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Book One - Pages 91-100
[[90/91]] an arbor on the green at the front end of the church, procured plank and made seats sufficient for many hundreds, and here for one week, by day and by night they worshipped, The weather was pleasant, the people devotional, and God in answer to prayer poured out his Spirit copiously, and much good was done.
The year closed pleasantly, The Illinois Conf. met at Bloomington Ia Sept. 1826 Here Bro. Ruter was persuaded, tho in very feeble health, to have his relation changed to supernumerary, and he was appointed to the charge of Madison Station. He laboured through the year in much feebleness, but God blessed his labours, The Church was favoured with a continued revival, and a gradual increase during the year. In the summer another protracted meeting was held, under an arbor covered with plank, Several Preachers from abroad were in attendance, and good was done. Sept 20 th 1827 Conf.—met at Mt Carmel Ill, Here his relation as Supernumerary was continued and he appointed to labour as he might be able on the Charlestown Ct—with Rev Geo Locke and E. G. Wood, -- Rev Edwin Ray was appointed to Madison Station, He was a good Preacher, he [[91/92]] laboured faithfully, and was useful, but during his administration there was called to witness the rending of the Church by the Radical secession which at that time was sweeping over this country. (50) Some fifty or more members seceeded + in Madison they built a pretty good House for worship on third + St, For a time had some increase, but they flourished but a short time, and finally became extinct as a Church organisation. (37)
The Charlestown Ct.—this year was under the well directed labours of Brothers Locke & Wood blest with revival influence at several points, especially at Lexington where Bro. Ruter resided there was a gracious work, His health was very feeble, yet he entered into <the> exercises, and laboured for a time, by day & by night until quite prostrated and during the remainder of the year was able to labour but little, and at the ensuing Conference held in Madison Oct 9 th 1828, he was again placed on the superannuated list, during the year his health continued to decline, and it was the opinion of most of his friends, & his Physician that consumption was firmly seated on his vitals and recovery hopeless.
Sept 18 th 1829 Conference [[92/93]] met in Edwardsville Ill, He attended in much weakness, and was continued in the same relation. He was persuaded to try the effect of a Southern climate and spent a considerable portion of the winter of 1829-30 and part of the spring in the South, mostly in New Orleans, This <means> was greatly blest to his recovery, he returned home, in point of health invigorated, renewed, and apparently almost free from disease, and at the Conference which met in Vincennes Ia Sept.- 30 th 1830, he rep<re>sented himself able to labour, his relation was changed to effective, and he + appointed to New Albany Station.
He returned home, visited his Station, made arrangements for his family, and soon removed them to his field of labour, he found his station rather a pleasant one, a small, and generally a good membership, but much work to perform in organizing and arranging classes &c, as the Station was new, having untill + this time composed a part of the Corrydon + Ct.-. This was a prosperous year for the church in N. Albany there was almost a continuous revival, indeed, really so, having a gradual increase during the year. (37)
[[93/94]] Oct.- 4 th 1831 Conference met at Indianapolis Ia Here he was elected as one of the delegates to the ensuing Gen l Conf.— which was to meet in Philadelphia May 1 st 1832, and was reappointed to the New Albany Station, This at the unanimous request of the church there, He laboured with continued success during the year. At the Gen l Conf. in May, the Illinois Conf.-- was divided, and the Indiana Conf., newly created, held its first sessions in New Albany Ia commencing Oct.- 17 th 1832 Bishop Soule Presiding, Bro. Ruter Sec. This was a most gracious season, the revival influence which had been increasing the latter part of the year, burst forth anew, the Preachers entered heartily into the work, and during the session, some thirty or forty souls professed conversion, and were received on probation in the Church, thus the two years labour there, closed most pleasantly
He was appointed to Indianapolis Station, and started immediately on the adjourn<ment> of Conf. having to remove his family, by wagon one hundred & twenty miles over [[94/95]] an exceedingly rough road, This was an exceedingly tedious and difficult removal at that time, four small Children, his wife in very feeble health, so much so that sometimes he had to carry her in his arms from the carriage to the house, where they lodged, This however she bore with all cheerfulness, & encouraged her husband to persevere, ever saying she wished no voice as to the place of his appointment, only she must be permitted to accompany him, after considerable hardship & suffering, they reached the place of their destination, found a loving Christian people and he was soon engaged in his regular Pastoral duties, Rev A. Wiley P.E.— (51)
Rev. Jno. Strange had been appointed to this District the year previous but was able to labour but little during the year, At the recent Conference + was superannuated, [was del] <while (52)> residing in Indianapolis, and was, evidently, now nearing fast the close of his earthly pilgrimage, He was still able to sit up some and occasionally was taken out in a carriage for a short ride— He requested [Rev. Ruter del] <me (52)> , as an old companion in arms, to spend as much of [his del] <my (52)> [[95/96]] time with him, as [he del] <I (52)> could consistently with [his del] <my (52)> other duties, saying he thought the church there knowing his situation, would not complain, adding it wont + be long. A part of almost every day was spent in company [of del] <with (52)> this suffering saint, His mind was calm and peaceful, & even as his end approached he spoke with freedom, and apparent delight of the coming change, Saying that so far from the grave having terrors, the cemetery looked to him as the most pleasant, and desirable spot on Earth.
