USA > Maine > History of Methodism in Maine, 1793-1886 > Part 63
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D.w. Clark
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27
BISHOP CLARK.
the Maine Wesleyan Seminary, at Kent's Hill, while the workshop was still a feature of the institution, and by the aid of which, he elimbed the difficult "Hill of Science," aud paid his way. The devoted mother aud sisters of our Bishop. supplied his trunk with clothing and his shelves with books. They worshipped at a shriue that brought its reward even in this life.
Such a greed for knowledge could not be queuched. His father saw the yearniugs of the sou, and, though a poor man, he determined to encourage his efforts to the utmost of his ability. His sympathy for the struggling student was praetieally mauifested, when he mortgaged his farm to obtain mouey to aid him in college ; a favor reciprocated by the son, who, soon after graduation, lifted the mortgage, and eontinned to administer to the comfort of his parents through their declining years.
Early in life he embraced religiou under the labors of the Rev. Rufus C. Bailey, of saintly memory ; and with his mother and eonsiu, Sophronia, nee Wasgatt. Fernald, joined the first Methodist class on Mount Desert, consisting of thirteen members.
The characteristic gratitude of the Bishop was manifested in later years by his material aid, rendered the children of Brother Bailey, his father in the gospel, who were also struggling for an education.
He was gradnated from Wesleyan University in 1836, being the thirty-third alumnns by number. Immediately after graduation he became couneeted with Amenia Seminary, and continned as Prineipal of the same from 1837 to 1843 inelusive. Under the wise manage- ment of this devout christian worker and thorough edueator, the seminary acquired a high degree of exeellenee.
But the ambition of the seholar eentered in the pulpit. He there- fore joined the New York Conference, and was stationed as follows : 1843-'44, Winsted, Connectieut ; 1845-'46, Salisbury ; 1847-'48, Sullivan street, New York; 1849-'50, Vestry street, New York ; 1851-'52 Cannon street, Poughkeepsie ; after which he was elected editor of the Ladies' Repository, which position he held until 1864, when he was advaneed to the Episcopal chair. He entered upon his Episcopal labors with great zeal and euergy ; traveled extensively in the South and elsewhere, and organized several Conferences.
The early demise of Bishops Thompson and Kingsley, added to the already "Labors more abundant" of the bishopric, had eaused a strain which soon began to tell on his already enfeebled constitution, so that his physician advised rest. He continued to suffer during the winter of 1870, with renewed prostration; but with a holy ambition
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BISHOP CLARK.
unequal to his strength, he determined to visit the spring conferences assigned him by his colleagues, hoping that change of place and travel might relieve his malady. He attended his Conferences in Lexington, Kentucky, and West Virginia, performing his duties with his usual care and diligence. Failing strength made assistance imperative, and some of his colleagues sided him in the Pittsburg and New England Conferences.
With ardent desire, worn and weary, he went to the New York Conference, holding its session at Peekskill, April 6, 1871, which he opened with the Lord's Supper. Having presided a few minutes, lie invited Bishop Simpson to the ehair, and retired to his room, where he was prostrated with great suffering during the remainder of the session.
His strength rallied and he was finally removed to his home in Cineinnati, where he lingered until May twenty-third, and expired. His mind was elear to the last; when some one sang to him : "I would not live alway," he exelaimed : "Yea, Lord Jesus, Come ! Come quickly ;" and repeated with strong emphasis : "Sinee Jesus hath lain there, I dread not the tomb."
An able and successful minister, his sermons were full of instrue- tion and models of rhetorie. His published volumes remain, a legacy to his family and the church. Among his published works his "Mental Philosophy," "Elements of Algebra," "Life and Times of Bishop Elijah Hedding," and "Man all Immortal," are especially worthy of note. He was intensely orthordox in his christian views, elear in their statement, and elegant in dietion.
At the time of his death he was President of the Freedman's Aid Society, of the Board of Trustees of the Wesleyan Female College of Cincinnati, and of the Board of Trustees of Ohio Wesleyan University. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,"
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ZEBULON DAVÍS. THEODORE SCOTT.
CHAPTER VI.
This chapter consists of sketches of worthies of a later generation, who, having lived and died in the faith and work of the early fathers, are worthy of record.
(1.) REV. ZEBULON DAVIS was born in Friendship, Maine, in 1816, and died suddenly at East Bucksport, November, 1882. He was converted in the fall of 1833, and the next spring he was admitted to full membership.
