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UN iM < ASIIIN 111- rill 1H:\III OF IIIC rA^InK, Rev. WILLIAM SOMMERVILLE, A. M. Willi A lilOCKAI'IIICAI. SKKTCII. Rkv. a. McLEOD STAVKLY, si'. john, n. i!. New York : ANSON D. F. RANDOLPH & COMPANY, -t c o . , p r i n c v. w i i, l 1 a m s j' k k k i . r. a ii. morrow, chari.ottk si rkkl'. / IW '»! I. W. f'HATT, Printkh, Nos. 73 r.p ,g I'iMuN SiKFi. £3HBfcul '>i^:f(j'^'-M' ^'*^"^^*-* 1 » lM:sii;i;?gi l!V lllllk I kIKNI* A. McLkod Stavei.v i i > i ULBJl ihr ^Ussirtl ^(nd. ft Hkv, xiv. I J. Ami I lie, ml a \uicc fioin Iiim\(Mi liiyinj.' uiiln nif. Wiilf, Blessed are the dead wliicli dii iii tin- Lord from lieiitefoUli : Vea, siiili tlii- Sjiirit, thai they iiiny n^si rri>iii tht-ii I.iIxm^; iikI thcii works dn ToIIoxn' ihi-iii "Such honor have ull Ilis suiiUs;" and what [Uv writer ot tlic hookol Kevehition saysot his epistles may he said of the words now read as the sid>ject of our present meditation. They were written that the (Christian's joy may be full. With sue ha record as our text contains — present to the inind of the believer, Ik- need not jrrieve immoderately for those loved ones wlu) neither lived Tior died in vain, and who al last have come to the jrrave, whether in the dew of yoiitli. or in a full ajre, like a shock of corn in its season. Now, surrouiuled by th.' falliiii^ leaves of an early autumn, we have committed to the dust and covered with the sod our beloved dead. The widow may weep, the son or daughter may weep, the relative or friend may weep, the congrejjalion may weep, but not in hopeless sorrow; foi that husband, that father, that friend, that pastor who has been taken frotn us still lives. Jesus said " I am the resurrection and the life: he that believcth in Me though he were dead yet shall he live; and whcsoevcr liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Helievest thou this?" And again, " If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." ".Vsleep ill Jesus! hlessed sleep, Kroin which none ever wakes to weep. .\sleep in Jesus! ])eaceful rest, Whose waking is supremely blest." There is something still in death, as the law of our fallen ; I tf being, which, disguise it as we will, leads us to regard it as a great calamity ; and it the aged believer, and especially the aged minister, is taken away from amongst the living, and we lose his instruction, his example, his influence and his prayers, we are ready to exclaim with the Psalmist : *' Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth ; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." It has been well remarked that " the records of time are emphatically the records of death." When, how- ever, our Christian friends and relatives die, they sleep in Jesus — put off this tabernacle, and rest from all the troubles of this world. Their end is peace. We are assured that whenever they cross the threshold of their Father's house they enter upon a state of perfect holiness and everlasting happiness, and arc raised to the highest honor and glory. Our loss is indeed un speakahle gain to them, and the morning of the resurrection shall eventually succeed to the U ; night of the tomb. " For this corruptible must pui on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. * ♦ ♦ Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Now we hear a voice — a loud and powerful voice it is that comes from heaven. It says, " Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." I shall, with the Divine aid, in briefly illustrating our text, call your attention — First — ro the conditiois and hrospkcis ok those who are BLESSED. Second — to the nature of their blessedness. Third — to the life and labors of your late pastor. ^}\Q ^tiite of tl^e l^i^l^teou^ f)ekd. 1. T/iey arc in the Lord. Those who have the mind of the spirit can easily understand what is meant by this expression. And of all knov/ledge it is the most important for us to know that we are T WHO ARF /;/ Christ. These words indicate that there is an intimate union between believers and their Saviour-Cxod. Yes, even here through faith they are united to Him as the i:>ranchcs are to the living vine, as the stone in the building is to the foundation stone, or as the members of tlie body are to one another and to its life-giving head. They are a part of Himself, members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Their whole spiritual life is an abiding in Him. He and they are one. As the married pair are "no more twain but one flesh," so is Christ and the Church. Are they freed from condemnation ? Do they become new creatures ? It is because they are in Christ. When justice claimed satisfaction for our sins, as transgressors •)f the first covenant. He was made under the law to redeem us from the curse of the law, and now by His obedience, sufferings and death, a righteousness is provided and imputed by which the sinner is justified in the sight of a Holy (xod. Therefore, as the Apostle expresses it, " He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Now in virtue of that finished work and complete atonement made known to us in the glorious gospel, the law is magnified, justice is satisfied, God is reconciled, the sinner is pardoned. Yes, tha sinner is saved, and even death, which comes as the wager of sin, is abolished. All the blessings we need to make us meet for the heavenly inheritance are bestowed in the exercise of sovereign grace, and through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ' * His death your peace insures ; Think of that grave where He was laid. And calm descend to yours. " Oh let US ever remember, my dear brethren, that everything which concerns our present comfort and future glory flows from the love of God, in accordance with his eternal purpose, as the consequence of our being in Christ Jesus; and " He that spared not His own son, but delivered Hirn up for us all, how shall He not with Him, also, freely give us all things." ii •tf tf ■> ; « ■; 10 dation of .heworTd ace ^ ' "" '^''°"" '^^ "«= '™n' '-ey are caHel t H I te^ '" '-^ ''-'">" "< «™c.. ,„ Hi. blessed wieh all spTiruaTw, """^ '" "'"■ ''"y «« 'He,a.sea.ed:r: H:rspTH::r"'"'''^'=^- '""'"^ have eternal life " Th, '"■°""'*- '" "™ 'hey "''-h are i„ Chris. Z'^ ""Z "° ^"''^'""'""'n to them claims, "It is r„H i ^""^ "Po^le triumphantly ex- demnelhr ' "'" "'^•■«"''' *'"' - he that con- - h:;::::;:::::; '""' -" ''""'" p-'-- "- -ody closed in death InTl T"""'" '° '"' """»" "o--. «^e -ver him, he sleep" in , ""'' """ "" '"«'" -« 'he dust His servants b AsC "?' ""' """' "' '^ '""' '"'"' "'- '"a" 'hey also si. on Hi X' "' "" "'^ '^""'"'^ ">■■<'-- - also. "" "'™"': and because He lives they live ' Forever wiih, he L„,j. Amen, so let ie be. life from the -y d„,, ;, ,„ "J;;:^^''- "" .