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Cfjurclj iMus
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Tho service shall bo long remembered
by every one present because of its
beauty and helpfulness.
J. M. Lewis.
WEST VIRGINIA.
Frankford: Our Christmas enter
tainment was held Saturday evening
before Christmas, and we used "White
Gifts for the King" programe. We
had a very interesting service, and
the building was packed to tho gal
lery. The children of the two Sun
day-schools had a very important part
in the program and acquitted them
selves admirably. The Sunday-school
superintendent, Mr. C. G. Itader, pre
sided, and the pastor gave an address.
The weather had been unfavorable all
week, but tho success was due to tho
faithful workers who went ahead with
their preparations, and were rewarded
by a successful service. The music
rendered by Miss India Higginbotliam
and the two choirs would have done
credit to a city church. The contribu
tion, which amounted to $11, went to
the Ministerial Relief Fund. Mrs.
Santa Claus then appeared on the
scene, followed by Mr. Santa, and then
the distributions were made. In ad
dition to tho candy and fruits, a num
ber of useful presents were dis
tributed. The members of the con
gregation remembered the pastor with
a substantial gift of money. The
work is growing steadily under the
leadership of the pastor, Rev. T. H.
Wlx. Mrs. Jesse P. Bright.
TWO MEDICAL MISSIONARIES
WANTED IMMEDIATELY
FOR KOREA.
The losses in our medical mission
ary force in Korea through health fail
ures and other providential reasons
have left our work in that field in a
very embarrassed condition. One man
is needed at once to take charge of
the hospital at Sooncliun to take the
place of Dr. II. L. Timmons, who has
just come home on account of ill
health. Another man is needed for
the work at Kunsan to relieve Dr.
Patterson, in order that he may come
home for rest before he breaks down
from overwork. The Executive Com
mittee of Foreign Missions will send
these two men to the field as soon
as they can be found and are ready
to go.
The professional qualifications of a
medical missionary are that he should
be a graduate of a reputable medical
college, and in addition should have
at least one years' experience as assist
ant in a hospital or its equivalent in
actual practice. He should have such
experience in the practice of surgery
as will make it safe for him to un
dertake independent surgical work on
the foreign field.
Any of our young Christian physi
cians who may feel moved to answer
this call are requested to correspond
with the undersigned at his office ad
dress, 154 Fifth avenue, North, Nash
ville, Tenn. .
S. H. Chester, D. D? \
Secretary.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS.
Rov. J. Li Yandell from Cooleemee,
N. C., to Filbert, S. C.
Rev. W. T. Spears from Newport
News, Va., to R. F. D., Richwood, Ky.
PERSONAL.
Rev. .1. F. McKinnoii, formerly coun
ty superintendent of education, Or
lando, Fla., and who previously was
pastor at Sanford, Fla., has just ac
cepted the Oakland, Fla., pastorate
and moved there.
Rev. W. 8. Milne, Wild wood, Fla.,
stated supply, tendered his resigna
tion this week. It was accepted.
Rev. J. N. Vandevanfcr: Just as
we go to press have received the sad
announcement of the sudden death
of this brother, beloved of all who
knew him. Few men have been more
faithful in their work and few have
made more friends, who will mourn
his departure, while they cherish his
memory, and are assured that ho has
only been called to a higher service
above. A fuller notice will appear
later.
In the death of tho beloved Rev.
J. N. Vandevanter, in his lato home,
"Tho Manse," at Ft. Defiance, Va.,
January 13, 1917, tho Church has
sustained a great loss. Although he
had not been well for almost two
years, yet tho news of his sudden de
parture came as a great surprise and
shock. Over a quarter of a century he
had served continuously as pastor of
the Old Stone church. Ft. Defiance,
and won a place in the affection of
his congregation and neighbors it will
be difficult to fill. He was an hum
ble, consecrated and laborious worker
in the Master's vineyard. In his re
moval from us the Church has sus
tained the loss of a faithful, kind and
sympathetic pastor. Whenever stran
gers camfc tor his church ho always
welcomed them with a friendly word
and a hearty handshake. All these
things we^will miss, but as our Father
has called him to lay down his work
and enter his eternal reward, we say,
"Thy will bo done," and thank Him
for giving us, so many years, such a
beloved pastor, as Rev. J. W. Vande
vanter. We share the sorrow of the
bereaved family in his death and re
joice with them in the victory which
is his life ? for we loved him. Great
sympathy is extended to the bereaved
family and pray that the God of all
comfort and consolation may bless
and sanctify their sorrow.
A Member who loved him.
REV. RUTHERFORD ROWEAND
HOUSTON.
By Rev. T. C. Johnson, D. D.
Mr. Houston was born May 20,
1836, in Smyrna, Asia Minor, the first
child of the Rev. Samuel Rutherford
Houston and Mary Russel Rowland his
wife, who were at the time mission
aries to the Island of Scio, lying a lit
tle way off from Smyrna.
This Rov. Samuel Rutherford Hous
ton, a man of ancient and honorable
lineage, counting as amongst his an
cestors the famous Samuel Ruther
ford, of the Westminster Assembly,
after some years of usefulness in. va
rious centers of the Greek-speaking
Orient, was brought back to this
country and detained here on account
of health conditions in his family, and
was called to the most important pas
torate in Monroe county of what is
now West Virginia, where he served
with great ability and acceptance Tor
the remaining half century of hlls life,
and became the well known and
widely honored Dr. S. R. Houston of
the Synod of Virginia.
