Unknown County GaArchives Biographies.....Sanders, Billington M. 1789 - 1852
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 3, 2005, 11:56 am

Author: J. H. Campbell

BILLINGTON M. SANDERS.

  Rev. B. M. Sanders was the eldest child of Ephraim and Nancy Sanders, who were
natives of Virginia, and shortly after their marriage removed to Georgia and
settled in Columbia county. He was born in that county December 2d, 1789. But
little can now be ascertained respecting the days of his childhood and early
youth. It appears, however, that his father died in 1796 and his mother in 1798,
so that he was left an orphan at a tender and helpless age. The Lord, however,
graciously provided for the lad. He found a home in the family of a Mr. Ambrose
Jones, where, it is believed, he was treated with kindness. It further appears
that in 1802 he was a pupil in the Kiokee Seminary, sometimes known as McNeil's
Seminary, then under the care of a Mr. Bush. At this institution he probably
commenced and completed his preparation for college. The following interesting
reminiscence was kindly furnished me by a distinguished citizen of this State,
(Major Joel Crawford, of Early county,) who, it seems, was a class-mate and a
very intimate friend of young Sanders at the Kiokee Seminary: "As a school-boy,
Sanders was apt to learn, high tempered, a little proud, and quite spirited, but
always truthful, kind-hearted and generous, with strong development of
reverence. I never loved a class-mate better, though, being a stouter boy, I
sometimes fretted him for my own amusement, and besides the laugh which I
probably enjoyed, received from him many of his severest blows, which I made it
a point never to return, having in every case been myself the aggressor."
  He entered Franklin College probably in 1806, where he remained, it is
supposed, about two years. He then left Athens and entered the South Carolina
College, April 8th, 1808, at which institution he graduated. December 4th, 1809,
and, it is believed, reputably to himself, though compelled to be absent from
his class a portion of the time in consequence of feeble health. Among his
class-mates at Columbia were several young men who, like himself, subsequently
became quite distinguished: James L. Pettigrew, an eminent lawyer of Charleston;
William J. Grayson, member of Congress from South Carolina, and William Capers,
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His room-mate was a wild youth, but,
out of respect to Sanders, he never brought his rude companions to his room, and
thus the diligent student and the irregular youth roomed together in much
harmony. It was a uniform rule with him never to allow any intrusion upon his
studies. If a fellow-student called, he would kindly invite him to a seat, and
then turn to his books and prosecute his literary task. And yet some of his
college habits were not the most commendable. He was a great slave to tobacco;
but the day he graduated he broke off from this habit and never afterwards
resumed it.

  Upon leaving college he returned to his native county, where he resided until
the latter part of 1832. In January, 1810, he was baptized into the Kiokee
church by Rev. Abram Marshall. He was rector of the Columbia County Academy two
years, and on March 17th, 1812, was united in marriage with Miss Martha Lamar,
of Applington, by whom he had nine children, all of whom, except two, died in
infancy and childhood. His first wife having died in 1822, he was married to
Miss Cynthia Holliday, (the pious and estimable lady who survives him,) of
Lincoln county, February 25th, 1824. Thirteen children were the fruit of his
second marriage, several of whom are still living.

  Immediately upon the close of his labors as a teacher at Applington, he
settled upon a plantation in Columbia county, where he pursued the business of
farming with great energy and success, which he found congenial to his taste and
highly favorable to his health, which had been seriously threatened by a
predisposition to pulmonary disease. Once, and only once, he consented to
represent his county in the State Legislature. It is presumed he became
disgusted with the obliquities and follies of his colleagues and others at the
capitol, as he would never consent to have his name used for that purpose again.
God had more important work for him to do. It is believed to have been in 1823
that Rev. Jabez P. Marshall, pastor of Union church, Warren county, of which Mr.
Sanders was then a member, asked permission at one of the regular Conferences to
offer a resolution which he had drawn up. Being ignorant of its purport,
Sanders, with others, encouraged the pastor to submit his resolution. When it
was read, however, he dropped his head and burst into tears, as its object was
to urge him forward to the work of the ministry, to which his brethren believed
God had called him, and from which he had for many years drawn back. Now,
however, he felt he could forbear no longer, and we soon find him proclaiming
the glorious gospel to his fellow-men. At the special request of the Williams
Creek church, he was ordained at Union church, in January, 1825, by Jesse
Mercer, Malachi Reeves, Joseph Roberts, John H. Walker, J. P. Marshall and
Elisha Perryman. His ministry was devoted to the churches in that region until
his removal to Penfield in 1832.

