The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-08-23

4mpulS1Fe ana eQCQuS1aSLlc, VIII al
imaginative turn Of mind and a poe
tic fancy. He made occasional con-
trlbutions Of poetry to the newspa-
pers. At the close Of his pastorate
here, he withdrew from the active
work Of the ministry, and filed, at diff
ferent times, the Offices Of Deputy
Treasurer and Surveyor General Of
the State.
Samuel Gibson was an Englishman,
Of strong native mind, and with some
theological training, which he receiv-
ed at the hands of DR.. William B.
Johnson. A plain, but very earnest,
faithful preacher, sound in doctrine
and devout in spirit and manner.
John G. Landrum still lives at his
home in Spartanburg, in the enjoy
ment Of green old age. With few
advantages in early life, he has cult
vated his fine natural powers, and
is still an effective and useful preach
er. His ministry has been remarkably
successful, and where 'er he is known
throughout the state he is honored
and beloved. ("Mr. Landrum has died
since this sketch was prepared.)
NJ. c. Barnett was a man Of lovely
Christian character, devoted to the
word Of God, in which he was thor
oughly versed. His sermons were by
no means devoid of argument and
thought, and abounded in Scripture
quotations appropriately introduced.
The pastor whose ministry of SIX
teen years embraced the very heart
Of this half century, and whose name
and Influence will live in this church
as long as the church lives, is
John J. Brantly, now Professor in
Mercer University, Georgia. DR..
Brantly came to this pastorate a
young man, and gave the strength Of
his life and his gifted intellect to its
service. No man ever took deeper
root in the confidence and affections
Of any people or exerted a more bene-
fcent influence in their intellectual,
moral and spiritual development. A
man Of high mental endowments, and
a graduate of Charleston College,
his sermons, always ehaste, intellec-
tual structive, accomplished a quiet
but elective and permanent work. In
answer to a long and beautifully and
tenderly written letter, offering. his
resignation, the church passed a SER
les Of resolutions, in whicn they say
shat :,Erougbout th. whole course If
Dr.. Brantiy's officia! connection
with this church, extending over a
period oe Hca7ly sixteen years, he has
ever been the sam. sympathizing
friend ami faithful tea.her, mlagEn.
ais t~ars with our tears in seasons Of
af;liction I'D distre -, and rejoic-
ing u::i ia n seasons Of refreshing
from the presence Of the Lord; and
the respect and esteem Of the whole
community, and the love and affection
Of this coucrt .'ation o or beloved
pastor, furnish the higna>r evidence Of
this faitbfnlness in the re:a:lcn hs
has borne 20 US. and Of tn. purity and
excellence Of his Christian charac-
ter.'' As an evidence . his influence
outside of his own church, it may be
mca,ioLed that, upon his re-ignati IN.
the session Of the Presbyterian
Church Of this town passed series
Of resolutions expressive Of their at
lection for and confidence in him, and
Of their regret at his leaving; and on
the day his farewell sermon was
preached, the Presbyterian, Method
ist and Lutheran Churches suspended
their services and came to the Baptist
Church to hear the sermon. The char
acter of his preaching, as we'll as his
labors in the school-room, where he
taught the youth Of the community
for many years, made a profound and
lasting impression in the mental de-
velopment of the young. An editorial
in the January number of the Century
magazine is strikingly applicable to
the intellectual influence Of DR.. Brant-
ly's preaching and ministry, and l
beg to be permitted to make an ex-
tract from it:
"For while the ministry stands for
religion and morals it stands also for
culture and knowledge. The man OF
business has no time, or thinks he
has none, (which comes to the same
thing,) to know what is going on in
the world Of thought. But his minis
ter knows, and conversation with the
minister reminds him that there is