Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-03-23

The Rev. JOs. J. Ridley.
Last week an eminent Christian
minister passed away from the
scenes of his earthly ministrations,
whose decease cannot be allowed to
pass unnoticed in GAINESVILLE. The
Rev. Joseph J. Ridley, ID. d., was
elected Rector of Trinity Church,
GAINESVILLE, in November, 1853,
and resigned June 24th, 1860,
having been appointed President of
the East Tennessee University at
Knoxville. During his residence in
GAINESVILLE, seven years, he is re-
corded to have baptised 100 persons
and confirmed ZIG. This is his
record in the Church books. On the
hearts of his people his memory is
stamped as that of an ever jealous
and simple minded Christian I'M
wearied in well doing. This interest
seems to Rave been specially mani
tested in the poor and the young.
No day ever passed during
which he was not found in some pow
erty stricken cottage alternating
physical wants and ministering
to spiritual troubles. Those who
best remember him here are men
who were youths when he lived
here. To youth and early manhood
his house, simple and frugal yet
cheerful and tasteful, was always a
pleasant home, where, aided by his
excellent wife, his hospitality was
always attractive, because always
genial, intelligent and refined. No
one ever left that quiet parsonage
without feeling that they were the
better and purer for having been
there. Tue following, cut from a
beautiful obituary in the Browns
vile States, only shows that such as
he was when he sojourned among
us, even such he continued to the
day of his death:
He came frequently to the States office
then in our charge, to ask for old newspapers.
which we gladly gave him, but one day,
knowing that he was engaged IN some char
liable deed, we became curious to know how
he could make old newspapers aid in any
good work. He said thaM a very poor and
destitute family had moved into old
house so full of cracks as to render it unin-
habitable in the extreme cold weather, but
with the old papers pasted over the walls
and to go over the bed, he thought he might
keep out the cold, and he did. But his
kindness to this poor family did not end
-raa lit N1faffa lon u
was sent to school and gained the rudiments
of good education. This is but one of
hundreds of instances ofhis sleepless charity
and goodness. His idea of serving the Master
was truly evangical. Christ himself was
not q sermOniZer, and there are but few in
stances in which he preached sermons, the
one on the mount being the most memo
rable, but spent his ministry on earth going
about doing good, healing the sick and
blind, and raising the dead. Trying humbly
to copy his Great Master, DIR. Ridley did not
conceive his Christian duties ended by
preaching one or more sermons week, but
spent the whole week in doing good deeds,
in visiting the sick and needy. While in
the latter years of his life the disease of
which he finally persisted, had made visible
inrOads upon the vigor of his mind, yet
nevertheless he gave many. evidences of
what the man had been in his prime.
He was one of the most accomplished
scholars in the ministry. He wa; man of
large reading, and had fine literary taste
and discrimination. His sermons, the de-
livery of which was somewhat impaired in
y
of paralysis were masterpieces of scholarly
erudition, as well as genuine and unaffected
piety, Like his respected Bishop, he was in
early life physician, before he became
physician of souls. He has been constantly
in the ministry for many years, with the
single exception of the Presidency of the
Knoxville University, in South Carolina,
North Carolina, GAINESVILLE, Tennessee,
Somerville and lastly Brownsville, where
he closed his ministerial labors, he gave
evidence of the love of Christ within him.
Now the good old man has gone. The noble,
Christian gentleman. The meek and humble
follower of the Lord. The quiet and Guilt
waited scholar, with his refined love of flow
erS and books. 1t seems but yesterday that
we met him upon the streets, with cordial
greeting and warm grasp of hands. We can
hardly realize his death. But like an old
warrior when the fight was over, wearied
and worn, and stiffened with long service,
and covered with honorable sears and
bearing within him many blow upon his
loving heart, what could he do but die? So
laying down his battered shield, and sheath
ing his war-worn sword, in his Christian
armor, he fell asleep to wake no more in
this world. But in the land of the hereafter;
the land of Nepenthe, where ruins stern
ploughshare shall never more uproot. and
sba
"Withering pain of earthly frosts
Be never felt again."