Dr. Rude's Tribute. 431 - 



of Jesus, were as manna to his soul ; on these he 

 fed, by these his soul's life was sustained, and his 

 spirit strengthened for its upward flight. 



It was not our privilege to know him many 

 years, but we do rejoice and feel that it was good for 

 us to know him well during the beautiful and holy 

 sunset of his long, eventful and noble Christian life. 

 For years before we met him, we had heard much of 

 him. His praise was in all the Churches. We 

 were proud of him, we felt stronger because he was 

 one of us and with us, and we loved him, because all 

 bore witness to his love for Christ, the Church and 

 the brethren. 



At last we met. Our first meeting was in Virginia, 

 during the war. He had come from his far-off 

 home in '* the City by the Sea/' to minister to the 

 physical and spiritual wants of the soldiers from his 

 adopted State. The next time we met was at Con- 

 cord, N. C. t where he, by his wise counsel and gentle 

 firmness, contributed largely to the formation of our 

 General Synod, of which he was the first President. 

 After that we enjoyed the genial hospitalities of his 

 pleasant home, and then we met again and again in 

 Columbia, Charleston, at the meetings of the Gene- 

 ral Synod and the Synod of South Carolina . In sor- 

 row and in joy, at the cradle and the grave our in- 

 tercourse was always pleasant, Our communion 

 always blessed ; we feel that we owe him much, that 

 his counsels, his prayers, his example, his suffering, 

 his faith, hope and love so transcendantly displayed 

 in the most trying circumstances, have made us 

 better, and brought us nearer the heavenly gates. He 

 entered in before us; a host of washed and blood- 

 bought souls, whose spiritual father in the Lord he 

 was, have welcomed him ; and here below, still 

 waiting and serving, is a large multitude whom he 

 taught to love the name of Jesus. 



