The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-01-22
DTaCouRsE
of HE Tnsta1Iatl0n. january sth, ls74sd

PSALMS LxxvII: 1o.-"Bus viii remsnBe
the years of the right hand of the Most HiEh,l
In the previous verses the Psalmis
iRdulged himself in the expression o
desponding thoughts, with the inquf
ny. sssWin the Lord cast OF, forever
and viii he be favorable no more !? u
his mercy clean gone forever? Dotf
mis- promise fail forever more Hail
God forgotten to be gracious Hat
he in anger shut up his tender tner
cies p Then he said ;. This is MI IN
trinity, but, will remember 0t
years Of the right hand OF The Mos
High ss4s5 ~
Ii 1 were, on the present occasion
10 indulge myself in speaking OF dis
courageInents, deficiencies in point d
personal duty and obstacles 10 success
time wonld fail me. | shall only no,
ticc these by The way as / pToeeed il
The contemplation oil events cOmprls,
ed in my remembering the wears. ol
the right hand of the Most High ..
"Right Hand,7 indicative of pros,
perity, strength. success Though or
a small scale, there may be embraced
the essential elements of what mighi
be exhibited on a much larger scale.
Fifty years ago to-day occurred my
installation as pastor OF the Congre-
gational church and society in Kan.
dOIph, in connection with the church
and society in RootstoWn, one-haIf Ol
the time in each place. The installa.
ton exercises were performed in the
upright part of a framed dwelling,
L. Z. !,
just then erected and enclosed. a
temporary desk was arranged before
the inside of the front door, for the
Officiating ministers seats, on, the .ri&ht
aud LETT below for the audfeuce, and
on the joists above for the singers,
Rev. Charles B. 5torrs preached an
impressive sermon on the occasion
from Rom. XL 13. "For I speak to
you Geptiles inasmuch as / am an
apostle of the GentiIes, I magnify
mine Office ALI the ministers who
by appointment officiated at the time
have ceased from their earthly Iabers
and gone to their final rest.
There were, at that time, in this
township, ouly about q dozen framed
houses, Of different sizes, and none
completed except some kitchen rooms
which were ceiled, none pfastered. =
Coming, as l did, formerly from
Massachusetts, and having, as mis-
sionary spent q year in Virginia and
in the new settlements of Ohio, it ap-
peared here quite like a New Eng.
land settlement. New, indeed It was,
mostly, however, to me because the
people were New England people,
and of New England habits appre-
ciating an evangelical ministry :. such
as was by them enjoyed in Massachu-
setts and Connecticut.
The Congregational church here
was organized in 1872, consisting Of
II members a Methodist society in
1910, consisting of 10 members, and q
Baptist church of about the same
number in 1919, most of the members
of which, in 1928 went into the new
organization deneminating themselves
Disciples" s
The population of this township in
1920 wss 32S, and that in ROotstoWn
was 3I6, inlIS30 6e4 in RootstoWn and
$50 in Randolph. ius }eol a15v
The amount of my stipulated sala-
ry was $400 per year. 200 in each sos
ciety zone fourth to be paid In money
and three-fourths in produce, reck0n-
ing wheat as standard, atone dollar
per hnshel, and other articles in pro-
portion. In consideration of nv res
siding in Randolph the church and
society here agreed to afford a seftiel
ment to the amount of $500 IN lard
and materials for building. By. this
means i came into possession of 10
acres of land and such building ma
Ie,
ginning in erecting accommodations and
comfortable dwelling house.
January 25th- 1926, i was happily
united in marriage with Miss Emiline
Bidwell, OF Madison, Lake Co, who
proved TO be juiicious, faithful and
efficient helper in the family. in the;
church and in society,", and having.
been previously, for several years, a
pious and successful school teacher,
was we'll qualified foF. usefulness in
the work of the Lord. ssa = Il
In the following April we conn
menced house keeping in our own
dwelling house, which we have occu-
pied ever siuCe, nearly as years, as a
suitable and pleasant home.
We have been favored with a family
of five children, two of whom, one a
beloved son, ~ gears of age, head of
a family, and an officer in the churc
with which he was connected in CleVe-
land, and the other a daughter of
nearly Ia years of aye, haYe been re.
moved by death FROM the familyGircIe
and arc numbered, we trust, with the
redeemed in heaven. The surviving
ones are heads of families aud Office
bearers III the church, occupying, in
various ways, positions of.iusefulness
in society, The oldest son graduate
of w. r.. College, the second a grad
uated student OF Shaw Academy, East
Cleveland, and the daughter a gratlu-
ale of the " Female Seminary i'm
Brooklyn, N. Y They all professed
their faith in Christ when young, and
Immediately after receiving their ed-
qcation, were for several years, en-
ployed in academical school teaching.
The first sermon which preached
in Randolph, Sept. 2lst, 1923, from
Rom. I'll, "a. Being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ jesus was the key
pOte 10 my preaching after was in
stalled as pastor, not with excellen-
cy of speech or wisdom declaiming
the testimony of God" but presenting
truth in simplicity, especially the
great theme of Christ and him crncir
fed, maintaining the faith which
worketh by love, which purified The
heart and which overcometh the
world, as the basis of all moral and
spiritual reformations.
AT the time of my settlement both
moderate and excessive spirit drink
ing was prevalent in the township.
A liquor selling tavern at the center
aud an extensive distillery half q Euile
west, each supplying tho means abnn-
dRRtly for the existence of .disorderly
conduct and every evil work. Wit
Messing the evils resulting from this
state of things, in March, 1927,
preached sermon from Prov. XXIIl
20. 80: Who hath woe, who hath
sorl ow, who hath contentious" &c.
They that tarry long at the wine,
they that go TO seek mixed wime,H ad-