History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

214 History of Swansea
It was characteristic of him not to parade his honors, and for several
years only a few of his intimate friends knew of them, and these under the
seal of secrecy. It was not until the Presidency of Antioch College (which
he decHned) was offered him in 1882 that they became known to the
public. His diplomas were found after his death rolled up and tucked
away in the back end of a drawer in his study.
As a preacher he was plain, thoughtful and thoroughly sincere.
Nothing was said for effect, everything for truth, and with an earnest
effort to make it plain and effective. His thoughts were put in the best of
language, and few men could put so much meaning into so few words. He
was not brilliant but always sensible. His sermons were carefully prepared
and thought out, and presented with a simplicity and directness that
carried conviction of his faith in the truth he was presenting.
He was not a revivalist but a teacher rather. His work was to instruct,
to so present the truth that it should commend itself to the judgment and
the conscience—to convince, confirm—to lay foundations. Naturally the
number of conversions under his labors was not great, but they were
genuine, they were held. The church generally was kept in good working
condition; it commanded the respect of the world; the truth was forced
upon the convictions of the community. A wide-spread, lasting, solid
influence for good was exerted upon saint and sinner, upon those who
attended church and those who stayed at home—somehow the entire
community felt the weight of his character, restraining the evil and stimulating
the good of every heart. His work was the planting of a Paul. In
due time Apollos will water and the Master give the increase. Years
hence, under the quickening unfluence of the Holy Spirit, will spring into
life the seed which he has sown in many a heart which seemed careless and
unconcerned when he was speaking.
One of the most conspicuous elements of his character was his thorough
honesty, his perfect loyalty to truth, his entire freedom from all cant and
pretense, his fidelity to his convictions of right. He heartily despised
everything that savored of falsehood, deceit or hypocrisy. He was as
transparent and open as the light. He carried his character in his face.
No man need look a second time to know that he was a man to be trusted
and respected.
Says Mr. E. E. Shedd: "He came to this town (Eastport), when he
was about fourteen years of age, a modest, retiring, good lad. I am afraid
we were a mischievous set of boys that he was thrown in with, and while
he was ready to join in any of our sports and fun, he would have nothing
to do with what was not up to his standard of right, which he placed very
high. We all respected him for his uprightness of character."
He was exceedingly modest—too modest for his comfort, perhaps for
his highest usefulness. He never preached on public occasions if he could
well avoid it, and when he did it was with shrinking anxiety amounting at
times almost to torture. A less modest man, of his abilities and attainments,
would doubtless have pushed himself into wider fields of usefulness.
He sought no positions of honor or trust, nor did he accept all that sought
him. And when he did accept, it was almost invariably with great reluctance.
Many of us remember how difficult it was to induce him to accept
the position of President of the Camp Meeting Association.
He was a man of large charity. He always placed the best possible
construction on the questionable acts of his brethren—never made up
judgment or expressed an adverse opinion until he had heard both sides of
the case—ever ready to make large allowance for want of knowledge,
weakness, or stress of circumstances—ever remembering every good thing
that could be said by way of offset or mitigation.
His charity naturally made him broad and catholic in his religious