#^^ PRINCETON, N. J. Shelf Division ^'Ty V^^ ♦ Section Number Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/memorialofcharleOOwald x^^ (^.^^/--/f^^^^.. MEMORIAL rHARLES N. WALDKUN, D. 1)., WHO WAS TRANSLATED MARCH 2, isss THEY SHAI.I. WALK \V I 1 H MK IN WHIIK." — AV?'. /// ; ^. I K(»N'. N. v.: K. n. I isKs I'KiNTiNc. iiorsK, 312 klVKk ST. 1 S S 8 . FUNERAL ADDRESS, ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE EUNERAL oK DK. WALDRON BV RKV. J. K. DICKIE. Pastok of thk Ckntrai. Prksbvtkrian (.'hurch. DKTRon. MICH Enoch iralked iritli (iixL dml lie icreriate the saints that live and move among us." His answer was just and true Held l>y the bondage of custom we are all guilty **\' the charge he prefers against us. Would 1 be doing violence to Holy Scri]»ture by saying: An«l Charles Newman Waldron walked with (iod. and be was not. for (Jod took him f Nay, for we know that this word is as B appropriate and as applicable to him, whom we miss to-day, as it ever was to mortal. Believe me, the children of God, of our own generation, are as heroic in faith and patience, as bright and beauti- ful in their hope, and as noble in their charity as any the world has ever seen. I regard it as one of the great- est blessings of my life, that I have been privileged to know men and women in our own city, whose saint- liness is as genuine and as beautiful as any of which the church of God has record. Many are yet with us, though some are fallen asleep. And although their achievements in Christian chivalry may not equal the glorious triumphs of patriarchs and prophets, of apostles and martyrs — for they had special work to do and were granted special grace and inspiration for the doing of it — yet the like blessed influences of God's omnipotent grace would produce like results here and now. God lacks not servants to do any work, He has for men to do, God\s call, happily, is not uttered in our ears all in vain. Some devout and pious soul leaps up responsive to the voice, that speaks to us from heaven. And thus the little world we live in is not left without a witness, and even the ungodly have taken knowledge of such, that they have been with Jesus. Many of these we have carried to their graves, men and women, whose presence was a sermon, whose word of cheer was an inspiration, and whose memory — shrined in our hearts — is an abiding benediction. Within a few months, we of the ministry have been called on to part with tliree of oui' lionored brethren — John G. Atterbury, Artluir Sandford, and now Charles N, Waldron. We are parted from them for a season, tliat we may meet with tlicin foi- ever. In deep solemnity, yet in sweet faith and buoyant hope, we say to him whose face death lias only transfigured, "Good night," my father, for God's little while, "good night " till, in a brighter world, you greet us with a sweet "good morrow."' The life, whose earthly career is closed, was a Christian life, well rounded out. As long ago as 1849, Rev. Charles N. Waldron began his ministry at East Hamp- ton, L. I. A few months later he removed to Cohoes, N. Y., to assume the pastorate of the Dutch Reformed Church. There, for the long period of thirty years, he lived and labored, walking with God in the sunshine of home, in the regular visitation of his people, and, in tiie pulpit, preaching the glorious gospel of the blessed God. How sti'ong the ties that bound his people to the ''good Dominie," He saw a new generation rise up to wait on his ministry and to call him blessed. Tears fall in many a home in Cohoes to-day, because the good Dominie has gone home. Yet how they will bless God that so re- cently he was among them — that so recently they saw their old pastor once again, and heard once more from his lips "the old, old story of Jesus and His love." lU'lieving that the time had come for him to give way to a younger man, became to Hillsdale, Mich., in 1ST9. After a three years' ministry of great usefulness there, he removepro|)riate, they shall twine themselves around the text which seems to have been recorded for just such a time as this : "Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."' About thirty-nine years ago, soon after leaving the school of tlie i)ro])hets at Princeton, Charles N. Waldron came to make me a visit. It was of a Saturday after- noon tliat lie ai'inved at my fatliei-'s liousc, wliere tluMV I Id), vi: in. c'ol. ii: i'. Cuii. v: iM. ' Isa. Ixi: ;'.. ' Ilcb. xi: :]S. '■ llel). xi; ">. 17 was a welcome ready for liini. T can see liim now as then; his steps were hght and eager; his form was straight and slender; his locks were "hushy and black as a raven,'" and he was "withal of a beautiful coun- tenance, and goodly to look to."' We spent the evening in taking "sweet counsel together ;" the next morning we "walked unto the house of God in company,"' and he preached the sermon, taking for his text these words : "Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.'" After so long a time I cannot recall the plan of that sermon; but I can tell you something about the im- pression that it made on some of the congregation. This church was vacant then ; it was worse than vacant, it was closed; it was worse than closed, it was sold for debt, and was bought by four friends— all Eli's — whose hearts "trembled for the ark of God.'" The remnant "which were left of the captivity "" weie in great dis- tress, and, feeling lonely, and desolate, and lunigry for the bread of heaven, they came back to their mother church in Waterford. Most of them were present that Sunday morning and heard that sermon; they liked it, they were delighted with it, it was "a feast of fat tbings.'" Coming down from the pulpit, I intioduced them to tlie preacher, and they invited him to spend the next Sunday with them in Gohoes. and he came. That was in the sj^ring of lS4y, and, " by patient continuance in wt^ll-doing,"" he preached lierc^ till the summer of 187l». And in these days of a peripatetic ministry that was a remarkable record, and worthy of Mu' biglicst commendation. That first sermon of oui- "true yokelVllow'" was picaclicd ill about liall' an Ikuii; but tlw lite of tlif preaclier was one long and lovely sermon on tbe same 'Ciint. v:ll. ■' I.Sam, xvi: lli. I's.lviH. ' ( Wii. v: iM. 1 .Sam. iv: i:i. '' Nell, i: 'J. ' Isa. x\v : (i. " Rom. ii: 7. ' I'hil. iv: 'A. 18 text, and he was preaching it always and everywhere, in season and out of season, in the house and by the way. His greatest desire was to please God, and I think he succeeded better than the most of us, and a thousand times better than some of us. He was just, and gener- ous, and honest, and upright, and amiable, and stead- fast, and unmovable, "always abounding in the work of the Lord.'" His lips were always pure, "like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh;'" his hands were always clean, "that bear the vessels of the Lord;'" his heart had always "the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed;'" and from the day that Jesus washed them in his blood, his feet wore beautiful " with shoes,'" "walk- ing in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."" As soon as he was ordained and installed, the strip- ling shepherd commenced in earnest to gather together his few sheep that were scattered abroad, and winning them back from their wanderings he made them to "he down in gi-een pastures,'" and led them "beside the still waters;" he " fed them also with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock."' Many who were not of this fold, hearing that "there was corn in Egypt,"" came to buy, and as the corn of this land, like the gold of Havilah, was good, they came again to buy ; at last they came to stay, because they could not stay away; and so his little flock gi-ew larger, and still larger, till there was not room enough in the former little fold, and it was taken down and this costly and commodious sanctuary was built in its place. I think there is a proper sense in wliich it may bo said with truth and soberness, that Dr. Waldron was the saviour of this church; lie was more, he was "the chariot of Israel and ' I Cor. xv: oS. '^ Cant, v: i:i ' Isa. lii: 11. ' Gen. xxvii: 27. " Cant, vii: 1. '' Luke i: 6. ' Ps. xxiii: 2. *• Ps. Ixxxi: Hi. '■' Gen. xlii: 1. 19 the horsemen thereof.'*' I would l»y no means discour- age you in your loving purpose to set a tablet in the wall, here beside the pulpit, sacred to Iiis memory; but to me it seems hardly woi-th while to do so, when the temple itself is his monument. The sermons of Dr. Waldron were filled with the marrow and fatness of the gos])el, and were exceedingly interesting and instructive, "like ai)i)les of gold in pic- tures of silver.'" Having received a good classical and tbeological education he was thorongldy fnrnislied i'oi his high calling. Fewer eyes could see fnitliei' down into the deep things of God than those that looked tln-ougli liis si)ectacles. He liad a firm faitli in tli*' divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and he was more at home in them, and bettei- acquainted with them, than he was with tbe rooms in his own house. The woi-d of God dwelt in him richly; he set great store l)y it; he liid it in his heart, and was constantly "bringing forth out of his treasure things new and old."' He was remarka- bly original, and often very ingenious in the treatment of a subject, and bis style was "clear as crystal,'" like tbe water of life that it was. In the analysis of a text be bad no sujterictr, I ([uestion whether he bad an e(|ual. He was sucb a ready writer tbat it was easy for bini to ]»i'ei)ai-e foi' tbe jiulpit. He would select bis tbenie early in tbe week and keep turiiing it over in bis mind. and. wben tbe tbougbts suggested by it were all set in order, be would take bis ])olisbed pen and transfer tlieiii t«i "tbe itarcbments," sometimes at a single sitting. "Tbr preacber sougbt to tind out acci'lttable woids. and that which was written was upright, even wtuds of triith."'