REV. AUGUSTUS SHEPARD 45 



rarest type. This was readily admitted by all 

 who heard him. The Bible was to him a text- 

 book, a guide book, and a daily companion ; and 

 his knowledge of the Bible was thorough and 

 complete. This most of all made him a Gospel 

 preacher. One could rarely mention any por- 

 tion of Scripture with which he was not 

 thoroughly familiar, and could quote that Scrip- 

 ture verbatim and could tell exactly where it 

 was found in the Bible. And, too, he had great 

 faith and a vital hope in every promise of God's 

 Word. 'Thus saith the Lord," quoting his 

 own language, was all that was necessary for a 

 foundation upon which to build our hope for 

 time and eternity. During his entire life, noth- 

 ing gave him greater joy than to spend hours 

 and hours alone with God and the Bible, in 

 constant devotion. It goes without saying, that 

 he never went to his pulpit after such devotion 

 that he was not able to send the truth home to 

 the hearts of his congregation. 



It was said once of a great orator, had he done 

 nothing more than gesticulate, his gestures were 

 so perfect he could have been so fully under- 

 stood it would have been a greater speech, by 

 far, than any ordinary orator. So say we of 