In the year 1840 he received his license to preach and took work under the Presiding Elder.
For some unknown reason he never joined Conference, yet he spent nearly forty-three years in the active work of the ministry. He supplied the following charges : South Waldoboro, Washington, Cushing, Vinal Haven, North Waldoboro, Hope and Lincolnville, Bristol, Westport and Arrowsic, Bucksport Centre, Deer Isle, East Bucksport and Orland.
On the day of his death, as he was conducting a funeral service at Orland, little did he think that, in a day or two after, similar services would be held over his remains, and when, as in the evening, hc attended a social service, he offered prayer and heard the songs of Zion, and listened to the testimonies of his brethren, it did not enter his mind that before another sun had risen, he would be before the throne, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb, and with saints and angels bearing his glad testimony.
(2.) REV. THEODORE SCOTT was born in Machias, December, 25, 1803, and was left an orphan at the carly age of three years. His childhood seems to have been a sad one, and its painful memories lingered with him, and influenced him in his adult years.
Brother Scott was converted and licensed to preach, and supplied, at intervals, a number of charges.
He suffered long and severely physically, and for the last fifteen years of life both sight and hearing were seriously impaired. The "Robe of flesh," which he had worn for almost four score years, was laid aside August 5, 1882, and with it, all the ills he had endured so patiently, and so long. He died well, and has left the "sweet odor of a good name."
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COLYER SNOW.
(3.) COLYER SNOW. (By John Wentworth.) Colyer, son of Captain Edward and Betsy (Myrick) Snow, was born in Orrington, Maine, March 11, 1791.
When he was six months old his father died, leaving a widow, and a large family of children.
Colyer lived at home, under the influence of his pious mother until he could earn his living at sea, which he followed, not from choice, but of necessity. Sometime after the war of 1812 commenced, he was captured by an English privateer, and confined in a prison-ship, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a time, and from thence transferred to Dartmore prison, England, and kept there more than a year, with many others of his countrymen, and was released after the peace of 1814.
One of his grandsons has a pocket-bible, in an excellent state of preservation, that he bought with a part of his rations, while there in prison.
After the war he returned to Orrington, and settled on a lot in North Bucksport, where he lived until 1864.
He married, September 6, 1818, Mary, daughter of Benjamin Swett of Orrington. Mary Abby, their only child, was born June 13, 1819.
In April, 1837, during an extensive revival of religion, under the ministry of Rev. A. P. Hillman, he experienced a powerful conviction and a very decided and thorough conversion, and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, of which his wife had been a member for many years. From this time his whole life was consecrated to Christ ; and it may be said of him he was " not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality."
In March, 1864, he moved to Bucksport village, near his daughter and her family, and died there in great peace and triumph, August 21, 1875 ; and his pious and devoted wife, whose influence led him to the Saviour, followed him September 10, 1880, in confident and joyous hope of a happy reunion.
The subject of this sketch was an example of the most untiring industry, and by a long life of severe and well directed toil, he secured a competence from one of the most rocky and unpromising lots to be found in the hard and hilly region where he settled.
He always contributed liberally for the support of the church, and all its enterprises, and perhaps some of his last acts in this direction,
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WILLIAM CLIFFORD.
are worthy of special mention. A short time before his death, he paid a debt of $1,000, on the Franklin Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and requested his administrator to pay $2,000, one-half for the support of preaching, and one-half for the relief of the poor of the same church. He also directed that $2,000 be given, one half for missions, and one-half for the support of the superannuated preachers of the East Maine Conference, and their widows and orphans ; the interest only of the above sums to be used for the purposes named.
Having had many years acquaintance with the subject of the foregoing memoir, the editor feels constrained to say, that all his son- in-law has written of him is just, and in no item is it overdrawn or overwrought.
Brother Snow's conversion was radical and remarkable. After which, apparently, all he was, and all he might become, as well as all he had, or might acquire by untiring industry, was held by him only as the Lord's steward, ever subject to the will Divine, whenever made known to a mind open to conviction.
(Blessed would be the churches, if in cach a steward might be found of his industry and the thrift of his toil, associated with his ever abiding and ever developing spirituality .- Editor.)
A FAMILY REMARKABLE IN THREE GENERATIONS.
