friends, but secure in the arms of the Beloved, he stepped down to the Jordan of death. "A servant of the living God is dead: The providence that called him away is dark to us. That one so active in the Master's work should be removed in the flush of manhood and in the midst of usefulness is truly mysterious. He was an earnest preacher and a faithful pastor. His flaming zeal, his ardent piety and his peculiar ability to present the truth with directness and searching power, were just grounds for high hopes of continued usefulness. But his toils are over. His lifework is done. "Soldier of Christ, well done. Rev. LEVI RISHER, of Ohio Presbytery, who was with him during the afternoon of the evening on which he died, refers to him thus: "Brother Kinkaid departed this life on Saturday night, March 24, 1866, and has gone to his reward. Suddenly, unseen by mortal eye, he passed away. Much of mystery must for all time hang over that last scene. But what comfort to those who knew and loved him is the undoubted evidence of his piety, and that it matters little where or by what means such a man dies! "He stood, as Moses stood, alone with God in that last hour, and he died, as Moses did, in God's embrace. A more laborious and faithful minister I have never known. He was always at work. Every moment of time was priceless in his estimation. He was a constant and persevering student. He was a zealous advocate and promoter of education. He loved to teach. He kept the faith. He fought the good fight. He has finished his course and wears the crown. In our last interview, but two short hours before he was last seen alive, he expressed his joy at the evident tokens of God's presence in many parts of his church. How soon was he to pass where, ever revived, he need go no more out for ever! He spent the next Sabbath in the very presence of the Saviour whom he loved and preached on earth." Thus lived beloved and died lamented, after a brief career in the ministry of about six years, Samuel P. Kinkaid. He was married in 1861 to Miss H. J. McFarland, who, with two children—a son and daughter-is left to mourn his loss. He was a man given to hospitality, of fine personal appearance, pleasing in his address: frank, courteous and cheerful, he carried life and enjoyment to every circle he entered. He was a living Christian, and an earnest minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why, then, should we lament? Our Father in heaven deals mercifully with all his children. What is now so dark will soon be understood in the light of eternity. J. Kickpatrick_ KIRKPATRICK, D.D., JACOB-The son of Alexander and Sarah (Earle) Kirkpatrick, was born on Long Hill, near Baskingridge, N. J., Aug. 7, 1785. He was educated in New Jersey College, Princeton, N. J., where he was graduated in 1804, and studied divinity under John Wood hull, D.D., of Freehold, N. J. He was licensed by New Brunswick Presbytery, June 20, 1809, and was ordained and installed by the same Presbytery as pastor of the United First Church of Amwell, Ringoes, N. J., June 20, 1810: this was his only charge. For fifty-six years did this man of God go in and out before this people. He died at his residence in Ringoes, N. J., May 2, 1866, of the breaking down of his system. He married Miss Mary Sutphen, of Freehold, N. J. They had fourteen children. P. O. STUDDIFORD, D.D.,* of Lambertville, N. J., preached his funeral sermon, whence the following is taken: "The Great Shepherd of Israel has removed from this fold the under-shepherd whom, for many years, he had employed to feed and guide and watch over this portion of the flock. He has called away the oldest pastor of our Synod-revered by our ministry as a father, and tenderly loved as a friend and brother. Sorrow has filled our hearts. If I were to ask this people what was the most marked trait of his character as a man and a Christian, they would say it was an earnest care for their souls; for he showed it in the tenor of his life, in the tenderness and pathos of his preaching, in the earnestness with which he besought and entreated you all to hear the Saviour's call, not ceasing to warn every one, night and day, with tears. He showed it in his readiness to meet every call made on him for his pastoral services, never declining to minister to the sick, the suffering and the afflicted. The most careless felt that he loved their souls, by his interest in their eternal welfare, by his faithful efforts to rouse them, and thus lead them to inquire for their Saviour. It has been a great mercy that he was continued so long, that his bodily health was preserved unimpaired for so many years, so that he could, with scarcely any interruption, minister to his people. The church of Baskingridge, at the time of his birth, was under the pastoral care of the Rev. Samuel Kennedy, an able and successful preacher of the gospel. By him he was baptized. In 1795 the Rev. Robert Finley became pastor of the church. He exerted an important influence in forming the mind and character of the youth, now one of his charge. Dr. Finley was an earnest, faithful and affectionate preacher, and from him our brother formed his first ideas of what a minister ought to be. Often, in listening to him, I have noticed the force of his solemn utterances, and felt that with more tenderness he had quite as much earnestness and pathos as Finley. At an early day Dr. Finley opened a classical school, and he, with Hon. Samuel L. Southard and Rev. Dr. Philip