* The woiks (d" (lod were as fanuliai' to him as the word of (Jod, and from both these gardens 2. * Rev. xxii: 1. II Tim iv: 1:5, '' Eccl. .\ii: 10. ' l.sa. xxviii: 4. 20 he gathered all kinds of eml)lems, and flowers, and fruits to illustrate, and embellish and enrich his dis- courses. He was a " cunning workman, and an embroid- erer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and in fine linen. "* And, best of all, he practiced what he preached, and lived to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.'" As he did not always take his notes with him into the pulpit, you may have thought that he preached sometimes without any preparation, but he never did. His timely and touching addresses at the Lord's Table, his familiar talks at the prayer meeting, and his "comfortable words,'" when he buried your be- loved dead, were all carefully prepared beforehand, and he never offered unto the Lord of that which cost him nothing. He knew that the candlestick was made of "beaten gold,'" that it was supplied with "beaten oil,'" and that the beaten oil always burns the brightest. He was a rapid speaker, as well as a ready writer, and could say very much in a very little while, and so he never wearied your patience, as I have often done. He deliv- ered his sermons with great seriousness and solemnity, as if he had "a message from God."" He had very little action in the pulpit, and sometimes none at all, and his gestures were few, but his words of burning fire were proclaimed with energy, earnestness, and "an unction from the Holy One.'" As the heart, panting after the water brooks, brings with it the scent of the plants and the flowers that grow upon its native hills, so our Eh jab came down into this sacred desk every Sabbatli day fresh from the Mountains of Myi-rh and thi^ hills of fi-ankin- cense, shaking from the folds of his mantle the smell of heaven, and flinging from his very shoes the sweet pj-rfumc of Sharon's fail- and bl(>('diiig rose. But T need ' ICxod. xxxviii: 23. '^ Tit. ii: 10. ■'■ Zccli. i: IM. ' Numb, viii: 4. * Numb, xxv/'/i: h. ''JucIr. iii:L'(). ■ Inu. ii: L'O. 21 not enlarge, the fact that you hstened to him so long, with increasing i)leasui-e and in'otit, is evidence enough that he was one of the ahlest niinisteis of the New Tes- tament; "a workman that needeth not to he ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth."' Dr. W^aldron had the gift and the grace of prayer and supplication in a preeminent degree. In leading the devotional worslii}) of the sanctuary he was perfectly at hcjnie; and altliough he prayed as fluently as he preached, he never hesitated for a moment, and every word was the right word and in the right place; and he made known his requests unto God with a fervency and a felicity of expression which was so remarkahle, that those who heard him hut once will never forget him. The Bihle was his prayer hook, as well as his text hook, and his ]»etitions were always featlieied with some sure word of in'omise. It would not he possihle to descrihe tlu^ solenniity. tlie s})irituahty, and the heauty with wliicli lie poured out liis soul at tlie ]\Iercy Seat. As well might I attempt to paint the rainhow, or descrihe tlie fragrance of "a hed of si)ices'"' as to depict the incense of his intercessions. He walked so close with God, and pleased him so perfectly, that he could not help praying- well, as with * ' golden vials full of odours. '" He dearly loved his church, he was "to the manor horn;" hut he never used lier ancient and excellent Liturgy. He did not use the forms of prayer, even when he was administering tlie Sacraments. He had no need of crutches in goingto the throne of grace. In going to tlie tlnone of grace did 1 say ^ he was always there, "praying always with all prayer."' In the heginning it was not. I helieve. t»ui- heloved hrother's pnipose to he a niinistei-. He had other plans, and was [(leasing liod in another and a very i-ongenial ' 11 Tim. ii: 15. Cant, v: 13. Kcv. v: S. ^ Eph. vi: 18. 22 employment. But he heard a voice from heaven calhng him to come away, and be a co-worker with God in making this bad world better; "and he went out, not knowing whither he went,'" but he knew with whom he went. He was mending his nets in a Banking house in his native city, and he had a genius for that kind of business, and his prospects were better than good. Eiches and honor were before him, but he would not be "disobedient to the heavenly vision,"' and straightway left all to walk with Him who "jileased not Himself,"' and had "not where to lay his head;'" "esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.'" And before his translation he learned, by his own experience, that God is a good paymaster, and that those who forsake houses and lands and such like things for His sake and the gospel's, ' ' shall receive an hundred fold now in thy time."" Dr. Waldron was a very happy man. I have some- times thought that he was the happiest man that I have ever known. He was like "the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by cleai' shining after rain."'. He was blessed with a cheerful disposition that he might be a benediction to others. His mind was like Aaron's rod that * ' budded and brought foith buds, and bloomed l)lossoms and yielded almonds."" His s})irit was a well spring of joyfulness which was constantly lising up, and running over, and running d(nvn in every direction like "streams from Lebanon."' 1 never found him in the "Slough of Despond," nor in "Doul)ting Castle." Those who please God always, and walk close with Him, never get into such dreadful places. Even when lie was passing under tiie daikest 'Heb. xi. 8. ' Actsxxvi.: 19. ^Rom.xv:3. ■* Matt, viii: 20. ''Heb. xi:2U. ''MarkxiSO. MI Sam. xxiii: 4. " Numb, xvii: 8. '' Cant, iv: 15. 2a clouds, he could see the briglit lio:ht that was in them; and his greatest griefs were heautitied witli the giace ut gladness. His glorying slept so lightly that the softest touch waked it, and he was so full of elasticity that he sjjeedily rel)Ounded from the heaviest blows, and his heart was always palpitating with pleasant and playful emotions; "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing/" I have said tliat his life was one long sermon, and it was; but it was a thanksgiving sermon — a thanks living sermon — a sermon in song. He walked with God, and God walked with liiin; so tliey twain went on their shining way togetlier — the Master and His servant, the Father and His son — and, as they went, the beautiful goings of their blessed f(^(4 niadt^ the music of heaven upon the eai'th. He believed that our religion was designed to make men hapi)y as Avell as holy, and that the holiest christian ought to be the happiest chiistian. His coming into oui' homes was like the double light of noon, and when he de})arted the light of his smiling face, and the bright ness, and brilliancy, and charming mirtbfulness of his conversation lingered with us till be came again, and we were often somewhat moi'e than tilled with bis company. The kist time be went abroad be wrote to me every M(»nday moining. informing me where he bad been and wiiat be bad seen and beaid the iu'evious week: and these love-letters, especially those from Ireland, were amnsing beyond all telling. His i)en was like his tongue, and both were like the rosy fingers of the nu)rning. (bopping light and love, and joy and gladness all around. It so pleased God that the death of His loving leal- liearted servant was very sudden. And such an unex- pected depaitiu'e is generally not to be desired— because so few are prepared foi- it. and so they often pray to be delivei'ed fnun it bnt to bim whose chief end it was to ' 11 Cor. vi: 10. 24 please God, sudden death was a special favoi-, and his gentle dismissal from the body was the beginning of the beatific vision. It was at the week Evening Meeting of the church, and he was going up into the "high mountain apart '" to pray, when he was called to come up higher. He was very near the altar, and "ready to be offered,'" when he fainted and fell. Immediately the friends who were present gathered around him. A gentle lady lifted his good gray head into her lap, and thus he fell asleep. He had no sick bed, no wearisome night, no tossing to and fro. What a mercy I He had no dying bed, he went away without undressing, and was spared the pain of parting with those who were at home in his house. What a wonderful mercy I Was that dying '. No; it was a translation — it was a transfiguration ; "as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered.'" The One with whom he walked put His arm aiound him, and laid His hand on his heart, not harshly, but tenderly, as the harper sometimes lays his hand on the strings of his harp — not to silence, but to soften the vibrations and sweeten the music of the lovely song. ' ' Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. '" The son of Bosor is not the only person who has been constrained to say : ' ' Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.'" In the catacombs at Rome, there is sometimes found a stone on which a pair of empty shoes was rudely carved. How simple, yet how significant such an emblem was to mark the holy grave, where ends the eaithly and where begins the heavenly walk with God; and how very ap- propriate such a symb(;l would l)e to keep in perpetual remembi-ance the life and deatli of our departed fi'iend. Tbe emjtty slioes would tell tluil be w lio used to wear ' ,M;itt. xvii: 1. ' II Tim. iv: 0. ' Luke ix: 2!t. ' Ps. xxxvii: 37. '' Numb, xxiii: 10. 