Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-12

10 the stricken widow. Resolving
( thAt her children should re 5iucated
and at sacrifices that few mothers have
/ made, she gave her children the advan-
, tsgvs Of the public school course. and OF
/ the classical and mathematical academy
I al Chester, Bn institution thrn OF high
repute. From this academy the two
sons entered the Baptist seminary at
Ludlow, finishing its course at about
the age Of nineteen, aud Immediately
leaving for the wsat, IN order, by teach
Ing, TO secure means for taking a course
10 Brown university and Newton theo-
logical institute. In his nineteenth
Year J. X Graves was elected principal
OF the kingsville academy, Ohio, where
ne remained two years, when, with
broken health, and dlsgusted with the
Intense abolition sentiments Of the peO-
pie, he left 70 spend q winter in Ken
lucky, in order TO rest and travel. There
he was offered and accepted the charge
OF the Clear Creek academy, near Mich.
olasville, Jesssmine county, and here he
attained his majority and cast his first
vote as an American citizen. About
that time he united with the Mount
Frederick church having been convert
ed by Divine grace al the age Of fifteenl,
and was soon after licensed to preach.
without his solicitation or knowledge:
but he would not consent 70 enter the
ministry, feeling himself wholly disqusl-
l1ed for so great q work. Abandoning
now all idea OF going to Brown or New
ton, he resolved 10 devote ten years OF
his life to hard study. For four years he
gave six hOErs 20 the school-rOom and
eight hours to study, going
over college course without
master, trSnslating spd writing out
the entire course, mastering a modern
language yearly, making the Bible the
man OF his counsel, and Paul his pro.
lessor in theology. These years Of bard
study and self-relisnt investigation gave
the peculiar character which belongs TO
his preaching and reasoning. From the
time OF his conversion he was impressed
with the duty OF preaching, and always !
shaped his studies with q view to the |
ministry as his life mission, but breathed |
10 none that he was so impressed. |
Though licensed at twenty-one and or |
dained at twenty-four he persistently re- |
fused to preach, and during all those |
years his soul was oYershadOwed with |
gtoGm-Observing the form of prayer, |
bat unable TO pray in reality-TeligiOus, |
but desperately miserable; and this |
gloom and wTetchedness never left him |
until he took up the Cross, so lOnd de-
clined, some years after. He was called |
to ordination by his church, against his
own desire. The now venerable DR.. |
billiard, Of Lexington, Kentucky, was
the chairman of the examining pres
bytery, and preached the sermon on the
occasion. In 1S45 he married the first
time, and selecting Tennessee as his fu-
ture home, on account Of its central geo.
position, he entered Nash
vile, July 8, lS45. Unheralded, unknow-
ing and unknown, fleeing still from the
pulpit. In few days he had rented q
aud opened the Vine street
Classical and Mathematical Academy"
and had united with the First Baptist
church. In the fall Of l845 he had con-
5ented to take charge of the Second
church, on Cherry street, now the "Cen.
tral Baptist church," and, in the fol-
lowing year, was elected editor Of the
Tennessee Baptist, when his public
religious life, with which all are more or
ess familiar, commenced. tits difficult
10 give even a brief summary of the
work accomplished and the influence
,xerted by an intellect so active, by
powers 80 great and by genius SO tower.
ng as his.