Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1921-10-20
in MEMORIAM Of
REV. WEBSTER

writes beautifully and considerably
of Rev. R. M. Webster, Pastor of the
Congregational Church while he was
student in this city His estimate
of the man is the same as many 9th
ers whose lives were guided by him in
their moulding. We are glad to pub
| lish his excellent letter in memory of
| him 1t follows:
To the Wood County Reporter:
was glad to read Mrs. Spencers
letter about her father, Rev. r. NJ.
Webster, which was published in the
Wood County Reporter, and | would
like to add another tribute to his
memory.
Mr.. Webster came to Grand Rapids
as pastor of the Congregational
Church while | was a slip of a boy,
and was there while | was forming
my own ideas of life. My intimate
friendship with Mr.. Webster and his
family commenced then and there,
and my touch with them has contin-
ued through all these after years,
with few lapses, until the present time.
In my Judgment Mr.. Webster was
great preacher, not great because
of the standing of his pastorates a.
mong the churches of the cities; but
great because he had the mind to con-
celve the truth in advance of his
time, and a command of language to
express it most effectively.
Two characteristics of his sermons
cling to my memory: the freshness
and interest Of his thought and the
simplicity and unanswerable logic of
his language. 1t was that logic that
took hold of my mind and eventually
brought me into the membership of
the church. His sermons, | think,
We're the first | ever really listened
to, and l have heard none since then
that compelled my attention more eff
fectively. Ee was no follower in the
illogical ruts He was always stud
ent and did his own thinking. He
brought his message to his congrega-
tion as he worked it out in his own
mind. He was criticised repeatedly
because he was too liberal in his in
depreciation of the scriptures, and
dared fifty years ago to have views
regarding them that are now common
place. He was indeed a spiritual
:eader Of men, and always the bright
est minds within his reach delighted
IN listening to his teaching. l believe
this was true, even into his old age
Mr.. Webster gave me some defni-
5ions and ideas that have been fun
1amental with me during all the
years of my business life. For exam
Die, his conception of the real mean
ing of the word, faith" AS a boy
and young man, | had very hazy
1oticn of the meaning of this word
| conceived it to be some function of
he mind which every Christian was
supposed to possess, but | was not
very clear whether | possessed it or
not. Mr.. Webster defined faith" as
the doing of things for good reasons
when the outcome could not be prov
IN in advance, using, as | remember,
substantially those words. He ex-
planned that if the farmer has faith
ne prepares the ground and plants
and cultivates. 1t is the logical thing
to do, though he has no assurance
IF a harvest until he gets it. The
armer may believe in this logic, but
he has no faith unless he plants. Ev-
cry business mans faith is of the
same sort. Christian faith sonsists
n leading a Christian life, in being
a real follower of the Christ, because
juch life is reasonable though there
s no absolute demonstration of eter-
nal life. Faith without works is
dead;" it does not exist It is not
question of one accompanying the
other. Works is part of faith, the
most important part. In religious
matters, Mr.. Webster said, eff the
reasons for the action are not ra-
tional, the act is superstition"
My last letter from Mr. Webster
vas written only few months ago.
1t that time he was feeble physically
but alert mentally, vigorous and arg
umentative as ever His letter is "a
bundant proof of it. Much of it is
theological, concerning Jesus Christ,
and this discussion ends with these
words concerning himself: Dearest
Lord Jesus, with every fibre of my
being, | trust and love and delight
in The, as the Way the Truth and
the LIFE Speaking of his health,
he says simply, II am inching along
| toward the Promised Land" 1t is a
beautiful letter and ends with his
| benediction: "The blessing of the
Lord be on you and yours"
An exceptional preacher of "the
| Way, the Truth and the Life, a
splendid citizen, a fast friend and one
Of the cheeriest and most loving and
| lovable of men is with US no more ex-
cept in memory.
Corydon T. Purdy.
Chas. Ekelund is back hsme from