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Title
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Davidson, James F.
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extracted text
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.JAY .~ S fRANC I S DAVIDSOJ ( 18F'
85 ).
eroo i r,
1e8~ ,
p . 41-2
"T his V "~ne abl.o iti nerant- p · neer h -~ be e n C <> 1 1El d t o hi s ~r eat rew rd .
n. a tt end •? ch urc h ,n S-bb th l ~s t i n as e oJ he ~ ·t h Pn s i r i ts as ha~ be en h i s
' f l • te, and a ft ~ r th e e v ni nE ervice , ca1 1 erl i n his 9
t ~ r, Rev . J. Fraser f or
a cr •t he rly t ~ k
que tin s o 1 l "l ca · i nte r st . " ~ the n co.1.•o <>e l y reti r ed , · nd
s 'ept w 1 1 u nt i h - 1 f peF t f i v ~ • ' clo ck ~ond a y ffi 1r ni ng , ~·h en , ~n a~ keni~g , he
f'Jund 11i.,."e lf · - b -- r i n f f r . r e<".t h , a O':lat al'- ':' ut seven o ' clo c k tf.:. -:- trugt: le ended .
Hew ~ r""-ns r i U"' t ') t e e ? - t,
nd die d in fu ' rope ::>f the Ctris t'a nns i mn:o raality
C nr e f i n f the lu ngs· a<: tre in:mer'i te ause .
vn t he r D. s aye c wit h his pa r • n'R on t h? f r m, -~ i n[ a - kin ds o f ha rd
w ~ rk , until h e •.• ·as ei hteen y ea rs 'J f
ge, ··~ en he opr entice d :1 i
f to le rn the
r ric ~ mak er 0 s tr ~d e
Af te r serving s e v e r a l mon t hs a s a n "l viti a te in t h is b us i ness
l:e f o ·. md hi ms elf the su bje c t of ~ rr esi tib le co nvi cti n th t he o ught t o pr e ach
the go spel . . •
He receiv e d his fi r st license to e x ho rt fro m hev. ~. H. Field £eb. 9, 1830 and
his fi st license t o preach ~ay 1 4, 1831. ~e w2 s r eceived on t rial in vhio Conference in the f 11 of 1831 , Rev . Dr. J. B. l'inl.ey t e . ng the .~:"r es i ding Ll der .
app •int ed as junior pre ~ ch e r on Oxfor d c i rcuit , Hev, J oh n Ste wart inc~ rge ..
Under hi s v e r y first ser ·• n n on the c ir c uit s even per sons " were seized with the
pow<> r , " and as 2 r " s u 1 t of the ye &r ,.. s · bor .:> ver 3C'O pers on s were a dded to the
r burch . Hi
sut seu rn et aop0i n t ments we re .•
br , tbe Davids , n wa F o ne ~ fthe ol~ e s t Method ist mi niste r s in ~ ichi ga n, a nd
r "lunted ~m0 n [ his e · rly as sociat e s a nd counselors s evera f~ mou s ~ i nniste r ia
w~r t h ies. He s - t in the cabi ne t with u ; s hops
ou e, Hed d i ng...., H ~~l in g, a nes , an d
.,
<"
1'1, rris
and l i sten P.•~ to t P s erm n s of l•pugh , A ~· s , B;:; ke r, c o t t , .nob er ts, J . O .
/ln ar~·" s, Ki f Sl e y , T h~ rs n and lter 0 is hop s.
For ov e r fifty y e rs he f ol lowed
t he r eru· r c our e of a 1 J~ a 1 i ti nerant , s ludyinE hi ~ bibl
nd t he ~e th od i st
s ta ' da rC!s ~" d~ctr in e v · ry c' ose l y, e:nd e e k i ng useful k n, wl_e [_ e fr "' m all s o urc es
t ke €p ·~ :.s • i s try fresh a'ld a cep t ab le to t : e l ~ · t .
0
e w c e ver p r ~ pt in a ttenda nc e u p n ~is ppointm e n t s ~ b d a t C , nfe r e nce
~e ssi r~
n ~ t f : il ing to
nswe r at f ir ' t ro l call t hr~ U [ ho u t the half c en t ur y
f his a ct iv mi is ie.. ri~l l ife . v n I is f irc:;t c irc u i t hi s c:; ala r y w s fixe .:l by
f i sc i , i n~ t ~ lr 0 a •d tr a vel 1 inr PX pens e. ~ n >th~ r rhar S j t r FO(e fr ~m :3r 0
t i 1 2r 0 a nd pars na [ e
O· ten . li ke othe r i ti nennts, te al3 c rrre • eJ to l~ .se
p ti ns of u ~ oaid c'aims the wh ol e a w0 untin t o ov e r l ?, ~r c.