25 them walked with God while here below, and that he is walking still with God within the vail. Wlnni onv Enoch iMitert'd into the "Holiest (tf all"' he pnt off liis shoes from otf his feet, and left them Iumc with us as his hest memorial. I do not know what his epitaph will he. hut this shall he his eulogy : " Before his trans- lation he had this testimony that he pleased God."' Di-. Waldrou had many admiring fiiends wherevei- he was known, and especially in this church from which his heart never went away, and he will he missed as much as he will he mourned. But the exceeding great- ness of your loss, and mine, is less than nothing when set over against his and heaven's gain. He ])leased God. and God ])leased him, and we ought to he pk'ased. We ought to he jdeased to remend)ei- that we had such a minister, and that we had him so long. We ought to he [(leased to know that on this "goodly Mountaiu "' there grew u)* such a "goodly cedar."' and that h»i' thii t\ years wi' sat down under his shadow with great dehght. And now that "the cedar is fallen."' we ouglit to he just as weU pleased to think that "the carpeii ter's son"' found among om- companions sucli a splemhd piece of tinii)er for tenn)le huilding; and tliat already he has been trans[)orted to take his own place in the house of the Lord on high, according to the piouiise nt the Master Builder, "Him that overcometh will 1 make a pillai- in the temple of my (iod." So. too, should those he pleased to whom he was the uearest and deaii'st of all those who called him hushand, and fathei-, and brother such a hushan\\r who walked so dctse with (iod. and kept the taith so well (iiie w ho li\ed so (li\ iiie a life, and died So diviue a ' Heb. i.v; lU. UlL). xi: 5. Dciit. iii: lV). ' I'zek. xvii: 'Jo. ■• Zecli. xi: 'J. " Matt, xiii: 5.'). 26 death ! Surely those who loved him most should grudge him least his glorious welcome home. Wheu Mary of Bethany brought her costly offering, and broke her Alabaster box at Jesus' feet and anointed his body beforehand for the burial, the record says, that *'the house was filled with the odour of the ointment/'' Solomon tells us that "a good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.''' Our dear departed friend did not like funeral sermons, nor memorial services. He was such a modest man, and always felt so much like hiding ' ' him- self among the stuff,'" that I am sure and certain he will never thank us for what we are this da}'' doing. But the Alabaster box is broken now, and the precious ointment of his good name is poured forth; it could be self-contained no longer after the box was broken; it is spreading fast and far abroad. This house which he builded is more than filled with the sweet perfume, and from tliese sacred walls the fi-agrance will nevei' forever depart. ''The righteous shall be in everlasting remem- brance.'" My "labour of love '" is now done. I wish that I could have done it better. My heart and mind both were willing, as you well know; but how to perform that vviiich I would, I could not. "I was dumb witli silence; I held my peace even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.'" My brother, so far away and yet so near, farewell ! We rej(nced together; we wept together; we I'oomed together; we worked together, and we talked togetlier concerning tlie tilings whicli we "'made touclnng the King.'" " TliriT shall be two men in one lied; the one shall Ih' taken and the other shall he lelt."". ' Jno. xii: :{. ' Kccl. vii: 1. ' 1 Sam. x: L'L'. ' Ps. ixii: (1. « Heb. vi: 10. " Ts.. xxxix: 2. • Ps. xl\ : 1. " l.ukt xvii. :{4. 27 Dearly beloved, your fathers and mothers called us David and Jonathan, and so did some of you. "My brother Jonathan,'" farewell I "Very })leasant has thou been unto me." Till we meet again, and thou slialt say hail to me, in the old familiar way, I must, say to thee once more, farewell I and ajjain I say, farewell I "The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one fiom another.'" ' II Sam. i: 20. ' Gen. xxxi:49. "HK WAS rAKillT UP LNTO TAKADISK; ''HE AVAS CAUGHT UP INTO rAllADISE.'' THIS SERMON ABOUT PAUL's RAPTl'RE TO HEAVEN, r>R. WALDRON LOVED TO PREACH, AND BY IT, HE BEING DEAD, YET SPEAKETH." I knetv a man in Christ above fourteen years ago {whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell — God knoweth) such an one caught up to the third heaven and heard unspeakable words, ivhich it is not laivful for a man to utter. — II Corinthians xii. 2 and part of 4 vr. Our text sets before us an incident in Paul's experience which is certainly one of the most remarkable in his long and eventful life. Paul's history as given to us in the inspired volume is crowded with strange and wonderful events, and it is this which gives an interest to the record of his inner and outward experience. Paul was a wonderful man and wonderful were the events of his earthly biography. For example : First -His life before his conversion, when he was by his own confession "the chief of sinners." his hands stained with the blood of llu^ martyrs, his heart pulFed up with I'luuisaical i)ride and bigotry, his lips breathing out threatenings and slaughters against the followers of the Nazarene. 32 Second — And then the manner of this man's conver- sion on the road to Damascus, when the crucified and ascended Saviour met him in the way, called him by name, charged sin home to his heart, and subdued him by the power of his grace. Third — And then the visions he had of his glorified Redeemer in Jerusalem, in Corinth and in the midst of the storm on the Mediterranean. Fourth — And then this man's strange courage and fidelity amid all the trials and temptations which beset his path. Fifth — And then the heights of Christian knowledge which above all others he attained, and the depths of Christian experience which he fathomed. Sixth — And then the impress which he has left, not only upon the Apostolic church — but upon the church and the world — everywhere and in all ages. These and other facts in his history which we might mention give an interest to that history, which is pos- sessed by few who have lived on the earth. Next to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ there is no life in the New Testament history, which is set before us so clearly and so fully as that of this great Apostle to the Gentiles, and for this reason— this prominence the word of God gives him— for this reason it should demand our careful atten- tion and study. Now among the remarkable and vv^ondrous events of this man's life, this incident in our text which he tells the church of Corinth is far from being the least : Paul in this thing seems to stand solitary apd alone; there is nothing like it before it; there is certainly nothing like it after it This man, yeais before he entered heaven and was "with Christ, which is far better," it was his honor and privilege for a season, to stand in that world of .S8 glory, to behold the sights, to hear the sounds of the saints everlasting rest. It is Paul's rapture to heaven, this honor his Saviour conferred upon him, this marked event among the " visions and revelations of the Lord " to which your attention is invited. Now in this experience, vouchsafed to the New Testa- ment saint, there is much that is hidden and mysterious. We nmse upon it but there is a depth of meaning which we cannot fathom. "The well is deep and we have nothing to draw with." So it was ever to the mind of this Apostle as he thought of it, pondered over it, told the story to the church. "I cannot tell, God knoweth." But because it is mysterious we are not to dismiss it from our attention. It is recorded Uke all the other scripture for our admonition and instruc- tion, and we are to study it therefore — not in the spirit of worldly speculation or curiosit}' — but in tliat humble, childlike spirit in which it becomes us ever and always, to listen to the teachings of inspiration. We often find in our study of God's word, that the parts which are the hardest to be understood, wliich call out our greatest strength, that these yield to us tlie most precious fruit. This is according to the old riddle of Samson — "Out of the eater came forth meat and out of tlie strong came forth sweetness." Now, where Paul was when ho was thus caught up into Paradise, what he was then doing, liow long he remained tliere, what events were associated witli tliis wondrous experience, what were the purposes it fulfilled i These things the Apostle does not tell us. The record is briefjWe should all like to hear more; there are many curious questions which come up in our hearts, but the vail is drawn — inspiration is silent. Tliere are, however, as we study the record, several remarkable circumstances which teach us lessons of wisdom, and which make this incident 34 in Paul's experience "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We do not propose to make any attempt this morning to fathom the mystery of this event. We desire to call your attention to some practical lessons we gather from it, and in which we all have a personal interest. What then are some of the remarkable things which are connected with Paul's rapture to heaven ? I. The first is this — The peculiar and unusual manner in which Paul speaks of himself. Now if you look at the record you will find that Paul, in relating his expe- rience, uses not the first person, but the third person. At first we would suppose that he was speaking, not of himself, but of another. "I knew a man," says Paul, "above fourteen years ago." If we had no further light we would infer that the Apostle was speaking of some other man, some former acquaintance, some friend he had known in earlier days. He seems to be telling us a story; not in reference to his own personal experience, but something he had heard from the lips of