The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-10-08
DELIVERED
HIS FIRST
DISCOURSE.
Did Rev. s. T. Westhafer at the
Fourth Street M. E. Church to
y Large Congregation,
TOPIC, "THE SUPERNATURAL"
The New Pastor Has Been Warmly
Received by His Con-
gregation.

Z - . Sd T.. F.. = .
At the Fourth Street NJ. E. church
yesterday morning, the new pastor,
Rev. S. I. Westhafer. delivered his In
augural sermon to the people OF this
city. There was q large congregation
present to greet the new pastor. The
reorganIzed and augmented choir. un-
der the direction Of J. H. Perry, render
ed special music at botn the morning
and evening services. The topic Of Mr..
Westhafers morning, sermon was 1.-THE
Supernatural" and 1t was an interest.
Ing and Instructive discourse. He took
his text from II Kings. G:17-"And Ell.
sfa prayed, and said Lord. I pray thee.
open his eyes that he may see; and
the Lord opened the eyes Of the young
man ana he saw, and, behold. the
mountain was full Of horses and char
lots OF fire round about Elisha"
He said, in part:
"Is not the young man type OF
that large number of people. who by
reason Of their training and the spirit
| Of the age are blinded to the fact OF
the invisible God, and are more or less
| unconscious OF the Influence Of the STU
pernatural world on the affairs OF life?
1T Is only fair statement of the
truth to say that many Of our church
people are becoming more or less In
| flucnccd by the grossest of. material
| philosophy II was not always so.
There was time when the dispropor..
| tion was the other way.
I'm the older ages men believed 1t
was an impulse of the Divine will that
caused the grass to grow, the rain to
| fall from heaven. the lightning to fash
and the thunder TO roll. The impression
quite generally prevailed that the
whole order of nature was carried on
| by the direct impuls: OF the Divine will.
| Now we have gone up. step by step.
until we have reached u point where
| we discovered that the world Is under
the contrib OF natural laws. Not that
God does not rule by direct impulses OF
| His will, but that the world Is gercr.
ally controlled by natural laws. We
are going tothe other extreme"
He spoke of the tendency Of our
| modern science and philosophy, as well
as much OF our literature OF modern
times. to rule out God. and they leave a
| last impression on the mind that ply
| steal force is the only force in this
world
"Thc best point In the evidence Is that
| which rests upon the harmony tina: eX-
lists between what we call nature and
the supernatural. 1t Is not to be Won
dered at that man should stop them.
| though In natural o: secondary causes.
There are thinkers who believe that
| there Is n fixed order OF nature which
precludes divine interference with the
affairs of this world. They follow
events along the line OF history. attr.b-
uting one thing to one cause and others
to another. They hold that men are
influenced by climatic force. mountain
and marine force. Character Is devel-
oped by the influence Of environment
and education. and there is not n place
for the supernatural. Had 1t not been
for Alexander, there would have been
no empire OF the east: had It not been
for Caesar, there would have been no
Roman empire; for George Washington,
no American republic: but for Dewey,
there would have been no greater Uni
(, ted States. 1t Is granted that these men
have wrought wonders In their day,
yet back OF them there has been pow
er steadily Mt work evolving the des-
tiny OF nations"
HE said that man himself is kind OF
supernatural being. He evolves upon
and mobiles the forces Of nature. He
illustrated his point by showing how
the different materials were brought
together and formed into the immense
engine near the Niagarn Falls and capa-
BILE OF throwing 100000 gallons per
twenty-four hours. Who can watch
this vast engine and not be conscious
that man Is not supernatural being?
| Another point In the evidence Is the
person Of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Is
the divincst character. the most intlu-
entail personality, the most sublime
person OF all history. He united In His
character such rare counteuance OF
beauty that heaven and earth have
been pleased to smile upon Him. He
was without sin, without repentance.
without contrltion, with n tear. He put
himself in the way OF spiritual forces.
Divine power and Divine preroga-
tives. 1t Is said that, Jesus never
laughed, but the closest student OF His
life has not been able to disclose the
remotest trace OF sadness or remorse-
ness In his character. He was poor.
He Ind not the where to lay His head.
but He will not allow us TO believe that
poverty WIS ever to Him nn afIlIct,on.
He Identified himself with every de-
pnrtment OF life. He was bone OF our
bone, flesh Of our flesh. He has woven
| Hlulo rHIl
and the literature OF the world. He
identified Himself with sickness. pow
erty and sorrow. There was never
man 80 closely Identified with life and
there was never n man so disenEaged
| from It.
"What man Is there that can behold
the marvellous achievements Christ has
wrought along the line OF history and
! listen to the hymns Of praise that go
up from the countless thousands OF
worshIpers every Sabbath and not be-
| leve that He Is the Son o; God. the
Savior of the world, with power to for
| give sin?
III there is n man In this audience who
doubts, let him come forward and,
kneelIng at this altnr. test the greatest
truth OF history.
another point in the evidence Is
| conscience. History and experience
agree that man was intended to be
more than mn: animal. Conscience. faith
md reasons nrc mnrks or Gods like
ness which distinguish Him from the
animal creation. He Ia possessed with
moral sense. which hns n threshold
junction. First. there Is In every man
that which leads him 10 judge OF the
moral quality of actions. Second, there
Is In every man that which leads him