Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-11-15
DIR. Loriclk Pfnrca.
''Know We not that prince and great
man hath this day fallen in Israel -
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A hltOW yc not NAttt a prince anu q gree
/, man hath this day fallen in Israel ?"
. Upon thousands of lips through
) out the land trembIcs this mournfu
, exclamation Of King David, "Knoy
We not that a prince and grea
man has this day fallen in Israel p
Never since that melancholy morn
ing in March when the father anC
founder of Methodism closed hi
earthly career, could the children O
that Church more appropriately
make the pathetic inquiry, or decIa
ration, for in the death of DIR. Low
lex Pierce, a princeand great mar
has fallen.
He was recognized prince in all
the ranks of life, and great man
whenever and wherever found.
We have not space to give the
many beautiful incidents which por-
tray so lovingly the old man in the
tender relations of priest and prince
at home. BY the will of God he
served almost three generations,
and of that service il is meet that a
! grateful generation make mention.
While we mourn his loss there
should be feeling of thankfulness
that God hoRored us in the giving
of such prince and great man.
1t is not our province to portray
the last scene. That it was the last
scene in the life of good and great
man is sufficient to move profound
ly the emotional nature Of all good
and great men.
Suffice it to say that there were
no sad memories laden with tears.
The closing record had no blot
witch the dying hand would have
hid. His dying words we have not
heard, but we know that for long
time the windows had been open
toward Jerusalem. and we can i'm
agine the sense of rest which came
upon the old watcher as he dis
cerned his coming Lord His death,
we doubt not, was in harmony with
his long and useful life.
His work was one of high and
holy love, and God gave him the
strength to complete it, and to re-
view it with pleasure.
In responding to the fraternal
greetings of brethren from the
North at the last General Confer
ence, he said, 81 suppose / am the
first man ninety-four years old, that
ever came to General Conference as
an active delegate"
Just here we might well empha-
size his work for the Church, be-
cause it was so well done, and 50
unmurmuringly. He was imbued
with aspirit Of sacrifice seldom seen,
now that the Church is rich, and
perhaps quite as rarely in the days
of her poverty.
He was earnest and untiring, too,
in all methods and measures for adj
vancing his beloved Methodism.
Not only SO, but he was equally
Jealous that no errors should creep
in and corrupt her creed.
He wished the line of demarka-
ton between the world and Church
distinctly drawn, and when stepped
over, he prayed that it might not
be from his side.
But, while his religion was al
ways prominent, he was warm and
genial in his nature, and had rare
magnetism of manner, so that he
was favorite in the social circle,
with young and old.
The most delightful communica-
tions [ have ever read, not except
ing even those of that prince of let
ter-writers, VIM. Cowper, were from
his pen, on occasions of reunions.
/ will not say that his wit sparkled
like wine, because his Christian vir-
tues shone so much the brighter. 1t
was not like feasting at the table of
the gods, where even the nectar was
poisoned by passion and prejudice;
it was like eating the mamma, white
and glistening, which the hungry
IsraeIites picked up as they tainted
in the desert. And so of all his writ
ing, and he was an author of no
mean repute, there was purity and
life-giving power. In this respect
our current literature has suffered
heavy loss, for count him a moral
hero, who sets himself against the
flood of impurity which is pouring
from our presses. 1t was only little
boy who pressed his feeble bodyup to
the leaking wall which shut off Hol-
land from the sea, but that effort
saved from a miserable destruction,
millions of human beings.
His work for the Church of his
choice was not selfish. He was
courteous and catholic toward all
differing denominations. United to
Methodism by term of service in
her ministry outreaching the lives
of most men, he felt Lively inter
est in the success of others, who, in
the spirit of the Master, were work
ing in the great vineyard. Hence,
not only in the ranks of Methodism
was he loved and revered, but was
regarded as a "brOther beloved by
all sister Churches.
AS representative of Southern
Methodism, he was specially hon
ored, and not by this Southern
Church alone. Beyond the bounda-
ries of our. own country, beyond the
great lakes of Canada, beyond the
sea, in all the Christian countries of
Europe, in the distant mission
fields-possibly wherever the story
of the Cross is told, the name of this
prince and great man is known and
honored. Known and hOnored not
only as mighty man of God, but
as a representative of Southern
Methodism. In this relation the