The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-11-10

Remember them which nave Inc rule over
you who have spoken unto you the word Of
God whose faith follow, considering the end OF
their conversation.-Heb. xiii: 7.
In many respects ours has been IA
vored city. From its earliest foundation
it has been the home of upright mer-
chants and other men of business whose
integrity gave dignity to their callings
of professional men of distinguished rep
utation, of patriots and sages whose re-
nown even from colonial times has given
lustre to the commonwealth and to the
republic. We honor ourselves In honor
ing them, and we render service to pos
terity in concentrating their virtues.
Richmond has also been the home of a
long line of ministers of the gospel distin-
guished for their piety and usefulness.
Three of these have recently been re-
moved from us. was present at the
funeral of two of them. The tidings of
the death of the third reached me when
was far from home. | read the pub
lished accounts of his last hours and of
his obsequies, perhaps with an interest
all the more profound for that very rea-
son. From our secular and religious pa
pers / learned how the very street was
filled with crowds who could not obtain
admittance into the church; that seventy
ministers, representing all denominations,
testified to their respect and love of the
deceased by their presence; and that
among the tributes paid to the memory
Of the departed one of the noblest was
that rendered by the minister and man
of God whose remains we followed tear
fully to the grave on Friday last. Had
/ been at home | would have laid one
humble flower on his bier among the i'm
maorteIleS which decked it, but though
that was denied me yet in the first ser
mon l preached in far off land after
heard of the death of DIR. Jeter, so filled
was | with the emotions excited by what
l had been reading, could not help tell
ing my audience something of the histo-
ry of that venerable man, endeared to
US by his long life of disinterestedness,
candor, courage, directness, devotion to
duty and supreme loyalty to truth and
knowing them to be unfamiliar with our
hymnology, 1 took occasion to recite to
them the sweet lyric which DIR. Jeter was
IN the habit of repeating every night for
more than twenty years as part of his
private devotion before retiring to rest
and as there may be many even in this
audience who have never heard the lines
SO expressive of his resignation and child
like trust, feel like repeating them now
Father whateer of earthly bliss
Thy sovereign will denies,
Accepted at thy throne of grace
Let this petition rise =
Give me calm and thankful heart
From every murmur free:
The blessings of thy grace impart,
And make me live to thee.
Let the sweet hope that thou art mine
My life and death attend
Thy presence through my journey shine
And crown my journeys end"
could scarcely name three men of
more marked individuality, or more un-
like each other in many respects than
Drs. Jeter, Plumer, and Doggett, and yet
there were some things in which there
was a striking resemblance between them.
They all had passed their three-scor and
ten; one of them had nearly attained his
four-score years; they were all eminent
for their originality, power, and JUNCTION
as preachers; they were all editors of
religious newspapers and contributors to
the press as authors; they were all polem-
les and leaders in the ecclesiastical bodies
to which they belonged, with under
standing of the times, to know what Is
rael ought to do; they were all conscien-
tiously loyal to the doctrines and polity
Of the churches they represented they
were all characterized by their freedom
from sectarian bigotry, and by their
charity toward those who differed from
their peculiar views; they all bore testi-
mony to the power of divine grace to
cheer and support in the sorrows of life
and in the hour when flesh and heart
fail and all were followed to their graves
like Samuel of old by good men making
great lamentations over them.
I am not willing that the impressions
made on our community by these bereave-
ments should be evanescent; if possible
would deepen and make them permanent
and therefore l feel impelled this after
noon to gather up and present together
the affecting lessons of these beTeave-
ments, which perhaps we can study to
more profit now than we could only few
days ago when we were agitated by the
sight of the bier, and the stricken rela.
tives and the vast congregations mourn
ing their losses.
l. If this be 50, would suggest as the
trst lesson Of the hour THE BEAUTY AND
GLORY OF THE CHuRCH IN IT'S NFcEss Apv