Hi s a ccumul a t i ons
we r e ther~ f , re v ry sna l 1 and as we und e r st-&nd, e ven l is h~· e in l • n t 'Jn is n, t
yet p id fJr.
~he Lor d b 1 es s ed Brot he r D. with rra ny pr ec i •us reviv ~ 1 s. iu wh ich ' itera l
t h, us c.nd s of s o uls we re c nv e rte d . hi s me m1ry with t "'s ' e s pecially will be preci ou ~
e wi f e ' s n ame nJt g i ~ n )
..... .. 2 nd llia rr i
s to od erect, was t r~ tefu~ i n dress, ~ t tra c t Lv e in ap pearan ce. a nd wr.s
ha iled ev e rywh e re as a nob e s pec imen of re dee med q nd c ul t ured hu m ~ nity .
t,l
I_)
f~~cy
"MOTHER'S
ROOM ."
llY TIIOMAB CoB,BY ll.A.TEB.
I
-
.
As I sit alone in the twiligLt
In my cnshioned ~y chair,
•i forget that I nm an old, old :man
• -.~th wrinkles and silver hair.
•
·I forgot.mx ~si on stately,
..Ha.lf-h1d·m tho r:athering gl oom·
A lioy, 1: clliig to my mother'o hand, '
And I ~e.nter mother's room.
At the wiiiiiows hang no curtains ·
With· soft: Jn.xnnous grooe .' .
· No cnrpet.is on the c lorm-acrubbo'd floor
-~ 'Tis-n poor and h omely place.
'
A m~:nding basket is on the stand..
·Ab, many an eventide,
·
Auhe· patielit.J.Y aat and darned and patched
· · .: Have_~aa: ~y mother's side! .
'
.
·Here "the boots and shoes are hang:.ng
In a aboo=bag by the wall;
The toes of some are rubbed and white,
Some ho.ve no toes at all.
·,
And on the pegs above them
·
·
In a moUey colored row, '-' P
.Hunll the thttadbare clothes w~"bslid to -wear
When to church tl'e llledt.o,go.
It WO.S o.lways cl an
.I
ua
quiet
In that cool and reatful nook,The place to ...-hich we always stole
To read a favorite book.
'Twas there our 1Jro.yen were whispered,
-Repe.:~tan t tears were shed,
And pain and sick:nesa )oat their·~
When we lay on "14otbu'elxid..,
Oh, rve.stood on ucred mo=tain-topa; ·
I 've roamed the oc an oer;
· ·
:· I've ~tazed upon earth'• h onored groat;
•
I've gunered wealth and lore,
Ent the oasia of memOJY
•
T hat precious opot doth bloom,
And the nearest b e&VSn rvs 8T8J' OOIDB,
Ia my dear, dead mather'• J"'OM - "
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~
RET. J. P'. DAYlDSON.
This venerable itinerant pioneer
has been called to ha great. reward.
He attended church on Sabbath }A8\.
in -as good healt.h and spirits as had
been hi& of lat.e, and nft.er the evE~ning
servioe, called in his paator, R ev. J.
Frar.er, for a brolherly t.alk on questions of local int.ereA. 'He then composedly retired, and slept well until
half-past. fh·e o'clock Mouday morning, when. oo a wakening, be foand
himself laboring for breat.h, nod at
about. ~Wven o'cloolt t.be 11Lruggle
ended. H e waa oooaciollB to the
last., and died in fllll hope of the
Christian's immortality. Congestion
of the lungs wu the immediate cause
of dcs.t.b, wbioh., ..,. will be pcroeh ·ed
occurred on hU aevent.y·fift.b binhday.
Rev. Jams FI'&Dcia Da,>i<Uoo waa
born in Bro~n ooanty, Ohio, Dec.
.
a, 1810.
.
