The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29
CHURCH PAYS TRIBUTE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH SERVICES
IN MEMORY OF T.. {. ATKINS.
Reference of the Pastor to the Deeds
of "a just Mnn-MusicaI Num-
bcrs Given.

Christian service OF the late Elias G..
Atkins. who was a deacon OF the church
from 1870 to 1898 and "A trustee from 1858 to
the time of his demise. The quartet and
choir. under the direction of vi. Leo b.
Riggs, rendered appropriate and beauti-
full musical numbers, chief Of which were
WoOdward's anthem, Crossing the Bar"
Woodman's The Souls of the Righteous
and the hymn Days and Moments Quick
ly Flying a feeling tribute TO the memory
of the deceased. which was adopted at a
recent meeting of the deaoons Of the
church. was read by Mr.. S. o. Pickens. as
follows:
Brother Elias c. Atkins was converted
at the age of fourteen and became a mem
Der of the Baptist Church of Bristol, Conn,
and during all of his subsequent life he was
an earnest, devoted Christian. On making
indianapolis his home I'm 1857 he united with
this church and that union continued un-
broken until the 18th of April. 1901, when
our dear brother was called to enter into
his reward. During all these years he was
one OF the church's must loyal. efficient
and progressive members. For more than
forty years he was a member of the board
of trustees and for eighteen years was
also a deacon of the church. As a MEM
Der OF the board and as a deacon his
counsel and direction were ever wise and
helpful and guided solely by what he
deemed TO be the church's best interest.
brother Atkins was a Christian of high
ideals, mi and practical. lie
was an everyday Christian, exemplifying
In ordinary daiiy affairs of life the teach
ings of the Master. In a marked degree he
obeyed Pauls injunction: BE not slothful
IN business, fervent in spirit, serving the
Lord. lie loved the church and was always
a most generous .giver. both of his time
and his means, for the advancement of
It's Interests In all its agencies and de-
partments of work He gave gladly and
without ostentation. Many instances could
be related where while a member Of the
steward committee he gave of his labor
and money for the Improvement of the
conditions and facilities of our house of
worship which he would not mention and
when found out for which he would re-
fuse reimbursement; accounting 1t a favor
TO be permitted to do these things for the
church he loved so well.
while we mourn the departure of our
dear brother. Yet we rejoice that he left a
record of high, generous. Christian man
hood which will ever continue a benedic-
ton and an inspiration to those of us who
remain.
TRIBUTE OF THE PASTOR.
Pastor Villers added his tribute of re-
spect. admiration and love to the memory
of the departed good man i'm an extempor-
aneous address, speaking in part as fol-
lows:
Every life which has been lived contains
some lesson which is worthy of permanent
record. 1t may be a life of obscurity, like
the poor widow who cast into a temple
treasury her two mites which make a
farthing.' but because she did what she
could her Master immortalized that act OF
hers; or IL may be a conspicuous life like
that of Mary. who brought to her Master
ner flask of alabaster containing the pre-
cious ointment and as she poured out that
ointment until the OOpr filled the house
our Master was SO gratified by her chival-
rOus deed that He canonized her on the
spot as kings sometimes on the battlefield
knighted a soldier who had performed some
notable deed of arms.
ut was not an obscure life but a conspicu-
Gus life that our brother lived. He was a
man of light. and so there are many les
sons from his life which are worthy of
lasting remembrance. Surely / would be
insensible of his service and would be "A
very ungrateful man this morning did L
not desire TO speak words of loving APP
probation. Alighting at the church doors
to-day | was reminded, before entering
the house. OF his bounty: passing into the
pastors room, once more his generosity
confronted me i'm the furnishings of the
room: stepping upon this platform and
standing out over this baptistry, again L
am reminded of his deeds. for the church,
and no sooner had the organ begun TO play
before / was reminded of a time and place
where his generosity has been exercised.
. > There were great gifts in marked
degree I'm the life of our brother that
| could hardly fail OF success. lie was a man
of exceptional intellect, a man whose mind
had been broadened and enlightened by
thought and by discriminating breeding I'M
til at last we could say of him that his
mind was as full of light as his heart was
of devout heat. His mind was as luminous
as his heart was devotional, and with that
luminous mind there was the tense nature
that Peter says we must love one another
| fervently,' using the figure of an instru-
ment stringed so that il is stretched to
its highest tension. The strings of the
4 life 0f this brother were very tense and
because Of the intensity of his nature. so
many blessings came TO him and through
him to the people about him. And with
that luminous mind and intense nature
there was also a large soul. He was run
in a large mold, he was built on a large
plan. He had large conceptions. not only
church and kingdom of God; and so il
seems to me one of his messages TO us
thism morning is My heart is enlarged now.
For a recompense In the same way be we
| also enlarged . . : Just two or three
thoughts in connection with his business
life. L have often thought of his re-
| sources. He never seemed 10 have come
TO the end OF his resources, but impressed
us day by day with his reserve power, and
with his resources there was scrupulous
honesty. conscientious integrity, and with
that integrity and with those resources
there went hand in hand unselish-
testimonial than as l stood by that casket
| last Sunday and saw those men with whom
he had been tOiling. accounting him a
| father and a friend. filing by that casket;
and. as they walked rapidly past. there
were so many OF them that il took twenty
| minutes for them To file by. A notable
| testimonial of what a Christian man may
be in his businessi . . . Possibly the
most conspicuous grace of his life among
us has been his beneficence. "A giving not
only of his means but, better than all. a
giving of himself. There have been times
when that man OF dignity. as President
Harper said. n very prince among men,
when that man of dignity and means has
| passed into the cellars of this church.. with
( coat laid aside. has wheeled coal TO the
furnaces as a common laborer. = . For
| such a man there is no death. and to-day
| I hear the voice OF John. when he thought
of Jesus and of that beautiful life just
| across the river. not far away. John said
| he heard a voice out of that glory
| world saying. Right blessed are the dead
| who die i'm the Lord. yea. saith the Spirit.
i that they may rest from their labOrs and
| their works do follow them O. Would we
| also follow them. His own family and his
church family. by and by we shall see
him. o. glorious day. then shall We meet.
after life's tempest. under a clear sky. and
lind with keenest JOY unbounding love pre-