-e res„„.e.,„„,. Ves '•^-^•^t of man conceive -.r. .u " ''"'•" describe or th. ;"'« is wriuen.a„, carried l"^^' ■"r'""'^ '" "' -«« aboTe '"'>'-= contended i„ ^*' "''"' ™agi„an, sneo.l , testimon, „f f " <-PP->siti„„ ,„ ^^^ plain »T'°"' '=* expressed in oth^r • o'essed. The *:««, • . ; ;-pre.e„, in,perfec, ./.""r^'^'^-an be gathered °f^"><= glorified »ain,. ' ''^""'"'^ '"e future c„„di,i„„ «Pr3t„'::!:t;''''™P"-^'y ■•"'■■"""ce here a f ■. •-^'v-saidt;:r::.r°'^"'^"™--^^^^^^^^^ "•■""■ 'Reappearance o it, T """■ ^'»"">«ven-i,3 ,„ ;-es and en,p,„,„„ and lh«h """''' ""^'-"-a' ex r." 'he term, . , . .',""'"''" 'hey sing at all as we ™-cl he brought no ,T™' "" ''^'«' '«"■• "ays bm 1 Paul ,. ^ ^ tidinifs from ^K . -^ ' "' ^^en forh .7 ""«"' "P '" 'he fhird he ''^'°" °' ""^ ''ead. f-b-dde„, to report what he helrd ^""^ ""' ""^ """"le, o S^'P'ures for information rLpe' " '"" ""■^" ' '"n '<> he a^'oO^cf heaven as compiet^^:;-- '"!- -«e, . «nd th '°--mer dispensation. ,, j, °„ "' '^'•"« i" 'ypes under .he "•"■active and coveted in ' / P'"''^""'" "y all that is valued --^. pain,. White rl s ToT '':^°"'' J-^ls. th „! ' ^eT; "^'^'■''"''eii.^ethelo :}:!:* VP-'^-'-phasi:' ""' of -what I shall be 'and u """'"'ed to be igno fory and „, ^lessednes m th ^^ "''^'"'™' '" hI --P'-ed Sigh, .he g.oriou":p:i:i r ' ""'-^ '» ""^ IxiifeistttSSwaiit »3 Although we, too, like our deceased brother, who thus ex- pressed himself, have reason to believe that little is revealed in Scripture concerning this blessedness ; nevertheless, we are told that at death the body returns to its kindred dust and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Christ said to the dying thief, a wonderful trophy of Divine grace, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Our Lord, too, when reasoning with the Sadducees, who said that there was no resurrection, from these words. " I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Ja- cob," declared that "God is not the God of the dead but of the living." The Apostle, when drawing nigh to the time that, after the wear and tea' of life, he should receive the martyr's crown, a crown of righteousness and of glory, takes comfort from the glorious gospel which can support us amidst the severest trials of this mortal state. He believed that, absent from the body he would be present with the Lord. Again, he says, " I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." The same idea is presented in another passage, 2 Cor. v. 6-9, '* We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord ; for we walk by faith and not by sight: we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." Again, Paul in writing to the Hebrews speaks of "the spirits of just men made perfect." The proto-martyr Stephen, when dying in the confidence and joyfulness of a living faith, sav/ the heavens opened and the glory of God, and Jesus, the Son of man, standing on the right hand of God, and he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." When death comes, the poor, pale, earthly tabernacle must lie down in the dark and cheerless grave, with corruption for its father and the worm for its sister and mother; but at the last day, when the trump of God and the voice of the archangel shall sound, the dust of the saints shall start into life to meet the Lord in the air ; then soul and body shall be re-united to part no more; then what was sown in weakness shall be raised I i I .. '4 «n power, and what w..« c ">ey should be wUh Chris tjf ! " '"'' "" "- --Id ;f - .he „-,be. and ZZTIT """ ~"'=-°-' '" -ery '■''.^Paul and S„as when ,h , ;erw ""T "'''" ^'"« P™'- -JO,ce Hke Pe.er and John /^ T '" "'-'-'<^. -d o »"ff" shan-e for .he sake Tc, ' ""' """""" "°"''y ".ey reached .he heavenl/LLa "V '"""'"« "«" -h™ """'^ and .rials „, .his life and ■'^•'"'"^ "'"P^" =11 .he -" Church Of ,he nrstjrl which "" "'"""' ""-"'x """"» in .he ™ids. of .h;;;""'" "^^ "''«" i" heaven, .he ""'° "ving fo„„.,i„, „, ;;'-''™"e would feed and lead .he. And God the I orH r ' Shall wipe off ''"^^^« , Tu . *" *^'Pe Off every tear " 3- 1 nere is then / • "° ™°" '"^ 'he exercise of fa^hand I "'' """^ """^ he "- and u„cer.ain,y as 'arts h ^""^ '' '" "°'"<' ^= "ark- '^'ear and sa.isfac.„„ revelllL '""• •*■" ""h such a "»- «y, wi.h Job. ..71' T ''' '""^' ""Christian can "-He sha„ s.a„d a. .he I.Ter d" "" '"'''^'"- «-h and "'y flesh shall I see God - " '''~" ""^ «"h. . . .yet in '- -, r Will behold ?hy ^ace irr;"- '--'■' ^"'P"-. "A «ed When , awake with Thy" enlf,!^";'"-' ' ^^a" be sa.ls- ■" Chns., death is an eveni which li l" ' '"""'• ^"^ -" ;"'. '"■■- - alarm. Because oH,^? " contemplated with- .""=- heing in Hin,, and „„e w,tl H '7 '" '""' «-ad, and ■"to condemnation. They died in h""'. '' ''"'" "''" ^ome ""- -- Him in HisrUlrrf^rrmt ''"' '"'"'' ' '^^"' We now makes 15 intercession as an all-prevailing advocate before the throne. Thus, according to the arrangements of the everlasting cove- nant, they have that eternal life secured to them which is the reward of His all-perfect righteousness. Sin may abound in them, but grace much more abf>unds. Their complete redemp- tion is secured, and whether they are gladdened when on earth with the sunshine of outward prosperity, or walk in a way that is darkened by the mists and clouds of personal and domestic affliction, or even the shadow of death itself, at last all will be well and heaven, with its joys and pleasures and songs of vic- tory, will be theirs forever and ever. Here they may be, and often are, called to drink deeply of the waters of Mara, but still there will be some clusters of the grapes of Eshcol, even in the wilderness, some dew from the darkest cloud in this dry and parched land, some door of hope in the valley of Achor. The promises of eternal truth, applied to the heart and con- science by the Holy Spirit, give strength in the time of weak, ness, comfort in the season of sorrow, and joy in the hour of death, gilding the dark valley with the light of an eternal day. Thus, when the mystery of Providence is unfolded, it will be seen that their kind and loving Father, who had all events under His control and at His disposal, has been exercising His own dear children with that wholesome discipline which was the wisest and the very best. Whether, therefore, on the troubled ocean of life, they passed through quiet waters, or were buffeted by the rough and angry waves of a tempest- uous sea, they shall come at last to the haven, which they desired, in safety and peace. Thus the night of weeping shall be succeeded by a morning of joy and gladness, and their sun shall no more go down, sorrow and sighing shall flee av/ay, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. In the second division of our subject we propose, in ac- cordance with the teaching of our text, to consider ^J|e Ble^Kedne^K of tW, ^i,„ ^.^ "" the tr„,„„e. of .„, ^.