The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-09-20


all excepting four, one of which fell in
pastor he was a prop and counsellor
with his brother church officers he was
fellow workman to the children of the
Sabbath School, of which he was for years
superintendent, he was father; to all
the members of the household of faith
he was an exemplary and sympathetic
brother; to the ungodly he was a chari-
table, patient helper. But above all
things in his walk through life he a0aS
the friend of the poor, more bent to raise
the wretched than to rise"
In speaking of Mr.. Price as the friend
of the humble and the poor, the pastor
quoted as applicable these lines from
Goldsmiths Deserted Village:
Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride.
Their welfare pleased him, and their cares dis
To them his heart, his love, his griefs were
given
But all his serious thoughts had rest in heaven.
AS some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the
storm,
spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head"
The grand lesson of Mr.. Prices quiet,
unostentatious holy life was said by the
pastor to be set forth in the last written
words of Rev. DIR. Charles Hodge, of
Princeton, The best way of doing is by
being good" Words of comfort were
then spoken to the stricken family and
friends of Mr.. Price.
The congregation then sang another
of Mr.. Prices favorite hymns
when sins and fears prevailing rise"
When the singing ceased the Rev. DIR.
G. F. Deems, pastor of the Church of the
Strangers, spoke. After alluding to his
long acquaintance and high regard for
Mr.. Price, DR.. Deems made an appeal to
his business asso oiates. He said sub
stantially:
Now, gentlemen, you have known
Mr.. Price thirty years. He has been
with you in the calms that oppressed and
the storms that swept the sea of trade.
You know what manner of man he was.
None of you ever suspected him of even
the slightest pretence. You were not
long in discovering that that which made
his character sc admirable and his life so
peaceful was not natural endowment,
but supernatural grace. You will hear
shot through the noise of business slurs On
the Christian religion, and in your read
ing you will meet with sinister criticisms
of the gospel and sneers at the Church.
Your memory will enable you to stand
against them ALL You will say that you
are not scholars enough even to give
Judgment on these questions, but you
will remember that there aOoS William
IT. Price. Whatever made him what he
was you must have. He was an incar-
nation of the gospel, living epistle Of
the truth as it is in Jesus One life like
that, if not an answer to all the ques-
tlons OF lnfdelity, sweeps them aside as
comparatively unimportant.
Now l turn from the men of the
world to the men of the Church. You
know how Mr.. Price clung to Westmin-
ster church when there was almost moth
ing to hold to. You know that the ma
terial aid he gave it was not to be com
pared to the spiritual help which his in
cessant prayers, his sleepless solicitude,
his brotherly sympathies and his godly
life afforded. His value to the church was
SO singular that none of his brethren can
feel that their church-life is under-esti-
mated by the high estimate placed upon
his. Now when the Head Of the Church
such a man, does not the Holy
Spirit bring to each one of you the sug-
gestion that he must take up at least a
portion Of what Mr.. Price laid down
Do not let that suggestion die out of your
heart, but, stimulated by his noble life
and Christian death, close up the ranks
and by Gods grace make your church
stronger on earth as the number of its
members is increased in heaven"
When DR.. Deems concluded his remarks
the choir sang, amid impressive silence,
Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep,
calm and undisturbed repose
Unbroken by the last Of foes
As the great congregation moved in
procession by the bier and looked for the
last time on earth upon the calm coun-
tenance Of the good man. there were but
few eyes that were not moistened by
tears.
Mr.. Prices body was taken to his ma
tive State-Virginia-and there laid
with his loved ones who have gone be-
fore and who await the resurrection Of
the Just. VfRpR1.
Ne1o York, September 18th, 1882.