Lindsley, formed the first class that he prepared for college. He entered New Jersey College, where he was graduated in 1804, and soon after commenced teaching school in Somerville, N. J., at the same time studying law at that place and afterward at Flemington, N. J. In 1807 he was hopefully brought to the Saviour, and he relinquished his legal studies and entered upon his preparation for the ministry. Rev. W. J. WRIGHT, who was co-pastor with Dr. Kirkpatrick, spoke of him as follows: "It was meekness which adorned his life and lent a gentle and tender grace to every lineament of his countenance. So far did meekness rule in his life, so anxious was he to govern himself, that I have feared he might have carried his forbearance too far: his dread of controversy, his fear of casting reproach upon Christian character by any seeming contention, sometimes led him to yield his judgment to opinions far below his own. He *This was Rev. Dr. Studdiford's last sermon. He died soon after, and his memoir is in this volume, page 204. would not make an ambitious claim. He would forego his own due rather than seem to contend for it. Unassuming gentleness and retiring modesty were the constant ornaments of the character of this dignified, polished, perfect gentleman, and kind, affectionate, exemplary Christian." Robert Rinkwor KIRKWOOD, ROBERT-The son of William and Ann (Watson) Kirkwood, was born in Paisley, Scotland, May 25, 1793. He was educated at Glasgow College, Scotland, entering in 1820 and attending four years. He studied divinity in the Theological Hall, under John Dick, D.D., of Glasgow, in 1824, remaining four sessions. In 1828 he was licensed, and as there were urgent calls from America at that time for ministers, he sailed for the United States. On his arrival he joined the New York Classis of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. At first he supplied the pulpit of an absent minister in the city; then labored under the Missionary Society of that Church till 1830. This year he took charge of the church in Courtlandtown, N. Y., and here his labors were highly blessed. He deemed it his most interesting and successful field of labor. Through his instrumentality a congregation was gathered and some precious seasons of revival occurred. His next settlement was at Auburn, and in 1837 at Sandbeach, in Cayuga Classis. In 1839 he started West as a domestic missionary. He remained in Illinois seven years. In 1846 he returned East, and for eleven years he labored as agent for the Bible and Tract Societies. In 1857 he removed to Yonkers, N. Y., and passed the remainder of his life in writing for the press. Up to this time his ministerial relations had been with the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church; but when the Westminster Presbyterian Church was started in Yonkers, he cast in his lot with that people, and remained a faithful, attentive and zealous member of the congregation, his ministerial relation being with Albany Presbytery. He died at his residence in Yonkers, N. Y., Aug. 26, 1866, of paralysis. He married Miss Ann Ogilvie, who, with two sons and three daughters, survives him. Besides numerous articles contributed to The Christian Intelligencer, New York Observer and The Presbyterian, he wrote Lectures on the Millennium, a series of lectures delivered in the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, Yonkers, N. Y., in 1855, published by Sheldon & Co., New York, pp. 168. Universalism Explained, published in 1856. A Plea for the Bible, a popular work, having an extensive sale, published by Sheldon & Co., New York, in 1860, pp. 175. Illustrations of the Offices of Christ, a practical treatise on divine influences, together with a selection of sermons, published by Sheldon & Co., New York, in 1862, pp. 346. Rev. LEWIS W. MUDGE, of Yonkers, N. Y., writes as follows: "He was an earnest worker, carrying out in his life the missionary spirit of his Master. Brought up under the preaching of one of the most popular and evangelical ministers in Scotland, and studying under the excellent Dr. Dick, he enjoyed opportunities-faithfully embraced-of learning and studying systematically the great doctrines of our faith above many. His mind was vigorous and practical. He was not what we would call now-a-days a popular preacher. His sermons have no flowing language nor particular elegance of diction, but their great recommendation is their simplicity, plainness, practical and scriptural tone. He was greatly blessed in his labors by frequent and powerful revivals of religion. His only peculiarity in doctrine was his pre-millennial views, in which, however, as his work on this subject abundantly shows, he was moderate, cautious, and never went to the extreme of fixing the time and seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.' In his family and social relations he was greatly beloved." WW Laverty. LAVERTY, WILLIAM W.