^J^,";" "■-; '"'iKUe., a„„ res, f.„„, fummaee feiicUy which .he ,ld "" "■ '" """ ■'"«' "' -n. ;«<"" .he,„u,„, ,„„ Hi„. H 'r- -"""'•' "" """ »'"■"■ ^^"-"n „are heavy ,ade„. Thev J "''"''"^ '"'"""'• X' "niversai law. ■• Ma„ j, ,,, "' ^"' "" «™P'i"n fr„„, hfe, even .„ .1 "' 'o trouble " Tk ' " '" "'<• exiierience of the rfcii , "^ P™'*"' STmiv. Wecr,. . L "'^ '"'''Iren of God !« .. r, , we are taught, indeed th;.. ,1. ' '''' °' «'« peculiar to the life of faith t " '"^ '""'^ """ '•■.xi. Psaln,ist speak., when he says ' Th " "' "'^•''" """ "-e -en, neither are they plagued liJoth '" ""' '" '™"'"' "^ ""•" -« conflicts of this pre.se„, Harris "™" ^"""'' '"' ">■'» -■ne-imes rea.ly t„ say wifctr '""•""""■ ""' '^'"«' "■»" - " ^ ' """■" "ot live alwl; I rtr^" "' "- "' 'oathe P-ed or >,nprepared, whether wi," ""'"' "''«''" P^- •J- Every breath we draw ev/rv "'"« "^ """'"■"«f. ali must •° '"e ."n.b. .. The days oT'o, ' ''" "" """^' """«» us nearer •^" .^ »« «. ..y reaso'n , '^ T :" "'^^'■^^"- ^«- and ''^ ■» '^.eir strength labor and s^' ' "" '""'^"^^ Vears, "nd >ve fly away." v„ /"'' """"^^ : (or i, j, ,„„„ ' •'- -" »o„,i: thei: r re::;:'"- ^" ^^^"-^ -'«--" •o a elo.se, and at the moment of h 7' ""' °' "^'"^ "rough, f ng away wi.h the wicked „? ""' '"^ '''"^-■. -«ead of ,'h for the people of God. Oft '.t;,"^'" ''-'''— i„. . Th s .s my res,, here s,iii ,„ ,. J ', ""J ^''"^"a" "-ay sing : - O-'e evident, „yfHe„d.s, a 1" ° ''"' " -"■■ " ■' -' one of iudolen. repo.^! "■"' "'"^=^ •" '" -^ ,ex, ''".7' "f -"Potion ,, „„, „„, « 17 As regards those who die in the Lord, there can he no doubt that after havin^jf borne the l)ijrden and lieat of the (hiy, their bodies lie down in peace ; they taice repose in the sleep of thi- grave, which Christ has hallowed by being Himself laid there, as a bed of rest for all his faithful followers. In this rest there is a cessation from the guilt and dominion of sin and from all disquietude and grief. Still the soul does not rest from praising (iod continually, for His works of wonder done o the children of men. It serves Him day and night in His temple. In the holy exercises of the celestial world, it unites with all the loved and glorified saints, who, after the toils and tears of earth, have been brought to the fellowship and felicity of heaven. The Christian, in this world, is a soldier under the Captain of salvation fighting against his spiritual foes. Their name is legion, and they are not only very numerous but very powerful. Although he has many seasons of trial and temptation in the battle of life, he will at last come off more than a conqueror over every enemy. The Christian here is a traveler journeying to the better land. Sometimes, like the ancient Israelites, he is much discouraged because of the way, but trusting in the love and faithfulness of his covenant God, he pursues an onward, ever onward course, which, to use a similitude of scripture, is as " the shining light thatshineth more and more unto the perfect day " — a day which no cloud shall ever overcast, and on which the dim shades of evening shall never close. Since, then, the soldier's arduous fight, and the traveler's wearisome journey, shall alike, after, at most, a few summer days or a few winter nights, come to a close, who would not pray : " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Ah ! if you wish to die the death of the righteous, however paradoxical the lan- guage may appear, you must be crucified with Christ, and nevertheless, live the life of the Christian. You must die unto sin live unto righteousness, and have your fruit unto holiness. Then, and only then, will you die the death of the righteous. if t8 Then, and only then, will you inherir . "ess spoken of i„ ... , ,,,/ '"''^'^'/ «"'' «njoy that blessed- 2- We are here tni.rJ.. *'V ....... ,.,/,V.„,„,,t* ;::™;« '"e •.'e.se,, dead .Ha. words have .vi.l, ,„e o.her S„ ,1 "'""'"'""' >"'i'-" -hese 'o "n"• ""nor the ■n the sigh, of God. They a ""Id ;•" "' "'" "'"^''^ ^"^ the blessedness of a fuCe t" '"^^P-^Wy connected "•at do His commandmen.: I.^?' "" "«'--" «- they ;-e Of life. ,„, ^„,^^ ^ ^^^^-""^ "=- ■•'«•« to .he ; We are told that a. the last dav I ^"'^^ '"'° "•« "ty." l-ord, have we not prophe ied r.T ' "' '" '''"'''■ "^°"^' -ave cast out devils'and th^ n m' "T' """ '" '"^ """"= -orks .>■• to whom He will Mv ,• 7""' '""^ """^ ^""O-ful f^n, me, ye that work iniquitv ' "'"" ""'"' ^''"' <)«?«" j.' ? I') Th<)S«» at tho same time who have died In the F.ord. in arcordance witli the spirit and meaning of our text, will have this gracious invitation, "Come, ye blessed of my I'ather, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," If it be still ask( vl in what sense it is true that their works do follow the blessed (lead, we answer, in this at least, as regards faithful ministers, that those converts they have made, those souls they have built up in faith, holiness, or hope, those mourners whom they have comforted shall follow them to heaven; and with them shall be carried along those works and labors of love, located for a time on earth in visible form, but having a place in the souls of the saved and translated to the land of immortality, as trophies to the honor of those agents by whom God had accomplished His purposes of grace and salvation. Without however enlarging in the way of more fully illustrating this subject, we shall now turn your attention to the matter of the life and labors of our dear departed friend. Biojlr'kpl^idkl Bketdl(. " Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." Such were the words of inspiration which first came to my mind when I received tidings, not certainly unexpected, of the death of that faithful, honored and lamented minister of the gospel who has been recently called to his reward, whose shrouded remains we saw so lately committed to the peaceful rest of the silent grave, and whose removal from amongst the living we all so deeply feel this day. " Ye are witnesses how holily, and justly, and unblamably he behaved himself among you that believe, exhorting and comforting and charging every one of you as a father doth his children;" *' warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." For myself, I can most sincerely adopt the passionate '■ t I ' 30 exclamation of David over Jonathan: " I am distressed for thoe, my hrother; vt-ry pleasant hast thou been unto me." Whilst I dare not pour out all the fullness of my heart in expressions of regard for him; yet, to ^jratify to some extent the wishes of this mourninj; con^;re)(ation,and of those loving relatives and friends \vh»t knew him so well, and to whom his memory will ever be so dear; above all to ma^i^nify that ^race which made him what he was, and to encourage the living to be followers of him, even as he also was of Christ, it devolves on me to