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The Laver.
The laver had a peculiarity of
its own. It was different from
the other vessels in this respect,
that it had no specified form or
measurement. This designed
omission gives additional inter
est to the study. The spiritual
teaching suggested by the omis
sion will be considered later on.
DESIGN OF THE LAVER.'
Its purpose is c tarly an
nounced. “For Aaron and his
sons shall wash their hands and
their feet thereat.” Ex. xxx. 19.
Purity was an essential require
ment demanded of Israel’s
priests. Ceremonial defilement
must be immediately removed.
The ministering priests walked
with unshod feet from altar to
tabernacle. Their hands pre
pared the sacrifices. They slew
and skinned and dissected. Be
fore and after every offering they
must wash. Hands and feet
were therefore often immersed
in the waters of the laver. Neg
ligence of this ceremonial receiv
ed merited punishment. Death
was the penalty. Ex. xxx. 20.
MANUFACTURE OF THE LAVER.
Pious women provided the ma
terial. “And he made the laver
of brass and the foot of it of
brass, of the looking-glasses of
the women assembled at the
.door of the congregation.” Ex.
xxxviii. 8. The mirrors brought
from Egypt were of highly pol
ished copper. Their power of
reflection was great. They were
needed, and employed not neces
sarily for self admiration. The
mirror has its legitimate use.
It was therefore an act of self
denial to part with it. These
godly women were possessed of
lofty motives. They responded
to Moses’ appeal for material
wherewith to build a house for
Jehovah. They were an elect
company. The Revised Version
reads, “the serving women which
served ” Certain ones assem
bled before the tent of Moses to
minister. Their consecration re
minds us of that other company
of select ladies who attached
themselves to Jesus and minis
tered to him of their substance.
A true test of piety is not giving
much, but giving all. That im
poverishment of self which en
riches the Master is the true stan
dard of giving. And he is our
example in this respect also. 2
Cor. viii. 9.
The laver fashioned out of
mirrors was an important vessel
in the court. No priest would
dare slight it. By the applica
tion of its waters he was made
clean. This gift of devoted wo
men suggests the fact that to
Christian wcmen is committed a
sacred trust. Where Christ abides
in woman’s heart, by her minis
try of self abnegation she can
make her surroundings pure and
sweet. She need not step be
yond her divinely bounded prov
ince to serve her generation.
The serving women could not re
form the Canaanites, but they
could succeed in making provi
sion for priestly purity. And
priestly purity secured the pres
ence of God. No attempts at
improving morals could compen
sate for loss of his power. An
absent God meant a depraved
people. Washing the shell does
not arrest decay in the egg.
The ministry of shallow reform
has ever ended in folly. Never
theless misguided women will
waste their energies in the im
possible task of washing the
Ethiopian white. Results rise
no higher than their source. Po
litical contention does not minis
ter to priestly consecration. If
the forces of heart and brain mis
spent on a Canaanite world were
yielded to God in spiritual work,
what precious fruitage would
have appeared. Os Mary’s lofty
service to Jesus he approved,and
graciously commended it. Mark
xiv. 9. Her memorial will out
last the hills. In the day when
individual work is tested, that
service which is rendered for the
glory of the Master will abide
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
ISUBSCRI, Yeae. .-..•2.00. I
ITO MINISTIi. 1.00. I
and win rewards, while the rub
bish heap of works prompted by
temporary fame or world mend
ing policy will be reduced to
ashes. Then will appear irti
nitesimally small the scornful
flings of the progressive woman
at the teaching and principles of
God’s Word; that Word so madly
opposed in these days of moral
hysteria.
the laver’s symbolical mean
ing.
The laver stood between the
court gate and tabernacle door.
It was closely related to the altar
of sacrifice. The altar was iden
tified with blood, the laver with
water. One was for expiation,
the other for purification. Both
were essential to a complete cer
emonial ritual.
It had no recorded measure
ments. This characteristic, in
addition to its use, indicates its
typical meaning. Itforeshadow
ed the Holy Spirit of Christ in an
important feature of his minis
try. It was said by our Lord’s
forerunner that the father givetb
not the Spirit by measure unto
him. John iii. 35. But the
words “unto him” are not in the
text. The Revised Version
properly omits them. Here then
is a great fact stated, namely, the
Holy Spirit is God’s immeasura
ble gift. The infinite Spirit given
to Christ is an unmeasured per
sonality. Thus also is he given
to believers. All other vessels
of the tabernacle had form and
size. They specially typified the
Son of God in flesh. Jesus had
human form; was seen, heard,
handled. Outlined in veritable
body the great and gracious
Lord stood before men. But
that other Comforter, though as
real in personal being, is with
out visible tangibility. He hath
not flesh and blood though he
dwelleth therein. For the be
liever’s body is his temple, and
his presence is known by mani
festations. John iii. 8.
