Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-04-07
FROM NEW PROVIDENCE.

Out dA ny no ueduS iuuluSitHG W
them and their influence upon the
children and religious society of
GAINESVILLE. liked all the speeches
very much. That man Bro. Broad
hurst is level headed, warm-hearted
worker for the kingdom of Jesus.
His plain, practical, heartfelt utter
ances receive force in the fact that be-
hind them lies heart consecrated to
christian work. Bro. Riley's speech
did me good. like man that can
take an idea, deyelope it and quit.
Riley was conscious of lofty truth !;
and self-consciousness of a great truth,
new and revolutionary, asserted, main
tanned and thoroughly established, will
make man great. Tented field, study
hall and haunts of genius have demon
strated this. | liked especially the
speech Of Bro. Macrae. A preacher
or lawyer M y address an audience as
matter Of course; but consecrated
christian worker unused to public
speaking may, from purest, heartfelt
sympathy, arise to advocate the cause
for which he labors and sacrifices only
to find that his tongue tied heart will
not indite. Being near Mr.. Macrae
and hearing all he said, [ found that
he was uttering some of the richest
truths pertaining to this blessed cause.
DIR. McFerrin rambling reminescen-
tails were rich and racy; smacking
much of tie oiden time. There is this
in all DR., McFerrin's public and pri-
yate service in the church of his choice
and childhood he holds with living
faith to the doctrines of "a holy life and
conservation to God. | hope that he
may live for many years to teach our
children that man may be tip top
christian gentleman, and never go to a
circus or theatre, swear an oath, tell a
lie, or drink intoxicating liquors.
l don't know that Bro. Brown S
modesty will become criminal, but one
thing is certain to my mind, and that
is, that when such man as r. K.
Brown sends for help in a revival
meeting he risks great deal. There
is this redeeming feature in the man,
however he is about as happy in his
selection of assistants as he is in the
selection of the rich material compris-
ing his capital sermons.
| don't agree with the Chronicle
and the Chronicle doesn't care fig
that Drs. McFerrin and Leftwich are
representatives of the Methodism of
the past and present. Every funda-
mental principle of the christian sys-
tenn as taught in Wesleyan Methodism,
and the Bible standard of a holy life
that God enjoins upon all who would
enter within the gates into the city,
are earnestly contended for in the life
and labors of each Of these yoke-fel-
lows in the gospel. And | earnestly
contend that no evil has multiplied IN
the church of God in the last half cen
tury in greater proportion than its
membership. Of DR.. McFerrin it is
useless to write.
DIR, Leftwich is native Tennessee
an, and, l believe, native of Maury
county. He was received into the
Tennessee Conference when a. young
man and soon transferred to Mo-, where
for twenty years he has toiled in the
Masters vineyard with great success.
1t is hard - tell whether he is greatest
with tongue or pen. His is the pen OF
a ready writer, and he has been no
mean contributor to the Methodist
literature o { the past fifteen years. [
remember him as "Crayon" in the
Home Monthly. He would hoist his
easel, dip his brush, and throw out
upon the canvass before you living
bishop-breath excepted. His pict-
ures are good and stand the test OF
time. [ have watched the Bishops as
they come along down the current his
tory of Methodism; thought of DIR.
Leitwich and wondered which was the
greater the artist or his subject. His
sketch of Munsey and Punsheon as
they appeared in ST. Louis two weeks
apart was the most electric and thrill
ing of any that | have read from his
pen. His 'Martyrdom in Missouri, y
a book of several hundred pages is one
of the most horrible pictures of civil
war that has ever met my sight. If il
is not read it will be because the peo-
pie SILVER and shrink away from a
bloody chasm into the crimson tide Of
which was poured some of Missouri's
richest ministerial blood, and not from
any want of ability or earnest fervol
on the part Of the author. DIR. Left
wich returns to US as he left us-an
itinerant preacher. May his welcome
be warm and appreciative, and his life
long and useful.
l shall miss my good Bro. John
P. McFerria by saying that he bears
about in his body the best evidence OF
a well-fed, well-clothed and well cared
for preacher of any man in all this re-
gion, except "our beloved Presiding
Elder :" and if England ever sends me
an order for an American minister OF
regular John Bull contour and habit,
John may commence at once the prep
aration of a sermon on the text, Fl
nalIy, brethren, farewell"
The meeting was a success, yet not
a success. Precious souls were brought
into a saved relation to Christ, but the
/ heart of GAINESVILLE was not moved.
Under the present regime it never will
be- | wish God had fifty thousand
GAINESVILLE dollars in the hands of a
man fresh alike from among the schools
and the people. A man who could
lift with purest ministerial solicitude
a poor, bereaved and troubled house
| hold from their haunts of wretched-
/ mass and hrip0 tham IN Tho hO11sa of