The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-10


flashed with fire from beneath the heavy
overarching eyebrows. He remembers
the voice that was now softened to
whisper and now resounded in tones of
thunder. He remembers above all the
man who realized his commission as an
ambassador of Christ to dying men, and
who seemed absorbed in the one purpose
of carrying home to the hearts and con-
sciences of his hearers, the great truths
of redemption.
Let us try for a moment to picture to
ourselves the state of the Petersburg
church as he found it. 1t was then com
paratively in it's youth, seventeen years
before it had been organized by the faith
full labors of Rev. DIR. Benjamin H Rice
For sixteen years he had served them
until the little organization of 20 had
grown to strong body of more than 200
communicates. Then he had been torn
away from devoted people by call to
the Pearl Street church, New York
After a few months interval Rev. John
E. Amman had been called and settled as
pastor. Scarcely had the words of in
stallation been pronounced before he was
stricken down by disease and in few
weeks laid in the grave.
1t was to people thus doubly be-
reaved within a year that DR.. Piumer
came. He served them as stated supply
until March 10th, 1881, when he was
unanimously elected pastor. He was
duly installed in July. Rev. William J.
Armstrong and Rev. A. Converse, com
mittee. He found an eldership consist
ing of six honored names, Benjamin Har-
rison and Francis Follet, who had been
elders since the first organization in 1918;
w. M. Atkinson and A. S. Holderby who
had been elders for six years, (since
1920; and Abel Head and Hugh Nelson
Clerk of SESSION. who had been elders
five years (since 1920. Grand men they
were-men with whom any pastor might
feel it a privilege to sit in council-men
between whom and DR.. Plumer the ut
most mutual confidence and affection con-
tinued to the end. They have all gone
long since to their reward, but their
memories and their influences still abide.
He found a diaconate of three, Thomas
Shore, Harry B. Gaines, and A. G. Nc
-Ilwaine, for the latter of whom especially
1t was reserved to render service to the
church first as deacon and then as rul-
ing elder, running over more than half a
century-a service so efficient and so hon
orable that it might well fill the full
measure of ambition of any man who de-
sired to live in the memory of the work
he had done for Christ. DIR. Plumer
found communion roll of 21O, of whom
only seven remain with us to the present
time. The rest are fallen asleep. His
ministry in Petersburg continued four
years, terminating in 1884 by call to
the pastorate of the First Presbyterian
church in Richmond, which greatly to
the sorrow of his people he felt it his duty
to accept. During these four years 129
persons were added to the communion of
the church, of whom only eight remain.
He administered baptism, as the records
show, to 81 infants, many of whom have
since come up to be ofice-bearers and
communicates in the church, whilst one
or two are in the ministry of the gospel.
1t was our purpose to invite him to
come and spend the first Sabbath of Oc-
tober with US, and thus celebrate the
semi centennial of his settlement amongst
us. But before that time came, he was
Frustrated with the disease which ter
minated his honored life. May that
death-bed, which SO illustriously display
ed the power Of divine grace and was Sc
luminous with the light of heaven, preach
to those amongst us upon whom his hands
were laid in baptism, and who listened to
voice they will never hear again on
earth. May counsels long since impaired
and prayers long since offered, now ripen
into fruitage in their conversion to God