Again, the use of the laver
would favor this application of
the typical vessel. Its water
was for purification. The laver
held the water. It received it;
possessed it; gave it; was there
fore identified with it. Prepara
tion for priestly worship resulted
from the constant application of
water to hands and feet. Sever
al Scripture texts disclose the
meaning of this symbolical wa
ter. “Christ loved the church
and gave himself for it, that he
might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the
Word.” Eph. v. 25, 26. “Now
are ye clean through the Word
which I have spoken unto you.”
John xv. 3. The Christian be
liever who becomes a priest unto
God from the moment he first
reaches the altar, and by faith ac
cepts Christ’s atoning death as
the ground of his justification, is
yet in a world of defilement. He
needs therefore constant prepar
ation of heart to qualify him for
acceptable worship. In order to
meet this need of his life the
Word of cleansing is given. The
Holy Spirit ministering that
Word in power to the inner man
moulds the judgment, purifies
thought, displaces lust, imparts
motive. Holiness is promoted
by the Word. We are sanctified
by it. It rebukes self com plai
sance and exposes the folly of
self-perfection. The Word is a
discerner of the thoughts and in
tents of the heart; it is that light
which makes manifest. To deny
our need of cleansing is equiva
lent to shutting out the sun. The
Word-is that living stream which
having entrance purifieth the
soul. The blood cleanseth, the
Word cleanseth, the Spirit
cleanseth, and these three agree
in one.
Allusions are made to the laver
of purification and preparation
in the words “Who shall ascend
unto the hill of the Lord’ or who
shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands and a
pure heart. Ps. xxiv. 3, 4. And
yet again, “I will wash my hands
in innocency; so will 1 compass
thine altar, O Lord.” Ps. xxvi.
6.
The laver in Solomon’s temple
was called a sea. 2 Chron. iv.
2. Its dimensions were ten cu
bits from brim to brim, upheld
by oxen cast for its base. The
victorious redeemed are seen in
heaven standing on a sea of
glass. Rev. xv. 2. They no
longer wash therein but are ever
reminded of the source of their
purity. They stand on the sea
and sing of the Lamb. Altar and
laver never forgotten. The altar
bears witness, “Without shed
ding of blood there is no re mis
sion of sins.” The laver testi
fies, “Without holiness no man
shall see the Lord. ” In other
words, the work of Christ is for
justification, and the ministry of
the Spirit for sanctification.
“The laver stands. If earth defiled
Go, wash thy hands, thy feet;
And simply as a pardoned child.
Approach the mercy seat;
Within the veil thy censer bring,
And burn sweet incense to the king ”
—Shadow and Substance—Needham.
For the Index.
The Best Seminary ot Learning Ever
Established. Who Its First and
Only President.
REV P. S. WHITMAN.
It is a signal feature of be
lievers in Jesus Christ to be to
gether. When Christ had as
cended his disciples could no
longer be with him in person;
but they could be together, and
were together. Persons under
the influence of love to Jtsus
will defy all opposition and brave
all dangers to be together. And
this feature becomes more dis
tinctive when we consider that
they are together in prayer.
Some people complain that they
don’t see where the organizing
was. It lay very much right here.
They were together in prayer. The
Pareclete v. ith them, they make
their desires known to Christ
just as if he himself were with
them in person. What strength
they have; what a power they
become—they are a church of
Christ. (Os course they could
not be acknowledged followers or
believers except as they were
baptized )
On Pentecost was presentation
day. On that day, this company
of Christ’s followers, Christ him
self no longer with them in per
son, first appears before the
world as a church. (That this was
its name not yet known.) It was
first seen as a preaching force—
in this respect equal to Christ;
and no wonder —they had some
thing to preach that neither John
the Baptist nor Christ had—the
death and resurrection accom
plished ! Three thousand con
verted in a day—a gleam of fire
like a tongue lighted on every
one of them. The spread of the
Gospel was to be very much an
affair of the tongue. Every one
that had a tongue was to use it
for Christ. But miracles,as well
as apostolic hands, were soon to
pass away, and how were new
converts to be prepared for propa
gating the Gospel? Nothing is
said of training schools or theo
logical seminaries under those
names—whatofit? Everychurch
was to be a training school. Ev
ery church a preparatory school
for preachers. Nothing has ever
been got up in the school line to
compare with the church system
as a school for the general edu
cation of believers. It is the
glory of a church that all its
members become equal. It is
not, however, by lifting some up
and bringing others down. It is
by bringing all the lower up to a
level with the highest. So that
what the most intelligent mem
ber knows they all know. Every
church of Christ is a school of
this sublime character. How
does it become all this? By pro
viding spacious auditoriums and
drawing in the outside world to
hear and embrace the Gospel.
