The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-01

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turned TO Columbia, and died Sept. go
1875
( The Meeting of the Methodist Con
t KregafiOn Tuesday night.
= The members ofthe Methodist church
= and the official board, met at the Hal
Tuesday night, to hold consultation
: and dispose of important business
At "A meeting of the official board last
: Friday, I'll. P. Figuers, Il. H. Williams
and Geo. G.. Miner were appointed
committee to draft suitable resolutions
in regard to the death of DIR. Smith. In
presenting the appended resolutions
Mr.. Figuers said:
Mr.. Chairman: The occasion that has
brought us here to night is one of deep
and melancholy interest. One of the
chief pillars of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, South, has been struck
down by the mighty arm OF death. DR..
A. w. Smith is no more. The place
which he SO worthily filled among the
sons of men, is vacated, and vacated for
ever. From a denizen of time, he has
become an inhabitant of eternity. That
brain, "dome of thought and palace OF
the SOUL" heretofore occupied in such
ceaseless activity in devising plans fol
the ameliorstion of his kind and for the
preser vation In Its purity .Of his church's
religion, is tenantless and deserted.
feeling, and generous emotion, and
which ever throbbed vigorous responses
to the calls of duty and of humanity,
that noble heart is still and cold, and
| pulseless in the tomb. These lips, from
which were wont to flow, as from q
| fOunt, the maxims of wisdom and the
| precepts of experience, are sealed and
| hushed in the silence of death: and on
us, o, never more on us, shall beam the
| light of that countenRnce in which were
so beautifully mingled the hues of be-
nightly and intelligence. And is the
announcement true? Is DR.. Smith no
more, indeed? All that is heshly and
| perishable; the outward visible incar-
nation of the inward, invisible spirit,
| truly has departed from us, but the
soul itself surYives-survives to awak-
en-, to enkindle, to- ennoble. It's flesh
es illuminate the gloom of the present,
and will penetrate far, far, into the
dark ness OF the future. And, indeed,
death can achieve no triumph perma~
nent and decisive over the great aud the
good. They live in the beauty of their
example: they exist in the grateful re-
membrance of their contemporaries: their
memories are embalmed in song, and
cenOtaphed in history: the silence of
the sylvan solitudes yields place to the
whisper of their renown: the valleys
chant their praise with the voice of all
reverberate the grateful theme Yes.
though DIR. Smith will come in and go ont
no more before this people; though he
has passed away from among men;
yet, still he lives-lives IN the beauty of
a holy and spotless life. That Cody
life is rich legacy to us; and his trium-
plant death was a strong testimonial of
the power, and value OF that religion
he preached to us. AS the pillar OF
cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by
night, guided the Israelites Of old; and
as the Star OF Bethlehem led the wise
men of the East to the infant Saviour,
so will his bright and pure life, by the
power of its influence, ever lead us on,
and on to God.
In conclusion, Mr.. Chairman, pre-
sent the following preamble and reso
lutions to the house:
In the inscrutable providence of AL
mighty God our beloved PASTOR, Rev. DR..
ing of Sept. 23d, 1875, removed from our
midst by death: For FIVE years he had min
iStered unto this people in holy things; for |
five years he had broken unto them the
bread of life; for five years he had stood
brave sentinel on the watch-tower Warning ..ntig
is the way, walk We in it," Just at the
close ofthe last year his life went out
went out, not as the sun that sinks behind
tine darkened west, but like the morning |
star that melts away into the light OF heaV- |
en-. He fell asleep
AS SW06Jly as
Whom neither thought distuTbs nor care |
encumberS,
Tired with long play at close of summers |
day,
Lies down and slumbers;"
And then his pure spirit went to its home |
and its God.
During his long ministry here he did a |
great work for his church. From few |
members he built up large and flourish
ing congregation. DIR. Smith was an I'M
firing laborer in the vineyard of his Lord.
HR WA q bQ rd a faithful
in all things, He prepared his sermons
with care, and delivered them with an
earnestnesS and zest worthy of the cause.
His spOtlesS and immaculate life was one
grand and continual sermon, and his tri
ton. He was good pastor. He visited his
people, and was comforting companion to
them. He was especially friend to the
poor and humble, the sick and gr1ef-strtck-
Ell. He did not confine his visits to mem
beers of his own congregation, but there was
a tender chord in his heart for every sor-
rowing son and daughter of Adams race;
and this is why everybody loved him. He
was kind, sympathetic, cOngenial, unobtru~
know was to love and respect. Whether on
the tented field, in social life, or in his min
iSterial work, he was keenly alive to duty.
'Twere as easy to turn the sun from his path
as TO turn DR.. Smith from the path of duty.
Strong personal piety, kindness of heart,
and an unwavering determination to do his
duty to man and his God were perhaps his
most prominent characteristics. No won
der that such a character should be regard
ers of the Tenn eSSee Conference, But he
is gone! That full and manly brow will no
more confront US from this pulpit; no more
will his hand he raised to beckon us unto
that land of rest-to that home of which he
spoke just before his spirit fed; no more
will that benign cOuntenance beam upon
us. No more will his voice be heard at the
sweet hour of prayer; no more will his
cheerful face beam around our hearths and
tables, Thereupon be 1t
Resolv ed, That in his death we have lost
one of the best of pastors; the church one of
her most valiant defenders, one of her pur-
est ministers; the community man great
in goodness; the poor and distressed an un-
wRYering and comforting friend.
Resolved, That we bow in submission to
the IN ySterious dispensation of Providence
in removing our beloved pastor from
us, and that we will endeavor so to live
that when we come to die we may be full
of that hope which builds an elysiun for
the soul in that distant Alden wh ere life
becomes an endless splendqf.
RegQtved, That we deeply sympathize
with his family in their deep bereavement;
and offer them that Consolation which the
Bible gives, "Whom the Lord loyeth He
chasteneth."
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions
be furnished his family, and published In
the city papers and Christian Advocate.