  The Georgia Baptist Convention, having determined, at their annual meeting in
1831, to establish a classical and theological seminary, the main object of
which was the improvement of the rising ministry, an object dear to the heart of
Sanders, he was invited to take charge of the infant enterprise. December of
1832, finds him at his post, and the second Monday in January following, (1833)
what is now Mercer University began operations as follows: "Two double
log-cabins, with a garret to each, for dwelling, for dining-room, and for study,
for both teachers and students." In those two log-cabins, with only one
assistant and thirty-nine pupils, (seven having in view the ministry) did the
indefatigable and energetic Sanders lay the foundations of Mercer Institute, in
a few years to be known as Mercer University. (It was commenced and continued
for several years as a manual labor school.) He was not merely the general
superintendent of the seminary, but he was teacher, steward and farmer. He had
accounts to keep, buildings to erect, lands to clear and fence and cultivate,
financial plans to evolve, discipline to administer, studies to review, an
extensive correspondence to keep up, besides preaching to the churches around
and attending to his own private and agricultural interests. For several years
he allowed himself only five or six hours sleep daily. He proved himself to be
the very man for the position, and in all his various duties, he sustained
himself most successfully. God smiled upon his self-denying endeavors, public
favor was conciliated to the institution, the number of students increased,
pecuniary aid flowed in, and precious revivals of religion were enjoyed from
year to year. When the institution was elevated to the rank of a college,
Sanders was elected as its first president, which position he accepted only on
the condition that the trustees would procure a successor at their earliest
opportunity. A successor having been secured, he resigned at the close of 1839,
having conducted the institution successfully through the first seven years of
its existence. Though no longer the president, he continued in other relations
his untiring efforts for its prosperity. He was about five years its treasurer,
without compensation, a member of the board of trustees and secretary of that
board up to the time of his decease. He did more to establish the University
than any other individual.

  Let none suppose that he found an excuse for neglecting his duties as a
minister of the gospel, in the fact of his being at the head of an important
literary and theological institution. Far from, it, for during his residence at
Penfield, he managed to preach more than many younger men who had nothing to do
but to preach. He was four years pastoral supply at Shiloh, ten years at
Greensborough, and one year at Griffin. For more than quarter of a century, he
was a burning and a shining light in the Georgia Association, was its clerk for
several years and for nine years its moderator. .For many years he was more
fully identified with all the important measures of the Georgia Baptist
Convention, at least as to their practical execution, than any other man in the
State. Was six years its moderator and was chairman of its executive committee
for a series of years. He was also for a time editor of the Christian Index, was
generally a delegate to the Baptist Triennial Convention, until Southern
Baptists withdrew from that body, and was then a delegate to the Southern
Baptist Convention. But why particularize further? It is sufficient to say there
was no movement within his sphere, having in view the welfare of man and the
glory of God, with which he did not identify himself and bring to its support
all his influence and energy.