That is one way to increase
numbers —multiplying converts
—but it never has educated them.
If it is astonishing how much a
man may preach, and that to gen
eral acceptance, and yet how lit
tle he may know of the details of
Bible characters and events, it is
also a wonder how constantly
people may be attendant on their
preaching, and yet make no per
ceptible accumulation of Bible
knowledge. But the regular
church meeting was to be a
school of discipline and learn
ing. It was a matter of ut
most moment for our Lord,
first of all, to get the human
mind fastened on the great ne
cessity, the salvation of the soul.
No one exactly knew why there
was such specialty in having
those who gave evidence of re
pentance, baptized. The reason
was obvious only when Christ
had ascended, and the company
that was left to represent him
was composed of baptized be
lievers, and none could be added
to them except as they were bap
tized. It was soon known that
baptized people, living sufficient
ly contiguous for the purpose,
could come together and, though
Christ was absent in person, the
Paraclete would be sure to be
with them and teach them. It
would be the school of Christ.
Yes, the Paraclete established a
school system; and just assure
as people were converted and
wished to learn of Christ, they
would come into this school.
Apollos was glad to learn all
about this.
We have said the remarkable
feature of this school was that
what one knew they all knew.
Those followers of Christ, after
he left them, continued several
days in prayer before the preach
ing commenced. Did not each of
them, one just as well as another,
understand that effectual preach
ing is born of prayer. They had
a good chance to learn this; and
prayer has been the locomotive
of the Gospel train from that day
to this.
And now take the matter of
church polity. That also was
settled before ever preaching
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. AUGUST 27. 1896.
commenced. When one was to
be chosen from those who had
companied with them from the
baptism of John, who knew so
well as the apostles who it should
be? But even that matter must
be decided by getting the sense
of the whole body—by vote.
Nothing then was more positive
than that all questions must be
so settled. Thus the most ob
scure of the one hundred and
twenty knew just as much about
church polity as the apostles
themselves. Every one saw, if
any appointment was to be made,
the whole body, not a few or any
one person, was to make it, but
the whole body. And as with ap
pointments so with all questions
—one,two, or a dozen might want
something done, or some ques
tion settled, but they must do as
Peter did,“Tell it to the church.”
What better seminary has ithere
ever been to teach church polity
than a Gospel church itself ?
And,by consequence what else
is known? A new company of
believers cannot long continue to
be together after the manner of
a family. But, unless it be a
time of persecution and danger,
they can agree upon some day,
and whenever that day comes, be
together. It can never answer to
leave it to chance —or accidental
meetings to ascertain the sense
of the bedy. They must have
that regular day; and the more
permanent the time and place be
come, the more emphatically it
will be a meeting of the church,
the more whatever is done will
re prosent the sense of the body.
Hence, when a company of bap
tized believers find themselves
dwelling sufficiently near each
other for the purpose, an agree
ment upon a time for meeting to
gether as a church of Christ, and
covenanting to observe that time,
is the chief characteristic of
a church organization; for with
out this, they would not be a Gos
pel church. Hence, too, a church
like any family, needed a habita
tion, its dwelling place; not with
its being left to chance when it
should be occupied. It needed a
stated time set for the family to
be together just as it needed the
house itself. Without this, the
government will fall in the hands
of a few, or there will be no gov
ernment at all; the church ceases
to be a deliberative body—the
seminary of learning becomes ex
tinct.
When it was fdund that the
company meeting in that upper
room after Christ’s ascension was
a self-governing body, all the nec •
essary order and needs of a self
governing body were established.
Church order and church polity
throughout were just as much
established before Pentecost as
they are at this day. Theifc was
nothing but a local church then,
and there is nothing else, or
should be nothing else, now; each
local church just as independent
of any other as Jerusalem was
when there was no other. And
all this we learn from that Bap
tist seminary which antedated
Pentecost.