-The son of James H. and Maria Laverty, was born in Union county, Pa., June 15, 1828. He was brought to a knowledge of Christ in his sixteenth year, and he set about his preparation for the ministry. He entered Washington College, Washington, Pa., where he was graduated with high honor in 1849, receiving, at that time, from the faculty, the Greek salutatory as a testimonial of their high appreciation of his scholarship. He studied divinity in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N. J., and was licensed by Steubenville Presbytery in June, 1852, and was ordained by the same Presbytery, and installed pastor of Big Spring and New Cumberland churches, near New Hagerstown, Ohio, in the autumn of 1853. He, about the same time, having a very decided taste and talent for teaching youth, accepted the principalship of Hagerstown Academy, in which he continued to labor for several years with great evidence of usefulness. His labors, while pastor of these two churches and principal of this academy, were very great. After a week spent in teaching, he would often preach three times on the Sabbath, and travel ten miles to meet his appointments. He loved greatly to preach the gospel, and for the gratification of his master-passion he was willing to endure almost any self-denial. Early in the spring of 1857 he commenced his ministry at Wellsville and East Liverpool, Ohio. Here his labors were greatly blessed by God. During his ministry here, which lasted seven years, both these churches enjoyed precious revivals, in which many sinners were converted and God's people greatly blessed. Through his untiring energy a heavy debt was lifted off the church at Wellsville, and thereafter he had the satisfaction of seeing it start forward in a new career of prosperity. Here also his labors were of a very severe and exhausting character. Sabbath was always a day of incessant toil, during which it was his custom to preach three times, with sometimes a walk of four or six miles to meet his appointments. In the spring of 1864 he was elected principal of Monongalia Academy, Morgantown, W. Va., which position, in consequence of a vocal disorder occasioned by incessant preaching, he accepted as a temporary relief. The academy attained a high degree of prosperity under his principalship, and was steadily growing in public favor and patronage when he was suddenly cut down in the midst of usefulness, leaving a large circle of friends to mourn his loss. He died at his residence in Morgantown, W. Va., Oct. 28, 1865, of typhoid fever. He married Miss Miranda Finley, of Washington county, Pa., who, with one child, survives him. Rev. W. A. HOOPER, of Morgantown, W. Va., writes as follows: "He was emphatically an earnest man. He devoted himself with untiring assid uity to whatever he undertook. His sickness was very brief, lasting only six days. When the intelligence was communicated to him that he must die, he expressed his acquiescence in the will of God, and declared that his only trust was in the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanseth from all sin. He has gone to his rest and reward, after a laborious and well-spent life, leaving a memory fragrant with the odor of piety and blessed with many acts of self-denial and labor in the service of Christ. He was diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." His brother, Rev. D. H. Laverty, of Bellair, O., is a Presbyterian minister. L. F. Leake LEAKE, LEMUEL FORDHAM-The son of Amos and Nancy (Strong) Leake, was born at Chester, Morris county, N. J., in 1790. He was educated at New Jersey College, Princeton, N. J., where he was graduated in 1814, when he was soon after taken under the care of Presbytery, and after spending two years, in conjunction with the Rev. Dr. Finley, in conducting the Union Classical School at Baskingridge, and two sessions in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, N. J., under the instruction of Drs. Alexander and Miller, and studying privately under Rev. Dr. Joseph Campbell, he was licensed by Newton Presbytery Oct. 7, 1818. On June 19, 1819, he was ordained (sine titulo) at Harmony Church, N. J., and in 1812 was installed pastor of the churches of Oxford and Harmony by Newton Presbytery. In 1825, at his own request, this pastoral relation was dissolved, and from that time until the year 1831 he was engaged with several of the missions connected with the Church. In 1831 he reached Canonsburg, Pa., having completed a tour through Virginia of a thousand miles, and he was soon after called to be pastor of the old Chartiers Church at Canonsburg, as successor of Dr. McMillan. From 1831 to 1850 the ministerial labors of this departed servant of God, as pastor of the Chartiers Church and at other posts in that region, were expended in giving tone and character to that noble generation of Presbyterians who were trained in and about Canonsburg. He resigned his charge to become president of Franklin College, at New Athens, Ohio. From this he removed to Zelienople, Butler county, Pa., where he labored for several years. Afterward he went to Waveland, Indiana, and took charge of an academy, and united with Crawfordsville Presbytery; and from that time until his death he had been engaged in teaching and in preaching occasionally as the Lord opened the way for him. His remarkable scholarship eminently qualified him for the work which the Lord had put upon him. In the month of September of 1866 he left his home at Terre Haute, Ind., to accompany his daughter to school at Oxford, Ohio. Shortly after reaching that place he was taken ill, and died Dec. 1, 1866, of breaking down of his system. He was twice married; his first wife was Miss Mary White, of Belvidere, N. J., who died in 1827, a short time after their marriage; the second was Miss Catharine Richie, of Canonsburg, Pa.: they were married in 1831, and had a large family of children: but two, a son and daughter, survive. Mrs. Leake died in 1859. His remains were taken to Terre Haute, Ind., and buried in the cemetery. |