In the last few days of life he was able to converse but little, and was unable from suffocation to rest on a bed, but most of the time sat bolstered up in an easy chair, At one time shortly before his departure, He raised his head and looking around and seeing no one in the room but [Bro. Ruter del] <the writer (52)> who was sitting near him, He extended to him his hand, saying, “My Brother, we have laboured and suffered together in preaching the gospel, we have thought, and talked and sung <(He was a great singer)> a great deal about the excellencies of our holy religion, and now here I am on [[96/97]] the verge of the tomb,” and then elevating his voice (which retained its music amid the cold and flashing waters of death, which were now apparently gathering around him,) he exclaimed “Glory and eternal praise to Almighty God, I can say I know it is a reality.” After this he spoke but little, tho. he survived till the next evening.
On Sabbath Decr 2 nd After preaching [Bro. Ruter del] <I (52)> went to his room & spent with him most of the afternoon, It was not supposed that he could survive another night He had previously expressed a desire that [Bro. Ruter del] <I (52)> might be with him in his last moments, which [he del] <I (52)> promised to do if notified in time, Of this [he del] <I (52)> was reminded by Sister Strange, as [he del] <I (52)> was leaving to prepare for the night service, at the Church, [He del] <I (52)> replied, “send me a messenger, if you notice any change, and I will come however engaged.” [He del] <I (52)> hurried home, took a little refreshment, and went to the church already crowded to overflowing, commenced the service, and when perhaps about half through the discourse, a Gentleman entered the door and hastening along the crowded aisle [[97/98]] reached the pulpit, and informed Rev. J. Taylor who was seated in the stand, that Bro Strange was dying, [The speaker del] [on alt to] On being informed of the nature of the message, <I (52)> announced it to the congregation, and immediately left for the sick room, [He del] <I (52)> found Bro Strange lying apparently easy, but evidently about to depart, He was unable to speak, but appeared fully sensible, recognized [the del] <my (52)> voice [of his friend del], answering with a significant nod a few questions proposed , &, in a few minutes without a sigh, a groan or the quivering of a muscle, he sweetly fell a sleep + in Jesus. Thus fell one of the Pioneers of Methodism in the west. A man of great sweetness of temper, cheerfulness of disposition, pious, laborious, persevering, a sound divine, tho. not of extensive reading, most attractive in his manner, being natural & attractive in his gesticulation, at times overwhelmingly eloquent, and having a voice which for musical sweetness and telling effect, has seldom been surpassed or <even> equalled.
His funeral was attended by a large concourse at the church, when the funeral sermon [[98/99]] was preached by [Bro Ruter del] <the writer from (52)> , Text 1 st Thessalonians 4: 13, 14 th (53) From the church his body was taken to the Cemetery, there to rest till the resurrection of the just. <Stop> (54)
Grave at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
The previous year had been a hard season for the Church in Indianapolis The P.E. as we have seen was prostrated by disease during the year, and Rev Benj.- C. Stephenson, who was appointed to the Station at the Conf, of 1831 died a few weeks after the Conf rose, and did not even reach his field of labour, and Rev Jas. Havens a supernumerary, was ultimately called to the charge of the Station,
James Havens
Hence the church had sustained some loss for want of Pastoral labour & the due regulation of the Societies, yet there was here a good membership, and a number of faithful praying souls. Br. R. as soon as practicable, commenced his regular Pastoral labours, the church was revived the congregations were large & attentive & during the year there was a gradual increasing interest, and some valuable accession to the church, Oct 16 th 1833, Conf.- met in Madison here he was reappointed to Indianapolis <Rev Jas.- Havens P. E.> [[99/100]] and returned immediately to his work, This was a pleasant year, the Church was blest with prosperity and towards the close of the year with a gracious revival, in which a goodly number were happily converted & brought into the church, yet it was a year of severe labour, and much mental suffering, owing to the long & severe affliction of his companion, who for three months or more, lay, apparently, at death’s door, her life being despaired of by all, yet God in great mercy raised her up. This year death made great inroads upon our Itinerant ranks, and Rev Geo Locke, N. B. Griffith and Jas. Armstrong [soon del] were in a few short months called from labour to rewards, all had been efficient successful labourers in the itinerant field, all died in peace and in hope of a blessed immortality. Bro.- Armstrong was on the Laporte Dist.- (then called North Western Dist) He was a man of uncommon energy of character, great perseverance, a sound divine, an interesting Preacher, and unusually [[100-101]]