We know that company acted
as a body of Christ’s followers.
It is safe to say each one was a
member of the body by virtue of
his baptism. In this respect it
was with them just as with a
company of first settlers in a new
portion of country, who have
brought church letters with them.
By virtue of these letters they
constitute themselves a church of
Christ in the new place. (Now
the letters are valuable as proof
of baptism. Hence only letters
from Baptist churches avail.
There is more need of care as to
who is admitted to baptism than
who is admitted to the ministry;
for, with due care over the first
matter, a church could risk let
ting any member preach who
could get hearers.)
By virtue of their baptism
these settlers in a new country
can declare themselves a church
of Christ. Hence baptism in
volves church organization. It
was precisely thus with the one
hundred and twenty. It would
be preposterous to question their
baptism some time during the
preceding three years, but, as
with the company gathered in a
new country, their baptisms in
each case avail just as if admin
istered at the very house of
church organization. Without a
word’s being said, that first com
pany, meeting after Christ left
them, was a church by virtue of
their baptism, just as if adminis
tered at that hour. True, this
was made more certain after
wards by the manner of increase
of numbers—converts were ad
ded only as they were baptized.
For three years theadministra
tion of John and of our Lord had
been characterized by the bap
tism of those who gave evidence
of repentance through belief on
Jesus as the Christ. The very
hour Christ had ascended, those
persons in Jerusalem who had
thus been baptized started right
off as a church of God, a priest
hood of believers,the Holy Spirit
cheir helper and guide, making it
virtually the Lord Jesus with
them still.
Prejudged History.
BY S. M. PROVENCE.
There are very few Baptists in
this country who do not take
their view of our denominational
history at second hand. We are
a busy people, and very few have
taken tlie pains to examine the
sources of such history as we
may claim to possess. Most of
that which is called history has
been written with a terminus ad
quern in view, an objective point,
namely, to strengthen our denom
inational claims. We were led
into an historical bog by the es
forts of good and zealous men to
offset the claims of Rome and her
offspring. Such made to-order
history, lacking both the histori
cal instinct and acquaintance
with the sources of information,
has not been a credit to Baptist
scholarship, but that was per
haps the least of its evils. It
drew attention to itself as in
some way a reinforcement of the
Baptist claims. It created a
feeling of historical security. It
was elaborately paraded in pub
lic debates and in newspaper con
troversies. More and more it
comes to be “suspected”, as his
torical investigation increased.
It may well be supposed inevit
able, in the progress of histori
cal learning, that this whole
ground should be carefully gone
over ab initio, and that w’ithout
partisan bias. It is to the ever
lasting honor of the Baptists
that one of their own scholarly
historians should have started
this movement and given to the
world a fearless and unpreju
diced account of what he found
in his researches. It takes a
brave man to do a thing like that,
in the face of preconceived opin
ions that have- somehow come to
be held as part and parcel of the
Baptist faith. For of course the
crown of martyrdom is speedily
made ready for him.
The most humiliating thing to
me, however, in this whole con
troversy is the partisan bitter
ness which has disgraced it, to
gether with the most dense and
utter and unreasoning ignorance
as to the merits of the question
involved. But one other thing
is hardly less discrediting, and
that is the widespread attempt
to smother the faits that plead
for light, and to cast odium upon
the man who found them out!
Baptists boast of their love for
truth,and yet when the truth ap
pears to be opposed to their pre
conceived opinions, it is refused
a hearing by many.
Manifestly, such partisanship
as this can have no rightful
claim to recognition in a patient
and diligent search for the truth
of history. What does it matter?
Suppose President Whitsitt is
correct in his view that Baptist
“succession” cannot be traced
through the English Bap’ists,
and that they revived the use of
immersion in 1641. If this is true,
can any clamor alter the fact? If
this is demonstrably true, can
any sane person believe that it
will not some day be proved? If
it is true, does it in any way af
fect the Baptist position? If it
is not true, it can surely be dis
proved. Let it be done! Dr.
Whitsitt will rejoice to be set
right He wants the truth far
more than he wants to be vindi
cated.
It is, however, utterly useless
to thresh over the old straw, as
Dr. A. B. Vaughan,.Jr., is doing
in the Index. And it is worse
than useless to try to induce a
prejudgment of the case, by
quoting partisans in this and for
mercontroversies, and by the lib
eral use of italics, and by other
arts well known to the polemic.
