Smyrna times., 1884-07-16

He took hold of Gods strength" |
Mansfield lived, and the people said,
"Sharp's prayers " would not let him
die. Mrs. VIM. A. Budd, a daughter
of Judge Isaac Davis, one of the most |
intelligent members of his charge, said,
"If Solomon Sharp prayed for her, she
was sure of heaven" So spoke the
people who knew him best.
Henry c. King was not less a char
acter. In him there was nothing com
mon-place There was little in his
labors to remind one of other men.
Nature had given him a fine form, a
strong constitution, and he was full of
nervous energy. lie was in his prime,
and had the physical ability, to do any
kind or amount of service that he at
tempted. He was an earnest christian,
he famed with light-he burned with
zeal, and all his labors showed a
qucnchless ardor. The caution to
"spare thyself," might have met the
same rebuke from him that it received
OF our Lord. As the patriot spurns
the considerations of life's value, when
he rushes into the thickest Of the fight,
and asks nothing but rictory, so Henry
G.. King counted not his life dear
unto him, so that he might finish his
course with joy" To him apathy was
damning. If ever the writer saw
man, whose soul said with that of
Christ, z" | would that you were cold
or hot, but because you are neither, l
will spue thee out of my mouth" that
man was King. Alert, energetic, un-
qualified and untiring in his efforts he
could not endure indifference. With a
live and consecrated intellect, he was
studious of, and fruitful in the use of
means for success. Preaching was
with him, a means to an end, and if,
by the subjects Solomon Sharp delight
ed to treat, he revealed some of his
characteristics-the same was the case
with King. lie showed his purpose in
his themes. Such were his texts" he
received him joyfully, urging conrcr-
sion -" Surely | come quickly!
Amen. Even SO come Lord Jesus" :"
startling men with the terrors of the
last day. From "Gideon's Army " he
took occasion to tell the supinc, they
were in the way of Gods work-that
it was not by the thirty-two thousand,
but by the three hundred God would
save Israel. He charged nominal
christians to "get out Of the way" If
he was not a sensational preacher, he
was preacher to make a sensation {;
and would so preach as to stir men.
These two ministers in Smyrna cir
cult were not duplicates. They were
each the complement Of the other. But
there was unity in this diversion The
two showed how diverse are the Divine
methods in comprising His ends. L
= the one was pre-eminent in tearing
down the kingdom of Satan, the other
e was pre-eminent in building up the
kingdom Of Christ. There rds contrast
One was serene and uniform; the Other
was vivid and versatile. One shOnC
= like star, the other shot like {
meteor. The one rested in God like {
rock in its fastness, the other was like
goodness i'll perpetual motion"
Sharp was an oracle, King was ;
; "Tongue of Fire" If one communi
Gated his wisdom, the other impaired
his warmth. Sharp said in my hearing
he "could love God with all his heart
as easily as he could drink that glass o
water" Taking the tumber in hi
hand, he. added he could belev,
4 Gods promise to him, as easily as h,
could turn his hand, suiting the action
: to the word No man that eve
> knew, seemed to me 50 fully as King
: to verify st. Paul's exhortation
i "Rcjoice ercrmore, pray orihhoW ceasiag
l. and in erelything gire Honks." Hi
, prayers were full of praises. As a boy
> convert, my reverence for Solomon
; Sharp was such that stood and look
$ ed at the ground he walked on, anC
c felt as if it were "holy earth"
2 bought my first volume of Watson
v Institutes" just out, from him, and oh
{ tanned other works, as he suggested
Il He did me great good. But ther
/,
5 under God, owe so much for my con
2 version, and for my spiritual support
y in my early christian life, as to Henr,
> Grubb King. Oh how | bless hi
{ memory.