The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-03-20
Rev. A. M. Hiil,s Earewen

lul paslorate OF ten years, taking for
his text, Cor. Nv. !, 2:
Now make known unto you. brethren the
gospel which L preached unto w.. ~; .,s,
received. wherein also ye stand, by which also
ye are saved. make known | say in what
words preached II unto you. if ye hold it fast
except ye believe in vain.
The large audience room was filled
to its utmost capacity, thus indicating
the regard and esteem in which he is
held, not only by the members of the
church and society of his pastorate, but
by the community in which he has
lived and labored for the ten years last
past; and the moistened eyes of many,
attested the deep sense of regret expe
rienced in the realization that they |
were listening to a farewell sermon
from their beloved Pastor.
The altar was tastefully and appre-
priately decorated with beautiful flow
ers and plants, while Immediately in |
front and above the pulpit, white
dove, emblem of peace, spread her
wings.
PREDATORY to his discourse. proper,
he submitted the following statement
as to the condition of the church at
the time of his assuming the office of
pastor, and its standing as to mem ber.
ship and finances at the close of his |
labors:
81 close, today, my pastorate of
nearly ten years. 1t is perhaps per
missible, taking a little license from
the greatest of Apostles, to look over
the record of the past. When l began
my work here, the church had a debt,
principal and interest, of $1,000, minus
$35 on hand in the treasury of the La
dies Benevolent Society. Since then
the church and society have expended
in repairs and Improvements and fur
nishing of its property and for its pi'
ano and organ, $4,000. Its present debt
as reported at the annual meeting, mi
nus the amount on hand in the Ladies'
Benevolent Society, is $474. There
have been added to the church 81 by
letter and ITO by profession of faith,
in all 26l, an average of a fraction over
26 per year. The church has lost, by
death, So; by letter, 6S; by discipline.
4; by dropping names of persons long
absent, from the roll, II; total, 139.
This gives a net gain to the church of
l22. The Sabbath School had no Ii
brary at the beginning of this pasto-
f.
of 600 volumes. The enrolment of
the s. S. at the close of the first eight
months of my ministry was 255. Last
year the published report gave an en-
rollment of $40. 1t is not quite SO
much as that at present. There was
no Ladies' Foreign Missionary society
in the church at the beginning of this
pastOrate. Mrs. Hills, during the week
of prayer of the first Winter, formed
one, whose total contributions to the
missionary work in foreign lands has
been $5O5. The total benevolences
of the church, according to it's pub
lished reports in the annual minutes,
have been S653l 90. I have ofticiated
at 149 marriages and 207 funerals. In
addition to my work here, / have
gladly assisted the neighboring church
es whenever l could, in their revival
efforts and, according to ttc IA
of their pastors, God has blessed my
preaching among them to the conver
sion of 292 souls. With full conscious
ness of our utter unwOrthiness and
the sorrowful conviction that vastly
more might have been done, if we had
all been more consecrated. more uni
ted, more prayerful. and more earnest
in the Masters work, we still may ex
claim, in deep gratitude, that God has
been pleased to bless our labor as a
church, so abundantly, Behold what
hath God wrought"
He spoke earnestly and with deep
emotion, impressing all who listened
to him with his tender regard and so
licitude for the church to which he
WAS first called to labor in the service
of the Master, and the effort it cost
him to bid it farewell
The sermon was characteristic of the
man-plain, practical and profound.
After making the above statement
concerning the membership and finan
ces OF the church, he proceeded to the
consideration of the text, first saying
that he wished he could gather up
the ten years of his preaching into one
tender, loving, glowing, burning epit-
ome," and lay it upon the hearts of
his people in way never to be forgot;
ten, and calling upon those who had
heard him most regularly to witness
that he had preached, 1st. "The Lord
Jesus Christ the atoning Savior, the
only hope of man." End. Sc A gospel
which had in it the spirit and power
of moral reforms" 3rd. IA religion
of non-conformity to the world" 4th.
A religion of practical righteous
ness" 5th. "A complete conservation
to the Lord" 9Th. "A religion OF
love and peace" 7th. "Jesus as an
all sufficient Savior" The truths spo.
ken and the lessons taught under each
heading were well worthy the atten-
ton of his hearers. He stated that he
/ always had believed it to be the duty
of churches and ministers to be in ad-
vance of public sentiment and take the
lead in all reformatory movements.
, Acting upon that conviction, he has
> been most faithful in his labors to in.
augurate reforms wherever he saw
they were needed. He said that back
of all professions should be life "hid
: with Christ in God: :" that the Sermon
t on the Mount was the Christians code
of ethics, and that the flaming light OF
the 18th century has not discovered III
it single flaw; "that is the law OF
our daily conduct" that he dared
preach nothing less; that without
something of this practical righteous
ness it is idle to count oneself saving
. 1y reached by Christ, aud summing uI
the sentiment of his discourse very
briefly, he preached a sermon abound
ing with Christian love, an exposition
. of the rules of Christian conduct, and
an earnest appeal to the churc 20 con