Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-23
Funeral Of the Late Rev. DE-. Thomas
Maddin Last Sunday.


A vet'ran slumbering on his arms,
Beneath his Ted-crOss shield.
His sword was in his hand,
Still warm with recent fight,
Ready that moment at command,
Through rock and steel to ssnitei
Is
sThe pains of death are past,
| Labor and sorrow ceased;
| The life's long warfare closed at last,
His soul Is found in peace.
| Soldier of Christ, we'll done!
Praise be thy new employ;
| And while eternal ages run,
| Rest in thy SaviOr's ioE!"
Alter the singing of this very appropri
ate hymn, ferFant prayer was offered BY
DIR. Summers, and was followed by TIN
singing of the 18th hymn
'swhat though the arm of oonquering death
Does Gods own house Invade"
Which was read by Rev. Felix II. Hill
pastor of Elm Street Church.
bishop MeTseire thsn preached tile fun
eral discourse, taking for his text the last
clause of the 10th verse of2d chapter ofRey.
citations:
abe thou faithful unto death and will
give thee crown of life"
He said that this is the reward Jesus has
promised for Christian fidslity---a crown
of glory. The Test of Cliritlah fidelity IS
varied. Now we see long probation-a pro-
tracted service, again the probation Is short,
large pbrtion of our race die In Infancy,
but a star more exceeding weight Of glory
is for those who Though many years have
endured for Christ, therefore though to die
young may be safe, there is a geater bles-
sing and a greater glory TO live long, If we
labor to live we'll.
The faithful pastor, We hare feastn to be-
leive, finds his greatest joy in witnessing
the happiness Of those he has assisted in
saving.
Thomas Maddin was born in Pennsyl-
vania, Feb. Is, 1896. His father was a
Roman Catholic, and very property re-
lairsd his son to attend the service of his
church at least once on Sunday, and the
son was so prompt in attending upon the
celebration Of mass, that attention was at
tracted to the youth. After going into bus
mess be drifted away from his religious
influences. He fell among wicked
coinpanions, and ever counted It
great exhibition OF Gods re-
straining power that he escaped ruin.
From this peril he was rescued-God made
a way of escape. He became the daily as
sociate of good men, and was impressed
with their uniform plety, and by degrees
yielded 10 their solicitute Ter his cslysti5n.
He was induced to 60 to Methodist class
meeting, was led to seek the altar, of prayer,
and there found pardon for his sins. This
settled the question of his church duties,
and caused him to give up. his former church
relations.
His father was not reconciled to this and
demanded : reiiniiclatiGii; AlllSh the tOlng
convert could not make. Here was test.
Jesus Christ says: "He that loveth father
or mother more than me is not worthy of
me-" His father cast him out, but it was
different with his mother. She had been
brought up among Quakers, but had not
attached herself to an5 church. She began
to attend the Methodist meetings, attached
herself to that church, and lived happily for
forty years thereafter. So he began his
ministerial career in his own family; he
was a preacher before he knew it. He
shrank from an official capacity, but was
filled with desire to tell men that Jesus
died for them,
At The age OF twenty-one, he started on
foot from Philadelphia 10 Pittsburgh. At
Pittsburgh he was introduced to a local
preacher who asked him to preach for him
the next Sunday, and to this he finally con-
sented, though he told the preacher he had
never preached yet, and WIS not erer al
J4liofteT. From that hour he felt that he
was blessed of God.
With three young friends he bought a
canoe and journeyed down the river to Lou
isville. Leaving Kentucky, he started in
life with FIVE things-an empty purse, a
good conscience villin- r,ind, 2 sUund
body, and a Church letter. In 1917, he
was licensed to preach, and coming to
Nashville was appointed by the Tennessee
Conference to Stones River Circuit the
following year. His ministry stretches
over three generations. In 1868, at Shell
byville. he preached his semi-centennial
sermon, hut he was so modest that he did
not have as much to say about himself as
we desired to hear, and his friend, DR..
McFerrin, afterwards persuaded him to
write out a sketch of his early life, and
from this the foregoing facts have been OBJ
tanned.
To-day he was to have preached, and last
Friday, his last day of life, he finished
writing his last sermon, taking for his text
Rev. 18th chapter, from the first to the
fifth verse:
"And they lOdked, and 10, Lamb stood on
the Mount Zion, and with him hundred and
forty and four thousand, having his Fathers
name written on their fOreheads.
"And heard voice from heaven, as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of great
and heard the voice of harpers harp
ing with their harps.
"And they sung as it were new song before
elders; and no man could learn that song but
the hundred and forty and four thousand, which
we're redeemed from the earth.
"These were they which were not defled with
woman; for they are virgins. These are they
which follow the Lamb whIthersOever he goeth.
These were redeemed from among men, being
the first fruits unto God and the Lamb.
"And in their mouth was found no guile; for
.Rsy are without fnnl' before the throne of
That evening he took tea with friend
in his usual health. He returned TO his
suffered for several hours, dying the next
He spoke no word before dying,
md we needed none from him. His last
thoughts were with that "hundred and
housand"-doubtleSs he is one
If them nOw-sredeemed from the earth"
Doubtless ere now he has heard ''the voices
If those harpers, harping with their harps.'
lie began his last sermon by saying, 1T
> mlSUcTlOuS SuDJcCt, uOuDJicSo IL -
lear to him now.
The services were closed by DR.. j. b. |
McFerrin, who gave a brief sketch of his |
,wn connection with the deceased in the
ministerial work, and the remains were
hen conveyed TO Mt. Olivet, followed by a
Ong line of carriages.
The sentiment of the following poem by |
Yrs. Goff, in memory of the departed, will |
ind a response in the hearts of thousands |
rho have known and loved him:
For the Union and American.
In memory of Rev. DR.. Thomas Maddin.
OH white-haired saint in glory now.
With golden harp, all newly strung,
a crown of bliss upon thy brow,
And halleluiahs on thy tongue!
How could we dare, though anguish thrills
Each laboring breast that owns thy loss,
Though every eve the tear-drOp fills,
To bid thee take again LIES cross?
In strains of elOquence divine
Thy voice hath borne our souls aloft,
Where Heavens glorious ramparts shine,
And Heavens music murmurs soft.
On wings of grace and fancy wrought,
Conducted by thy winning tones,
A glimpse of glory we have caught,
And felt the love the pardoned owns.
And when thy spirit owned the woes
That man impeniteEt invites,
With deep and agoniZing throes,