another. "I knew a man"; "such a man"; he was caught up into paradise. Now that this man was Paul himself, that it was an incident in his own personal experience, an event in his own individual life. This is evident from his language in the seventli verse. " Lest I should be exalted above measure." We learn, therefore, that he was the individual th\is honored and favored — that Paul here is speaking to the Corintliian disciples from the treasures of liis own personal experience. Wliy then, the question comes up, why does he use this singular form of speech, as if it was not liinis(^lf but anotli(!i' ? It is difficnlt to answer tliat (jiu^stion. Some suppose that this might \)o tlie I'ciason : AVhen riiul looked at liiinsclC when he wrote tliesi; words, a 35 man struggling, tempted, buffeted by satan, com- passed about with the infirmities of the flesh and spirit, with fears within and fightings without. When he thought of what he was at that present time, and then back fourteen years and called to mind what he was in that past time — a man amid the rests and raptures of heaven — it seemed to him that these two states were so entirely different and diverse that it could not be he ; it must be some other person. Everything on earth, within and without him, was so different from what he had seen and heard and felt in heaven that perhaps he wondered if he had ever been there. There may, my friends, be something of the same feeling which will come over the heart of the redeemed the moment it leaves earth and enters heaven. There will be such a striking and marked difference between an experience in grace and an experience in glory. Such a contrast between the familiar sights of time and the strange and stupendous visions of eternity. Such a change between what we are now and what we will be then that the saint in heaven will wonder whether the soul — at peace, at rest, completely sanctified and re- deemed — can be the same soul which was tried and tempted, the sinful, the sorrowing soul on earth. Our history here below may seem to us then as Paul's rapture to heaven appeared to him when he told the story to the church, our hearts may answer to his, we may come in sympathy with the self-same experience recorded in our text. So strangely dif- ferent will be an experience on earth from an experience in heaven that when we reach heaven we will be lost in wonder and sweet surprise, whether the heart amid holy rapture is the same heart which once felt the sins and sorrows of earth, we may then exclaim in tlie same spirit with wliiih Paul wrote thes*' words. "I wonder if it.is I myself." " I knew a man in Christ." " Can it be — it must be that I am he !" II. Another remarkable thing in the nari'ative is Paul's designation of himself. He is about to speak of himself. Now how does he describe himself ? What title does he make use of ? What is the word of his own choosing ? It is not by his lineage — we know that he gloried that he was of "the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Ben- jamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews." He was proud that in his veins there was no Gentile and idolatrous blood ; but he does not say, "I knew a man who was a Jew." Nor yet, was it by his nationality, "although he clung to his citizenship, rejoiced that he was 'free-born,' made it the ground of his appeal to Ccesar ; but he does not say, ' I knew a man w^ho was a Eoman citizen. ' " Nor yet again was it by his office in the church, although it was the highest in the church and in it he was not a whit behind the chiefest of his fellow disciples, he does not say " I knew a man who w^as an Apostle." But there is another title which Paul, not as a Jew, as a Roman, as an Apostle, but another title which Paul as a sinner takes to himself. It is greater and better than all, it is brief, but very comprehensive, it is simple, but full of precious meaning. " I knew^ a man in Christ." It is the word of spiritual strength, of precious assurance, of unspeakable hope ! No matter what else we are if we are only this, then we are rich indeed. And so, on the other hand, if with all the other titles we may receive or earth can give us, we are destitute of this, then we are poor indeed ! After all, it is not strange that such a man as Paul — even with all the gifts and talents wliicli were his, with all that he had done and suffered on earth, with all the high offices he had held in the chuivh - 37 should, after all and above all, select this as his best title on earth, the hope to which he clung, the rock upon which he built. That man was in Christ ; if he had not been in Christ surely he never would have been caught up into heaven where Christ is. This, after all, is the best designation of a Christian, for it tells us why he is such. It is union to Christ, a union made by faith and the Holy Spirit by wiiich we are born into the kingdom, and it is communion with Christ — that is, the root of all Christian life and growth. This is the only indispensable condition of salvation ! It is not church, nor creed, nor moral life; it is the union of the branch to Christ the vine ; it is the union of the member to Christ the head. All who are in Christ are saved ; all who are out of Christ — in the light of God's w^ord there is nothing uncharitable in saying it all who are out of Christ have no part or lot in Christ's salvation. " Let names and sects and parties fall, And Jesus Christ be all in all." III. Another point in the narrative \vbich is remarka- ble and instructive is the wonderful humility and mod- esty of this Apostle. Now it seems strange that after Paul had enjoyed this beatific vision of glory, this rap- ture to the third heaven, that for so long a time he kept his lips closed and told it not to others. Fourteen years seem to have passed away, aud yet, during all that time, he kept this wonderful experience bidden in the secrecy of his heart. " He told the vision to no man." Paul, no doubt, often mused u])on it— this mem- ory of his Saviour's love, this day of the right hand of his Master's i)resence but no heart, but the heart which felt it, knew aught of it. Like the Virgin Mother he kept this token of his Master's grace and pondered over it iu his heart. 38 It was not until after these many years that he pub- hshed the record of his high and holy experience, and when he did it he seems to have done it reluctantly; he did not want to; he was compelled to do it in order to vindicate his right to the Apostleship, which some in Corinth had called in question. Why, then did this man who had been caught up into heaven say nothing about it; why did he close his lips upon this theme which revealed so much the honor the Master had con- ferred upon him, this special privilege which exalted him above his fellow Apostles and Disciples ? This was no doubt the reason : It arose from the humility of his heart; he shrunk back from the very thought of publishing- far and wide anything which might tend to his own ex- altation or excite the envy of others. One remarkable thing about Paul is this : That the Apos- tle who was the highest in dignity was just as high and as eminent in his lowly humility. That man must have brought back with him from the third heavens the spirit which reigns there— that of abasement and humility — the spirit which vails the face of the seraphim, which speaks in the songs of glory, which casts the crown of heaven at the feet of the Lamb. It was because Paul felt in his heart what he loved to tell with his lips. " I know nothing of myself, and have nothing to glory in;" it was because he was clothed upon with humility as a garment. This was the reason why he drew, as it were, a vail over this vision of glory and would not speak of it to others. Now it is wonderful, as we study the life of St. Paul, to find that the longer he lived and labored — the nearer he came to heaven — that the more humble he grew. Paul often thought of this question, it is a good (juestion for us to nmse upon : "What sort of a man am If What now are Paul's standards to decide tliat question i I. First he compares himself with Apostles. "What 39 am I ill contrast witli Peter, James and John — with the other Apostles of my Lord f'' This is his judgment : "T am not meet to be called an Apostle." II. Years after he makes another comparison ; he has another standard ; he comes down lower — not with Apostles, bnt with Saints. "What am I in the house- hold of faith, among my brethren, the disci})les of my Master ?" This is his decision : " Less than the least. of all saints I" " Less than the least '' — that is poor gram- mar, but it is grand theology. III. 2sow, again, just before his translation to glory — when he stood on the threshold of heaven and life to him was a thing of the past — he makes another comparison, not with Apostles, not with Saints, but he comes down lowest of all — the comparison is with sinners. ''Among sinners on the face of the earth, who and what am I r Saul of Tarsus says : *'()f sinners I am the chief ?" It was when he was the ripest for heaven, when this old veteran of the cross was "kneel- ing on the threshold and his hand upon the door," then he had the most humbling views of himself — of sinners' chief I Bishop Taylor says: " The highest flames are the most trennilous, and so, also, the highest Christians are the most eminent for their reverence and humility." Now Paul, in the humility of his heart, as he con- cealed this token of his Saviour's love does not stand alone. There is a great deal of Christian experience, like that which is recorded in our text, which the disci- ple hides away in his own heart and of which his most intimate friends are ignorant. There is much of tlie Saviour's dealings with the believer, the revelation of his love and his