IDA Pa.J'f'llt& were born in
Ireland, a od w-ere me:mben of the
Pll!Sibyi.Eriu Chareh. They mov~
to A m~oa i~ 1804, and t~el.tJed
where the n~~ of t.bu slu~teb was
boru, anitiog wnh Lbt- .Mtll.bodial.
El'aoopal Church. Tbt:.y both Jived
in high h01)1)J' ~ Chriniane and a~
8
• j giving t hem th orough rehgtoub
tnsLruction
. .
· They were con"-==
::1
sctentiOusly
faithful
m· mamtatnmg
.
. .
,_
.
.
the farruly
altar
both
.
.
'
mormne: and =::::
.
even1Dg, and made their ho~e a
lodg ing Place..for the weary · .welcome
.
.u.merant. Onr brother who lias just ~1
a~cended to heavenlr reunion. with
his parents, often testified to t h ..
"I was ear1y ·lm_en: 1.•
_ paternal fidelity.
.
prt>ssed With the things of r elim ,
h
.d.
..,.on,
e Sal
"At the age of twelve 1 '
had !"eligions convictions
I.
b ·
·
was
apt.IZed when an infant., and .from
the ~oment I learned this fact I felt
tha~ to some sense I W af. under obligattons to b,e good and serve t.he
L ord. I alw
.
ays h onored my parents
for ha_vmg me baptized when a child.
I r ecetved
the evidence of my con.
versiOn on the early morning oi
Sept._13, 1827. This was at a campmeeting held at .Ash Ridge Ohio ~ R nss ell Btgelow
·
'
in command.
I' .--
went int~ the prayer-meeting 00 Fri- _
day ~verung about nine o'clock, and - ":
~ema1ned all night in prayer. Early
lD the morning I found peace with
God, and united at once with the <
' Church, being in my sixteenth year." •
Brother Davidson stayed with his
p:Lrents on the farm, doing all kinds
of hard work, until he was eiahteen
'
0
years of age, when he apprenticed
himself to learn the brick-maker's
, trade. A Iter serving several months
as a novitiate in this business he
1
found himself the subject of irresistible conviction that he ought to .
preach the gospel His education'a l '
1
advantages had b een such as the
common 'SChools of the place and
V:riod ~or~ed. F'roin the age of ~
etght until etghteen he improved his 1
limited opportunities for acquiring \
knowledge, then leaving his trade,
he commen~d a course of ·study 1
preparatory to the work of the ministry. He received his first license
to exhor t. from Re''· E. H. F ield,
F eb. 9, 1830, and Lit! firat. license to
preach :.May 14, 1831. He was reoeived on t.rial in Ohio Conferenoe
• in the fs.ll ot l8t ll, R ev. Dr. J. B.
Finley being the Preeiding Elder.
H e wu appointed as junior preacher
on O.dord cirouit., Rev. J ohn Stewart
in charg e. Within four weeks he
preached thiity times. Under his
very finrt sermon on the circuit sev~n
peraoDil u were et>jzed with the
power," and as a r esult of the year's
lsbor over t hree b n ndred persoDB
w-ere added t.o the Church. His
t.aiDed "' ripe. old agt:. bia mothu
aab&equern. appoiot.ment.a were -
dying at tht- age of cigbt.y-six her
laat ..-onh being, " 0, ..-hat a bl~
hope !" and bit, father at \.he age of
oinety-l'ix. Tuy w-tre faithful t.o
their chilcln:o, b<~pt1ziug :hem in iJI.
follows: TecUJD.Seh (Mich.), one
year; Calhoun (Miss..), one year;
Tecll.ID8eb (Mjch.), ooe year; Monroe, two years; Coldwater, one; Battle Creek, one; .Albion, one; Kala.
maroo District, four; Marsha~ one;
Congress Street., :pet.roit., one; P lymout.~ one; Albion, two; Battle
Creek. one; Adri.au, one; Tecums~
two; Trent.on, two; La.t~yetteSl.reet,
'Qetroit., two; Detroit District, two;
Saline, t.wo; Grass Lake, two; Ply·
mouth. two; Birmingham, three;
Howell, two; Court Street, Flint,
t.wo; Milford. two; Oxford. three;
Utica, three; Ob~ning, uroi Fenton, on& year, and appoint.ed for the
seoond yoarJ when be
as bvtr·
..._;.......,,_...........,;ty_.l,·ith 111 :rlr 1otnl los11 of
Davidson, James F.