make some special reference in improving this solemn dispensation — and I regret that my sketch must necessarily be so imperfect — to a few of the leading incidents in the life and character of your deceased Pastor. He has indeed put off the earthly house of this taber- nacle; but when we sorrow most of all that we shall see his face and hear his voice no more in the land of the living, that which the voice from heaven proclaimed to John in the Isle of Patmos — that lonely rock of the iltgean sea — that which the servant of Christ recorded and the spirit of God enforced, is written for the consolation and encouragement of those who mourn the pious dead. Seeing, then, that it is so, let us rejoice that we have only committed to the dust all that is mortal of this departed follower of the Lamb. Having throughout a long and laborious ministry endeared himself, not only to his own flock — all the flock — but to the church of Christ in this and in other lands ; having been made wise in his day and generation in winning souls to Christ, and faithful in turning many to righteousness, he now shines as the brightness of the firmanent and as the stars forever and ever. His ransomed spirit has, we doubt not, entered the courts of the celestial temple; and, whilst we mourn here on earth, there, where parting and death are unknown, where sorrow comes not, where sighing is never heard and pain is never felt, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the patriarchs, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the glorious company of the •••i .i^i'iiL-._jL>ji-, 31 apostlt's. and tin- nohic army of tin- martyrs, saints of ov«'ry an;t! and disjM'ns iiion, the sacr.imcntal lir»sts of < liosvn ones j^atlicn'd from the foui winds of lu>av<*n, ton thousand linu's ifn thousand and thousands of tliousands wrarin^ crowns of ^lory upon their heads, and having harps and palms of victory in tht'ir hands, he sinjj;s the son^ of salvation, " Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own hlood, and hath mad»' us kin^s and priests unto (tod and His father, to Him be glory and d(»ininion forever and ever. Amen." "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of (iod. and serve him day and night in his t<'mple ; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dw«'ll among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heal. For the I.amb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water ; and (Jod shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." It would be arrogance in me to attempt to describe, because it doth not yet appear what we shall be, what the Lord hath l>repared for them that love Him. Permit me, however, in seeking to improve this sad bereavement, which has gathered, in addition to the immediate members of this congregation, such a lai^e assembly of sympathizing friends here to-day, to refer, more particularly, to a few facts and features in the life and character of one of the church's princes, and to his noble, self-denied and devoted labors in the Master's cause. Some one has said, "There are so many ways of writing biography, that it is vain to inquire which is the best. One canon, however, may be safely insisted on ; namely, that the record of a man's career should correspond in tone to the character of him whose life it chronicles." The subject of this sketch was born in the farm house of Aughnavalog, parish of Drum, Ballyroney, County Down, 22 ff 1 I I I f* M^ '■'I ! \ Ireland, on the ist of July, 1800. His parents were William and Jane Sommerville. His mother's maiden name was Kirk. He was their first-born child, and an only son. They ha J, beside, two daughters, Margaret and Susanna Jane. Of these, the latter came, after marriage, with her husband, Mr. William Maclean, to Upper Canada, and died there at a comparatively early age. The other sister referred to, is Mrs. Moffet, Drumdrinagh, County Down, and she, with her husband and their family, are, we believe, the only immediate relatives of the deceased now living in that part of the country where Mr. Sommerville was born. At the time of his birth there was no settled pastor in the church with which his parents were connected, and it was on a Sabbath when the Rev. William Stavely, latterly of Kells- vvater, preached, and preached on this occasion in the open air, that William Sommerville received at his hand the sprinkling of symbolic water in the ordinance of baptism. His parents were in comfortable circumstances, and greatly esteemed mem- bers of the Reformed Presbyterian congregation of Rathfri- land. They, indeed, ranked amongst the saints of the earth and the excellent, and are still spoken of in the neighborhood where they so long resided, for their intelligence and worth. They were distinguished for the same mental and moral qualities which so pre-eminently characterized their son — intellectual power, candor, deep social sympathies and most unobtrusive piety. Mr. Sommerville, it is said, feared the Lord from his youth. Naturally he was blessed with a very cheerful and happy disposition and is described by his associates as remarkable for that vivacity, warm-hearted affection, integrity and delight in social intercourse which made him a universal favorite with the old and young. These were the very qualities which adorned the character of our respected and revered friend in after life, and even to the end of his days, reminding us that "the child is father of the man." [„T^^ At a very early period we are told that he took much delight in study and especially in the study of the sacred scriptures, and gave evidence of superior mental endowments. His parents were able and disposed to gratify his taste fo: learning, and he had therefore the privilege of attending the best schools in the district where they resided. We were informed by Mr. Sommerville himself that, previous to entering college, his classical teachers were the Rev. John Stewart, then the respected minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Congregation of Rathfriland, and the Rev. David McKee, secession minister of Anaghlone, a man of genius and great originality of mind His son, the Rev. D. McKee, is now pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Rutland Square, Dublin. We have often heard our deceased friend speak with much respect and affection of his teachers, when disc;>ursing of the experience of early life, or narrating, as he liked sometimes pleai^antly to relate, anecdotes of his childhood and youth. It is evident that whether from natural talent or a close application to study he profited in learning above many others of like age. His acquaintance with English literature and with the elements of the classical language was accurate and extensive, as was afterwards shown in his Collegiate course, and in his