for daily use; whatever savored of ostentation was
foreign to his nature. His manner of living was frugal, and his dress
plain, and yet in performing the services of the sanctuary, he uniformly
wore a gown of rich black silk. He had great equanimity and serenity of
temper, and his friendships were sincere and constant, and his friends
numerous. In the social circle he always rendered himself agreeable, and
often communicated important instruction by means of some pertinent and,
sometimes, humorous anecdote. As a preacher he possessed much more than
ordinary power. In the commencement of his discourse he was slow and
somewhat blundering, but, as his subject opened before him, he would
become animated and eloquent, with a full flow of appropriate thought
and glowing language. His illustrations were lucid and forceful, simple
and natural. He assisted in training a goodly number of young men for
the ministry, some of whom have occupied responsible stations with great
fidelity and usefulness." (Sheatsley, _History_, 40; _L. u. W._ 43, 106
ff.) The obituary notice of "Father Paul Henkel of blessed memory,"
appended to the Tennessee Report of 1826, says, in, part: "During his
illness his greatest concern was that we might all remain faithful to
the pure Evangelical Lutheran doctrine, and with meekness and patience,
yet manfully contend for the truth for which he had contended so
earnestly." (B. 1825, 16.) He expressed the same sentiments in a message
to Pastor Riemenschneider, by whom also desired to be buried. Ambrose
Henkel, in a letter, November 30, 1825, reports concerning the death of
his father: "I then asked him whether I should inform also all my
brothers to this effect concerning him. He said: 'O yes; write to all of
them, that by all means they should remain steadfast.' I furthermore
asked him whether he still stood on the faith which he had hitherto
defended. He said: 'Yes, indeed; on this faith I have lived, and on it I
will now die.' I was also careful to call in several neighbors to listen
to his words, fearing that enemies might contradict my report of his
statements." In his last letter, written to his son David, and dated
August 20, 1825, Paul Henkel wrote: "If the doctrine is right and it is
the will of the Lord that it should be taught publicly, He will also
find and show ways and means to do it. . . . How our mendax-priests
would rejoice if they could accuse some of us that we deviated in a
single article fr