South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 41

Searchable source text

MINISTRY   OF    DR.    STILES.  33
by  Dr.  Stiles,  ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  in  the  presence
of  the  writer.  And  here  we  may  be  permitted  to
copy,  briefly,  from  "  Sketches  of  Western  Men,"  as
published  in  the  N.  Y.  Evangelist  of  Feb.  7,  1856.
Speaking  of  Dr.  Stiles,  the  writer  says  : —
"  lu  the  Winter  of  1842,  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  hear
this  gentknnan  in  Oxford,  Ohio,  several  successive  evenings
and  on  the  Sabbath.  *  *  *  He  was  at  this  time  in  the
prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood,  and  his  bearing  was  solemn
without  ailectation  and  marked  by  a  noble  manliness.  He
seemed  to  feel  'how  awful  is  this  place  !'  and  his  whole  de-
meanor betokened  his  sense  of  the  responsibility  of  one
who  preaches  the  Gospel.  His  prayers,  in  their  wrestling,
pleading  fervency,  exceeded  anything  I  had  ever  heard.
There  was  no  vaunt  or  cant  in  them,  but  they  were  of  that
style  we  see  in  Abraham's  intercession  for  Lot.  His  tones
of  voice  were  reverent  but  earnest,  and  he  literally  *  filled
his  mouth  with  arguments,'  as  he  approached  the  mercy
seat,  I  have  never  seen  any  flagging  of  interest  as  he  en-
gaged in  prayer.  I  have  heard  him  in  revivals,  at  com-
munion season,  in  prayer  meetings,  once  on  the  Mayflower
on  Lake  Erie,  with  a  little  swearing  French  Catholic  priest
just  opposite,  and  yet  in  all  places  his  prayers  have  been  so
reverent,  fervent,  scriptural,  and  pertinent,  that  I  put  them
down  in  my  own  inind  as  models.
"  But  in  Oxford  1  heard  him  preacli  as  well  as  pray,  and
some  of  those  discourses  are  as  vivid  in  memory  as  if  utter-
ed yesterday.  This  is  specially  the  case  with  two  ser-
mons ;  the  one  on  the  words,  '  For  there  is  one  God  and  one
Mediator  between  God  and  maii,  the  man  Christ  Jesus,'
&c.,  (1  Tim.  ii.  5,  6,)  and  the  other  on  the  expression  of
Pharaoh  to  j\Ioses,  '  To-morrow.'  In  these  sermons  were
evidences  of  intense  mental  effort,  and  prodigious  grasp  of
his  subject.  The  analysis  of  the  sin  of  procrastination,  in
the  latter  discourse,  was  exceedingly  fine,  and  the  illustra-
tions admirable.  Such  an  impression  did  this  discourse
make  on  my  memory,  that,  on  hearing  it  some  years  aftei'-
3*

Cite this page

Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0041. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 41. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n43/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

Historic U.S. publication before 1931; public-domain assessment based on publication date. Internet Archive does not necessarily provide an explicit license. Preserve publication and digitizing credits.