work as a public teacher and an author. We have heard him at one time say that he was often told he should study for a lawyer, and I have no doubt that the suggestion was made from the delight which he took in controversy, and the primary indications of that intellectual acumen for which he was afterwards so remarkable. He was likewise possessed of a very logical mind. As an illustration of this he used to tell how one of his professors said to him " William, you never open your mouth in prayer without beginning to reason." Although some other profession might have presented a prospect of greater worldly advantages and preferment, his thoughts were, it appears, early turned to the gospel ministry. "The merchandise of wisdom was to him better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold." I; li I "II ! Ill I K \A After having finished his preparatory course of education, he entered the university of Glasgow in the year 1816, being then only in the seventeenth year of his age. Of this early period of his life we however know comparatively little. We have, indeed, heard him tell of the many days it sometimes took to pass over in a sailing vessel from Ireland to Scotland and of one occasion when he had to travel many weary miles on foot to Glasgow, from the ship in which he had taken his passage arriving at a port different from the one intended. At college he appears to have been specially interested in the study of mathematics; and also in logic, metaphysics and moral philosophy, he occupied a place superior to many of his fellow students. He prosecuted his collegiate education with so much diligence, and had such success in his studies that at the close of his fourth session, he took, with honorable distinction, the degree of Master of Arts. His theological course was prosecuted in Scotland, under the venerable Dr. Andrew Symington. In it he profited not a little, acquiring especially an extensive acquaintance with the sacred originals, which he afterwards carefully cultivated amidst the engrossing engagements of pastoral and missionary labors. After having completed his sessions at the Divinity Hall, and given the usual trial discourses with approbation before Presbytery, he was licensed to preach the everlasting Gospel. s ' An extract from his diary which has been preserved in his own hand-writing, will serve to illustrate the hidden life, by exhibiting a correct and pleasing idea of his feelings and resolutions at this interesting period of his history. " At Newton Hamilton, on the 5th day of December, A. D., 1826. Having entered upon the sixth month of my 27th year, I obtained license from the Southern Reformed Presbytery to preach the Gospel of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Teach me, O, my God, the awful responsibility of the office, and to discharge the duties of it with diligence, with zeal, and with love to Thee, for whose glory and the manifestation of whose mercy, a gospel ministry was instituted." mm ^5 " Enable me, O, my God, to feel the power on my own heart of that great mystery of godliness which I am called to preach to others, to know the value of that Saviour I must recommend, and to maintain at all times a walk and conver- sation becoming an ambassador of the meek and lowly Jesus. Our whole dependence, O Blessed Saviour, is in Thee. Our strength is in Thee. O, strengthen me by Thy Spirit dwelling in me, and I beseech Thee to fulfil Thy promise to me which Thou didst condescend to make to the Apostles when authorizing them to go forth and teach all nations, and to ob- serve all things whatsoever Thou didst command them. Pre- cious promise ! Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." As a preacher Mr, Sommerville was at once greatly esteemed throughout the church for the solidity of his judgment and the originality of his matter. As a scribe well instructed in the Kingdom of God, he brought from the treasury of Scrip- ture things new and old, realizing very closely the preacher Cowperthus describes : " Simple, grave, sincere, • In doctrine uncorrupt, in language plain ; And plain in manner. Decent, sober, chaste. And natural in gesture. " In the year 1831, the late Rev. Alex. Clarke, (afterwards Dr. Clarke) of Amherst, Nova Scotia, who had been sent out about five years previousl)% by the Synod of our church in Ire- land, to these provinces, was urging that some promising young man should come across the Atlantic to assist in this extensive mission field, for then, as it is still, the harvest was great and the laborers few. Mr. Sommerville, who was al- ready greatly distinguished for his talent, piety, diligence, and zeal, combined with his strong attachment to Reforma- tion principles was unanimously chosen for this important mission. ! The Rev. Professor Houston, D, D., a life-long and sin- \lmlHlm TlWI ilWHil 1111 i i ! i r- 10 :ii ■f ) 36 cerely attached friend of Mr. Sommerville, will best describe the circumstances which relate to his appointment and coming out to these provinces. He thus kindly writes me : "I be- came first intimately acquainted with Mr. Sommerville as a preacher, shortly before my own settlement in the ministry. I recollect that he was greatly spoken of throughout the church as a faithful and able expounder of the word. Being secretary of the Board of Missions, and having earnestly pre- sented to the different licentiates the claims of the British North American Colonies as a desirable field of Missions, I hailed with no ordinary gratification his offer to become a mis- sionary to the few Covenanters and scattered Presbyterians in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick." His bodily vigor and manly independence of mind, his de- votedness of purpose, and genial, loving spirit, showed him to be singularly fitted for such an undertaking. The ordination of Mr. Sommerville, as a missionary to the colonies, took place at Ballylane, on Tuesday, the 31st of May, 1831. The solemn services were conducted in the open air in the presence of a large assemblage collected, many from distant places, among whom were a number of ministers of various ecclesiastical bodies. These services were conducted by the Southern Pres- bytery, assisted by a deputation from the Board of Missions, consisting of the Rev. Messrs. Alexander, Dick and Houston. The Rev. John Stewart preached an able discourse, which was singularly adapted to the occasion, from Acts xx. 24 : " But none of these 'hings move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." The sermon was replete with lofty views of the Christian ministry and faithful coun- sels and admonition, suited to a missionary in entering on a field of arduous labor. After the act of ordination Mr. Hous- ton addressed an affectionate charge to the missionary, and the Rev. John