Rutherford Rowland Houston, thus
brought to this country at the age of
four, grew up and passed his entire
life in this country. Recovering his
health, he was prepared for college
in the school at Union, the county
seat of Monroe, entered Washington
College at the age of fifteen, was
graduated with honor in 1855 at the
age of nineteen, and was appointed
to deliver the valedictory. Not long
after graduating, he became the assist
ant teacher in the classical school of
the Rev. Dr. William Henry Foote
at Romney, now West Virginia, where
he taught for two years. He then
entered the Union Theological Semi
nary, taking the full course of study
with distinguished standing. At the
close of his theological course he re
ceived the appointment of assistant of
the professor of Oriental Literature,
I
Rev. It. It. Houston.
in which capacity he performed his
duties with eminent ability (accord
ing to the unsolicited commendation
of the professor). He was licensed
to preach by the Greenbrier Presby
tery of the Synod of Virginia in 1863,
and immediately became stated sup
ply of Muddy Creek and McElhenny
churches in the Greenbrier Valley,
lie received ordination at the hands
of the same Presbytery in 1863.
In 1866 he became minister of Sa
lem and Carmel, in the same Pres
bytery, making his home on a farm
purchased by him near Union, in Mon
roe county. He had meantime mar
ried Miss Margaret Steele, of Illinois,
but of Virginia stock, a woman of
well informed mind and high charac
ter. He received here, into his home,
and under his instruction, several can
didates for the ministry, designated to
his care by the Greenbrier Presby
tery.
Tn the year 1871 he was -called to
the Presbyterian church of Fincastle,
Botetourt county, Va., with two col
legiate churches in the country,
Mountain Union and Amsterdam.
There he labored for nineteen years,
till 1890.
From 1890 to 1893 he preached for
the people of New Castle, in Craig
county, of this State. From 1894-95
he supplied the churches of Cub
Creek, Brookneal and Hat Creek in
Roanoke Presbytery. From 1896-99
he supplied the churches of Amster
dam, Sinking Creek and New Castle
in Montgomery Presbytery. In 1900
he again supplied churches in Roanoke
Presbytery. Thence till about a year
ago he labored for churches in his own
Presbytery and chiefly in his own
county, amongst others for the church
of Fincastle, of which he had formerly
been pastor.
He has been a fine instance of a
strong and gifted man spending his
life and pouring out his groat gifts
upon obscure parts of the Lord's vine
yard. He had been a fragile child,
but had developed into a hale, hearty
and handsome man, of imposing pres
ence.
Dowered with a mind of unusual
vigor and grasp, he had disciplined,
developed and richly stored it with
learning in many spheres, and espe
cially in the Biblical. He had found
rich pastures in the writings of Jona
than Edwards and the great Puritan
divines. One could hardly talk with
hime ten minutes without being im
pressed with the fact. But the great
book to him had been the Bible. He
had studied the word of God with
great care and with independent and
vigorous mind and with rich results.
Having received by inheritance and
from earily training moral tendencies
of a noble order, and having labored
diligently for light on moral questions,
he had preserved a conscience singu
larly void of offense. He had con
victions and stood by them. He thus
furnished in himself a commanding
example of integrity to all who knew
him.
Gifted with a lofty affectionate na
ture, ennobled by quickening and
sanctifying grace, providentially stim
ulated by an attractive family and
friends in all orders of life about him,
he had early shown himself a great
hearted man of goodly stature in
Christ Jesus. As a preacher, he was
instructive, impressive, practical and
effective, an unusually able preacher,
and one who strove to disclose the
whole counsel of God, one who won
souls and built them up. As a pas
tor, he was faithful and tender to all
in sorrow, administering the conso
lation of the gospel with wise stew
ardship. He was humble, glorifying
not in himself, but in Christ and his
cross, and vindicating the honor of
Christ against every suggestion of de
traction.
About a month ago he had a dream
in which some one seemed to say to
him, "The merecy of God is exhaust
ed and the merit of Christ is limited."
He suffered such agony in that dream
that it awoke him. His awakened
powers asserted themselves. The
word of God came to him, and with it
joy. He wanted to testify at once
to the character of God and his Christ.
He awakened two of his daughters and
told them the dream, which he de
scribed as the machination of Satan,
and exultingly declared to them, "The
mercy of God is exliaustless and the
merit of Christ is limitless."
He had a vast hatred of indwelling
sin and vast longing for holiness. His
very disposition to examine himself
and to pray to God for entire purifica
tion marked him as eminently Chris
tian. The prayer of his heart seemed
to be, "Search me, oh God, and know
my heart; try me, and know my
thoughts; and lead me in the way
^everlasting."
Amongst the last intelligible words
of Mr. Houston were "Hallelujah,
amen."
"A prince and a great man is fallen
this day in Israel."
"Servant of God, well done,
Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought, the victory won,
Enter thy Master's joy."
Richmond, Va.
Jesus sanctified childhood by pass
ing through it. ? Irenoeus.
auillliua Gospel Son?sg
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DIXIE SCHOOL
(ANNEX TO HOME PLACE SCHOOL)
Physically or mentally backward children receive scientific treatment in home
like atmosphere. The aim is (1) to remove cause of backwardness ; (2) discover under
lying native ability; and (3) develop each child's powers for acquiring that means of
self-support for which he is best fitted. ALICE C. HINCKLEY, M. A., Director,
Randolph 2582. 1604 Lamb Ave., Richmond, Va., Alvista Heights.