The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-01
SERMON
Preached by Rev. Or. Lester, who had
Been the Pastor
NEARLY HALF A CENTURY.
Heard by Hundreds at West Alsxan-
der-Historic Presbyterian Church
crowded With Lifelong Friends Of
the Venerable Minister.

r,rty-six years pastor of the Presbyter-
,,o church at West Alexander, Wash
,-rton county, preached his farewell
s, rmon to congregation OF 1000 per-
aers yesterday at noon. and, in obedi-
one. 10 the mandate Of his prcsbytery.
5arlared his pulpit vacant 1t was an
,-pressIve sermon delivered in an his
torIc church, erected upon an historic
spat. The congregation consisted OF a
fay OF the members who had heard hls
inst sermon delivered by Rev. DR.. Les
Tor and the descendants OF those whose
homes lay within the reach OF his voice
IN the adjoining graveyard. 1t was dis
tnc,ly congregation of "his people"
and even cursory glance was all that
WAS necessary 10 disclose the affection
,bqt slbsists between pastor and people.
II was an ideal day and the people from
the country roundabouts were there.
these people some years ago had ceie-
brtted the centennial OF the founding Of
tbelr church and naturally felt an In
trrest in the going OF their pastor who
had baptized, married and buried thei.
friends for almost half century.
Looking out Of the window of the
large and beautiful auditorium of the
church into the adjoining burial ground,
or, rather doing better than looking.
walking for a few minutes into that
Goods acre" there is found much that
will explain the interest that attaches
TO the church and the prosperous COM
munlty. The graveyard antedates the
church and, indeed, furnishes the real
reason for the existence of the church.
The Indians fighting back and forth
in the great bend between the Ohio and
Monongahela and Allegheny rivers
found the scotch-IrIsh settlers averse
10 giving up the precarious foothold
they had secured In this locality and the
dead that resulted from these forays
were buried on the middle of the three
ridges from which the church subse-
quenuy took its name.
Primitive Days Of the Church.
Immediately the church was erected
the enterprise and energy of the settlers
BEGAN to tell, and from the day of Sc
curity from savage invasion the era Of
prosperity began. The western limits
of the village abutted upon the line that
Mason and Dixon had drawn between
freedom and slavery. Free Pennsylva-
mia on it's western frontier. scarcely re-
Iieved from the ravages OF the Indians,
was confronted and irritated by the ag-
gresslve impudence OF slave Virginia.
The early opponents Of slavery found
themselves eating the same bread and
drinking the same wine from the same
communion board. Later on the Know
nottingham and the early germs of Re
publlcanism were In active. aggressive
array against the slayeholdlng element,
and the STAKEHOLDER withdrew. whilst
on the other hand the ultra-abol!tionist
took himself to the communion Of the
Freesoll church. The conservative Pres
byterian. however. predominated and
again the same board is good enough
for former dissidents.
The church established education and
began its good work as the most i'm
partant factor in the upward career Of
the new community Washington coll
lpge soon followed Jefferson and an
academy and vigorously conducted fe-
male seminary gave West Alexander
standing and tone in western Penn
sylyanla that made It place Of resi-
dence desirable at once from CONNER
cial and educational standpoint. Later
Alexander Campbell established n mod
ernIzed Baptist church. giving it his
name, and college at Bethany just
across the line in Virginia, which. for a
tine at least, was novel innovation in
this Covenanter and Presbyterian COM
munity.
Where Rev. DR.. Lester was schooled.
Such then were the conditions that
Or Lester encountered one magnificent
April morning in 1894. His literary ca
rcer was taken at Amherst colleEc and
his theological course at Princeton. His
orthodoxy was and is based upon H.
eral construction OF the scriptures Of
the ORD and New Testaments and his
sermons have baen n conscientious in
depreciation OF his conception of his
ideas. An accomplished lingulst, cui-
tlpated scholar. profound student OF
books as VOL as OF people, courageous
exponent Of his peculiar ideas. he has
impressed himself upon his community
IN tho most valuable manner, and has
given it a tone and q distinction thu:
have caused general comment. His re-
sIgnatlon came OF his own motion in the
nature OF 4 genuine, painful surprise 70
his people,
DR. Lastsr's TEXT yesterday morning
was from part OF the eleventh chapter
OF Second Corinthians, BE OF ono MIND.
live In peace; and the God OF love and
peace shall be with you" The text was
opposite to the sermon that followed
and fareweHs before and after the de-
livery we're not the least interesting
features Of the days proceedings.
Twenty-Five Of the members that great
ed his original appearance were audi
tors Of his anal effort and at the close
Of the service were aReetionately greet
Cd by their friend and pastor OF ff,y
years.
No successor has been secured to take
the pulpit vacated by Rev. DR.. Lester