Alexander preached from Isaiah Hi. 7. ; v On this soiomn occasion Mr. Sommerville again wrote in his diary as follows : " O, Thou true and eternal God, who art our Creator and hast an absolute right to dispose of all Thy works as Thou pleasest, to Thee would we, in the strength of Thy grace, desire to devote the remainder of our days in the service of the gospel of Thy beloved Son, and our only Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. I resolve, therefore, to study Thy holy word with all diligence and per- severance, that by the assistance of Thy Holy Spirit, accom- panying the exercise of those powers which Thou hast be- stowed, I may be qualified to teach the way of truth with un- derstanding, to preach the word with all fidelity, according to that measure of fortitude which thou dost impart, without re- gard to the fear or favor of man, desirous only of bringing the people amongst whom my ministry may be exercised, into sub- jection to the Gospel of Christ, in subserviency to the exten- sion of the Messiah's Kingdom, and the advancement of Thy declarative glory. Accept, O Lord God, of my unworthy offer- ing, and grant me wisdom, and grace, and strength continu- ally to perform this my vow. — W. S." Surely we may here to- day, in this house of prayer, where he so long preached, and addressing, as we do, those who have had so many opportuni- ties of witnessing his faithful and devoted labors, thank God that during a ministry of forty-seven years he was enabled, through grace, so faithfully to fulfil bis ordination covenant. In the summer of 1831, Mr. Sommerville sailed from London- derry, Ireland, in a merchant ship, and after a stormy passage of six weeks, on the i6th of August, in the fall of the same year, he arrived at St. John, as a missionary to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. He was accompanied in his passage thither by Mr. (now Dr.) Andrew Stevenson, of New York, who was sent out by the Board of Missions to the colonies as a catechist and teach - §8 ;|i HJ er. Between him and Mr Sommerville there was formed a cor- dial fraternal attachment, which was influential in leading Mr. Stevenson to prosecute studies for the ministry and in prepar- ing him for much usefulness and success during a lengthened pastorate. The design of the church in sending out Mr. Som- merville was chiefly that he might minister to the members and friends of our church in St. John and other parts of New Brunswick, as these alone were known at the time as petition- ers for a pastor and the regular supply of gospel ordinances. He, therefore, was engaged in preaching, after his arrival, at several places, as a desire was expressed to hear him, in the neighboring province; and for several months he exercised his ministry at Hopewell, or Chepody, in Westmoreland Co., N. B. We have often heard him speak of his visits to different settle- ments of New Brunswick, especially St. John, Neripis, London- derry, Jerusalem, Southstream, now called Barnesville, Salt- springs, and other places, in several of which there are now regu- larly established congregations. In some c " these flourishing dis- tricts of our Dominion, we know that there are some still living who would cheerfully bear testimony to his energy, persever- ance and constancy, amidst difficulties and discouragements of various kinds. There were doubtless many in the days of other years, now, perhaps, his joy and crown, who, without his presence amongst them, when their home was amidst the for- ests of a strange land, would seldom or never have heard a gospel sermon. In the settlements which he visited, as the Head of the Church opened a door for him, he imparted relig- ious and moral instruction to the old and the young, wherever for the time his lot was cast. After itinerating in New Brunswick for such a period as we have just referred to, Mr. Sommerville was constrained, by ur- gent calls for help, to come over to Nova Scotia, an older and more thickly settled province, here to break up new ground by preaching the gospel and displaying a banner for the truth throughout many districts of this beautiful country. To the ^ 29 great work in which he was engaged he willingly devoted all his energies, and prosecuted it with untiring diligence, fervent love, heartfelt interest, irrepressible t.ithusiasm and unwaver- ing faith, amidst privations and reproaches, in vigorous man- hood and declining years, till the Master whom he loved so well laid him aside from active service. It is impossible for us to estimate — eternity alone can tell, for the harvest is not yet all gathered, how much good was effected by these early pioneers, the first sent out by any sec- tion of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, to look after the spiritual interests of their expatriated countrymen and others on this side of the great waters, and who cheerfully accepted the missionary work which God gave them, adopting as their motto, " This one thing I do." "Though seed lie buried long in dust. It shan't deceive their hopes. " *' He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him," It is, perhaps, allowable here to refer to matters of more private interpretation when describing, to some extent, the his- tory of our deceased friend. In the year 1832 he was united in marriage to Sarah Barry, daughter of Robert McGowan Dickey, Esq., of Amherst, N. S., one of the representatives from the county of Cumberland in the House of Assembly, a gentle- man of high social position, well-known and respected in the neighborhood where he resided till a good old age. By this marriage Mr, Sommerville had ten children. Two of these died in early life, and eight, four sons and four daughters, are still living. The amiable and excellent mother of this large family died, after a short illness, in the month of February, 1853, One of the sons just referred to, you ail favorably know, as he was co-pastor with his venerated father for several years, and is now minister of the Second Reformed Presbyterian Congregation of New York. This son in the gospel, although ^gm^ llll :i ! not here to mingle his regrets with those of other relatives, will doubtless feel ti.. day that he has lost not only a loving parent, but his constant counselor and best earthly friend. We have reason to believe that since he left his native province he has always looked to his father for advice, in reference to the dis- charge of those duties connected with the important ecclesi- astical position he now occupies, as successor to the Rev. Dr. Stevenson, of whom we have just spoken. We may further mention that Mr. Sommerville was subse- quently united in marriage in September, 1854, to Jane Eliza- beth, widow of the late Mr. John Woodworth, and daughter of Mr. Joseph Caldwell, a much respected elder of the