Middletown transcript., 1894-04-07

: our church sent to be placed near his re
mains, on the day of the funeral services.
r The full results of DIR. Patton's labor il
5 this church can never be tabulated, bu
! some of the visible results We are able tt
give. When DR.. Patton came here th'
, membership of the Forest Church was sixty
and during his pastorate he baptized one
hundred and fifty-six persons, one hundred
and seventy-seven souls were received Oh
examination or by letter.
In April, 1880. full of years and honors,
he retired from the pastorate of this church,
His work was done, and we'll done; but for
fully ten years longer he was able to preach
the gospel in homes, asylumns and retreats.
He fingered like the aged John, taking an
| active interest in the work of the churches,
and especially of the Forest Church. His
interest in this people never diminished,
you know how quick he was to sympathize
| with you in your sorrows, to bear your
grief and burdens. He sought you out and
you received comfort and strength from the
very benediction which his presence
brought.
The last time he attended the meeting of
Presbytery was in the spring of 1890, and
he still appeared to be strong and active.
At that meeting four of the venerable men
of the Presbytery were frequently seen
together, refer to DR.. Patton. DR.. Valan-
digham, DR.. Gayley and DR.. John Squier.
The last named gentleman has passed away.
Doctors Vallandigham and Gayley
have retired from the active work, and DR..
Patton is now with the Lord.
During the last fourteen years that he
passed on earth he was happy in his domes-
tic surroundings; every want being antici-
pated by his devoted SON and daughter
with whom he made his home. On this
evening two weeks ago, he led the family
prayers and his voice was unusually strong.
On the following Thursday he was bright
and CHEEKY but later in the day alarming
symptoms appeared, and on Friday he fell
into that sleep from which he could only
be occasionally aroused, and which became
heavier and heavier, slower and slower,
until on last Sunday evening at $50 o'clock,
he was not, for God had taken him.
Thus ended life which had extended
almost from the beginning to the end of
the century. A life which was beautiful
in the beginning and close of the work
which the Father had given him to do.
He was ordained to the ministry on Christ
mas day, when we celebrate the incarnation
of Nd l.;
closed on Easter Sunday. when we celebrate
the Resurrection of our Lord. During that
ministry he had preached more than six
thousand sermons, and he had made more
than ten thousand pastoral calls.
He was not called to live in the troublous
times of John Chrysostom nor of John
Huss nor of John Knox. His style of
preaching was not that which breaketh the
rock. He could say rather, MY doctrine
shall drop as the rain; my speech shall
distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the
tender herb and as the showers upon the |
grass" AS we survey that life so full of |
blessings and Of good works it is impossible |
not to discern between him that serveth |
the Lord and him that serveth him not |
You loved to have the Doctor in your |
homes. His influence was for good. All |
that he did tended to elevate, to refine, to |
enoble; and his presence was a blessing to
all with whom he came in contact
His work is done. BLESSED are the dead |
which die in the Lord from henceforth;
Yea saith the spirit that they may rest
from their labors, and their works do follow
them" We all acknowledge the debt we
owe him, and when we say that we believe
that ''the righteous shall be in everlasting
We can imagine that the
sentiment of his heart would be-
Needs there the praise of the love-written
record,
The name and the epitaph graved on the
stone?
The things we have lived for, let them be
our story,
We ourselves but remembered BY what
we have done.
Not myself, but the truth that in life have
spoken,
Not myself, but the seed that in life /
have Sown,
Shall pass on to ages, all about me for
Save the truth have spoken, the things
have done.n
We will not forget him; but as the stone
sunk into the surface of the water, produces
a succession of enlarging waves until they
reach the very shore; so also, the word sunk
into the heart, will exert constantly ex-
panding influence extending to distant
generations of men, and the origin of that
blessed influence for good may not be
known by the distant recipient; but God
who remembers even the cup of cold water
given to His disciple, knows and remembers
the origin of these words and deeds of
kindness and goodness and will abundantly
acknowledge and reward them in that last
great day, when the ultimate influence Of
our lives shall have been made known.
May God help us to take up the work
which this beloved pastor has laid down,
and finish as fully as he did, the work
which the Father has given us to do.