  From the foregoing imperfect outline, one would naturally infer that B. M.
Sanders was no ordinary man. Without conceding to him the attributes of genius,
or extensive and profound scholarship, or the exactest refinement of manners, or
a high reputation for remarkable sayings and striking isolated deeds, or even
that nicely shaded perfection of Christian character which, in some rare
instances, have adorned the history of Zion, he was nevertheless worthy of being
regarded one of the most remarkable men that has ever lived and died in Georgia.
His life exhibited a uniform and unbroken round of sacred devotion to
principle—of self-sacrificing, useful deeds—of sincere, fervent, and unqestioned
piety. Those who knew him longest and best generally valued him most. Some shine
in the distance, but grow dim as you approach them: This was not the case with
Sanders. A slight acquaintance would signally fail to reveal his true worth. It
was necessary to know him long and intimately in order to form a correct idea of
his real character and of his great excellence. He possessed a strong, clear and
active intellect, a large share of good common sense, and a remarkable capacity
for business. A Christian brother who knew him well, said of him many years ago:
"He is good at everything; he is a good preacher, a good pastor, a good teacher,
a good farmer, a good carpenter, a good brick-mason—good at whatever he
undertakes." He was a man of great punctuality in all his private and public
duties; of much decision and of indomitable energy; and was distinguished for
great moral courage. He and Mercer were intimate personal friends, and there was
no man for whose opinions he had a higher respect. Yet, on one memorable
occasion he differed even with Mercer. It was in regard to the location of
Mercer University. Mercer was in favor of Washington—Sanders of Penfield. The
views of the latter at length prevailed, when Mercer, true to the instincts of
his unselfish soul, finding his darling scheme overruled by his brethren,
yielded with meekness and dignity, saying, "I cannot work alone; I must go with
my brethren; you may put me down for $5,000." And finally, as is well known, he
gave the institution at Penfield the larger portion of his estate.

  Sanders was a man of pure and lofty aims. Says his friend, Major Joel
Crawford, "Very few men have brought to the service of his day and generation
better intents and purposes than Mr. Sanders; very few more efficiency, and, I
may add, very few have had better success." He had no sinister and selfish
purposes to hide beneath the cloak of fair pretensions. He was not a man of a
double face and a double tongue. Uprightness and integrity walked with him arm
in arm. He was emphatically an honest man—honest in his dealings, honest in his
opinions, honest in his rebukes and commendations. True, he had his faults; the
faultless live in heaven. His, however, were not the faults of a sordid,
groveling nature. They were such as we often see connected with ardent feelings
and great energy and decision of character, and are by no means inconsistent
with purity of aim and nobility of soul. He was sometimes irritable and
impatient; sometimes he used expressions of needless severity; and sometimes he
urged his views with a zeal bordering on pertinacity. But who would undertake to
impeach his integrity? Whatever his faults may have been, how light they all
appear when contrasted with his honesty, his piety, his energy, and his 
abundant labors. The sick, the widow, the fatherless, engaged his active
sympathies. During his whole Christian life, especially the last twenty years of
it, he seemed to make, as it were, but one contribution to the cause of human
happiness—and that was himself.

  Let us pass on to the closing scene. On the 19th of June, 1851, he had an
attack of vertigo, which was followed by a general and permanent prostration of
his system. He had been feeble previous to this, but it was now evident that the
brisk, elastic energy of his system which had borne him through so many toils
and held in check for many years his constitutional tendency to consumption had
given way, never effectually to react. For four months before his death he was
confined to his bed, and for several weeks was unable to turn1 himself. In the
meantime he was reduced to a state of great emaciation. But his mind retained to
the last its usual clearness. He was uniformly composed and cheerful, but had no
raptures. To visiting friends he expressed great confidence in God, quoting
passages like this: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Shortly before
he expired, fearing he had been too anxious to depart, he said to his friends:
"I have sinned—pray that I may be pardoned." Among his last expressions was:
"Though I walk through the valley," etc. He died on the 12th of March, 1852, in
the sixty-fifth year of his age, and was buried in the grave-yard at Penfield.


Additional Comments:
From:

GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
BY
J. H. CAMPBELL,
PERRY, GEORGIA.


MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
J. H. CAMPBELL,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


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