The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-17

kept himself unspotted from the world.
He was not one who was disposed to ven
tuFC Just as near rs he dared to the line
which separates between Christians and
worldlings. He kept no doubtful company.
He INDUCED in no doubtful conversation.
He engaged in no doubtful occupation.
lie was man who labored for the well
fare OF religion. He personally trained
his children in tho knowledge Of sCriptur-
nj truth. Persons have, since his death,
told me how he came into their houses in
the time Of aillictiOn and by his conversa.
=tiOn drawn from the word Of God did
them good as scarcely any other individ-
ual could have done. He was u labOrious
Sabbath School teacher. He went down
among the neglected and us superinten-
dent 0i the colOred Sabbath School, when
such work was comparatively novel, he
toiled for their improvement. For his
means he was q large ContFibutOrtO be-
neyolent canses, Even since hiS removal
from this city have continued, al regular
intervals, to receive his gifts for the dif-
ferent Boards Of the church. Within q
few days Of his death he sent me his
check for two hundred dollars to be for
warded to tho Board Of Foreign Missions,
And know that In q quiet way he was
always ready to do what he could to aid
those who were struggling with pcOuniary
difficulties. lie had no ambition to nc.
more riches, lie wished rather
to make the best possible Use Of such M
already had fallen to his fortune. lie was
fully aware that there were SOME people
who wondered nj him aud were even
10 Censure him because he
did not Join In the eager race Of the
multitude after wealth and honor. He
has himself said to me that he thought II
wiser IN his unObtrusive way 10 do the
kind Of work which he was performing.
And who can say that in this ho erred?
The last stage Of his religious expert
ence on earth was his death. There were
times during the previous years Of his
Christian life when, through the influence
Of disease, his hope was clOuded. Did
we not know from the Scriptures and
from observation that God Is usually
very gracious with his people when they
come to die, we might have anticipated
that similar darkness through the same
cause would obscure the comfort Of his
last days. But The promise il that the
Lord will he with His people when they
60 down through the valley and shadow
Of death, and lie has kept Ills word
Our deceased brother was not Indifferent
to life and death. But ho was ui0st beaIl-
timlly resigned to the will OF the lord.
lie lcft himself In the hands Of his lleav-
enly Father. lie prayed and he asked
others to pray that he might have 10
Joyous acqiiesCenee" In the will Of God;
and his desire was granted. With an
expteasionOf his feeling Of wearincss and
Of his longing for rest he breathed out
his soul to Christ and ascendedtO heaven,
where he ia now happy with the re.
deemed.
Nothing but u living faith Eucl as Is
Of tho genuine Christian
can enable man to meet his end with
such tranquility, But an interest in
Christ and confidence In the promises Of
Gnd will give usthe victory.
III the second place, wish 10 speak Of
him as Presbyterian. | am fully aware
that he il now In n land where all tho dis.
tinctions which divide denominations up
on earth cease 10 operate. 1concetlenlso
that the memory Of such n man Is the
heritage Of tho whole Of the church Of
Christ on earth. lie was what he was In
point Of religion by virtue Of that grace
which il given IN connection with all
branches Of Christs. people. NeverthC-
less, | have u sufficient reason for asking
You to contemplate him under this aspect
Of his religious character. lie was n man
who was most thoroughly attached to the
distiuctiye features Of Presbyterianism.
lie was no bigOt Hewas n lover Of Gods
people wherever they belonged. But he
profoundly loved those great cyan.
eelical doctrines TO which The vast body
Of Presbytefians in different lands 20
strongly adhere. He rejOiced In the
simple forms Of our worship. And he
regarded the system Of our government as
for its conformity to scripture
and its adaptation to the purpose for
which IL was instituted. These are tho
convictions ii which he grew up, lived
and died; and I point you % him tonight
al one Of The fruits which this system Of
doctrine and pOlity produces. II Ia the
fashion In some quarters In our day 10
picture the men who heartily accept the
faith Of Calvin and Knox, az sour and
narrow. Can this he said OF that noble
man who has Just gone to heaven2 lie
was "a gentle rs child. lie was broad
In hiS religious aa we'll as ID ids literary
culture. And withhl he had . strength
Of uicharaCler, a Iirmness aud decision which
can exist only when they have u good,
solid foundation on Which to rest. lie Is
one Of the kind Of men which the best
presbytetiahiSni produces. 'Y'N''
In the third place, wish to speak Of
him as Ruling Eitler On the 18th Of
January, 1861, he, along with ]. Gamble
Baker, Alexander Bone, John J. lloge
and William Ming. Nicoll, was elected 10
this office In this church, and on the last
Sabbath Of the sane month they were or.
dained and installed, and took their seats
In the Session. Since then lie has con-
iinued, d,iuntil his death, to I'LL this place
among iis. Although for year and half
past lie llas resided elsewhere, he has still
retained his membership and office with
ia; and for the nearly fourteen years Of my
ministry here he has been associated with
me In The Session. | do not now recall
any instance In which Ia any matter Of
Importance which has come before that
body, lie has not been fully In harmony