Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1910-02-04
THOMAS G. NEWT.

that they can be truly spoken of Of
| known. Nevertheless, while sym
pathy and love have an insight al
their own, it is possible for them to
exaggerate the virtues and look
with shut eyes upon the faults OF
their subjects. But it is neither
exaggeration ncr blindness nor any
partially of friendship to cal
Thos. G. Nevitt's a sanity life
From the time of our first acqualnt'
anceship l have never found any
other one word that seemed so fit
ting to describe it. He walked
with God in apparently unbroken
communion, day after day, yeal
after year, unto the end.
1t was somewhat later in life
than is usual at about thirty-hvt
years of age - that he entered the
ministry. Soon after graduation
at the West River Classical lnstl'
tute, in Maryland, he began tc
teach in that institution, and after
wards became its principal. Sew
eral years were spent also as a
teacher in Warsaw College, Rich
mond county, Va, Even at the
time of yielding to the call to
preach, he expected what he soon
realized was not to be his line OF
dutv--to combine the work of
teaching with that of a local
preacher. But even if the ministry
of the gospel had been the one
dream of his boyhood and the sole
occupation of manhood's earliest
years, it would be difficult to see
how he could have loved it better
or pursued it with more steadfast
will.
Nor was it in the least a mere Of
fetal liking and devotion = a love
for the position or the associations
or the peculiar public functions OF g
minister of Christ. On the contra,
rv, it was an expression of his owr
innermost life. 1t was love tol
Christ himself and for the winning
and upbuilding in His name.
One cannot think of such thing
as secularity or worldiness in con
nection with Bro. Nevitt's charac
ter: His dominant aim and cease
less endeavor was to live th'
Christ-life, which for him included
the ministry he had received OF thf
Lord Jesus. Not only in the pull
pit, but also from house to house
| in the business meeting, at Confer
ence. in the circle of friendship
wherever he might be, this Christ
ian care lay upon mind and heart
The idea of Goods altar ano
sacrifice" was very familiar to MS
thoughts, and ever personallzed II
his life. Standing before God anc
the congregation to be set apart a;
an elder in the church of Christ, ht
heard the customary hope express
ed, "that, as much as lieth in you
will apply yourself wholly to this
one thing, and draw all your cares
and studies this way, and that yol
will continually pray TO God th'
Father, through the mediation o
our only Saviour Jesus Christ, TO
the heavenly assistance OF the Hol.
Ghost" And this good hope" o
his ordainers was never disappoint
|
ed; he kept his ordination VOWS.
Doubtless there are aspects o
Christian truth and types of experl
ence in the search of the soul TO
God and in the endeavor to 90 nj
will. that did not enter into GU
brothers ministry. They were no
a part of the Masters messag
through this one of His servants
But to the great central truth91o
conservation to God in Jesus Chris
he gave himself without stint, tina
he might make it reality IN hi
own experience and in that OF a
others to whom he should have or
portunity to minister. He wa
Pauline in thought and spirit.
was in the whole New Testament
but i'll the Epistles, | should say
rather than in the gospels, that h
found the truth which formed HI
Town character and determined tn
substance of his pulpit teaching.
There was that lofty mystl
strain in his life, and hence IN n
.- o,,1 ,,roocbinU that QO(