Transcribed from the Mountain Eagle, Shelby, NC, 6/12/1861 [on microfilm at the State Library in Raleigh, NC]. Note: punctuation and spelling as in article. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR THE MOUNTAIN EAGLE. Died, at his residence four miles Northwest of Shelby, in Cleaveland County, North Carolina, on Sunday morning 26th of May 1861, of flux, Elder JOSEPH SUTTLE, in his 35th year. He was a son of a pious and praying mother, who impressed on his mind while he was young the importance of an early preparation for death. She often retired with him in secret and prayed to God for the awakening influences of his holy spirit, to rest upon him; the good Lord heard her supplications in behalf of her son, and before he had reached his 20th year he felt the force of Gods spirit upon his heart, was humbled under the divine power and soon became the happy subject of converting grace. He joined the church was baptised and soon felt impressions that he ought to preach th unsearchable riches of Christ.---He took not his honor to himself but he was called to God as was Aaron. He was engaged in the ministry about thirteen years during which time his labors were abundantly blessed. I would say that he baptised not less than on thousand persons and probably many over that number. His manner of preaching was very forcible; he generally felt what he said which caused those hearing him to feel the force of the important truths which he declared. Many claim him as a spiritual father, he spent much of his time both day and night in preaching Christ and the resurrection. The writer has spent weeks and months with him in revival meetings and a more devoted Christian minister he has never known. Elder JOSEPH SUTTLE spent much time in secret prayer, his public and private walk was loud preaching, not proud but humble, kind to all the poor as well as the rich, the black, as the white. According to the circle of his acquanintance, few ministers had so many devoted friends as he; hence he was regarded by the multitudes who sought his public or his private presence as a kind of universal property, whom all parties had a right to enjoy, and none to monopolize; kind was he at home, using every effort to make his visitors, (during their stay) comfortable.---The loss of so good a man is felt by the churches of his acquaintance. Many mourn on account of him, none so much as that affectionate wife, and those lovely children, four in number. Their best earthly friend is torn away from them by the reckless hand of death. Sister SUTTLE was at all times ready to make for her husband, the necessary preparation to enable him to attend to his Ministerial duties, which he did promptly, that part of her work is done. We sympathize with the bereaved family, we sorrow not as those who have no hope. He told the writer a short time before his death he had viewed the grave as a resting place.---Henceforth he rests from his labors and we trust his works will follow him. Elder SUTTLE was not a Supralapsarian who held that God without any regard to the good or evil works of men, has resolved by an eternal decree antecedently to any knowledge of the fall of Adam and independent of it, to save some and reject others, or in other words that God intended to Glorify his Justice in the condemnation of some as well as his mercy in the Salvation of others; and for that purpose decreed that Adam should fall. He was not an Armenian in the strictest sense of the term, he believed in a full atonement, and all that would seek according to the plain teachings of the Bible might attain eternal life. B. B. June 10th, 1861 N.B.---Biblical Recorder will please copy the above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transcriber's note: Many of you may have seen Joseph Suttle listed as the minister who married some of your ancestors in the Cleveland/Rutherford/Lincoln area in 1850s. Posted by Lynn Wesson, Chapel Hill, NC