Norwich bulletin., 1913-09-29

| REV. LEWELLYN PRATT, D. D.
 Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock at l Broadway Congregational church, l where from May, 1888, until his retire 1 ment as pastor emeritus in 1906 he had 1 been the revered and beloved leader of l things spiritual, a memorial service l was held for the late Rev. Dr. LeWellyn l Pratt, whose death occurred in this l city on June 14th. AffectiOnate tributes ! to the wide reaching influence of his 1 fife in educational, ministerial and mis- 1 sionary lines were impressiYely given l before the large congregation by those 1 who had been closely associated with 1 Dr. Pratt in the varied spheres of his active life
 The service. opened with an organ /! prelude, Andante from Symphony 1 Pathetique (Tchaikowsl1y), rendered ] with sympathy by Frederick w. Les l ter, and was followed by prayer by the 1 pastor of the church, Rev. B. $. WOr- l cester, and the reading of scripture 1 lession by Rev. J. R. Danforth of Gro- 1 ton.
 An anthem, The Souls of the Right ! eous (Foster), was expressively sung 1 by the quartette. and was followed by | few Introductory remarks by Rev. l MT Worcester, who cCnduced the ser 1 vice He referred to the many sided ] character of Dr. Pratt, mentioning l with deep appreciation the feeling of , sonship which was inspired in him in ] his association as a colleague with Dr. l Pratt for ten years in the pastorate ot ] Broadway church.
 On Williams College Faculty. Rev. Edward H. Griffin, D D.. dean l of Johns Hopkins university Balti- more, who was associated with Dr. i Pratt on the faculty of Williams col l lege, spoke of his services to that in seitution of which Dr. Pratt was a graduate in the class of 1852, and later a member of the faculty. The speak CT went back to the small beginnings of those times, so contrasting with the present day, but said that the young men who went forth from the college at that day were not unfitted to take l their part in life. There was the value of cOnSeCratien and an opportunity for greater influence through the closer as SOciatiOn of faculty and students So much greater then was the opportunity for the influence of a great personal ity than in the present day when pos Sibiy the college heads are concerned most with their duties as college off ceFs. Between the graduation of Dr. Pratt and his return to Williams as a professor A years elapsed, and that period was enc of important prepara- 1 ton through educational and ministe- rial duties where in one pastOrate over 300 persons were united to the church in which he served
 The chair of rhetoriG, which Dr. Pratt filled at Williams, furnished possibly more than any other the opportunity for influence upon individuals. He had an aptitude for teaching, a knowledge of life outside college walls, a courtesy and kindness of spirit. all of which made him peculiarly the trusted ad- wiser of those with whom he was asso- ciated
 Speaking of Dr. Pratt then as an alumni trustee of the college, Dr. Grif- fin said that it was shortly after Dr. Pratt had left Williams for the Hart ford Theological Seminary that his name was presented as an alumni trustee and he was unanimously elect ed As a colleague on the board, he was cheerful, hopeful, COmpaniOnable, friendly never Opinionated or pertina- cious or unreasonable, He COntribut- ed greatly to the good fellowship so in dispensabIe to the success of such a college body. If he was correctly in formed, the speaker said in conclusion, only two gentlemen of those days were still living, and 1t was on behalf of all those of fifty years ago that he offered these few words of tribute and affec- tiCnate memory.
 After the singing of a hymn Rev. Mir Worcester presented Rev. James l.. Barton, D. D., foreign secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, who was a pupil of Dr. Pratt's in the Hartford Theological Seminary, from which Dr. Pratt came to the Broadway church paStorate,
 Power az Preacher.
 Rev. Dr. Barton, who has also serv- ed with Dr, Pratt upon the seminary's board of trustees, referred in opening to the recognition of Dr. PrattS unuSu- al power as a preacher of the gospel, from which was natural that the choice should fall upon him when Hartford Theological Seminary in 1880 was looking for a. name to place in the chair of hOmiletcs and pastoral care. For eight years pr. Pratt carried sue ceeding classes through one of the most important departments of the cor riculun There was always a. full at tendance at his seminary classes. His forceful, finished style charmed those who sat under his instruction. eBdeaV- bring to discover his subtle secret of presenting the truths of the gospel in a way to persuade men. He convinced his students that he was their personal friend, and a friend to be trusted to the last. As one put it. he gave his students himself. The fact that in aft CT years pr. Pratt called the students his boys tells the whole story.
 He dignified the gospel ministry and made it to appear the greatest of all callingS. His striking personality and influence can never be described, for it was not in voice or face or word or mannerism but due to that indefinable something that for want of better name we call personality.
 In 1889 he became d corporate mem Der of the board of commissioners for foreign missions. remaining dn that of ice until his death. Many of his stu dents enlisted for the foreign service. He believed that the Father had sent him into the world with a message and a mission to men, and to the limit of his capacity he sent others that others might know hIs Lord.
 His Broad Sympathy.
 Rev Charles J. Ryder, D. D., secre- tarv of the American Missionary asso- citation, on whose executive committee Dr. Pratt served for a number of years, spoke Cf his important service in that capacity.
 )r. Pratt he said. had the greatest sympathy for those who did not have
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