The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-04-04
"A PREACHER OF THE OLD
SCHOOL.
CDR. ID. M. Ramsay in Baptist Courier.)

| VII ~ Ni. NamSay III oaptiSC courier.
The passing OF the Reverend Ben
Jamin Holder, of Pickens County
south Carolina, at the ripe age OF
ninety-two, which occurred at his
nome in III kens on January 18th
calls attention afresh to the fact
That notable order of preachers
Will quite soon be no longer among
| us.
Brother Holder is good repre-
sentative of his class. His formal ed
ucatlon,-consistlng of learning re-
ceived in the "old field school, -
his field of labor stretching over a
county, (his compensation being
mainly the opportunity of serving
churches while supporting himself
and family,) and an old age, much
revered and honorcd, but dependent
on his children and benefcence for
support, present to us at once a
ing life.
Such men are sometimes called
uncducated, but such description
goes far of the mark. TO be able to
think straight, live righteously, and
teach others, both by example and
precept, how to attain the best
things in two worlds, is very high
type of education. Sometimes such
men are said to be men of one book,
but they know three books, and then
some other books-namely, the
Bible, the world of nature, and hu-
man nature, and also a mastery of
a few, choice books that have passed
INTO the very warp and woof of their
being. In wonderful way they
know their Bible, and their sermons
possess that rare merit nowadays of
much Scripture quoted accurately to
substantlate their points. Ofttimes
their preaching presents an admira-
bic example of what is known as ex-
posltory preachlng-untoldlng Win
great fidelity the meaning of the
May l here give a simple tribute
who under many difficulties preach
ed powerful ana effective gospel,
filling our churches with members
| would give word of well mcrited
praise to the living and lay spring
of acacia on the grave of the depart
cd. Of course there is no disparage-
ment intended for an educated min
lstry, for if it be true that God can
do without our ]" ming, he needs
our ignorance still less, and yet af-
ter all it does nu matter whether
the water be bro" ut to the thirsty
lips in the old sp ,lg gourd or in a
jeweled chalicc. ', e main thing is,
does it hold good ..casure? The cup
OF salvation which they pressed to
their own lips and, calling upon the
name of the Lord, passed along, held
good measure and was full.
There is an element of good
preaching, possessed by Brother
Holder, which, if mi stake not, was
more characteristic of the preachers
of former day than of the men of
our own times. I refer to that deep
feeling and sympathy which permea-
ted their sermons. Brother Holder
told me one day as we sat together
on country piazza looking across
the beautiful foot hills of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, when the scenery
tended to make him reminiscent,
that in his early days his style of
preaching was cold and unsympa-
thetic, and consequently did not
reach the hearts Of his hearers. He
went alone, SO he told me, and pray
ed long and earnestly that the Lord
would give him a tender and loving
heart The result was that he was
frequently SO overcome with emo
ton that he could not go on with his
discourse. have heard him in pub
lie prayer become so choked with
emotion that he would sob convul-
svely.
Dr.. Broadus tells that immediate
ly after his own graduation at the
University of Virginia, he preached
one Sunday morning in the historic
old First Baptist church of Rich
mond. After the congregation had
gone out, a brother approached him
and said: 81 am Deacon Thomas.
man say to a young man that your
sermon lacked fervor and feeling.
You have the feeling, l am sure, but
you are unwilling to show it," Bles-
sed old man, what glorious Soulful
preacher your frank, loving words
gave to the world! One can under
stand the value of the dcacon's ad-
vice to the great Southern preacher
when he knows that being asked
what was the first thing in good
preaching, DR.. Broadus replied,
Sympathy" and then when asked
the second thing, replied, "Sympa-
thy,' and when asked what was the
third thing, said, Sympathy"
1t cannot be out of place in thi,
connection to advert to the fact that
Benjamin Holder, man of good adj
dress, pleasing personal appearance,
strongly marked features and native
ability gave all his life to serving
churches practically without finan-
cial compensatlon-cer with
out receiving any adequate support
1t appears that in the early stages
of establishing churches in all ages
of the world, it is necessary for the
preacher to labor without much fl
nancial compensation. Even Paul,
while teaching the duty and right Of