the town. Our facilities for intercourse with
| the outside world were a four horse stage coach
passing daily east and west On my first visit 10
| Canton in October, 1s46, was two hours and 3
| half coming from Massilon to Canton IN four
horse coach. When removed my family herr,
| was two days and three nights coming from
Coshocton to hassillon by the canal, going al the
time. In 1886 we had one mail day east and west
| bringing often from ak TO twelve letters and q
| few papers. There was not daily paper received
! In the place In 1886 there were but four houses
for religious worship in the tcwn, and the best Of
I those was the old brick building which stood
| where this house stAnds.
Now what do We sect GroWth and improvement