The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-02-19
-. afpar DIR. Letter.

The Rev. j. b. JETEa, ID. d., d'eo at h''
,s.,aeuce 10 this city yesterday morning De-
,weon and 4 o'clock, In the seventy'e'gn."
wear Of his age. lie was "ful' oil years
vet Il will be In vain that this fact sna'' DC
-, sorta 10 the thousands OF persons In all
n.r,s ot this uidely.extended cou.,try who
will mourn bis departure from .nescenes OIL
Garth IN which he was so loIg prominent
figure and notable actor. IL 1t be true
.rh., M me,c nan, however great or high,
Can he copcludcd best before he hie,
Z, must also be true that when the soldier OF
tho cross has finished bis course, laid down
his armor and "gone over to the majority"
leaving name thai "smells sweet ana o'os.
sons m the DUST" he Is to be accounted
doubrs blest-bicst on earth, ana oest Ia
heaven. DIR. JeTEn bad lived until, as toe
codt saws of another, "Hke ripe fruit he
dropped into bis mothers lap" He was
txathered, rot bsrshly plucked." "When
faith and love, which parted from BIN never
s,ad ripeneG bis Just soul 10 dwell with Coo,
meekIy he did resign this earthly load OF
death called life" he literally resigned all
hone, and we have no doubt ali desire, OF
lie aImod as soon as bis last attack laid him
upon his bed. Truly was his "the cham
Der where the good man met his fate" ana
which is "priviteged beyond the common
walk of life," and "quite on the verge OF
heaven"
Der local columns will give all the details
accessible rs 20 DR.. JETEE's history. lie
WAS certainly a remarkable man in many
RESPECTS. Self-taughi, be had mastered "A
style which was superior to that OF almost
agy other writer Of bis day. Destitute OF
early advantages, he lived to be one OF the
most honored and influential OF the many
distinguished ciergymcn in the large de-
nomination OF Christians 10 which he be-
lopged. Without any Of the graces OF ora
tory, he for nearly fifty years occupied ac-
ceptabiy the pastoral relation to large, in
teligent, cultured, aad wealthy churches.
His counsel was sought by his associates in
all sections Of the country. His voice was
potent in all assemblies OF his brethren.
lie was incapable Of seeking his own good
at the expense Of another. He had more
humble opinion OF his abilities than any
BODY else had. He was not too proud to
acknowledge blunder, or mistake, or an
error, if he saw that he had committed one.
But he was almost never wrong, and almost
always right.
The Rev. j. l.. BURROWS, ID. d., the sue
cessor of DIR. JETER in the pastorate OF the
First Baptist church in this city, said 10 us
once that Or. JETER had more common
sense than any otHtr man he had ever
known. We suspect that this quality was
what caused DR.. JETER's fame and influence
to spread as long as he lived. His judgment
was almost infallible; and he always bad
the courage OF bis opinions. A majority Of
any body Of men OF which he was men,
Der were almost sure TO see that he was
right. He thus owed his influence amongst
his brethren to the facts that lie was never
suspected Of an unworthy motive, never
failed to see both sides OF the question,
never hesitated to follow the truth wherever
it led, and was always backed up by bis
large fund Of common-sense.
We know not how the Church OF which
he was so useful and distinguished MEM
Der can supply his place; nor how the paper
which he made the first in his denomina-
ton can maintain its primacy; nor how
the college which he loved can find presi-
dent Ct its Board of Trustees who will be
worthy to succeed him; nor how this COM
munity can accommodate itself to the alb
sence OF one so respected, so honored, so
beloved.