Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-24
IN THE LOCAL FIELD.
Bennington Centre.

New York Presbyterian church, Sixth
Avenue and 12Sth strest, New York
City. AS your readers, many of them,
-. i-~c ctnd IN ~. PNh'Nso- 3nd bic
work, the following extracts may be well
to print, locally: This celebrated cler-
uvTor is now engaged on the second
volume OF his Life of Simon Peter" to
be published by Thomas Nelson e. Son.
Mrs. Robinson is at Watkins Glen. DR.,
Robinson's church has recently had spec
ial cause for gratitude, having received
the promise of the Presbytery of New
York of gift of $4,000 to aid it in the
discharge of heavy debt incurred in
the erection of fine new edifice. This
amount, soon to be paid, is largely the
result of the labors of the pastor. DR..
Robinson, while himself Republican,
has many prominent members of his
church connected with different politi-
cal parties, yet he does not hesitate to
declare his sentiments whenever he feels
called upon so to do. DR.. Robinson was
born in Bennington, in 1929, and is ninth
in the line of descent from John Robin
son, pastor of the Pilgrims. He receiv-
ed portion of his education at Williams
college, under that great and influential
teacher, Mark Hopkins. He then taught
school for nearly two years, when he en-
tered upon course at Union Theologi-
cal Seminary, remaining there but one
year, and going thence to Princeton
Seminary, where the course was finished
in 1865. He then entered upon pastor
ate at Troy, continuing there five years,
but his health being impaired, he re-
signed the charge, and in 1860. he &C
cepted call to the First Presbyterian
81, ~, Dranlrlx,r rvl, h;o oo1i ~
met with great success at time when
the ''streets were full of music and
hearts were full of trouble" On ac-
count of failing health of member of
his family, he was obliged, in 1868, to
by the sea, and, being at this time in
vited to take charge OF the American
Chapel in Paris, he accepted and sue
ceeded IN establishing a church organi-
cation in place of what had been a mere
preaching station. He was its pastor
for two years, until the German and
French war obliged Americans to leave
Paris. While returning to this country
for vacation, a call to the passionate of
the Madison Avenue Presbyterian
church was cabled to Paris.
This he accepted and then returned to
Paris, after the suppression of the Com
mune, in the spring of 1871, and re.or-
ganized the work he had there left,
spending three months in this impor-
tant work amid the ruins of the city.
DR.. Robinson remained pastor of this
church many years, and while SO en-
gagged proved one of its most substantial
financial supporters, contributing total
of some $S0,000. After closing his con-
nection with the Madison Avenue church
he became pastor of the Thirteenth
Street Presbyterian church, which has
since been united with the Chalmers
Presbyterian church, under the pastor
ate of the Rev. Mr.. Buchanan. On ao-
count of the present financial status of
his church, DR.. Robinson accepts of no
salary, contributing the labors of him
self and assistant without money and
without price," DR.. Robinson, through
personal experiences in Egypt and the
Holy Land, derived extensive informa-
ton, by which his lectures on Egyptolo-
gy became quite famous. But his fame
as an author and a compiler of hymnol-
Ogy has become world-wOrld. 1t was in
1862 that he issued his first hymn and
tune book, entitled Songs for the
Church." A few years later ''Songs for
the Sanctuary was published, of which
over half million copies of the octave
edition alone were sold. In 1875 he is
sued Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual
Songs - which the Southern Presbyter-
ian church officially adopted. Then
came his Spiritual Songs" and in 1882,
the browning achievement of its au-
thor, 'Laudes Domini," was issued. OF
this last most popular book the sale has
been enormous. In connection with
these larger compilations. those suita-
BILE for social meetings and the Sunday
school were also prepared. Among the
volumes he has published are two vol
umes Of Memorial Pulpit" "Church
Work" "Bethel and Pennel," "Short
Studies in the New Testament" "Stud-
les of Neglected Texts" Sermons in
Songs" Sabbath Evening Sermons"
1.-The Pharaohs of the Exodus" one vol.
ume, the first, Life of Simon Peter"
He wrote the familiar hymn, Savior, l
Follow on, Guided by Thee" He has
been an extensive contributor to the re-
ligious press, and was at one time editor
of the Illustrated Christian Weekly. A
city pastor some time ago is reported to
have said of DR.. Robinson: 81 consider
DR.. Robinson one of the greatest-in-
deed, the greatest-man in the New
York pulpit. He is so many sided, and
so strong in each of many departments
of work that the sum of his greatness
would place him above all his compeers.
AS a sermon-maker he is widely recog
nized as perhaps the most brilliant of
those whose sermons are presented to
the public in this country. Faultlessly
regular in structure and arrangement,
yet marvelously varied in form, they are
like kaleidoscope pictures-always com
plete, yet never the same. He sparkles
with brilliant illustrations, drawn from
wide range of reading and observation.
Dr. Robinson is distinctively practical
rather than scholastic in his pulpit
work. With deep and sensitive nature,
a broad experience of men and things.
and the profoundest sympathies with all
classes of men, he talks of what he him
self has felt to men whose needs he
knows. Perhaps before the community
at large DR.. Robinson stands quite as
cOnspicuously as the successful business
manager in ecclesiastical matters. The
payment of the large debt on his church
in Madison avenue is matter of history.
The phenomenal success of his hymn
books evidences one side of the compil-
er's genius. His wit and fund of anec-
dote have made him leader in various
ministerial organizations. He has been
almost invariably successful in all his
various works
North Bennington.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ravens of Bridgeport,
Conn. are visiting wi TN Dir and Mrs T.