The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-08

CHS VI d llONuGit WIN lSll iiSA
only boy less than q half year old.
After my graduation In 1912 the law
had my attention till 1874 In an obscure
village in Greene county, N. Y. God
lovingly touched my heart and gave
me the call of my life, with me at the
same time that beloved and now saint
ed brother, Weed, between whom and
myself had long existed the warmest
friendship l dropped Blackstone and
he the blacksmiths forge for the work
of calling men to repentance
"As an illustration of the nature of
church work existing in those days
and of the imperative character of my
ministerial call let me say that the ext
gencies of the work and the demand
on the few workers was so great that
Immediately after my conversion
was forced into the ministry above all
law and order to that I was guilty of
doing the preachers work in series
of meetings in which that remarkable
event occurred; and at the end / was
pushed into the itinerant circuit of re-
sponsibilities before my church proba-
tionship had terminated.
This is not mentioned as prece-
dent to be followed, but as q link in
those providences that led men into
the ministry, as also the exceptional
line of action that the church was
led into by her remarkable success.
81 am amazed to-day as / think of
the responsibilities then placed upon
me and at my rash temerity in their
willing assumption
And yet shall we not say and see
that God was in it. In 1916 my APP
plication for admission on trial was
made in the New York conference at
| it's session held in the Seventh street
| church, New York city. Bishop He'd
| ding of precious memory presiding.
There We're fourteen members in the
class or one located at the end of two
years. Of the remaining thirteen only
three are living. Alexander H. Fer
guson, a superannuated member of the
New York conference. Moses G.
| White related the same to his con-
ference-a missionary to China in Al,
retired from the work in "a and now
distinguished physician living in this
city. The third survivor is myself.
\ Among the early deaths was that ex-
ceptionally brilliant young preacher,
| Thomas Randolph Mercer who wrote
a mastery treatise on childhood in the
| church. Another classmate was the
Rev. Obidiah Ward, who died so gal
lantly fighting for his country in 1852.
'Some peculiar features of the gen
eral work as it then existed in the
early years of my ministry may be
noted There were more places de-
manding workers than there were
workers. AS a consequence the door
of entrance was not so rigidly guard
ed, the grade Of cultured talent was
not so great nor in such demand, but
the zeal and devotion was at white
heat and resulted in those extensive
REVEALS which added to the church's
strength so rapidly. Another pecu-
liarity was the warm-hearted co-opera-
tive activity of the laymen in class
meetings, love feasts, or especially al
tar work in revivals.
''My memory calls up frequent oc
currences when a host of laymen were
gathered in and around the altar busy
with the crowds of penitent in prayer
exhortation, advice and song CONVEX
souls was the one never to be for
gotten all absorbing work to which
every energy of preacher and peopl
was bent I think L do not err whei
I affirm that the anxiety of the churcl
of that day was not so much for cul
; ture and a high grade of ability in tn
pulpit-not that these were of no con
sideration-but they were not the frs
in determination.
AS to the spirit and makeup OF tn
working committee of the conference
when as a candidate l stood befor
them trembling for the outcome, l hav
: the clearest recollection. Their form
are before me- a noble band of Godl
men. / hear their voices as the strain
{ of far-off music. / see the Well-round
ed form of Peter P. Sanford, square
! shouldered, round head with a peculia
curl Of the lip, ready to speak on an
!, and every occasion. There are Benja
4 min Sniffen, thirteen times the confer
ence secretary; George Cowles, the ed
: itor and musician, and Phineas Rice,
> man of keenest wit and wisdom, one
). the sweetest of Gods messengers; Jc
Il seph B. Wakely, our church historic
{ and popular preacher; Marvin R1chare
son, whose gentleness OF dlsposltio
g made him always to be remembers
pleasantly; 0. S. Hedstrom, the warn
hearted, Cody, jealous and devote
II missionary to his own kinsmen IN II
: flesh. These and many others wei
IL members of the New York conferen'
&c and remained such in the subsequel
l. divisions
Calling into remembrance our oW
:, conference, whose first session W;
~ held in Middletown on May 30, 1874
= there stand before me the Bangs--N'
. than A. Heman, whose all-potent infi'
n ence was felt and obeyed even to
e bitrariness in some instances; Stepht
~ DIN, with a race the imprint of bene
~ olence and love, with tongue fro
- which eloauence dropped like hon'
~ from the comb; Bartholomew Creag
James Hoy, the veteran conferen
- secretary: James H. Perry. the mini
~ ter soldier; Salem Clark, often que
~ at nv house when as my presiding {
81 der he came to examine my work BIT
a. Goodsell towhom we are indebted, iff
- nothing else-a son who, taken fro
- our body, now honors the Episcor
,o board.
- These are the men around who
= gather a host of familiar faces, who
deeds of heroic devotion l cannot tar
to chronicle, nor need /, for are they n
written in your hearts memories?
Ling, Curry, Grennold, Norris, I'll