Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-03-28

sue from them the apostolic challenge az
take you, my people, to record this day that
| am pure from the blood Of you all, for
have not Stunned to declare unto you the
counsel of God" your hearts would with
unanimous voice reply "Yes, beloved pastor,
you have been faithful to us you have kept
back nothing that was profitable to us you
have warned us night and day with tears
you have delivered your soul from our blood"
1t would be interesting to speak, if time
permitted, of DIR, Lords very useful labors
outside of his pulpit and his parish; of his
commanding influence in the councils and
conventions of the churches of his work
for the press, especially in connection with
the denomination organ, to which he brought
great accession of strength and usefulness.
As a preacher on occasions, at ordinations,
installations, dedications of churches, and
the like, he was greatly sought after, and
highly acceptable. Among all the ministers
of the denomination in the state, he was the
most marked as a preacher, and filled the
largest place in public estimation, both at
home and abroad
OF DIR. Lords personal and social qualities,
it would be difficult to speak without enthu-
siasm. He was a man who, without effort
on his part, attached to himself as personal
friends the few best men of the able circles
of society. He probably had larger con-
stituency of personal friends among the
leading men of the state, the judges, lawyers,
scholars, doctors, clergymen of all denomina-
tions, men of business and of affairs than
any man whom he has left behind him. If
in one sense his friendships were select, in
another they were catholic. He loved the
society of men of culture--but he also liked
to refresh himself in the racier companion
ship of strong native character as he found
it in hunters in the woods, in fishermen by
the sea, in engine drivers on the railroad.
In any company where he felt at ease he
took delight in putting off the professional
dignity which no man ordinarily carried
better than he, and throwing himself into
the full tide of social enjoyment. On these
occasions all the richness and geniality of
his social nature found expression; he was
in all playful salles of wit and humor,
brightest among the bright he laughed as
no one but good man and Christian can
laugh He was as hearty and healthy in his
recreations as in his labors. lie loved the
woods and the streams and the fish therein.
| He loved the sea. And above all his loves
I for outward things, he loved Vermont. A
native of New Hampshire, a traveller in the
fairest regions of Europe and in the remote
west of our own land, he thought this little
green state of ours the jewel of all the
earth. He would grow eloquent in talking
of its meadows and pastures, of its river,
and brooks, of its mountains and hills and
little valleys that run among them. But
still more he loved the people of Vermont
their staunch and true characteristics, the
noble manhood and womanhood which the
grace of God, superinduced upon the native
character, has wrought out in them.
And this brings us back again TO DIR.
Lords work here, in this church and this
community; for by what he was and what
he did here, he must be estimated. This
was his one and only home; it was here he
garnered up his heart To you he gave his
first youthful affections; in your service he
has expended all the vigor of his ripe man.
hood. Once or twice, perhaps oftener, he
was induced by the urgent calls Of Other
churches to debate the question of settling
elsewhere. But when he looked into the
faces Of those strangers, aud thought of the
old friends he must leave the strings which
bound his heart to yours always pulled sc
strongly upon him that he came back to you
and said; With you, the friends of my youth
I will live and die. The Lord do so to me
and more also, if aught but death part me anc
you" And so you have had the whole ser
vice of his laborious and consecrated life
Thirty years of continuous ministry to on
church is a long period, reckoned by neces
sary changes and by possible results. Within
that time he has performed in many of you
families all the ministries which the churcl
, offers to the varying needs of life. lie ha
baptized you in infancy, received you int
: the covenant of the church. buried those VIII
have " fallen asleep" blessed you in mar
riage, and begun again the same cycle o
! holy ministrations with another generation
, in the baptism of your infant children. Du,
7 ing this time three generations have bee
taught by him in the way of life-the faith
7 ers and the mothers who have gone; vol
t who are now in the strength of your years
4 and the youth who are just stepping out int
e life. A long, happy and useful pastorate,
y church greatly favored of God And it
i exceedingly pleasant to be able to say tha
you have priced your privilege. You do nc
t appreciate all that you have enjoyed as 70
|, will when you come to realize how muc
|. you have lost but to those of us who kno,
l. you both, no less interesting than DIR. Lord
d affection for his people, is their admiri
d tion and love of him. One very mantle,
| evidence of that feeling is this church ed
# fee Out of proportion to your needs and I
e your wealth as compared with churche
" elsewhere, it was your expression of the e
" innate in which you held your pastors an
n by very natural and beautiful association
0. of which you not may have been consciou
h you reared a building which is emblematic
At the man himself. Lofty in proportion
ID solid in structure, warm in colors, it typif
IS the largeness and strength of his mind al
Is the richness of his affections. 1t is a mob
y. monument to his memory-but not Il
er noblest; if you look for that you must loo
~ not around, but within. Ye are his "glo
n and his joys" ye are his "crown of rejoi
Il, ing" in the day of the Lord Jesus,
ne through the truth which he preache
. through the prayers which he offered for al
= with you, your souls have been reclaimed fro
iy sin, your feet set in the ways of righteoI
We ness, and your faces turned toward heave
,g the supreme joy and triumph of his etern
- = life will be when he as your spiritual faith
shall present you to his Saviour and you
rs saying, Behold aud the children who
20. thou hast given me-" And then those W
er are now desolate for loss of this man of &c
,d this master and friend, and are crying O
50 in their dismay "My father, my father, /
ch chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof
iy- will rejoice together with him in their
so union with each other, and in their complet
ha union with their common Saviour.
~ Thus as a friend to friends | have gpok