I plead for fairness. Dr. W hitsitt
spent more than two months in
the British Museum examining
the original sources of the history
of the English Baptists. Soon
after he first published some of
the results of his researches, Dr.
Henry M. Dexter went to the Mu
seum and spent a year in the
same work. He published a book
on his return which agreed with
the views of Dr. Whitsitt in every
particular. And here is Dr.
Vaughan repealing and indors
ing the slander of Dr. Christian
that Dr. Whitsitt copied Dr. Dex
ter! Dr. Whitsitt says “if any
one has ‘copied’ it was not I ”
He does not say that Dr. Dexter
copied him. Dr. Dexter is dead.
Dr. Vaughan desires a “full
and untrammelled discussion.”
And yet it is very evident that he
is not “untrammelled.” The per
sonalities of his articles and his
speeches in Baptist Associations
prove this. If he had been as un
trammelled as he wishesthis “dis
cussion” to be, he might have
said (and he could easily have
found space by leaving out some
irrelevant things) that Dr. A. H.
Newman, professor of church
history in the Toronto Universi
ty, Dr. H. C. Vedder, professor
of church history in Rochester
Theological Seminary, Dr. H. S.
Burrage, editor of Zion's Advo
cate, and one of our foremost his
torical investigators, all agree
with Dr. Whitsitt. He might
furthermore have said byway of
comment on the word “dip,”
quoted from Dr. Teatley, that
the same word still stands in the
rubrics of the English church,
but the dipping was not then and
is not now practiced. Perhaps,
too, it ought to be suggested that
not even he can believe that the
brethren who voted in a Baptist
Association in Georgia the other
day, on resolutions concerning
this matter, had re id “Ivemey
and Jones and -Backus and Bene
dict and Underhill and Cramp
and Armitage,” far less Newman
and Vedder and Dexter and Bur
rage and Whitsitt! A Baptist
Association is good for some
things, but to ask such a body to
vote on the historical questions
involved in this “discussion” is
the ne plus ultra of absurdity!
Such foolishness as this will do
more to put a club into the hands
of our opponents than any light
that can be thrown on the b-'story
of the English Baptists.
Cheney’s Request to Mercer—A
Bit of History.
BY PLODDER.
Twelve years ago, more or
less, a friend of Mercer Univer
sity made a railway journey to
Thomaston, Ga., to ask Aquila
J. Cheney, then a resident of
that place, to consider whether
he ought not to bequeath a part
of his estate to that institution,
and indicated the various condi
tions on which it might be done.
The visitor asked for no promise,
but was content to present the
cause in terms that he deemed
appropriate, and was willing to
leave the conclusion with his
courteous and sympathetic
hearer.
I know of no way to ascertain
precisely how much this inter
view had to do with the munifi
cent gift of Mr. Cheney to the
college, but it is quite safe to say
his mind was directed by some
sort of human influence. It is
credibly reported also that
Joseph E Brown’s donation of a
hundred thousand dollars was in
duced by a private appeal on a
railway train by a brother, now
deceased, -whom he held in the
highest love and confidence. It
is said likewise that Rockefeller
founded and endowed Chicago
University at the instance of a
distinguished Baptist minister.
This communication is written
to emphasize the conviction that
if friends of Mercer imagine
they can sit still and hear of
large gifts to Mercer by bequest,
without any effort to bring about
such things, their college is al
ready doomed. It is doomed to
die of neglect. All it has ever
received has been solicited by
somebody, and all that it is to re
ceive hereafter will come in the
same way. The following hints
may prove useful:
1. There are hundreds of
thousands of dollars to day in the
hands of men and women resid
ing in Georgia who have no
children, and no very decided
preference as to what shall be
come of their property after they
die. Some of them will die in
testate and let the law distribute
their possessions as it sees fit.
Others will leave a will only be
cause they like this a little bet
ter than the other course. It
would require no great effort to
get some of these minds stirred
up for some particular cause and
shape their wills accordingly.
2. A large part of that property
could be finally secured for Mer
cer, if the friends of the institu
tion would try. Every childless
man and woman in Georgia own
ing a few thousand dollars, ought
to be interviewed in behalf of
Mercer by a suitable person and
at the earliest convenient season.
In this work the utmost care
should be taken, of course, not to
wrong relatives or other favor
ites who might inherit the whole
or a part of the estate, and not
to grieve or weaken the natural
affections that were implanted in
the heart by our Creator.