grace upon which the Master seems to write that saying, "Tell the vision to no man." Our Christian experience, and often the best part of it, is a hidden experience, unknown to the world and to tiie 40 church. For example — who can tell all that passed between Jacob and the Angel of the Covenant, as they wrestled at Peniel until the breaking of the day ? Who can tell the thoughts which passed to and fro be- tween Moses and Israel's God, when for forty days and forty nights they were on Horeb and talked together as a "friend talketh with a friend?" This is the characteristic of the Christian hfe: "Your life," says Paul, "is hid with Christ in God." This is the meaning of that promise of our ascended Saviour : " To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden Manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth, sav- ing he that receiveth it. We need, my friends, some- thing of the self-same spirit to crucify the tendency to spiritual pride when we would tell what God has done for us; when we speak of it we are to do it in the humility of our hearts, that thus the glory may be — not to us — but to him to whom all glory is due. There is another point in this wondrous experience which brings out the humility of Paul, and that is the estimate he formed of this rapture to glory. Now, my friends, if Paul's experience had been the experience of any of us, if we had been partakers of this high honor and privilege, if we had been caught up into paradise, had seen the sights, and heard the songs of that kingdom of glory, surely we would regard it as one of the most marked and distinguishing events in our history. We would perhaps put it "first and foremost;" we would love to muse upon it, love to speak of it to others. Now how was it with this New Testament saint ? In the range of his Christian experience, where did he put this " vision and revelation of tlie Lord;" what place did he assign to it; did he give to it the iireiimi- nence; did he make it tlie ground of boasting; was it to 41 him a reason for his exaltation ? Far from it ! There was something else which he put far above it; in comparison with it, this heavenly rapture was but as the dust in the balance. " Therefore," says Paul, just after he had told this wondrous story, " therefore, I take pleasure." In w^iat ? — in visions of faith, in raptures to glory, in the sights and sounds of paradise. Not so I "I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessi- ties, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake," and this is the reason — ''for when I am weak then am I strong." It was not the experience of heavenly glory, hut another sort of experience, that experience which told him how weak and helpless he was, and how' mighty and loving was his Master, w^hich annihi- lated the pride of his heart, which took the crown from his head and put it on the head of his Saviour. It was to this that, in the humility of his heart, he clung and to which he gave the preeminence. Heavenly ecstasy was as nothing, and less than nothing, in com- parison with sanctified suifering ! After all, this is the best part of Christian experience, and it is only tlu' humble in heart who know^ it— that exi)erienre which teaches us our weakness and intirmity and '' leads us to the rock which is higher than we." IV. Another remarkable ciicumstance wbich wt- can only briefly mention is the experience which followed after this raj)ture to heaven. How sti'angc and striking the contrast I How suddenly eaith's shadows follow the heavenly sunshine ! One moment Paul is in heaven, a companion and fellow worshiper of the holy angels : the next moment he is on earth fighting with the devil. One moment his soul is tilled with unspeakabk' ecstasy, and the next moment there is "a sharp thoin in the tlesh." Such, my friends, is life to each and to all of us — 42 full of unexpected events and strange contrasts. There is an old French proverb, "The unforseen always hap- pens." To-day tells us nothing of our experience to- morrow; from our highest joy we may go down to our deepest sorrow; right in the midst of our joyous exalta- tion we may find "our thorn in the flesh." Job, in the fulness of his prosperity and in the pros- pect of earthly anticipation, exclaimed : "I shall die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand." But in a moment, and unexpectedly, God stirred up that nest and scattered it, and Job found himself on the heap of ashes, with a potsherd in his hand, a poor, homeless, childless man ! We often need just such a discipline — "to have our hopes o'erturned and prospects crossed" — to teach us the vanity of earth and all earthly things, and to fix our affections on those things which are unseen and eternal. V. Another point in the narrative which is remarka- ble, and so remarkable that Paul mentions it twice, is his ignorance of the manner of his translation to heaven. Now Paul was not in any doubt as to the nature of the event, as to whether it was a real and actual translation; but here, to the Apostle, was the mystery — whether in that heavenly rapture the soul was separated from the body and went there alone, or whether soul and body together were admitted to paradise. That mys- tery Paul did not attempt to fathom and compre- hend; he left it there; what he knew not was known to God; "whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell — God knoweth." Now that mystery — it is one of the great mysteries of the unseen and spiritual world to which we are all journeying— it still remains. For example — We know at death— the Bible teaches 48 us this doctrine — at death the soul goes to God who gave it. Death, we know, severs the tie which binds the soul to the body. The body goes back to its kindred element, "dust to dust." Every silent coffin, every new-made grave proves this saddening truth. But the soul " dies not with the body," it shakes off the fetters of mortality; it wings its way to an unseen world. God, its Creator, the Father of all spirits, claims it as his own, "it returns to God who gave it." So far we can go, now go a step farther. " How is the soul carried thither when it leaves its clayey tenement ?" Here is a mystery, and the more we study it the more we are perplexed and bewildered. After all our inquiries and speculations we come to this conclusion — it is the only one we can reach, with it we nmst be satisfied — "I cannot tell, God knoweth." That path which leads from the couch of the dying- believer to his home in heaven ; that experience which comes the moment after death, this tons all is unknown and untried ; but it is all open and naked to the omnis- cient eye of our God and Saviour, and this surely, to the believer, is enough. " I will come and receive you unto myself." That is the promise of the Covenant, but w^hen we muse upon it and tlie (juestion comes uj), how is it that the Mas- ter will fulfill the word He has spoken; how does the spirit wing its way to tlie place where Christ is; how is it that, "absent from the body, we are i)resent witli the Lord^" Here "we see darkly and only in part." or, rather, we do not see at all. We are to leave that blessed mystery just where Paul left his, believing and rejoicing that which we cannot tell, the f^ord knowetli. and will bring about in his own way. So, also, at the resurrection and the second coming of our Lord, we know that then the soul, with the body. 44 will appear before God ; at death it is the soul with- out the body ; at the resurrection, the soul with the body. Paul's translation is the type of the translation of all God's people who will be living on earth when Christ comes, for the Apostle, in describing that experience, uses the very same language under which he describes his own. "Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them " — that is the dead in Christ who rise first — "to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord." So far we have the testimony of Christ, but when we dwell upon this wondrous theme : The dead in their graves, hearing the voice of the Son of God, and awakening from their slumber; the souls of the de- parted coming back again and dwelling in their quick- ened dust; the harvests w^hich will then spring up in glory from the seeds sown in corruption: that change which is to be wrought in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump — who can dwell upon this theme and not find it just as full of mystery as that which Paul found in his rapture to heaven ? This is the way in which we are to meet the mysteries (jf our faith — believing even what we cannot understand; rejoicing that what we know not and cannot tell, God knoweth and God will provide. VI. There is one other point in the narrative — Paul's description of heaven after he had been there. Now suppose th(' inspired Apostle should come to us with these tidings which he told to the church of Corinth ; or, supi)Ose that to-day, in this sanctuary, one should stand before us — a man wbo had crossed the threshold of the heavenly gate, wiio had seen the sights and heard the sounds of the saints' everlasting rest, who had returned again, after such an experience, to live ou 45 earth. Suppose that lie stood here and we beheved it was even so, how we would gather around him, how many questions we would ask him — questions of curios- ity, questions of anxiety, questions of coveted informa- tion. How the church and the world would start up in the attitude of expectation, eager to hear the description of that world from which he had come and to which we hope we are all journeying. What and where is heaven; what is the appearance of the angels and the redeemed; what is the language thei-e spoken — how do they converse with each other i Paul speaks of the "tongues of angels;" what does Paul mean^* How