The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-09
w. II. Hempllill ID. ID.

At meeting of the congregations of
Cedar Spring and Long Cane held at
Long Cane on Saturday, the 9Th of
August, the following preamble and
resolutions were unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, it has pleased an all.wise
Providence to remove by death Rev.
w. r. Hemphill, D. D., from our midst,
we think it eminently proper that we,
as a congregation, should manifest our
sorrow at this'sad event.
DR.. Hemphill was for more than
eleven years Pastor of these Churches.
In the fall Of 1886 he came to us as q
probationer from the First Presbytery,
and preached four Sabbaths and q
week day with great acceptance. He
then returned to Allegheny to finish
his theological course under the direc-
ton of Dr. John Il. Pressly. The con-
gregation Immediately resolved to make
an effort to secure him as their Pastor.
He was unanimously elected Pastor of
these congregations, md in November
Of the same year Presbytery sustained
hundred dollars. This call was signed
Iby all the members of the Church and
many who were not members OF any
Church. The call was accepted by him,
and on Friday, the 18th of June, 1887.
he made his appearance amongst us at
the house of Or. G. w. Pressly, and on
the following Sabbath preached his first
sermon, as Pastor at Long Cane, from
these words Then answered Peter
and said unto Jesus, Lord it is good for
US to be here; if thou will let US make
three tabernacles, one for thee, one for
Moses and one for Elias" From that
day until his removal from amongst us
all his energies of body and mind were
devoted to the interests Of our people
and the building up of our Church. He
spent the vigor and bloom of his man
hood here. Here TOO, perhaps, his most
splendid pulpit efforts We're made. 1t
was during his passionate that the Order
of Deacons vas established and the use
of tokens abolished. The Church was
greatly built up and prospered in his
day. He was fearless in the denuncia-
ton of crime, no matter how or by
whom committed. 1t was during his
passionate amongst us that the temper
ance reformA reached its zenith. He
was one of it's most able and fearless
advocates, and he who tarried long at
the wine received no mercy ut his
bands. He was not only distinguished
as all able and faithful minister of the
Gospel but he welded a ready and
graceful pen. Who that has read our
Church paper for the past thirty years,
does not know with what eagerness the
articles signed HI" were looked for
and read. His ability and worth was
not local or confined to the limits Of his
own congregations, but vas co.exten-
sive with the bounds of the Associate
Reformed Presbyterian Church. At
the meeting of Synod in lS4S he was
elected to a protessorship in Erskine
College. 1t was considered by his
friends that q wider field of usefulness
was opened up to him, and under all
the circumstances he concluded to &C.
cept the position offered him. It was
with heartfelt sorrow, both Oh his part
and ours, that the endearing relation of
pastor and people was broken up.
Perhaps it is not saying too much
that no man has done NOR to prt mote
the interests of the Church and htr in,
stitutions than DR.. Hemphill. lie
literally wore himself outin her service.
On the morning Of Friday, the 18th OF
July, with. very little pain or suffering,
in the full possession Of his mental
faculties, he calmly and peacefully bid