Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-07-04

JacK, tne African preacher. 10 per
sons interested In the capabilities of the
Southern colored man for piety and use
fulness to his own race this Is one of the
most useful and satisfactory of memoirs
It is published by the Philadelphia
Board. and no doubt many Of your read
ers have read the genial and charming
sketch of the life and work of the apos-
tolic African. AS pastor of the Char
lottesville church near the home Of JET.
ferson, and under the caves of the Uni.
versity Of Virginia, his pathos and piety
favorabIy and permanently impressed
many Of the highly intellectual youth
assembled by hundreds from every sec
tion of the South and West, at that just.
ly renowned seat of learning. Here his
sons, James and George, were educated
the former now the distinguished Pro-
fessor of Greek at Washington and Lee
University, the other, the highly es.
teemed and useful pastor of Moorefield
church, one Of the most important con-
gree. atoms in West Virginia Upon one
occasion one of the students, who in the
meantime had become widely known az
Governor James Orr, of North Carolina,
approached DR.. White at some one Of
the Summer resorts, and accosted him
inquired of the Governor how it was
that he could remember him 80 long
and SO well.
IT remember you, Doctor. by your
walk"
$50, then, I suppose my walk made a
deeper impression on your mind than
my preaching"
"Well, Doctor, is not that just how 1t
ought to be? A minister should be
knoYn by his walk as we'll as converse
tion.b
The closing years of his ministerial
service W re spent as pastor of the Lex
ington Church, where his ministry was
very effective, not only among the fami.
lies of his charge. but among the students
of the college, and the cadets of the Mil
itary Institute. His sons, Hugh and
Henry, were educated at the college
During his second year at the Theologi-
cal Seminary, Hugh enlisted as a soldier,
and fell in the second battle of Manassas,
as captain of the Liberty Hall Volun-
teers. Henry is now the eloquent and
distinguished DIR. White, pastor of Lou
don street Presbyterian church, VIM
chester, Va. It was during the Lexing
ton pastorate he addressed series of iet-
tiers to his soas, through the columns of
the Central Presbyterian. These letters
are Ieplete with sanctified common
sense, which, by the way, happens to
be one of the most uncommon of all USE
full senses, as 80 many young ministers
have found to their life- long regret
These letters were compiled and made a
volume, entitled 1.-THE Gospel Minister" !"
and is also published by the Philadel-
phia Board of Publication. 1t richly
merits place upon every young minis
ter's study table.
His ministry in the Lexington church,
is remembered as one of the specially
prosperous eras in the history of this
very important and influential congre.
cation. His friends can recall many in.
cidents that illustrate his peculiarities of
Thought and speech most of theseswill
no doubt appear il his memoir, which
may be looked for in little while, pre-
pared by hand in every way oompstGGIt
to the laborsof love.
A ministerial brother and intimate
personal friend, was induced to resign
ar attached country charge, and accept
the call to city church. In the course
of events he regretted the move, and
told DIR. White it was very dark provi-
dence that sundered the pleasant rela-
tions to his first charge, and led him to
the city. Brother. let me differ with
you. twas not providence. it was your
own swell-head conscientious views of
duty, or may be I had better say fool
ishness, that took you away, as every
body knows but yourself" A visiting
minister was invited to occupy DR.
Whites pulpit one Sabbath evening
The sermon was unusually full of Christ,
but while the preacher reasoned of the
leading events that characterized the life
and work of the Redeemer on earth, the
apathy of the congregation was distress
ingly apparent, and as the speaker no.
ticed how fatty all seemed to tall upon
the ears of the audience, in manifest
desperation he made rather sudden
and abrupt depression, and pathetically
referred to college "reminiscences. In
stantly the hearers were convulsed with
emotion, eyes unused to weep were suf-
fused with tears. and the moi impress
ibIe sobbed as if their hearts were bro
ken. Two or three of the more jealous
elders hurried to their pastor as soon as
the benediction was pronounced, and
wondered why he did not begin at once
a series of meetings, as there was so
"Did you not notice, brethren, that
while Mr.. c. preached JESUS, there
was no feeling apparent, but just SO soon
as he began to preach HIMSELF, then
the seriousness commenced, and there
has been q melting time. Now please
take notice, whenever you see our peO-
pIe weeping, when reminded of their
Gins. and the sufferings of Jesus, and let
ve know, for blessing is at hand. There
ia nothing permanent or saving in what
we have seen tonight"
. Dr, White favored aggressive revival
measures, judiciously directed. He did
not seem to stand upon the order of his
going about the doing of good, like his
more cautious brethren, and was, there
fore, not only instant in season, but oc
casionally, by the logically consistent,
was cOnsidere d just little out of season.
"Our good Brother White has allowed
his warm heart to get the better of his
head" some woui d say by way of exten-
nation. In the main however, his meth.
DDS yindicated then lselves. and many
could see it was wise to utilize or make
the best of whatever could not be pre-
vented, and try to guide, if possible, to
the least harmful results. In a certain
section of Virginia, an eloquent, enthu
siastic, and somewhat ambitious young
minister was conducting revivals, on
methods not agreeable to the views OF
propriety entertained by his more con-
servative and methodical CO. Presbyters
Upon being informed of the matter, DR.
White took long, tedious journey ol
several weeks duration. attended many
of the meetings, patiently and sagacious
ly studi ed the situation, aud almost in-
sensibly to the young minister himself
guided the whole affair to results so fa-
corable, that ever since that time, the
cause of pure and aggressive Presbyte'
rianisn, has advanced more rapidly there
than almost anywhere else in the bounds
of the Virginia Synod.
In reference, too, to the Temperance
reform, DR.. White was in the advance
His logical optics did not seem keen
enough for him to discover, that by tax.
ing a pledge and joining a temperance
society," he would in any way be doing
injustice to the honor of the Presbyteri
an Chu rch. In his Scriptural readings
be would specially emphasize the pas
sages ,lenouncing the use of strong
drink, s,nd setting forth the woes of the
drunkasd. During the earlier stages o
his ministry, it was not popularity con
sidered inconsistent for even ruling eld'
ers to traffic in ardent spirits. In the
city OF Lynchburg there was person