Horton branch of this congregation. Four children were born as the issue of this peculiarly happy union. Two of them were called away in early life, and one son and one daughter are still living. Our departed friend has therefore left a widow and five sons and five daughters, with several grandchildren to mourn the loss of such a husband and such a father. But to return to our narrative. Some time after Mr. Som- merville's first marriage, he was asked by the leading members connected with the old Presbyterian Church of Horton, Kings Co., to come and settle there. They promised him the use of a free house and garden, then owned by the congregation, and such a monetary salary as they could afford to give for preach- ing every alternate Sabbath. The correspondence on this sub- ject; which had already passed between him and the congrega- tion, was laid before Presbytery. He accepted the invitation and commenced his ministry in Horton, May, 1833. ^^ was then in the prime of life, and there is every reason to believe that he was thus, in the providence of God, called to labor amongst those who greatly valued him as their faithful and devoted pastor. During the early period of his settlement in this place, Mr. John Allen, of Handley Mountain, Wilmot, a covenanter from the north of Ireland, having heard that a Reformed Presby- iMtt^pttM^^ 31 terian minister was preaching at Horton, made a visit there to see him. In those days, as no railways were established in any part of the country, traveling such a distance involved much toil and fatigue. At Mr. Allen's request, however, Mr. Sommerville visited Wilmot, calling on his way at Cornwallis West. This visit led to the commencement of the congrega- tion of which afterwards, and till lately, the Rev. Robert Stew- art was pastor. At the time referred to, Mr. Sommerville received a cordial invitation to supply the pulpit of the Presbyterian church in Lower Cornwallis, and we have his own authority for saying that he labored there as a preacher once a month for two years with general acceptance, and with good reason to hope that his ministerial exertions for the spiritual welfare of the people were honored with the Divine blessing. In May, 1835, a call was presented to him, through Presby- tery, from the western part of the township of Cornwallis, for a portion of his time, and was accepted, so that from this date till the end of his ministry, he was pastor of the united con- gregation of Horton and Cornwallis. For a long time in Hor- ton, where he resided till 1845, in Woodside, from which he removed in 1856, and in Somerset, his home from that period till the time of his death, he was engaged, in addition to his pastoral duties, in teaching school. He taught altogether not less than twenty years, Mr. Sommerville possessed in an emi- nent degree the faculty of communicating instruction. He was not only well acquainted with what he undertook to teach, but was singularly successful in securing the attention of the young, and in giving to others a clear understanding of any subject brought under their attention. Many now living in different professions throughout the province and elsewhere, attribute to his strict discipline in school, and to his skilful and Careful training their present success in life. As an in- stance of the hardships he endured, and the self-denial exer- cised, that he might advance the cause he so much loved, he 3a I ) I ; I 1 1 I is known to liave jjone for ono winter, once a fortnight, to Horton to preach, and after preaching two, and often three times on Sabbath, to luive krft for home in the dark, cohl night of a Canadian winter, or at an unusually early hour on Monday morning, so as to be in time for his school. There he would faithfully labor all day, though he had enjoyed scarcely any sleep the previous night. The large Bible-class which met every Lord's day for many years in this church, had the benefit of his instructions. You know, also, that he had a similar class numerously attended, which assembled weekly at his own house until a few months ago, when, by his growing physical infirmities he was pre- vented from meeting with it. This class consisted of the young people, and many even i.i advanced life, of all and every denomination from the neighborhood round about Som- erset where he resided. Speaking of Mr. Sommerville as a pastor, we might say that next to his intense love to Christ, his attachment to the people of his charge was his ruling principle during the whole of his ministerial life, and his ruling passion even in the im- mediate prospect of death. One of the last, probably the very last note he wrote was for the purpose of making inquiries respecting the supply of the congregation, and, when unable to write with his own hand, he directed a note to be addressed to Presbytery, expressing his desire that a meeting should be held in the bounds of Horton and Cornwallis congregation to make arrangements for the ministration of gospel ordinances. It is, indeed, a somewhat remarkable fact that the time appointed by Presbytery for its meeting here, in accordance with his wish was, as you are aware, the same day during the past week on which we were all assembled in the adjoining grave-yard to commit his body to its kindred dust. The Presbytery carried out the sugges- tion of your late pastor, it fulfilled his last request and met here, but alas ! it was immediately after his funeral. iii laoifeiudditdi We hasten, however, to brln^ before yoii a few more feat- ures of his character, and incidents ()f his life. Mr. Sommervilie had a very genial and lively disposition, and in his conversation and intercourse with ministerial breth- ren, or literary and religious men with whom he came in con- tact, he had an easy and agreeable manner which made a most favorable impression on the minds of all those with whom he associated. When any topic of discussion came up there was always a freshness and originality in his way of ad- vocating what he regarded as the right side of the question. He was a very acute reasoner, and possessed, as we have al- ready hinted, of a very logical mind. His logic, too, was of a trenchant character, and generally based upon some declara- tion of Scripture, to which he always bowed with supreme reverence. Whilst in matters of indifference, or of doubtful disputation, he was never tenacious of his own opinion; in matters of principle you always knew where to find him. In deed, he was regarded wherever he was known, and especially where he was best known, as one that was valiant for the truth, and not content to abate one jot or tittle of what is not ours, but God's — the faith once delivered to the saints. As contrasted with all this, those public discussions in which he had occasion to engage were conducted on rather a severe and forcible style, not always, we are certain, agreeable to his opponents. As an illustration of this we may mention that once, not many years ago, certain errorists visited Kings Co., and were allowed for some time to have it all their own way. Many friends of the truth saw tl at some were in danger of being thus influenced to turn aside from the faith, yet felt un- able to cope with them in their delusive reasonings. However, it was agreed to invite Mr. Sommervilie to deliver a lecture in opposition to the erroneous views they were endeavoring to circulate. As may be supposed, he readily accepted the invi- tation. At the close of his address he could not forbear to give it as his judgment that there would be far less danger of M 1^ 34 wanderinjr heretics doin^ harm in a (omnmnity, if the pro- fessed followers of Christ were to take higher ground them- selves, and to manifest greater fidelity in the maintenance of the truth. He did it in this way : Those whose views he had been combating were before him taking notes of all he said, and, after closing his lecture he remarked, looking down at them from the pulpit, " You seem to me like a parcel of wood- peckers—they never attack a sound tree, but always those that are unhealthy." . Mr. Sommerville's publications from the press, whether in separate volumes, lectures delivered on several interesting occasions, or frequent articles in periodicals written for the vindication of precious truth, were distinguished for lofty conceptions and freshness of thought, sound logic, fearless intre- pidity, and at the same time by a candid, generous spirit, which opponents were compelled to respect. When it is considered that these productions were emitted amidst inces- sant labors, with little leisure for study and little access to books, they bear evidence of mental abilities of the highest order, and of power of expression and cogency of reasoning seldom equaled in our day. His views on the Baptist contro- versy are well known, and by some may be regarded as extreme. He was led, we think, to give great attention to this subject from the fact that he met with some, in his visits to different parts of these provinces, who maintained that baptism by sprinkling is not baptism at all, and who therefore refused to receive into the memK-r ;hip of the visible church those who had thus been dedicated lo God in their infancy without the initiatory or.ananct being repeated by immersion in their adult years. Believing, as he did, that there could not be pro- duced a single instance of immersion in the New Testament, he, as a Paedo baptist, argued for baptism by sprinkling. As regards the subjects of baptism, he believed that this sacra- ment is properly administered to adults on their making a credible profession of their faith, and to the infant offspring of ■imi:m^mm .15 sutfi as arc nu'mhcrs of tlw visible ( hiin h, on the irnmnd of their bcin^ bom nifmbrrs of the Kin>{t:.wlMd 47 that these ,. flax. I hope that these Hocieties wilt b<' rovjularly kept up. and that okl and yinin^ will not rease to pray and t'ni;e one another, till (lod be pleased to visit you. "Small, comparatively, as you are now, (iod, who called Abraham alone anfl blessed and increased him, is able to make you a great multitude, and a blessing to all around you." The following reference to the character and work of Mr. Sommer- . ville i.s taken from a notice of his death in the IVifnrss (Fk»lfa.st, Ire- land) of October 25th, 1878 : ^^ "The principal sphere of Mr. Sommerville's extensive labors wsws the" province of Nova Scotia. " Into this field Mr. Sommerville entered as a stranger, having very few adherents of the covenanted cause to welcome him, and hardly any others to offer him encouragement in his arduous enterprise. His abilities as a powerful evangelical preacher, and a resolute defender of Scripture doctrine, his manly genial spirit, and warm-hearted benevo- lence won for him in a short time general esteem, and attracted con- siderable numbers in various parts of the province to embrace the cause which he advocated. For a period of more than forty-six years he labored with unabated vigor to diffuse the truths of the Gospel, and the grand principles of the Covenanted Reformation ; and he enjoyed the high reward of not only gathering under his ministry in various scattered congregations and societies a flock who were devotedly attached to him, but also of witnessing the doctrines and order for which he contended, embraced to a considerable extent throughout surrounding ecclesiastical communities.. " Besides his manifold labors as a missionary and a pastor, Mr. Som- merville was an author of doctrinal and controversial works of sterling excellence. A work which he early published on the " E.xclusive Use of the Psalms of David in Worship " reached a third edition in America ; and as a tribute to its superior ability, .several ecclesiastical bodies in the United States in their periodicals claimed the honor of the author being connected with them in fellowship. ' A Dissertation on the Nature and Administration of the Ordinance of Baptism, in Two Parts,' was reprinted in Scotland in 1866. Of this work, the late Dr. Wilson, of the General Assembly's College, testifies in his able book on ' Baptism.' that it is characterized by singular acuteness and ability. i» ;i' :/• r 4« Fn addition to the.st', Mr. Sommervilii' emitted s«'Vi'ral pamphlets, and was a frequent contributor t^ provincial pafHTH and periodiculM of articles on reliKious, ecclesiastical, and (educational subjects. His controversial works were uniformly characterized by such clearness and force of argument, and such candor and ({encrosity of feeling, that opponents were constrained to respect and admire him. Amidst his arduous and incessant labors it was matter of wonder to those who were favored with his acquaintance and friendship, that he was able to keep abreast of the literature of the day, and to write so much that exhibited accurate and lofty thought, ardent and intelligent zeal for the truth, and that possesses far beyond an ephemeral value. "The chief excellence of his character and work as a missionary and pastor lay in his fervent love to Christ, and hisearnest desire to gather souls, not to swell a party, but as jewels for the Mediator's crown. During his lengthened ministry, not a few testified in life and at death that they had received saving benefits through his instrumentality. His memory will be long fragrant in the colonies through which he labored, and in the United States, where he was well known and cor dially esteemed. His latter end was consistent with his life of fa and of active and self-denied benevolence. In death he was sustaineu by the assured joyful hope of the Gospel." T »■■;.' (• ^ t. * t ♦ -.M^Jill