Daily Republican., 1879-06-21
SUNDAY READING.
REV, JOSEPH LYBRAND.


week gives an article by Rev. George
W. Lybrand on the call of his venera-
ble father to the ministry. together
with his (the father's) views Of such a
call. 1t appears from this article that
Bro. Lybrand was licensed to exhort on
the 9th day of October, A. D., 1910, by
the Rev. VIM. Hunter, who was at that
time p. i. of what was theI known al
the Schuylkill district, and in less than
fourteen years from that period he had
passed through all the grades of minis
ierial advancement, and was himself
appointed p. 4. Of the same district,
which then took in all the territory
north of Philadelphia and west of the
Delaware river embraced in the Phila-
delphia Conference, including Lancas-
ter and Harrisburg in the west as well
as Chester, Wilmington and New Castle
in the south.
What district was this to travel over
every three months OH horse back. l
remember very we'll of being on the
street one Friday afternoon looking for
the appearance of Mr.. Lybrand, for
the quarterly meeting was to commence
that night and unless sick or disabled
ia some way he was surs to put in an ap
pearance. In due timehe was seen coming
up Market street astride his faithful
horse with the dust of travel all about
him. When riding horseback he usu-
ally wore leggins made Of some kind of
velvet, all buttoned up at the sides.
His arrival was soon reported and the
household gladdened. Strange as it
may appear to day, | find by reference
to the published minutes for the year
QS24) that there were but seventeen
regular itinerant preachers Of the Meth
odlst persuasion engaged in all that
territory, and six Of this number were
on circuits and stations in the city of
Philadelphia.
At this time the writer was but boy
not yet in his teens, but he has lively
recollection of the interest produced in
Old Asbury, which was then the only
Meth hodist church in the Borough, on
the return of every quarterly occasion,
when the eloquent Ly brand was always
expected to preach at least twice during
the meeting, which ordinarily began on
Friday night. The love feasts, which
were an interesting feature of the quar-
terlies in those days, were always held
on Sabbath mornings, occupying an
hour or two previous to the public
service, and hither the christian pill
grims were glad to come from all the
surrounding country, from Newark,
Christiana, Newport. New Castle, Bran
dywine, Bethel and Chester. These
were times of refreshing to many a
wayward veteran of the cross.
But the eliminating point of interest
arrived when the youthful looking Pre-
siding Elder Cfor he was then about
thirty years Of age) arose in the pull
pit to announce and read, as he only
could, his first hymn to congregation
always crowded, aud all aglow with
expectation for the coming sermon,
preceded, as it generally was by a
prayer OF wonderful pathos. Who that
can recall the scenes and incidents ol
those days was ever disappointed the
dignifed, ministerial bearing of the
man as he moved about amongst the
people, impressed them at once that ht
was a man of one work, a true embas-
sador of the Lord Jesus Christ hi,
great knowledge of the scriptures ,enab
ling him on all suitable occasions tC
make the most appropriate selections
from that rich treasury his copous FLOW
of chaste and elegant language, his
almost angelic appearance as he warm
ed with his theme, appeared some
times to amount to inspiration, to
on tn ose occasions he bore his hearers
away to the very gates of the celestia
city, whereas Bunyan beautifully says
When the gates were opened to let Pill
grim in, he got glimpse, an insid'
view, and heard the harpers harpine
upon their harps.
One occasion is engraven on my
memory. 1t was on Sunday night, th'
! church was crowded to its utmost ca
y pacity, the Importance of the speaker
mission appeared to rest upon him il
d an unusual degree, so that while h'
was yet preaching, he fell upon hi
= knees in the pulpit and there con
tinued most eloquently to plead will
j. the people to b. reconciled to God. |
was upon this occasion that full
grown boy sitting amongst others o,
!. the stairway that led to the old boz
} pulpit, who was very much overcom
by the scene transpiring around him
h gave vent to bis feelings in most ex
r traerdinary degree. That boy subse
: quently became preacher, was ad
= mitted into the Philadelphia Confer
s ence in 1881, Travelled between 81
and 40 years, and filled many of the chic
stations both in Philadelphia and New
York cities.
: : He never rested from his work unit
one Tuesday in the year 1866. afte
having preached his last sermon on th
d previous Sabbath morning, from "Le
# me die the death of the Righteous ant
let my last end be like his" Will
. sitting in his study reading sermon
: to his wife, the book fell from his hand
' and he was not for God took him. Ex
: cuse this depression for it is very nat
ural one. The memory of Joseph Ly
brand with those who klew him il
those days, is as precious ointmen
poured forth. | was present in tn
i basement, of st. Andrews church a
I Eighth and shipley streets, at the clos
Il of the first Conference held in Whining
! ton in the spring of 1882, when hi
name was read out by Bishop Heddini
for Asbury church, and heard the mur
. muring notes of satisfaction and glad
i, ness as they passed from one to anothe
: At the announcement He was considered
at the time to be most fit successor Q
that eloquent christian gentleman, tn
I. Rev. John Kennedy, whose very sue