Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger: Fourth EditionHolland, E. G. (Elihu Goodwin)
History
Memoir of Rev. Joseph Badger: Fourth Edition
Holland, E. G. (Elihu Goodwin)
Badger, Joseph, 1792-1852
Parting with Mr. Moulton, March 3d, who pursued his way to Canada across
the lakes, Mr. Badger started for the west; paused at Murray, now
Clarendon, Orleans County, N. Y., on the 4th, to hold an evening
meeting; on the 5th, rode to Hartland, Niagara County, where he
addressed the people in the evening; on the 6th, starting at four
o'clock in the morning, and over sleighing almost wholly gone, he
advanced through drenching rain another thirty-seven miles to reach his
appointment at 3 P. M., which he did without eating or drinking for the
day till his end was accomplished. He said: "I was much fatigued, but
this was a good day to my soul. I often find it beneficial to fast and
to pray. In the afternoon the Lord's holy presence was consciously upon
us. About twelve here united as a church, and in the evening we ordained
W. Young to the office of deacon. As Mrs. Young desired to be baptized,
I found it necessary to hold meeting at sunrise the following morning,
when we met a large company to hear the preaching and to witness the
baptism. I found it good to hold meeting before breakfast. In the
afternoon I rode to Ogden, and in the evening addressed a respectable
congregation, who were mostly Presbyterians." This month, he assisted to
organize a church at Murray, which is still united and prosperous. The
locality of the former church was probably at Lewiston, Niagara County,
New York.
Returning to Pittsford on the 8th, he passed several days in social
conversation and public discourse with the Christians of his community,
who were alive in the joy, light and peace of the kingdom of God. On the
14th he attended the funeral of Mrs. Abigail Stiles, who lacked but one
day of completing twenty-three years of an honored pilgrimage on earth,
and who in her sickness, as the fading world grew small and dim to her
vision, longed in fervent earnestness to be more conformed to the Christ
of her faith and love. For the first time since the organization of his
society, the symbolic bread was broken among them on the 16th, to which
many came forward who never before had honored the crucified One in the
silent language of symbol. He preached at Avon on the 17th, in the
residence of a leading officer in the Methodist Church, Mr. Wm. Brown;
at Lima, the 19th; the 23d, attended the funeral of one of his intimate
friends, Mr. J. Johnson, who had fallen instantly dead in the prime of
life; and omitting the details of other appointments, perhaps it may
reward the reader's glance, to consider the following lines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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