The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-23
The i!bcrnarIc baptist Association.

Reported tor the Richmond Dispatch.
NEAR ElvE RIDGE, Nelson COUNTY. Nh,}
August 20. 1872. !
To-day the AihcmlrIc Baptist Association
assembled in the Hebron Baptist church in
its ci.htv first annual session. The church
j. situated about four miles south from Alton
dcroi. on The chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
The Blue Ridge mountain stretches along
Tor miles. presenting few patches of c!lltl-
waited ground. The remainder being in native
forest. The highest point in his ridge Is
called tn" Pinnacle. and Il few miles south is
the iIuuphack aud the Pilot mountains. the
whole presenting IA srcuc of noble grandeur.
The hnndiwnrk of the Great Architect ."i
the Universe. VIII" i King of Ein"> aud Lord
nj lords. Along the lm>c Of This ridge he
the lands in the counties Of Alhcmarlc aud
N"i,uu ridges. Wales. and meadows, marked
uli into farms. which have been cultivated
Tor upwards of a hundred years. In this
immediate region are found fine fruits.
anon" them the world-rcnowncd AlbcnEIlc
rprin.
ln such Il gathering Is is here assembled
with this Association are some ot the "oldCSt
inhabitants" who can talk about men and
things when they were boys. To talk about
old baptist preachers is u topic that interests
and con,cl>cd with an old man who rcncn-
irr"d Benjamin Her.cr, and the place pointed
ont in The old fields where he stood in the
forest. Natures grand cathedral, and
preached la listening crowds the words OF
eternal life. Uu that day churches were far
distant from each othcr.) He became pastor
ol WhlcSidcS, now Mount Ed church, i'll
AIbcmarlc county, established in 1874.
The old Baptist pioneers Of the last cen
Jury did Il good and noble work i'll this
section, then Alhcnnrlc, notwithstanding
their prosecutions and impri.onmcnts i'll the
bower counties for preaching the gospel "not
according TO law" \ Baptist church stood
near the spot where the University of Fir-
.ina now is in 1867, at which John Waller
and John Leland preached. priddie'S creek
III 1854, New Prospect i'll 1872, Mount
Niariah in 1881, EbcncZcr lis, Fork lIIl,
Ill then in Abcmarlc county now they arc
iii Amherst. Nelson. FluNanM', and Abe
mari" counties. The .Nbcmarlc Association
III 1872 is composed vi fifty churches and
his upwards of five thousand members.
The Hebron church. with which the AsSo-
ria,i"n is holding its present session, was
colony sent out from Mt. Ed church in
ls5%. and now it almost rivals It's parent in
numbers and efficiency. Their house of
N'l>liip II bllIh, allN u
i'll the midst of tall and stately forest oaks,
which rear their heads and spreading
branches i'll majestic grandeur.
The opening services of the Association
were held in an arbor not far from the
church at IL O'Clock. Here, too, were noble
oaks, which stood for pillars in this grand
temple OF the living God and cathedral for
the servants OF the living God to worship III.
and when Martin Luther's melo lious Old
Hundred sounded out from hundreds of
voices, clear and strong, it filled the soul
with rapturous delight. 1t WAS truly divine
Worship rs well as dhymn of praise. Prayer
was then offered by Rev. J. G. Hidcn, of
Wilmington, n. &. n portion of scripture
WAS lead. and then another song of praise
rung ont amidst the architrayes, pilaster>, and
torinlhEtn columns of Natures sanctuary.
Rev. q. b. Taylor, ID. d., Of Staunton, de-
iiNered the annual sermon. The text upon
Which he founded his remarks WAS from l.
corinthians, 10th chapter, verses and2 but |
more especially from the I'd verse: Upon
the first day of the week let every one OF
You hay by him in store us God hath prospered |
him. that there be no gathering when ]
COME" The delivery of this discourse &C.
rupled one hour and a quarter. II was aIgu-
nientatire and practical from the teachings of
The Scriptures aud the teachings and practice
ut the Apostles and the Apostolic Church
IT. practicablity, feasibility, and utility in the
present day. The preacher was very happy
III his remarks, his voice sounded out clear
and distinct. and the large audience giving |
him their eager and entire attention. There |
can he no doub! that the preacher made a
good and lasting impression, which will he
carried into the churches and people OF this |
Association. In The pulpit were also Rev. |
): +. Massey, REV. :. p. HUT. aud Rev J. G.
linden. and just in The rear sat the venerable
Key Porter Cleveland, who has been in the
Association more than fifty years.
After the services were oyer in the arbor. |
me vast throng OF people were fed in a way
thiu y known asa peculiar feature with the
hospitablc yromanry in the Piedmont re.
eioh-a feast unknown to kings or princes.
IN an hour the Association convened in
'hc church, and Rev. James G.. Hiden preach
ed to vast audienceat tile arhor.
Hey.J. L. Massey, the Moderator of the
Ias 81 session, presided. Prayer and singing
followed. & - i 5'7
4, a motion was made to refer the letters
ffom Inc churches to special committee, |