The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-10-07
TRIBUTE OF RESPECT.

Mound, Laurens County, S. c., on the
23rd day of February, 1850. He was
the son of Reuben and Matilda Mar
tin, born of parentage whose ancestry
is lost in the mazes of antiquity, but
whose works follow after hin. Reu-
ben Martin was for many years, even
to his death, n of the most successful
armer and merchants in Laurens
County, but while rich in material
things he did not forget to clay up
treasures in heaven" He was for
many years a leading spirit in the War
rior Creek Baptist Church.
Our beloved and deceased brother in
Christ and in the ministry, joined the
Warrior Creek Baptist Church in his
10Th year, September, 22nd, 1866, under
the ministry of that grand old hero of
the Cross, Rev. Toliver Robertson, of
whom hundreds still live il Laurens
County to call him blessed.
DIR. Martin was impressed at his con-
version that he was called to preach
the gospel and made these convictions
known to his father. His father being
a very pious and conservative man and
for fear he might be mistaken, advised
his son to pray ver it ard ponder these
convictions deeply in his heart until he
was fully satisfied that he was called of
God to the work. For this cause he did
not enter the work Immediately, but he
struggled with these convictions which
weighed heavily upon his heart at
times for nine long years. During this
period Of time he attended the Medical
University of Georgia and graduated
with first honors on the End day of
March, 1915. He entered immediately
upon the practice of medicine at his
home and was very successful from the
beginning and had quite an extensive
and lucrative practice. But this was
not his life work, his deep heart felt
conviction: "Woe, unto me if [ preach
not the gospel So he made a full
surrender of it all to preach the I'M
searchable riches of our Lord Jesus
Christ and never was he more happy
than when he was proclaIming the glad
" vi ~ iiNi SlllilS UhO oMCCO
old story Of the Gross and the unbound
ing love of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. He was u good pastor; wise
and conservative in his counsel; affec-
donate to his churches and ~congrega-
tions: devoted and loyal to every object
fostered by the denomination,
lie was licensed to preach the gospel
by Warrior Creek Baptist Church un-
der the ministry of Rev. a. C. Stepp,
July, Goth, 1882. He entered the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
in 1888 He did not remain the entire
session, owing to his health giving
way. He came home and recuperated,
and returned to the Seminary in the
fall of 1884 and remained until the
spring of 1885. He was ordained March,
9th, 1883, by a P~resbytery consisting
of Revs. A. G. Stepp and b. F. Garrett.
Other ministers were invited, but could
not attend.
He was united in marriage to Miss
Theodosia Meredith on the 25th of jan
uary, 1877. To them were born seven
children, six girls and one son.: Mr..
Claud Martin, a graduate of Furman
University: Miss Lucia Martin, a grad
uate of the Greenvil'e Female College,
both OF whom are teachers in Laurens
County; Mrs. Ostell Fowler now of Bir-
mingham, Ala.
DR.. Martin a a strong believer in
education. This was manifested in the
sacrifices he made to give his children
the very bcst.
DIR. Martin was a good preacher, en-
dOwed largely with the evangelistic
qualifications. Never was he more
happy than when seeing sinners com
ing to Christ and being saved. His min
istry was confined principally to Lau-
rens, ~Spartanburg and Greenville oun
ties, and hundreds live today saved UNI
der his ministry to thank God that he
ever lived to preach the blessed truths
of reconciliation and joy and peace in
the Holy Gho st.
The writer remembers three gra-
cious meetings at old Cedar Shoal
Church under his ~pastorate, The first
year at one time he baptized forty
eight, the second year thirty-seven and
the third year twenty-seven.
But OF the 9th day of August, 1908,
God said TO him: SIT is enough, come
up higher, thou hast been faithful over
a few things, L will make thee ruler
over many things, enter thou into the
Joys of thy Lord" And the s~orrowing
wife and bereaved children, brothers
and sisters, would we commend to the
God Of all grace and to the blessed
Lord Jesus, and the Holy Comforter,
who said: "All things work together
for good to them that love God."-Ro.
mans 1928.
Life's race we'll run,
Life's work we'll done,