Connecticut western news., 1893-12-07

Sherman, N. Y., as member of the Buffalo Presb, tery. Short pastorates followed in Warren, Penn, and in Springville and Ellicottville, N. Y. In 1853 he came to East Canaan, bringing blessing to this whole region. In 1860 he was transferred to the church in West Winsted. Then came the awful year in Southern prisons that changed the ravens wing upon his brow to the white plume that has been our ori- famme. Release from prison under parole, brought him back to his pulpit and pastorate with new power and earnestness. In 1865 he went South again to teach the race whom he had helped to free. In 1866 he became the pastor of the New School Presbyterian church in Milwaukee, resigning the pastorate in 1870 to facilitate the union for which he had labored between that church and it's Old School Presbyterian neighbor. Then followed ten years work in Jersey City; five years in the 2nd Presbyterian church and five years in Union church which was later as- sociated with the Congregational body. Family necessities then brought him to Canaan and prevented his assuming another pastorate. But nothing short of death stopped his preaching. Even death has not stopped it, for "beiug dead he yet speaketh." From 1881 to 1885 he supplied the pulpit at Sheffield, and during the last eight years he has gladly responding to calls for service from churches or brother ministers. He valued the office of the preacher of Christ far above all honors that earth can bestow. His voice had the ring of profound conviction and triumph, when he said, as he has said to me more than once. "It is worth having lived, to have preached one true sermon"
 He was born to be preacher. Never was man more evidently and thor oughly equipped for his special calling. His commanding presence arrested at tention and compelled hearing, even before those flexible, expressive lips had given utterance to the first syllable of the deep, clear thought. In giving charge to a newly installed pastor not many years ago he said Don't preach with your lips alone, preach with your eyes. Preach with your hands. Preach with all there is of you," and while he spoke, as always when he spoke, he illustrated and jus tifed his charge. That face, that had not single weak line in it, was, and IS still, one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. Most mems faces are bettered by a partial covering. But when he threatened to let part of his face be hidden, it was as though one had talked of keeping the sun in half eclipse. Few faces are so full of balan- ced strength and tenderness. The square set jaw, the long, straight nose, the full, sharp brow were full of pow CT. The deep eyes were inexhaustable wells of tenderness. Those lips would set like iron in the hard, straight line of infiexible purpose, or wreath asseas- fly in smiles that were as lovingly ten der as 8 young mothers. And when his dark brows had been bent in play ful pretense of severity and then sud- denly lifted with one of his whole souled laughs, it was like the sun in full splendor breaking suddenly through black thunder clouds. I have seen many sfaces. I have never seen one more full of character or more faithfully expressive of the mind and heart behind 1t.
 His voice was as wide in compass and as expressive as his face. And then he had the preachers further need. He had eyes that saw. He looked on all Nature as on Gods book and loved it for beauty. Wordsworth could not have surpassed the elation with which our lover of Nature and of poetry. would quote the lines:
 
 My heart leaps up when I behold
 rainbow in the sky"
 or those other lines that end:
 "And then my heart with rapture thrills,
 And dances with the daffodils."
 And when he told of the brighter color of the trout that lie beneath fowery banks you could see their colors reflect ed in his eyes full as they were of glan- cing light. He was fond of reading, and his reading covered a wide range. Poetry, history and biography I be- ieve he loved best. But in all of Ma ture and in all of his reading he was looking for and seeing God as He is revealed in Christ; and through every pursuit he was led on by the one pur- pose, to preach the gospel.
 He had beneath all, informing all, the heart of a preacher. In the many hours we have talked together over this solemn and glorious work of preaching, he always laid strong emphasis on its chief aip. The important thing in his view was not brilliance or novelty of thought, nor elegance of rhetoric, nor grace of delivery. The important thing was the result aimed at and apparent in the minds and hearts and lives of the hearers. He preached because he lov- ed men and wanted to help them and knew that in the gospel is the best help for all men. Using his own phrase, to have "had good time" in his preach ing meant to have evidently helped his hearers. Otherwise, it was all Ian ut ter failure" have questioned wheth- CT even his old friends and neighbors knew the full kindliness of his feelings toward them, the depth of his interest in them. His directness was sometimes misunderstood, but his seeming brusqueness had not single pulse of unkindness in it. He walked like conqueror. He carried his white head like king. But his heart was the heart of little child.
 He was, in the broad, wholesome SoucC VI bhC MOlop d uoNObtd man. He believed in the Church as n divine institution. He was devoted to it as brotherhood of believers, as the body of Christ. He would have been member of this church had 1t been DOS. sible for him to have been present at either of its last communions. Itwa not in him to be sectarian We have noticed how he gave up his church in Milwaukee to further church union. He was pastor of Union church in Jersey City. His monument at Clay ton is another Union church. His in terest and his love went out to all de- nominations within the body of Christ. He was also full of affectionate interest in his fellow clergymen. He was ready with warmest praise for them. He was discriminating in his estimates but he dwelt on the side of praise.
 Second only to his devotion to the