Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical SketchesAdams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Religion
Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical Sketches
Adams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Universalism; Universalist Church -- Biography; Universalists -- Biography; Universalists -- United States -- History
Rev. RUSSELL STREETER was a younger brother of Sebastian, and a man of
much mental vigor,--sharp, witty, and logical. He had quite a number
of ministerial settlements in New England, and in them all was noted
for his ability as a preacher, for his peculiarities of character, and
his good qualities as a neighbor and citizen. He was the first editor
of the "Christian Intelligencer," a Universalist weekly paper,
published at Portland, Me.; was minister in that city for some years,
and afterwards, much later in life, went to pay the society a long
pastorate visit of six and a half years, which proved very agreeable
to pastor and people. He died at Woodstock, Vt., Feb. 15, 1880.
Mr. Streeter was a subject of impulses. When in the happy mood, no
one, it seemed to us, could preach a more acceptable sermon than he.
When not in this favorable frame of mind, he would not always do
justice to himself. We can never forget a discourse (the closing one)
at a Conference in Orford, N. H., from the text, "Behold how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." The
sermons previously delivered were timely, and had been well received,
and he was fully in the spirit of them all, and felt that he had the
strong sympathies of his hearers. His words "dropped like the rain,
and distilled as the dew." Doctrine, illustration, exhortation,
application, all were excellent, and there was an unction in the whole
discourse that left upon the audience impressions most highly
favorable to the faith he was setting forth. On another occasion, at
the closing of a session of the New Hampshire Convention, at Lebanon,
he was the last preacher of the occasion. Very able and impressive
discourses had been delivered by five other ministers. Mr. Streeter,
in an apparently extemporaneous effort, took special notice of the
matter and manner of them all, and of the characters of the speakers;
and when he alluded to the sermon of the young and beloved Hanscom, as
"an eloquent appeal from one whose hollow and sepulchral tones seemed
to indicate that the youthful and faithful speaker was nearing the
tomb," the effect was exceedingly impressive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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