3 The advantages of this
method of securing funds for
Mercer are various, (l)ltdoesn’t
prevent the use of any other
means that may promise to be
serviceable. (2.) Though you
have to wait longer for results,
when they do come, they are apt
to be larger than we get by a hat
collection from a weary and re
luctant congregation. (3.) It
doesn’t leave you with a huge
stock of uncollectable endow
ment notes, to excite the antipa
thy of the impecunious and mor
tified makers. (4.) One of our
most judicious brethren, second
•to none in his zeal for Mercer,
suggests that this plan “doesn’t
burn the woods,” as “successful”
agents sometimes do by theii - per
tinacious gouging.
VOL. 76--NO. 35
For the Index
Reminiscences of Georgia Baptists
BY S. G. HILLYER, D.D.
At the close of my last week’s
paper, I was speaking of Mrs.
Rebecca Mathews. Itold you of
some of the trials and fears which
she had to encounter with her
little babe in her cabin home,
when her husband was away on
his preaching tours. How did
she endure those trials ?
In 1838, or 1«39, I had the
pleasure of meeting Mrs.
Mathews in Penfield. She was
then in her eightieth year. We
had a long and, to me, a delight
ful interview. She spoke of her
early experiences, and especially
of the trials above alluded to,
and how she was enabled to bear
them. She said, in substance,
that at first, and for a consider
able time, she felt very much
dissatisfied with her condition.
She thought her lot a hard one
and murmured in her heart
against it, feeling that it was not
right for her to be left so much
alone.
After a while it came to pass
that her husband had an appoint
ment about eight or ten miles
from home, and it was arranged
on that occasion that she should
go with him to his meeting. The
little one-horse farm wagon was
fixed up for the occasion, and
thus she was enabled to accom
pany her husband, a privilege
which she perhaps had not be
fore enjoyed. They reached the
meeting house safely.
The meeting proved to be one
of great interest. Mr. Mathews
preached with his usual fervor
and the Spirit seemed to move
the hearts of the people. The
good lady looked on with wonder
and delight. Her own religious
feelings were deeply stirred. A
refreshing from the presence of
the Lord had descended upon the
people. The meeting closed
with songs of praise, accompa
nied with tears of holy joy, and
a handshaking that evinced the
flow of Christian love and fra
ternal fellowship.
Such a scene Mrs. Mathews
had never witnessed. Its effect
upon her was to sweep away her
discontent and all her murmurs.
She returned to her humble
home happy in the love of Jesus,
and glad that her husband was a
preacher. At this point in her
story, the dear old lady said to
me, “ From that hour I resolved
to do all I could to promote my
husband’s work, and to complain
of my lot no more.” And faith
fully she kept her vow. She
lived with her husband nearly
half a century, and during those
many years, till her sons were
old enough to take her place,she,
during her husband’s absenc°,
was the chief manager of things
at home, and no murmur ever
again escaped her lips.
But Mrs. Mathews was only
one of a class of women who
lived in those early days to help
their husbands to do the Master s
work. If we could know their
history, we should find there
were other wives who had to en
dure seclusion, toil and self-de
nial, that their husbands might
prosecute their itinerant labors
far and wide through our
sparsely settled country. We
shall never know till we get to
heaven how much we owe to
those early mothers in Israel for
the growth of our denomination.
A word more about brother
Mathews. He lived to be very
old. He continued to preach al
most to the end of his life. Dur
ing the last several years of his
labor, he had become so feeble
that it was deemed unsafe for
him to travel alone. He had be
come subject to frequent attacks
of vertigo. They would come
upon him without warning at
any time, and in any place. And
yet he would try to fill his ap
pointments. During this period,
nis daughter Rebecca would ac
company her father to all his
meetings, that she might be at
hand to take care of him in case
the vertigo should attack him.
It happened, once at any rate,
and if lam not mistaken, more
than once, that the attack came
upon him while in his gig on the
highway. On such occasions,
his daughter would assist him to
get to the ground and lead him
to the roadside and lay him
down upon the leaves and watch
by him till the fit passed off.
What an example have we here
of a daughter’s faithful love!
“Some feelings are to mortals given,
With less of earth in them than
heaven;
And if there be a human tear
From passion’s dross refined and clear,
A tear so limpid and so meek,
It would not stain an angel’s cheek,
’Tis that which pious fathers shed
Upon a duteous daughter’s head ! ”
Sucn a daughter was Rebecca
Mathews.
Brother Mathews died about
182" or 1828. He was the father
of eight children —five sons and
three daughters. Two of his
sons were Baptist ministers, viz: