Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-04-16
NV YVrA OoseI vor
Am Old Soldier of the ross.

From the days of Oglethorpe down,
she has had succession of great men
In her civil life, her list of WORTHLESS Is
long and brilliant.
In her churches, too, she has had
many wonderful men who have passed
from earth, A long list of such men
might be easily made. Some were
Baptists, some Presby teTians, SOM,
Morayians, some Episcopa!ia 5. aud
some Methodists. The memories OF
these men are greatly cherished, es
peciaily by the neighborhoods or de-
nominations to which they especial,
belonged Some of them are historic
characters.
But my object at present is 10 speak
OF living man, who has rlseu t"
great emiDenoa in QUE OF the churches.
You cannot be long in the State with
out hearing of him. You are soon
asked If you know him, or have ever
heard him preach: Some say they
would rather hear him than any other
living man. | have heard and was not
:at all dlaappointt 1 hope to hear
him again. A friend, who ba!oug, to
the same branch OF the CT u-ch with
nlmselt, said: "When hear him [
| ain satisfied that be is the best preac'.-
er know, until hear his son; then /
Ike the son best till [ again hear the
| father"
This remarkable man of God was
born i'll Halifax county, North C.roli-
| ~, on the 2fth Of March, 1885. While
i he hewas yet boy his family removed
Barnwell District, South Caroiina. f.
his sixteenth year the Lord drew btl.
| with the chords of love and the hands
| Of man, and led him to behold the,
| Lamb of God. His exercises of mind
we're strongly marked. HIS conversion
was followed by an early profession
Of ren8.o Not long after this his
family removed 30 Washington county.
Georgia. Ia 1904 be was reglarlY au-
thorlzed to preach. He Dispersed
| God's words with much zeal and ac-
ceptance IN MANY parts OF South Gar
olina aud Georgia for eight years. Tn
I'D people on Lynch's Greek, Great
Pedee, Oconee, and in other places,
| tell you of having heard him in child
ho''d. or of hearing their parents talk
Of him. The cities OF Columbia, Nj :
'edSevil1e, and Augusta, also have
pleasing traditions of his early II mis-
try.
Pretty early IN the war of 1912 he
became n chaplain in the army. it Is
| -eldom that he nov meet with anv of
the heroes Of that day. They have
generally passed away. During the
war he studied medicine. and after
the war be attended the medical lee
tdres il Philadelphia, took his degree
of Doctor of Medicine, settled III
Greensboro, Georgia, and practieed
the healing art for six years. But 1t
a not in man that walketh to direct
his steps. God had other aud better
work for him to do. He returns 4 10
the pulpit with new zeal. and "a d..
termination to spend aud be spent III
p-oclaiming salvation. Ills l..bors
have been chiefly in Georgia. though
often rendering good service 20 the
cause Of God iii oth.r Stntls, especial
ly in South Carolina.
His early education WAS very Iniper-
+ ct He weht to schoo. no: more
than six months But bis mild was
active. eager aud inqniring- He cried
after kpowied<., AMI lifted np his
vo'ce Tor understanding. He soughs
her as silver, and searched for fIAr as
for hidden treasure. O! conr~o he
!pund tie. knowledee of God. He has
,soS sighted philosophical stndiss -
; At times he has paid much ate ton
through! life has been chiefly theolcgi-
cal. TIE fountain # all-saving knpwi-
ed9e-the ward of God-has claimed
most attention.
in his constituted; elements his mi, 4
seems to be rare com bination OF tit
poetic aud metaphysical. He has ver
unusual power Of attention Fur
: hours he can fix his Thoughts on one
: subject. IL Is very happy i'll iucor
: porating practical remarks with all
stract thoughts. He thus makes d..
: theme attractive to promiscuous con
gregatiou, HIS style, far remove &
from meretric'Ous ornament, is yet & :
ways neat and quite ornate. But lie
never so wreathts the sword in flowers
as to hinder its cutting power. Foi
mere ornament. he seems not to Car,
atan. His figures are part Of his a.
: gumsLt They explain his meaning
and deepen the impression he seeks to
make
He has had one of the finest voices
1t is now II little broken. But still II j.
pleasant, It is commonly clear, fol
and sun0rcus. For hours he speaks
without VT arlness or change. He al
ways gives pleasure and not pain hy
his manner of speaking. OF course lie
is natural. AT times he says very ter
ritic things in very solemn tones; bu.
commonly his utterences are winning
and tender.
His early ministry was attended with
wonderful effects. At times he e4-
presses coucern that his ministry has
not the signs t0ltOUing that once ec-
conpanied 1T. In this he is not alons.-
Others are much of the same mind re-
spectlng their iabors-
This venerable mans piety is the
, charm of his character. Tx L: bic,
the Church and the Saviour are tbs
themes of his thoughts. Outside ui
Christ's kingdom he appears to have
n, business. From him current events
| gain but a passing notice Int he vii
talk by the hour of the Church-Ia-t
present and TO come. His old age i
serene and cheerful, ana the nelioWt 4
hight of his long day promises a cl~ae
sunset and a blessed, glorious eternity
His history is blessed his person i
blessed; his Influence is blessed; thou
sands call him blessed Yet should he
never suspect that it was of hinsel:
he was reading His humility hides
his excellences from his own eyes
Perhaps I ought to say that I have
been writing of Rev. DR. Lovis,h
Pierce, the father Of Bishop Gorge
Foster Pierce. both of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. DIR. Pierce
has been an active preacher f,r sew
el.ty years, and will, in few days, bt
ninety years old. Grace, mercy anti
peace be anto him always !
| pr the -. Louis Republican,.