The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-03-09
Bishop W. N. Wightuaan, ID. d.. LID.

Bishop w. "a. Wightnaan, ID. D.. Lii
Farewell! since never more for thee,
The sun comes up our eastern skies,
Less bright henceforth shall sunsh:rc be
10 some fond hearts and saddened eycs
! There are who for thy last. long sleep
Shall sleep as swcetly neyermoreL
Snail weep because thou canst not weep,
| And grieve that all thy griefs are Ger.
Sad tlir;f of love the loving breast
On which the aching head was thrown.
Gave up the weary head to rest
But kept the aching for It's own.
In our last number we merely men.
toned the death Of Bishop Wightman.
and gave up our editorial page 10 n
Heightened sketch of his life and labors.
from the pen Of our esteemed fellow.
citizen, Geo. w. Williams, Esq, who had
know him for many years, and who was.
by former marriage, his brother rim law.
1t might seem that this excellent and
faithful sketch might excuse us from
further editorial reference to our deceased
and gloriied frieDd but we prefer not
to be excused. Aside from our personal
relations to the deceased, which, though
of a tender character, would give us no
right to o5trude our reflections upon the
public, the Bishops connection so long
and so honorably and usefully with the
Southern Christian Adpocafe, and his com.
manding personal and official relation to
MethOdism, especially within the limits
Of our circulation, make these memora-
bilia both appropriate and necessary.
The Bishop died in the city of his
birth. His residence on Anson street
where he peacefully fell asleep in Jesus,
was in stones throw Of where he Was
born, just seventy four years and sixteen
days before.
His earliest recollections were of old
Trinity Church-the building that stood
in tho place of the present Trinity, on
Hasel street. His mother, godly wo-
man of severe but beautiful type of
piety, was accustomed TO take him, while
yet an infant, with her to the Trinity
meetings. We remember to have heard
the Bishop, pointing to the imagined pew
in which his mother used to lay him,
pillowed on her shawl, during the SER
vices, thank God for the influence of a
pious mother, aud attribute to her, under
God, whatever of success may have fol.
lowed his ministry and life.
Though his parents were in quite mod
crate circumstances, they were people of
unusual intellect and intelligence, and of
very decidedly marked character. He
was brought up under the friendly bias
of circumstances naturally promotive of
just such n fortune and destiny rs the
Church is called upon now admiringly
and gratefully to consider He carried
all through life grateful appreciation of
what the home Of his childhood had done
for him.
He early entered Charleston College.
Among other class mates, he was asso-
ciated in the early part of his College
career with James G. Furmnn and E. r..
Buist. In after years these three college
boys developed into leading and learned
ministers of their several Churches.
And il 20 happened that the three were
at the same time presidents of three lead
ing UNCONVENTIONAL colleges in adjoining
counties in the upper part Of the State :
DR.. Furman being President of the Uni
7ersity that bears his namo in GreenviIle,
DR.. Bust being President of the Laurens.
vile Female College, and DR.. Wightman
being President Of WofFurd College.
He graduated alone, but not without
marked distinction. He was close stu.
dent, and laid the foundation early in
life of those habits and attainments that
made him one of the most cultured men
of his generation.
de went Mt once into the ministry.
He joined the South Carolina Conference
on his twentieth birthday, 1928. He
travelled two circuits, was stationed one
year in Charleston City, and was one
year Presiding Elder of the Cukesbury
District. This made up the record OF
his strictly ministerial life until he was
made Bishop, in 1866. He made full
proof of his early ministry. He sprung
as by leap into the front ranks of an
effective ministry. His ministry was in
demonstration of tho Spirit and OF
power" from its very beginning. The
wonderful effect Of some of his early ser.
mons.is handed down by tradition TO this
day in the sections of our Conference
where he early travelled as preacher in
charge and Presiding Elder, while not n
few witnesses still remain who claim him
as the means, in the hand of God, OF
their awakening and salvation.
Ills call to the ministry WAS very dis.
tinct aud emphatic, and he realized in
this q definite cali TO make the very best
possible use of his great powers and grow.
ing opportunities. The burden upon him
was not only to declare without reserva-
ton the whole counsel cf God but, and
especially, to do this under a thorough
consecration Of intellect and sensibility
to the service of God. 1t was duty, not
ambition, that drove him to be the very
best preacher available with the gifts and
graces with which he was endowed. He
improved as a preacher, we doubt not
from the very beginning of his ministry
to within short period of his death.
He frequently mentioned to us within
the past few years, plans and points OF
sermons that he had in preparation, OF
under the anvil" rs he was accustomed
to express it; and, within the last few
weeks, when, on one occasion, Mrs
Wightman read him beautiful incident
that had attracted her attention, he
begged her-true to the instincts OF a
'laborious ministry-to file it away with
certain one OF his sermons, that he
might use it when he preached that SER
mon again.
The Bishop was fond of the word unc.
ton. He frequently used it in char.
actesizing preachers. 1t meant a great
deal in his estimation of sermon.
Speaking to us on one occasion of very
intelligent and cultured preacher, one
who spoke with great taste and with
much intellectual force, he declared that
his sermons carried no weight. Said he :
"They have nc Holy Ghost power"
That is the power the Bishop most of all
affected. He wanted fre-the fire that
burns in the very bones and shines and
scintillates from face and eye-that
warns the heart and stirs the mind and
loosens the tongue-the fire from off the