(4.) WILLIAM CLIFFORD was born in Candia, New Hampshire, January 23, 1791, and died in Montville, Maine, June 11, 1881. He was deeply convicted and thoroughly converted, at Grantham, New Hampshire, December 15, 1816. He joined the Methodist church two years later, and retained his connection until his death.
He served the church as class leader for about ten years previous to 1831, when he removed to Montville.
He also held an exhorter's license several years before coming to Maine, but did not use it until it was renewed in 1845, from which time he used to conduct meetings, and exhort with great power.
After moving to Palermo, Maine, in 1832, he became so burdened for the conversion of his children and neighbors that he could not rest day or night.
Through his efforts a powerful revival broke out, during which four of his children, and many of the neighbors were converted. Thus he became the founder of the Methodist church on what has since been known as Montville Circuit. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and was frequently urged by his brethren to accept a local
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WILLIAM J. CLIFFORD.
preacher's license, but was never willing to do so; though he spent much time in personal work for the Master, often going three or four miles to visit and pray with some unsaved neighbor. In his later years he often said that he thought he ought to have given himself more fully to the work of the ministry.
He was twice married, first to Miss Sarah Bachelder, a godly woman, with whom he lived most happily for two years, when, in September, 1817, she died, leaving to his fatherly care, his son William J., then bnt ten months old.
March 21, 1819, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Alice Churchill, a christian woman, who left him for the better land February 18, 1869.
By his last marriage he had four daughters and one son, Rev. N. C. Clifford of the Maine Conference. He served his eonntry in the war of 1812, and was a pensioner for several years previous to his death.
He often prayed for his family that God would perpetuate the work of grace in their hearts from generation to generation, and he had the great satisfaction of seeing all his children and grandchildren converted. His two sons and four of his grandsons became preachers, and two of his granddaughters became preachers' wives.
His last days were peaceful, and the last word he was heard to utter was "Jesus."
WILLIAM J. CLIFFORD was born in Grantham, New Hampshire, November 25, 1816, and born again May 5, 1837, " just as the sun was going behind the western hills." He was baptized June, 1837, and united with the church the same year. He was licensed as a local preacher October 22, 1842. Ordained Deacon at Bneksport, June 24, 1849, by Bishop Morris. Ordained Elder at Rockland, June 12, 1853, by Bishop Janes.
In the spring of 1850 he was recommended to join the East Maine Conference, and was purposing to give himself wholly to the work of the ministry, but his father opposing it, because it would take from him the son on whom he leaned to stay his steps in age and feebleness the plan was with great disappointment given up, and thenceforward he took work in the local ranks, under the Presiding Elder. He labored with aeeeptability and success on the following charges : Roekport, Hope, Cushing, Knox and Morrill, Vassalboro and Winslow, Unity, China and Montville. He supplied at the latter
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THE CLIFFORD FAMILY.
place, at different times, fifteen years, closing his pastoral labors there in 1884.
Scareely a year passed without the conversion of some souls, and there were revivals more or less extensive at Rockport, Montville, Cushing, Winslow and Unity.
With the exeeption of five years, in which he was employed as tract agent, he spent all his days in the work of the ministry, until disease (eaneer) compelled him to give up the work he loved so well.
April 6, 1841, he married Miss Sarah C. Randall, daughter of Deaeon Matthew Randall of Sonth Freedom, a faithful christian woman.
The children were : Wilbur M., Alonzo J., Sarah J., John R., and Nathaniel D.
When nearing the river, his son says of him : " He is only waiting," suffers more, and is more feeble ; but the "inward man is renewed day by day." When asked one morning how he was, he replied : " no gloomy night. my faith is light, my hope holds like an anchor." "Such elusters from the heavenly vine! This is angels' food. I have a heaven to go to heaven in." Then the son adds: ""Tis glorious beyond deseription to see his triumphant faith." The son further says : "Father, Unele N. C., and aunt Samantha J. Hilt, are all that are left of the family, save Mrs. Alice Stone, Widow Church- hill's daughter." He died in Camden, Maine, February 22, 1886.
CHILDREN OF WILLIAM J. AND SARAH C. CLIFFORD.
Wilbur M., converted at Northport eamp-meeting, 1857, when fifteen years old ; baptized April 18, 1858, and soon united with the Methodist Episcopal church. He enlisted in the Union army July, 1862, and died at Alexandria, Virginia, January 8, 1864.
