p. 7 | An Associate’s Tribute by William Warren Prescott

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 10, 1903

An Associate’s Tribute

By William Warren Prescott

In the summer of 1884 Brother Smith attended the Vermont camp-meeting as a General Conference laborer, and it was to him at that meeting that I first made known the burden which I had felt for some time to have some active part in the work connected with the giving of this message. He encouraged me to believe that the Lord, who had laid this burden upon me, would open the way for me, and his kindly expressions of interest and sympathy at this time of a turning point in my life were gratefully cherished.

In the spring of 1885 I was invited to meet some of the General Conference representatives at the Pennsylvania camp-meeting, Brother Smith being among them, and there it was arranged that I should come to Battle Creek to connect with the educational work. While I had charge of the work at Battle Creek College, Brother Smith was for years a member of the Board of Trustees, and he gave annually a course of instruction in the Bible. Many hundred students were thus brought directly under his influence, and received the inspiration of his teaching.

During the last year I have been associated with Brother Smith in the editorial work on the REVIEW, and thus have renewed the more intimate relationship of former years. Brother Smith had positive convictions of truth and duty, which gave a strong individuality to his work, but he uniformly exercised the utmost Christian courtesy toward his associates, which won for him the tender regard of his fellow laborers. It sometimes happens in the case of those who have long occupied a leading position that their closing years are marred by an arbitrary course of conduct, and an unwillingness to share with younger men the burdens which they have carried for many years. Not so with Brother Smith. Always modest concerning his own abilities and attainments, he encouraged his younger associates by giving them the fullest opportunity to work freely with him, and he was even ready to do what few aged veterans can do with good grace,—receive brotherly counsel from those who were born since he began active service in this cause. This is a triumph of Christian grace.

I shall tenderly cherish the memory of our departed brother. To him I first opened my heart concerning my own desire to bear a part in this work. He gave me fatherly counsel and Christian encouragement. He has set before me an example of steadfast and faithful service. He has done during the last year all that a Christian could do to make my editorial work comfortable for me, under circumstances which could easily have been very embarrassing. This experience will never be forgotten by me.

After nearly half a century of continuous service in editorial work on the REVIEW, during which time he has spoken through its columns to advent believers concerning “that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” he has fallen asleep to wait the call of the Life-giver. A verse from one of his own hymns is his word of testimony and exhortation to us who remain:— “O brother, be faithful! the city of gold, Prepared for the good and the blest, Is waiting its portals of pearl to unfold, And welcome thee into thy rest. Then, brother, prove faithful! not long shall we stay In weariness here, and forlorn, Time’s dark night of sorrow is wearing away, We haste to the glorious morn.” W. W. P.