Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1879-10-22


delphla district, but when the names were
read out his name was among the last, way
down on Snow Hill District. He went
across to his wife, who was in the audience
and bathed in tears. In her feelings of
impending doom, she wanted to know if
they hadn't better "order their collins and
take them down with them" The speaker
came obedient to the command and ready
for any fate, and had to say that his family
had no where any better health, and that
it was one of the happiest and most pros
porous periods of his ministry. 1t was
almost a continuous season of revival and
scarcely prayer meeting was held with
out souls seeking salvation.
EVENING SERVICES.
In the evening by the time of the ring
ing of the first bell good congregation
had assembled, and they came pouring in
until every seat was taken. The choir led
off in another of its grand anthems, "Now
let the gates of Zion ring" followed by an
impressive prayer by Rev. Mr.. Gracey. The |
President, Mr.. Haynes, after hymn by
the congregation, announced Rev John A. !
Roche, of Brooklyn, n. Y. DR.. Roche, in |
addition to being a Smyrna boy and sent |
out by the church here to preach, was also |
pastor for the years 1880, and the mem
cries of fifty years was the inspiration of
the hour, and how grandly and eloquently |
the Past was brought and laid before the
Present in panoramic views for an hour
and a quarter, only those who heard it can
realize. Many remembered his pulpit
ability of thirty years ago, and found that
the intervening years had not abated in
one particle the grasp of his intellect or
his force and command of language. 1t
was with him an occasion when the orator
rises to his full height and reaches a climax
that nothing can be found better beyond.
TO attempt a synopsis is but to mar its
beauty, but to omit it would be injustice
to the incidents and characters that formed
the subject of his discourse. lie said that
it was the privilege of few preachers to
revel in such memories as flooded this 10Th
of October, 1879. lie quoted Longfellow's
opening lines when he returned after fifty
years to address the Alumni of his alma
mater,
90, Cesar, we who are about to die
Salute you was the GlOdiatOrs cry
In the arena standing face To face
With death and the Roman populUcc.
and said such were his feelings on return
| ing to his cl,,a mater. The word he knew
referred to a college, but it meant "benign
MOTHER" and the church n Smyrna was
| his "benign mother" He felt like the
seven sons Of Ephcsus who wer" cast into
a cave for embracing Christianity where,
according to the Legend, they slept 200
years. At the end Of this period they
awoke and emerging again into their native
city were surprised and COMPOUNDED to find
the change. No more persecution and
torture and death, but instead palatal
residences occupied By Christians and grand
temples, where not few disposed Chris
tians met, but the people to worship Christ
as they had formerly focked to their heathcn
temples. But while they found the mass
of the people Christians, they saw that
much worldliness and form had taken the
place Of the simple earnest Christian habits
of the days Of the martyrs. So with him
instead of the simple habits of life and forms
, of worship an@ plain wooden structure OF
the early days, he found magnificent
temple, style, beauty, taste, grand music, a
rich congregation, able to pay off a debt OF
$4,000 in q few days. ooh! Christians,
he exclaimed, =" conjure you, be not in
fcrior in piety to your Fathers !" In
further dwelling on the earlier history o.
the church he said that Bishop Asbury re
corded in his journal that he held con
ference in Kent county, Del, April 2Sth
. 1879, at the residence of Thos. White. A.
this conference there were only seventeen
| preachers including the Bishop, and thi
constituted the Methodist church in Amer
f lea.
Y "To me-" he said, "the veil of fifty year
!. is lifted" On the 10Th of June fifty year
. ago, when boy of fifteen years, with it'll
' knowledge of religion, under the preaching
+ Of those mighty men, Solomon Sharp ant
e Henry G. King, his conviction came like
a thunder clap in a clear sky. Dr. Roch
IS then narrated with thrilling interest hi
l. conversion and the mighty reviva. inhuenc
g that swept through the community like
Y wave Of fire. And this brought him to tn
/. heroes. the men Of power in the church {
" those days Daniel and James Mcdowell
l. Thomas Lambden, Thomas Maybery, Israt
is Peterson, John Gary, Judge Davis, Denne
n Stevenson, Robert Patterson, John Apple
E, ton, Ephraim jefferson. DR.. Perkins, job
It Durborrow, Piner Mansfield, Joseph Farrov
10 Joseph Hofecker, ST., VIM. A. Budd and
% number of sanity women. Besides thes,
d as attendants upon the church, he name
st Samuel Cats, Presley Spruance, SamuC
k Hodgson, John Cummins, Simon Spearmal
/, Benz. Coombe and others.
a. He took up the most Of these person
5. in their individuality and characte
n. lied their habits and mental qualities
x. periods that were truly eloquent an
:" graphic. During the discourse he al.
ar dwelt upon the peculiar force and pow,
a of a number Of the early ministers, but }
Y. declared that for assurance of faith an
10 eloquence in prayer, he had never hear
ut those of Sampson Rogers, coored ma
III who was for a number of years sexton, e
re ce!led. lie said that Smyrna then in
n. business, social and religious make up hs
h. more force and character than he had ev
". seen collected in one community. 1t W
or a world in miniature in population of oil
of thousand people. And church in such
al community required and had to have Il
ee best talent to serve it. 1t gave hi
he pleasure in returning to find that they hi
lis one church for all classes, and hoped Il
as day was distant that they should have
ms church for the intelligent, erudite and ric
ne and another for those who had not the
in opportunities and advantages.
1t, After the anthem 81 cried unto q
n, Lord" the Rev. Mr.. Clymer of Albany, NJ
lie York, was introduced. Mr.. Clymer W
h. the pastor and the inspiring genius in t
is erection of the new church, or rather &
de enlargement seven or eight years ago. ]
lie. thought that the benediction would be t
he most appropriate thing at this time, as
ist was to preach to them on Tuesday evenir
wo but he would call their attention to only
ed single feature-consecration. This he for
ice BILE set forth in a short but pleasing addre
&c. and after the doxology the audience W
nd dismissed by the Apostolic benediction p
p" nounced by Rev. Mr.. Haynes.
Ter The early history of the church, viz: t
he period between the formation of t
society and the recollections as Civ
re. above, it will be seen, were not brought o.
ir. 1t was intended for DIR. Ph@bus to SUBJ
this history, and it only fails in the recor
m. of the day because of his detention fro
wn sickness.
nd. In response to a desire to hear these
wn pastors the Revs. Messrs. Murphy a
lys Clymer made it convenient to remain a
VS.. preach the first on Monday evening fir,
DR.. "Jesus Christ came to seek and save Il
mp. which was lost" and the latter from 81
the son give me thine heart" They W,
rch greeted by good congregations ON both
not casions and both discourses were highly
an preciated. Thus closed one Of the happi
the events that has ever transpired in 1
e