Alonzo J. was converted in antumn of 1856, when but ten years of age. He was baptized April 18, 1858, and soon joined the Methodist Episcopal church. He was licensed to preach May, 1873, and admitted to the East Maine Conference, on trial, 1874. Ordained Deaeon, June 11, 1876, by Bishop Foster, and ordained Elder, May 12, 1878, by Bishop Merrill. April, 1885, he was transferred to St. Louis Conferenee, and stationed at Summit Street Church, Kansas City, Missouri, from whence he passed to his reward, Deeember 3, 1885.
Sarah J. was converted December 12, 1868, when nineteen years of age. Baptized June, 1869, and joined the Methodist Episcopal
III
34
REV. JOSIAH HIGGINS.
church, On October 13, 1869, she married Rev. B. C. Wentworth. John R. was converted in the spring of 1865, at the age of thirteen years. Baptized, and united with the Methodist Episcopal church, during the following summer. He was licensed to preach, March 28, 1874, and joined the East Maine Conference, on trial, June, 1880. Ordained Deacon, June 6, 1880, by Bishop Foster, and Elder, April, 1884, by Bishop Harris.
Nathaniel D. was converted in the winter of 1871, and was baptized and admitted to the church in 1872. He was licensed to preach August, 1880, and in 1884, was admitted, on trial, to the Mississippi Conference, transferred to the Texas Conference, and ordained Deacon, by Bishop Harris.
REV. JOSIAH HIGGINS. (BY IIIS SON, J. P. HIGGINS.)
(5.) REV. JOSIAH HIGGINS was born in Bucksport, Maine, March 1, 1804. His parents were rigid Congregationalists ; but he was converted at a Methodist prayer meeting, at sixteen years of age. His parents were strongly opposed to his uniting with the Methodists, so that he did not join the church until he was twenty-one years old. He soon felt himself called to the ministry, and in 1826, went to Maine Wesleyan Seminary, and completed at the Bangor Theological Seminary.
While studying in Bangor he was among the originators of the first Methodist church, being class leader in 1828, and the second superin- tendent of the Sunday school, in 1830 and 1831. He was zealous, active and influential, and had a large share in the planting of the first Methodist Episcopal church in Bangor.
He married in 1829, Miss Sarah Hinks of Bucksport, who proved a most devoted wife, a woman of rare excellence, and who was his helpful co-laborer in the itinerancy.
He joined the Maine Conference on probation in 1831, and was received in full membership in 1833. While supplying Mount Belling- ham church in Chelsea, Massachusetts, his wife was prostrated with a long and severe illness, from the effects of which she never fully recovered, and he felt it to be his duty to retire for a while at least, and he went into business in Boston and continued until 1870 ; when he closed out, and thereafter gave himself entirely to the work of the ministry.
In 1870, he was appointed under the Presiding Elder to Kingston, New Hampshire, where his wife died, after years of patient suffering.
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MRS. ANNA NICKERSON.
In 1873 he married, as his second wife, Miss Mary S. Brown of Fremont, New Hampshire, and made his home at this place, supplying the churches near by. He had by his first wife, two sons and three danghters. One of his daughters went, as a missionary, to Japan, where, after eight months, she died suddenly. He died February 22, 1884.
(From Methodist Magazine, Vol. 1.)
(6.) " The grace of God manifested. A short memoir of Mrs. Anna: Nickerson, late wife of Mr. Warren Nickerson, of Orrington, County of Penobscot, District of Maine, by E. Mudge, to Rev. J .. Soule (one of the Book Agents).
" BOSTON, March 25th, 1818.
"REV. AND DEAR SIR :- The subject of the following memoir has. been known to yourself and many of your brethren in the ministry, and I believe has been generally respected for her christian piety, (as being truly a mother in Israel) by all who have known her. As she was respected in life, so was she truly lamented in death, and to many her memory is precious.
" Mrs. Anna Nickerson was born in Gorham, Massachusetts, April 13, 1766. Her father's name was Austin Alden, many years a deacon in the Congregationalist church. He died in full assurance of faith, in 1800. Mrs. Nickerson's mother died in 1780, shouting victory.
"Mrs. Nickerson was the youngest of four children. She was married to Warren Nickerson, in November, 1785, and removed to Orrington in December following. She was often visited with serious. impressions, and although the writer has often heard her speak of this part of her life, he recollects nothing remarkable, except that these impressions were attended with distressing ideas of being one of the number of those supposed to be reprobated to everlasting misery.