does that world beyond the grave resemble, how does it differ from this i How about the recognitions, the employments, the worship of heaven? The friends who have gone before — how were they recognized, and in what way, by the friends who came after ( We all know something of that feeling expressed by the poet; we feel it especially in times of recent bereavennMit. when lover and friend is removed from us. and our famil iar acquaintance hidden in darkness. "Oh ! Christ that it were possible For one short hour to see, The souls we loved, that they might tell us What and where they be." How many questions like these would start up in the mind; how eager we would be to ask them; how anxious to have them answered, if we knew there was one among us who had been caught up into paradise and came back again from heaven to eaith with the mem- ory of that experience. Now what did l^ud tell the church of Corinth, and what does he tell us i He told them the fact that lie had gone up to the heaveidy paradise, his eyes liad 4fi seen the " King in his beauty, and the land that is very far off," his ears had heard the seraphic melodies of heaven, and now what were these ? Paul had nothing to tell ! "I heard unspeakable words which it is not law- ful for a man to utter/' He had gone within the vail. He had stood where ''angels tremble as they gaze," but he had no authority; yea, more, he had no power to tell a single syllable his ears had heard, a single sight his eyes had witnessed. There were two reasons for this silence : I. These words were unspeakable. The things of heaven could not be translated into the language of earth; the human mind cannot form any adequate conception; mortal tongue cannot repeat in human dialect what that experience is which makes up heaven, that heaven in which dwell our glorified Redeemer, the holy angels, the spirits of the just made perfect. You might as well attempt to describe colors to a blind man, or the enchantments of music to a deaf man — to one who has never seen or heard — as to bring down to human thoughts and to sinful hearts the ineffable grandeurs, the spotless purity, the perfect enjoyment of God's secret pavilion in heaven. II. But more than this, these words are not only un- speakable but the Apostle adds, unlawful to utter. God put his hand upon the lips of the Apostle and forbade him to utter what his eyes had seen or his ears had heard. God had not seen fit to turn aside the vail of that world to which we are journeying, or to answer all the curious questions and speculations which come up ill these hearts of ours. The great outlines of what heaven is God has told us in his holy word. We know it is a place of })erlV('t holiness and hapi)iness ; a i)lacc where Christ reigns with his holy angels, and where all Ihe redeemed are to be gathered. In ihe light of inspiration we can with the beloved disciple look into the door of heaven and gaze upon this vision of glory and beauty. We know enough to lead us to seek a title and nieetness for heaven and to make this life a preparation for that life to come; but when in the spirit of wordly speculation and curiosity we would fill out the great outlines and be '* wise above that which is written," then we find how fruitless are our inquiries, how little we know of that world which is beyond the grave. Paul, although he had stood amid the glories of para- dise, had nothing to tell except that the words he had heard, and no doubt the sights he had seen it was unlaw- ful, it was impossible for him to communicate to others. The great question of life, after all, with all of us is this — not so much where heaven is, and what heaven is in all its minute details, but this is the great question of lif(^ for which life is given : Have I a title to heaven; am I journeying thither; is tliis life to me a preparation for that life which is within tlie vail ( Soon or latei- \\v shall all know if we are the people of God ; we shall know in heaven what Paul knew^ on earth but could not tell to others. We shall hear the " words wiiich arc unspeakable and unlawful to utter." We shall becauglit up into paradise, and find in tlie presence of that Saviour wliom we love and serve "fulhiess, joy, ajid at his right hand pleasui'es which are forevermore." kJJH TRIBUTES OF RESi^ECT. TK1BI7TES OF PvESl/E(_-T. THE CLA88I8 OF SARATOGA. The following minute was presented at the session of the Classis of Saratoga, held at Schuylerville, Nov. -J^k 1SS8: Rev. Chas. N. Waldron. D D., of Detroit, Midi., lately deceased, was born and brought up in the Reformed Church, and having finished his theological education at Princeton, was ordained in the church of his fathers, in which he served so faithfully and efficiently for nearly forty years as greatly to commend him to our kindest regards and sincere contidence. Therefore, fiesolved. That while the Classis of Saratoga bows with uncomplaining submission to the Providential dis- pensation that has removed him from our midst, to that of the Church above, we cannot repress our deep sense of bereavement of the loss of a brother so worthy, so gifted and so beloved. Rev. a. G. Cckhhan, CotHiniUce. Unanimously accepted and adopted by the Classis. Ika VanAllex, Clerk. 52 CONSISTORY OF THE EEFORMED CHURCH. The following is the action of the Consistory of the Reformed Church of Cohoes: The Consistory of the Reformed Church of Cohoes, having heard with deep sorrow the announcement of the decease of Rev. Dr. Waldron, the late pastor of this church, would make this entry upon their minutes ex- pressive of their sense of loss and of their full apprecia- tion of the great work done by Dr. Waldron during his thirty years' ministry in this church : During his pastorate in this city this church assumed proportions of strength, influence and blessing that have made it a center of spiritual power to the flock, to our denomination and to our land. Dr. Waldron, as a preacher, was spiritual, instructive and eloquent; as a pastor, industrious, sympathetic, faithful and affectionate; as a friend, loving, liberal and ever benevolent; as a citizen, loyal, patriotic and public- spirited. His name stands connected here with all that com- mands respect, calls forth ardent affection and everlast- ing remembrance. He was a good soldier of Jesus Christ, falling with the armor on at the front of the line, and his ascension to his crown was almost a translation. It is our prayer, as a Consistory, that we may be faith- ful to the trusts left in our hands and attest our love as sincere by the deepest consecration to this Zion's welfare and the consummation of the work here so well begun by our glorified brother. J. Paschal Strong, President of the Consistort/. 58 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Resolutions adopted by tlie First Presbyterian Cliureli of Hillsdale, Mich., on the death of the Rev. Dr. Chas. N. Waldron: To the Family of Di\ Waldron, Detroit, Mich.: It was with sincere sorrow we learned of the great be- reavement which has so recently fallen on you in the death of the Rev. Dr. Waldron; and from the affection we have for his memory and the respect we have for his family, we think it titting to say a few words on behalf of the members of the First Presbyterian Church and society of Hillsdale — a church in which his brothers worship))ed and which held a strong place in his affec- tions, and we assure you his death comes neai-er to our hearts than to any aside from his family and kindred. To this church he was for a few years a dearly beloved pastor, wholly consecrated to his Master's work. Pow- erful in the pulpit and strong in the scriptures, which were his daily study, he pointed out to some of us, for the first time, the Way of Life, and was a source of strength and encouragement to the whole church. As a pastor in the congregation the kindness and tenderness of his nature was apparent to all, and made him a wel- come visitoi- in every home; and in many of these homes in our midst, when sickness, death and deej) shadows came, he was ever ready with his cheery voice, and with those woi-ds which conld only come from a heart full ol love and faith. He was ever a true friend to us, in " whom was no variableness, neither shadow of turn- ing," And when his pastoral relations ceased, we still leceived continued and substantial evidence of his int(M- est in our welfare. We feel he has gone to his reward, and come to a full knowledge of the truth of the scriptures. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence- foi-th: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." By order of the Session of the Fii-st Presbyterian Church of Hillsdale. Edward E. Mooue, Clerk. 54 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Action taken by the First Presbyterian Church, Detroit, Mich., on the death of the Rev. Dr. Chas. N. Waldron: IN MEMORIAM. At a meeting of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Detroit, held on the evening of March 5th, 1888, the following minute, offered by Elder D. B. Duf- field, was unanimously adopted: The Rev. Dr. Chas. N. Waldron, having on the even- ing of March 2nd, A. D. 1888, suddenly and fatally fallen when about to enter the desk and open the Friday even- ing prayer meeting, we, the Session of this church, while bowing with reverence before Him with whom are the issues of life, and who ordereth all things well, do hereby express our heartfelt sorrow over the loss of one who has of late stood in such close and tender relations with this church, and, especially, during the last six months or more, in which he has filled our vacant pulpit. His clear, eloquent and acceptable presentation of Gospel truth in the Sabbath service, and his rich expositions of Scripture in the Prayer Meeting, together with his cheer- ful discharge of pastoral duties whenever called upon, have endeared him to us all, and will long keep his name in blessed memory among our people. We, therefore, direct that this minute be placed upon our records, and a coi^y transmitted to the widow and family of the de- ceased, together with an expression of our sincerest sym- pathy in the great loss sustained, not only by them, but l)y the church at large, in the death of their beloved and lionored head. And we here commend them to the gra- cious care and keeping of Him who alone is able to " Give the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise fo)- the spirit of heaviness." 