The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-10

I 01m VISTA OF = long ana
seer when death called him
existence. then closed his
| world he had made betfe1
lived in It and passed into
| Of his Creator calmly and
/ Like one who wraps the
his couch
| About him and lies down
dreams"
Moses Drury Hoge was
| gfnian- He was born an
this ate. lived in Virgins
and did his great work
The date OF his birth Is dou
to the loss by fire OF the
He first saw the light on s
1917, 1915 or 1919. In the bl
OF his life which have apps
rious secular and religious
these years have been give1
himself gave 1918 as the
birth. His ancestors on
side were sturdy Scotch Pr
who left their native heat
grated to America away
They came 20 Virginia an
Frederick county on domail
Fairfax, Of Coloni3
These colonists were peop3
gencA and influence in the
in whfNh they lived.
Wis EARLY LII
Dr Hoes early life v
Prince EdwarA county.
was fond Of Faoins W.
child, and manif1S 6 I'M
early studies. VIZ a yo
Hampden Sidney COLI
stand in his classes and s.
evidences Of a student. TIN
his work were noted with PIN
his teachers. who silently
that young Hoge would worthily>
coed his grandfather in the ministry
After completing his collegiate coursQ
he pursued his theological studies for a
while, and then taught school for a
short time. When he was ordained to
the ministry the occasion was regard
ed as a notable one. There were pres
ent a long line of distinguished pulpit
orators of the Presbyterian church, in
Guiding a lumber of his relatives, and
the exercises were unusually impress
sive. The young minister's sermon be-
fore the ordaining council is said to
have been n of great power, and gave
promise of abundant harvests in his
chosen field of work. Even at that
early age he proved himself to be a
speaker of ability. This was consid-
cred natural, as the Hoges had been
pulpit orators for several generations
before him.
DR.. Hoge came to Richmond in 1874.
He was then twenty-six years old.
With great energy ne entered the work
in this city as the assistant Of that
able and eloquent divine. the late Rev
erend DR.. William S. Plummer, then
pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, and one of the greatest pulpit
VIC nrc $ho cnyyfh hoc nyyor nrn6.Nnnd
AS assistant his pastoral work had spe-
cial reference to the supply OF a mis-
sion chapel. He was remarkably sue
cessful in his labors. Combining power
as a preacher with great physical en-
durance, faithfulness and patience in
his pastoral duties, he steadily
strengthened his hold upon the people
with whom he was associated, and
gathered in the chapel worshippers
enough to open the way for the organi-
cation of the Second Presbyterian
church. He was naturally called to its
pastorate and was duly installed. The
church was dedicated in 1S4S. and was
enlarged and beautiied in 1878.
When the Jealous young minister
first gathered his little congregation in
the lecture room it was composed of
eighty-two members, with the follow
ing elders: John B. Martin, Michael
Gretter, Guernsey l.. Denison and
Richard Sterling. The deacons were
Robert Mcclellan, Robert Cochrane,
John M. Sheppard and Robert A.
Payne. Most Of these have long since
gone to their rewards.
The church flourished almost from
the beginning, as the faithful young
pastor labored day and night for It's
| success. AS new members were gath
| cred into the fold and the old ones
| strengthened in their spiritual life the
| pastor worked on harder and harder
| for the extension of the Masters cause,
The Second Presbyterian church is
now one of the finest church buildings
| in Richmond. Few churches in the
| city have so large and influential a
membership. It's congregation includes
many of the most prominent citizens
| of Richmond.