Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-12

A good man has fallen and the
mourners go about the streets. A fra
ter beloved has gone to his reward
and the Order of the Temple is in
mourning. A companion of noble,
| spirit and lofty aspirations has gone
from our councils, and the Grand
Commandery of Tennessee deeply
feels its bereavement. To-day it pays
its tribute to the memory of Rev. Sir
Achilles De Grasse Sears, ID. D., Past
| Grand Commander.
Frater Sears was born in Fairfax
county, Virginia, on January /, 1904,
and died in GAINESVILLE, Tennessee,
June Is, 1891, aged eighty-seven years,
five months and fifteen days He
was buried in Greenwood cemetery, of
that city, with Templar honors, Dep
uty Grand Commander Morris con-
Quoting the ceremonies.
Our frater was of Norman descent,
and he began his earthly career under
the blighting influence of deistic in
struction, his inheritance from la belle
| France. He was enthusiastic of that
dreary belief, as of everything else
| that interested him, but his reading of
Gods Word, in order to arm himself
with weapons to destroy it, became
| the means of his conversion to Chris
| tianity and to his entrance into the
| Christian ministry. He was trained
| for the profession of law, and had
ready eloquence, hence when he put
on Christ in the waters of Elkhorn
river, Kentucky, his heart yearned
for opportunity to proclaim to others
| the new happiness that had entered
| his soul. He began at once to study
divinity, and in 1910, two years after
| his baptism, the same clergyman who
led him down into the baptismal wa
ters laid hands upon him, and, assist
| ed by others, set him apart to the
ministry of the gospel in the Baptist
denomination.
Doctor Sears undertook this new
work with his accustomed zeal, took
charge of church in Louisville, and
| during twelve years served the church
in HopkinsvilIe. But his chief pleas
ure lay in missionary work, and he
preached the gospel in many places
in Kentucky. This continued until
the breaking out of the war between
the States, in 1860.
The impulsive Virginian was South
ern in all his feelings and sympathies,
and when secession came he resigned |
the pastorate, because of the divided |
sentiment of the church, and removed |
South. During the war he preached |
in Macon, Ga, and in Columbus, |
Miss, and to the Confederate soldiers. |
But when, at the close of the strife, |
he attempted to return to Hopkins |
vile he was forbidden by the Federal |
authorities, and he was compelled to |
stop at GAINESVILLE, where the COM
handing officer treated him with great |
consideration. There were only TWEEN
ty five Baptists in GAINESVILLE when the
earnest man pitched his tent there,
but on January /, 1868, he buckled on
his pastoral harness, and never put
it off until he fell asleep on the bosom
of his Savior twenty-five years after
wards And behold, he led the rapidly
increasing flock into green pastures
and beside the still waters.
Brother Sears was made a Master
Mason in Louisville, KY, in 1919, a
Royal Arch Mason in 1850, Knight
Templar in the same year, both in
Hopkinsville, where he served his
Commandery during twelve years as
Commander. He affiliated with |
GAINESVILLE Commandery No. s, in
1867, and was its Commander during
twelve years. He was elected Grand
Commander in 1870. He was a jealous
FreemasOn, a painstaking officer, a
noble, generous, high spirited frater,
and genial companion, as well as a
gentleman in all that term includes,
The writer knew him well, and was
tenderly attached to him.
1t was permitted to DR.. Sears to live
long beyond the commonly allotted |
period of natural existence, and he was
vigorous in mind and body up to the
day of his fall, which terminated |
fatally. Strange enough, he neither
wore out nor rusted out in the service |
of his master. He was as popular
while delivering his last sermon as he
was during the delivery of his first,
twenty-five years before. His heart |
clung to his faithful wife, children,
church, the Masonic fraternity, and |
with the Confederate Bivouac. With |
almost TRANSPORTED expression he
asked the loved ones gathered at his
couch to sing 81 am Going Home
TO morrow" And it was a melting
scene when his aged wife, was
assisted to the bedside, and find
ing his thin hand already cold, wrap
ped her shawl about it, murmuring,
"May | not kiss him now ?' May the
Father we adore surround the dying
touches of us all with love like that.
Brother beloved, farewell This
sunny May morning the flowers bloom
in the greensward that covers thy
ashes and tell us thou shalt live again.
The Pearly Gate has one more attend
ant to welcome to their reward those
whom he knew and loved here below.
Yes, he is watching and waiting while
chanting the praises of redeeming
love. Watching the homeward flight
of the swift messengers who bear to
Paradise the tidings of the conversion
of those he loved waiting to bid us all
welcome to the rest that remaineth to
the people of God, that rest purchased
by the blood of Emmanuel.
Soldier OF Christ, well done;
BE praise thy new employ;
And, while eternal ages run,
Rest in thy Savlors joy.
&C. CoENoR.
Chattanooga, May Z 1892.