1). l^)i^yriiUNE Duffikld, .J. F. Di(!KiE, Clerk of Session. Moderator. 00 JEFFERSON AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Resolutions adopted by the Jefferson Avenue Presby- terian Church, Detroit, Mich., on the death of the Rev. Dr. C. N. Waldron: At a meeting of the Session of the Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, held on Sabbath afternoon, March 4th, 1888, the following minute was adopted and the clerk directed to record the same upon the minutes of the Session, and forward a copy to the bereaved widow and family of the deceased: Whereas, It has pleased our Divine Master recently to remove by death His faithful ministering servant, the Rev. DrChas.N. Waldron, whose departure, so sudden and unexpected, and at an hour when lie was about to lead tht^ devotions of one of our sister churches in their even- ing service, seemed almost like a translation. It is hereby Resolved, That, having frequently enjoyed his labors while supplying our pulpit, we hereby bear our unquali- fied testimony of his faithfulness, ability and zeal in the ministry of the Word; that it was always a ]ileasure to welcome him as a minister of Christ among our ])eoi)lo, and that we shall long fondly chci-ish the memory of his acceptable and profitable service among us. Jiesolved, That we hereby tender to his bereaved widow and family our warmest Christian symi)athies with our fervent prayers that the })recious consolation of the Gospel, which the dei)arte(l husband so often minis- tei'ed to othei's, may be abundantly bestowed on them in tills lioui' of their deep sorrow and bereavement.. Horace Hai.i.ock, Clerk of the Sessioii, Jefferson Ave. Pi-es. Church. Detroit, Mi«li. 56 THE HOLLAND REFOEMED CHUECH. Eesolutions adopted by the First Holland Eeformed Church, Detroit, Mich., on the death of the Eev. Dr. Waldron : Detroit, Mich., March 5th, 1888. Mrs. C. N. Waldron: The sad news of the death of the Rev. Dr. C. N. Waldron was heard yesterday in our congregation with deep sorrow. A meeting of the Consistory was held, and it was Resolved, That in view of the kindness of Dr. Waldron in supplying our pulpit with English services for nearl}' one winter, helping the Consistory in every way to build up our church and taking great interest in the congrega- tion, we feel called upon to testify, in this way, to liis good will to us and our great sorrow at his departure. Resolved, That a copy of this memorial of tlie Rev. Dr. Waldron be sent to Holland, Mich., to be published in tlie Holland church paper at Hope College. W^ishing the Lord will give you strength and faith t(^ stand tliis great loss. In the name of the Consistory of the First Holland Reformed Church, C. M. Van OosTENBiuTCiCiK. 57 ON THE ALTAR'S STAIR. SUDDEN DEATH OK KEV. CHARLES X. WALDKoX, I>. D. OF DETROIT. IN THE NEW YORK EVANGELIST, BY D. 15. DlFFIEr,!). Editor of fJi(^ Xeic York Evfiugel i.^i: Tliis distinguished divine and most excellent preacher passed last evening hehind tlie vail, with scarce a moment's waining. For sev(;ral months past he has kindly tilled the vacant pulpit of the First Preshyterian Church of this city, preaching twice on Sundays and taking charge of the weekly meetings, hesides looking after the sick of the congregation wIkmicvcm' called upon. His ahle discourses in the pulpit, his rich (expositions (»r Seri|)ture in the lecture room, his j)rom[it and faithful discharge of every duty, and his genial and pk'asant manners, had won for him not only the lespect and i'e\ - erence of the people, but also their united love; for while only acting as " a supply," he was in fact discharging all the more tender offices of pastor, and was really so re garded and esteemed by the congregation at large. Last evening he left his house to take charge of the prayer meeting, came to the church a few minutes before the regular hour, and in passing through the lec- ture-room towai'd tlu^ desk, he was suddenly seized with an apparent fainting spell, giasped for a moment one of 5,S the columns, and then fell. He was assisted to a chair, and to the inquiry of "What was the matter?" he sim- ply answered, "I feel faint," but said no more. In less than five minutes, with his head in the lap of one of the ladies present, he breathed his last, amid the tearful throng who by this time were gathered around him. His devoted wife, who generally accompanied him to church, did not, on account of the inclemency of the weather, go with him last evening, and was shocked beyond measure when, within an hour after leaving his home, apparently in perfect health, he was returned to her in the silence of death. This occurrence, so like the departure of Rev. Dr. Duffield, the former pastor of the churcli in 1S68, im- pressed the people, especially the older members of the church, with profound sorrow, and has cast a gloom over a wide circle of the dead preacher's friends. The funeral rites have not yet been arranged for, and I add no more, except to say that the deceased retained liis connection with the Dutch Reformed Church, and had formerly been a pastor in Cohoes, N. Y., and in Hillsdale in this State. His ecclesiastical record you probably know. He had been a resident of Detroit for several years past, and had only last year erected a new and beautiful home, where, surrounded by his books and every home comfort, he was spending his last years in a happy retirement from the more onerous responsibilities of an active pastorate, but still wearing the armor of the Christian soldier, ready to serve in any emergency when- ever called upon. We all lament liim, for he was a fear- less and able preacher, a ripe scholar, a genial friend, and an exemplar of all those Christian and domestic vir- tues that make the noblest men. He lias g()n(^ to liis reward, but his works and many veiy pleasant memories will long live after him. 59 BY C. VAN SANTVOORD, D. D. IN THE CHRISTIAN INTELLIGENCER. The tidings of the sudden death of Rev. Charles N. Waldrou, D. D., at Detroit, Mich., on the iJd inst., came to his numerous friends at the East with the force of a shock, impressing upon not a few of them a sense of personal bereavement. He had resided in Michigan since 1ST9, and had been removed, therefore, for this period, from direct personal intercourse with those who knew him longest and best. But with many of these the sense of his personality, — his frank face, his vivacious address, his genial spirit that breathed through look and word and act, remained fresh as though he had lately left them on a visit and was soon to return. His first residence after going to Michigan was at Hillsdale, then the home of his brother, the Hon. Henry Waldron, since deceased. Here a vacant Presbyterian Church secured his services, though he declined to settle as pastor over it, prefening to suj^ply it and to retain his connection with the Reformed Church, in which all his previous ministerial life had passed. This connection was not sundered to the last, he being at his death a member of the Classis of Saratoga. Not long after his biother's death, which was hardly less sudden than his own, he removed to Detroit, where two of his sons are in business, and where a wider field opened to him for the exercise of his superior abilities and gifts as a minister of Christ. These abilities were at once recognized, and his services were in constant demand in various churches in the city, from the beginning of his residence thei-e. Though not purposing to assume the j)astoral t barge again, li(» was called u|>on to ]»i'ea(h almost continuously, being at his death the legular supply of the First Rres- 60 bytei'iaii OhuicJi, and liad been since Rev. Mr. Ban- le- signed its pastorate. Indeed, it was wbile proceeding to fnlfill the Frida)^ evening appointment in that chnrch, as he was walking up the aisle of the lecture-room to enter on this service, that death arrested his steps, and he was bidden to lay aside the armor he had bravely worn so long, and rest among the faithful beyond the din of earthly warfare in the presence of the Lord. Dr. Waldron's main life-work was done at Cohoes, N. Y. Here stands and will remain the principal memo- rial of his earnest and efficient ministry. ' Graduating from Union College in 1846, and from Princeton Semi- nary in 1840, he was ordained the same year by the Classis of Watervliet, and settled at Cohoes, then in this Classis, which, in 1858, blended with the Classis of Wash- ington, the two forming the Classis of Saratoga. He found the church of Cohoes in 1849 feeble in numbers and resources; he left it in 1879 a strong and influential society. Its families increased in the thirty years of his pastorate from fifty- five to a hundred and eighty, its luembership from seventy-two to three hundred and seventy-three. The modest little structure where the first worshippers met was in due time supplanted by the stately and spacious edifice now occupied by the congre- gation, while various departments of chuich work and enterprise were fitly organized and put in efficient opera- tion. The church owed its material expansion mainly to his own energy, tact, earnestness and wisdom in win- ning