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http://etater.pbwiki.com/Devotion-to-Religion
Mr. Price writes:
Samuel Davies Poage had been educated for the
Presbyterian ministry, but declined the exercises of its duties
through a morbid sense of unworthiness, unfitness for assuming
duties so sacred and responsible as he regard Ministerial vows
demanded. As he was a faithful helper in the
prayer meetings lead by his brother George Poage.
While attending school taught by Rev. Joseph Brown at the
Brick
Church, I boarded in
Mr. Poage’s family. I have heard him in
secrete prayer in his private room long after
midnight, such were his
devotional habits. It matter not how cold
the night might be, he would spend hours in that room in secret
devotions, and often times he would come out with his features
all radiant with ecstatic emotion.
William Poage, Sr. (Father of Samuel D.
Poage) was a Presbyterian ruling elder and virtually the founder
of the
Oak
Grove
Church. Some of the
first meetings conducted by Presbyterian ministers in this
region were at his home. When the pulpit
would be vacant years at a time there would be religious meeting
at this home or the home of his sons, where were also ruling
elders. Visiting friends from
Kentucky brought with them
the revival spirit that had rendered the early history of
Ky. So famous, and it broke
out in the Little Levels in 1801. Parties in
Augusta heard of it, and came
over to see and hear what it all meant. The
pastor of the Old Stone Church Rev. William Wilson and fifteen
or twenty of the young people of his congregation came over
together. They became imbued with the spirit
of the moment and went back singing and praying as they went
along. The effect upon the people of the
valley was thy rode up was overwhelming, and from that point
–The Old Stone Church --- the revival influence went all over
the state. So it appears that a great
matter was kindled by a little watch fire that hand been kindled
in the old Poage homestead in the Little Levels. |