DARLINGTON DISTRICT, SOUTH CAROLINA, JOHN COURTNEY, SR. TESTIMONIAL BY CHURCH 1868 **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Contributed to The USGenWeb Archives by: Larry Noah lrnoah@bigfoot.com **************************************************************** Sacred to the Memory of Brother John Courtney Whereas our venerable Brother & Father in Israel John Courtney senior Deacon of this church, departed this life on the 15th of September 1867 & has gone to his reward above. And whereas, we feel it befiting that we offer some testimonial to his worth & virtue & to the high esteem in which he was held by us. Therefore, Resolved, That in the life of deacon Courtney, we have an illustrious witness to the reality & power of the religion of Jesus Christ our Lord & a high incentive to holiness of heart & purity of life. Baptised as just entering the estate of manhood, for near seventy years he maintained a constant, firm, consistant course of christian faith, patience & love, a walk excedingly uniform in meekness & humility & a never ceasing, ever growing zeal in the cause & service of the divine Redeemer. For a long series of years the senior Deacon of this church, as Aaron & Hurr held up the hands of Moses, so it was his delight to hold up the hands of his pastor; uniform & consistant in attendance upon divine worship, his seat was always filled, while his heart was always warm, and thus in large degree conduced to quicken the faith, enlarge the zeal, and perfect the love his brethren & sisters in the lord. In contributions to the church, to the cause & to the needy, he dispensed with liberal hands as God had given him ability. Heeding the admonition he felt it ever his duty & his privilege to warn, exhort, rebuke, in love & kindness & with long suffering & doctrine. Looking forth upon the great Harvest, he was ever ready to encourage & urge forward those he deemed possessed of peculier gifts, to the great work of the Gospel ministry. Thus he used indeed the office of a Deacon well, purchased to himself a good degree & great boldness in the that is in Christ Jesus; & thus, "being dead, yet speaketh". Resolved, " That in the death of Brother Courtney we recognize a death of peace suceeding a life of peace, & entrance upon unalloyed & never ending peace & hoyes which are full & immortal". Mark the perfect man & behold the upright for the end of that man is peace" Resolved That we cherish the memory of our departed Brother is sacred & dear to our hearts, and that a seperate leaf in our church Record be set apart to the insertion of this humble tribute to his memory, and that a copy be presented to his family. Done in church conference, Saturday before the 4th Lords day in March 1868 John M. Timmons Mod. S.J. Cannon Clerk (R.R. Brooks (writer) ------------------- Submitted by: Larry Noah lrnoah@bigfoot.com 16 Nov 1997 ------------------- **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************