men, but lie was fortunate in and aided by liis social affiHations. His uncle by mari'iage was Egbert Egberts, who held large manufacturing interests in the place, was a warm friend of the ]?efoiin(>d Church, and bore a large part of the burden which the new chuich edifice imposed, and who stood ready with his aid when other chui-cb bui'dens needed lightening. Tims the 61 society moved on in harmony, and free from debt, that frequent bane of a church, increasing steadily in mem- bers and strength, under the faithful labors of a pastor who enjoyed in a high degree the confidence and affec- tion of his flock, to whose welfare he devoted his best faculties with unwearied assiduity. In this day of frequent ministerial changes, a pastorate of thirty years is a long term. But unusually strong ties in this case held people and pastor together. They looked up to him with entire trust in his sincerity, re- specting, honoring, loving him for the grand message he proclaimed, for the earnestness with which he sought to win the wandering to the cross, for the warm sympa- thies which brought comfort to the sorrowing and relief to the burdened. They found strength, profit, guidance, cheer in his preaching, and had no wish to change it for the untried. He, on his part, was quite satisfied with them, and with the field he was appointed to till, and sought and desired no change, closing his ear to suggestions looking in that direction, and content to stand and labor on in the lot where the I^ord of the Vineyard had placed him, not courting the applause of the world, nor notoriety from appearing in other pulpits than his own, but quietly, humbly, steadfastly seeking to do his whole duty well, in his own field of labor, and mainly anxious among his own peo[)le, " by manifestation of the truth, to commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God." Thus his people loved him more the longer and hettci' they came to know him. His hold upon them was verv strong indeed, as was shown at the fiftieth amiiversarv services of the church last fall, when he was present to take part in the ceremonies, and tlie people thronged the church to hear again a voice they had so much loved, and to welcome with tears oue who had done so nuich 62 good, and who by his hfe and work among them had so deeply impressed himself on the community. They had, indeed, good reason to set high value upon his ministry. For, although for the reason above men- tioned, and from his retiring disposition he was not widely known to the churches and even ministers of our name, he was a strong man in his own pulpit, and an effective preacher to the end of his ministry. His strength owed little to nature and art. His voice was not powerful nor particularly pleasing. He lacked elo- cutionary graces and cared little about them. His de- livery was rapid with but little action to enliven it. But his enunciation was distinct. His style was clear, crisp and incisive. He was an earnest and dihgent student of the Scriptures, with which his discourse was richly im- bued. His sermons were prepared with conscientious care, were clear and cogeut in presenting the truth, striking often with illustrations, which his fine culture and wide and various reading enabled him to gather, thoroughly evangelical in tone, direct and forcible in ap- plication, and glowing with an earnestness that yearned to persuade men "in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God." These were qualities that made his preaching fresh and edifying to the close of his earthly work. Socially he was a delightful companion. With inti- mate friends, before whom he felt no reserve, his keen sense of humor, his aptness at repartee, his wealth of anecdote, his incisive comments on events of the day, appeared at their l)rightest, making him the most viva- cious and entertaining of talkers. His buoyant spirits needed such occasional effervescence as this. But the transition from gay to grave was not, in this case, harsh or hard. The genial nature that could entertain friends was sympathetic towards the woe-worn and sorrowing. His words soothed the couch of sickness and pain, con- 63 veyed courage to the weak and wavering, and hope to those ready to despair. IMauy of his former flock will appreciate this well. ]Sor is it necessary to add that this warm-hearted Christian man proved himself, in his own house, a loving and devoted father and husband, ever watchful of the welfare of those nearest to him and ever rejoicing to have them walk with him in the ways of the Lord. As preacher, pastor, head of a family, as true friend and good citizen, he ' ' served his generation faith- fully by the will of God," and having done this he fell asleep. He fell by a sudden stroke, as the bolt from heaven sometimes does its work. And this quick sundering of spirit and clay seems a fearful calamity, and people so speak of it, especially when years of fruitful labor might be reasonably looked for from him thus summoned away before reaching his three score years and ten. So friends who sit with bowed heads and bleeding hearts beside the remains of the dearly loved, may think and feel. But, divorced from these natural emotions which will assert themselves when the most beloved die, whether suddenly or not, why, when the Master of all would exalt a ser- vant to sit in heavenly places, is not this swift translation thither a boon and privilege, rather than a calamity to deplore ? It means exemption from all possibility of mortal suffering in any form, often severe and long drawn out, and instant possession of " the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him," too won- drous for eye to see or heart to understand. Life's labors done, just when, the Master must and does decide, the faithful laborer should be deemed hap})y indeed who enters by one bound, as it were, "'the house of God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." And we who honored and loved him may well "comfort one another with these words." 64 AT THE ALTAR STAIR. THE KEV. DK. VVALDROX DIES WHEN ABOUT TO ENTER THE PULPIT. rX THE HILLSDALE LEADER. The announcement of Dr. Waldron's sudden death was received with great surprise in this city. Only a few days previous he had been here attending to his business interests and apparently in his usual good health. For many years during the lifetime of his brothers Henry and William in this city, and while he resided at Cohoes, N. Y. , he was an occasional visitor here, and made many friends and acquaintances. In 1S79 he removed here with his family and became pastor of the Presbyterian Church, which position he held for three years, when, by reason of much needed rest, he resigned as pastor of the church, greatly to the regret of the entire church and congregation. No pastor since the death of the Rev. F. R. Gallaher had so completely won the love and confi- dence of his church and society, indeed of the whole com- munity, as did Dr. Waldron. After the death of his biother Henry, he was elected president of the First National Bank, but not wishing to be burdened by the caies and duties of the [>osition, he resigned his place at the head and accei)ted the ottice of vice-president, which ])osition he held until his death. He was one of the [»rinci[)al stockholders in the bank. He was the survivor Ho of three brothers. Heiirv and Wilham having died in this city, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary E. Waterman and Mar- garet, only are left of the family. Xo words of praise are necessary, indeed, it is difficult to understand how anything can be added to the honorable fame his daily life of good works had secured to him. Of broad cul- ture and great scholarly attainments, yet the poor and distressed ever found in him a friend to whom they might of a certainty go without fear of repulsion. A good man in word, life and deed has been called home. A large number from this city attended the funeral and the remains were laid at rest in Woodmere Cemeteiy in Detroit Tuesdav afternoon. 66 FROM THE HILLSDALE COLLEGE HERALD. By the death of Dr. Waldron the College has lost a faithful friend. When the late Hon. Henry Waldron, a trustee from the organization of the institution, was suddenly stricken down in the midst of a busy life, with- out opportunity to do for the College w'hat all believed he would have done if permitted to accomplish his pur- poses, this brother with the sister and widow, promptly came forward and established, as a memorial, the Waldron Professorship Although, at that time, he was comparatively a stranger, he cheerfully accepted the vacant seat of his brother, and took up his work in the interest of the college. We have been proud of him as a trustee and sincerely mourn his death. Every member of the school feels that a real friend and able helper has gone. Words can but feebly express the irreparable loss. His place on the Board of Trustees cannot be filled. Broad-minded, clear-headed, conscientious men of ex- perience and large influence are not easily found. It requires sixty-four years of honest, faithful service in this life, under the most favorable circumstances, to •develop one like the Rev. Dr. C. N. Waldron. As a citi- zen no man ever stood higher in the esteem of the people of this community. He was a friend of all. None escaped his notice because of low condition or received it more because of high degree. He was to all the same genial, benevolent, kind-hearted Christian gentleman. Ho was oai-nest, loyal, true in all things. Th(^ funeral 67 services were held at the winter residence of the family, 47 Watson street, Detroit, Tuesday, at 2 o'clock. A large number of friends and neighbors from this city attended, among them Pres. Geo. F. Mosher. All college exercises were suspended during the afternoon.