"It was about the year 1797, that she was brought to see herself a lost sinner.
" The death of her oldest child, the strivings of God's spirit, and preaching of the word, all concurred to fix her attention on things relating to her soul's salvation. It was now that her views of herself as a sinner became more just, and consequently more distressing. The thoughts of reprobation and of having sinned away the day of grace, led to despondency.
" Brother Jesse Lee visited Penobscot River about this time, whose preaching was blest to many.
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MRS. ANNA NICKERSON.
" Brother J. HIall was the first Methodist preacher who made any tarry in these parts. It was by his preaching that Sister Nickerson first had her mind enlightened into clear and proper views of the gospel method of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ appeared for her, and set her soul at liberty from guilt, condemnation, and distress, and filled her with peace, and love, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
"She received the witness of the spirit of adoption, and immedi- ately began to exhort and encourage her friends and neighbors to come to Christ.
"It was in the autumn of this year that the writer went to Orrington, and became acquainted with her. On Christmas of this year her husband was brought to experience an evidence of pardon and accept- ance through Christ. At different subsequent periods, several of their children and many of their friends and neighbors have been hopefully converted. She was among the first who united in the Methodist church in that place (and this was the first christian church .of any religious denomination, formed in the county, or for many miles around in that part of the country.) The next year after her conversion she experienced an uncommon degree of the sanctifying power of divine grace, of which she gave uniform testimony by a holy life and godly conversation, to the day of her death.
"She possessed a good natural understanding, strong reasoning power, and a peculiar gift to speak of her religious views and experience The ordinances of God were her delight. O, ye survivors of our mother in Israel, how often have you heard her say that she never attended her class meetings, her prayer meetings, her love feasts and her sacraments, in vain. For twenty years has the writer had the happiness of meeting with you and our beloved departed sister in the use of the means of grace, in which we have often witnessed the presence and power of our divine Master to comfort and bless us. She was among the first to encourage the hearts and strengthen the hands of the preachers who labored on the circuit. How much she cared for her family, and how ardently she labored for their good, is known and recollected by them. When her husband was gone, it was her constant custom to attend family devotions. She would grieve and weep if any professor of religion stepped aside from the path of duty or grew cold and remiss in the ways of religion. She often observed days of fasting and prayer, in which she was more particularly engaged for a revival of religion, for the prosperity of the church.
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REV. JOSEPII P. FRENCHI.
In October, 1816, she was attacked with the same disorder, which eventually terminated her life.
"She had been unusually engaged in prayer to see one more revival of the work of God in Orrington. and had the unspeakable satisfaction of beholding an out-pouring of the spirit of God among the people, and an increase of members to the church. November 3, 1817, she was seized with bilious colic. The best medical assistance proved ineffectual. On being asked by brother Jones (the circuit preacher) how she was, she answered : "O sir, I am in as great pain of body as you can imagine, but glory ! glory be to God, I thought last night I should be with him and the happy spirits in heaven, before the light of this morning.'
·· Monday, the ninth, she appeared to be dying, and lay speechless four hours, but she recovered so as to converse. She appeared to be inexpressibly filled with the love of God. For several days faint hopes were entertained of her recovery, and being asked what she wished them to pray for particularly, she answered : 'that fond nature might cease its strife.' Being asked, ' do you think you are dying?' she answered, 'I hope so ;' after which she repeated 'glory ! glory ! Come Lord Jesus,' and fell asleep in her Saviour.
"The next day, Brother J. Hall delivered her funeral sermon, from Psalm 112, 6th verse : 'The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.'"
(7.) REV. JOSEPH P. FRENCHI. (BY REV. L. P. FRENCH.)
One evening about two years before the death of Mrs. Sarah B. French, the family were gathered for devotions in mother's room, when one of the sons took the Bible, and after reading the first chapter of Jonah said : "You may think strange of my selection, but alas ! I fear that I am a Jonah. I am convinced of duty to preach the gospel. I have for years been struggling in vain against these convictions. Woe is me if I obey not, yet how can I leave the dear home I love so well, for one every where yet no where. How can I leave my precious mother, who needs my attention, and you, my brother. with all the care laid upon us jointly by a dying father ? What shall I do?" With tearful eyes and aching hearts they sat in silence, while methinks the angel of the sainted father waited to hear. the answer.
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