Newspaper Page Text
24 th:
REV. JERE WITHERSPOON, D. D.
In the death of Rev. Jere Witherspoon,
D. D., the members of the Grace Street
Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Va.,
are called upon for the second time within
ten years to mourn the loss of one who
had long ministered to them in holy
things. On August 13, 1900, Rev. Charles
H. Read, D. D., the honored pastor emeritus,
was called to his reward in a ripe
old age, and after years of physical infirmity.
On October 27, 1909, Dr. Witherspoon
died in Canandaigua, New York,
at the age of sixty, after a sickness of
only several months; and even those who
were closest to him had no idea that this
sickness would be fatal.
Dr. Witherspoon was elected pastor of
this church on October 6, 1897, and commenced
his labors on December 5, 1897.
During the years which have passed
since then, he has faithfully "Allured to
brighter worlds, and led the way."
While not of a robust constitution, Dr.
Witherspoon was a man of great energy
and determination, and it CAn be literally
said, that he wore himself out in the service
of God and his fellow men. In the
pulpit he was diligent to preach the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth, as he found it revealed in the
Scriptures. He had no word of criticism
or apology for any part of the Bible, and
as he believed all of it, he sought to
teach all of it. As a pastor, Dr. Witherspoon
was ever alert. No case of sickness
or trouble was too trivial for his
attention and constant visitation. Nor
did he confine his ministrations to the
members of his own congregation, but in
the hospitals of the city, and in many
homes outside of his own church, he carried
cheer and comfort to those who had
no special claims upon his ministry. Was
there a financial problem to be met, he
was not only the first to give of his
means as the Lord had prospered him,
. but he was ever ready to do that much
harder thing?give of himself to the
cause. In the Sunday school, and in all
of the societies and agencies of the
church, he was a wise counsellor and
guide; and as he went in and out among
his people he exercised that rare gift
which had been exemplified by his Divine
Master before him?he called his
own sheep by name, and the weakest of
the lambs also.
To these graces of his calling, Dr.
Witherspoon added the charms of a gentleman.
His gentle birth and manners
found expression in his respect for the
opinions of others, his appreciation of the
things that pertained to others, and in his
solicitude for their welfare.
"Dr. Witherspoon is dead." These
words came as a great shock and sorrow
to the whole community. The members
of this church can hardly yet realize that
they are true; that they will no more
see in the flesh one who had endeared
himself to them in so many ways, as pastor
and friend.
As we awake to the measure of our loss
in the death of our beloved pastor, be it
resolved by this session, speaking for
itself, and on behalf of the entire church:
1- That we praise God for the manlfes
E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU
tations of his providence and grace in
the life, character and services of our
departed brother, and we rejoice in the
triumph over death and the grave which
is his through Christ, his Redeemer.
2. That we bow in humble submission
to the will of him who doeth all things
well.
3. That we record our sense of deep sorsow
and loss in being deprived of the
companionship and ministrations of him
who has so long exercised the pastoral
office in our midst.
4. 'mat we tender to Dr. Witherspoon's
family our heartiest sympathy in their
bereavement, with the prayer that God
will sustain them in their great trial.
5. That the clerk of the session be instructed
to spread this memorial and
thpse resolutions on the minutes, and
send a copy thereof to Mrs. Witherspoon.
B. C. Wherry, Clerk.
THE REV. J. W. LUPTON, D. D.
An Appreciation.
When a minister of the gospel has labored
faithfully In his calling for fortyfive
years, and has so borne himself as to
not only win respect for his office, but
love for himself as a man, his death
leaves a void that is hard to fill. And
surely it is a proper tribute to him, to
give to the Church at large some account
of his character and work. Snrh a ronnr-a
should be an encouragement to his
younger brethren in the ministry.
Dr. Lupton was licensed to preach in
1862, and was ordained in 1864 by the
Presbytery of Winchester, Virginia. He
resigned his last charge, at Leesburg, Va.,
in 1907. He was twice pastor at Leesburg?from
1867 to 1872 and from 1898
to 1907. He was pastor at Clarksville,
Tenn., from 1872 to 1898. Thus he gave
forty years to these two churches.
It was while he was in Clarksville that
for twenty-five years our relations were
most intimate; and I had opportunity to
note his peculiarities of (pmnoromont o?.a
disposition, his principles and methods
of doing the Lord's work, his ability as
a preacher and his faithfulness as a pastor,
and the influence he exercised both in
his own held and in the Presbytery; and
on the Foreign Mission committee, Dr.
Lupton was a modest man; hq never
boasted of his success. But he came in
touch with one of the most intelligent
and cultured communities in the South,
and also with large numbers of students
at the Southwestern Presbyterian University,
and his influence on all was most
beneficial and the growth of his church
was steady both in numbers and effective
ness. He humbly and thankfully attributed
the results of his labors to God. At
the same time he was generous in giving
credit to his hrothron fnr "
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did for the Master.
He was one of the most conscientious
men I ever knew, and was almost morbidly
afraid of doing an injustice, either in
thought or deed. His judgments of others
were exceedingly charitable, always giving
to every action the best interpretation.
He was one of the gentlest and
most unassuming of men; yet he was independent
in his thinking and Arm in
rTH. November 24, 1909.
his convictions, and absolutely fearless
in the discharge of his duty.
His preaching was the outcome of painstaking
study, both of the word of God and
of the needs of his people. He had an almost
overwhelming sense of his responsibilities
as a minister, an ambassador of
Christ, and he carried his people on his
heart with the tenderest yearnings of
love. He felt deeply that the old gospel
is the only way of life, and he preached
it, simply, .plainly and earnestly.
With thorough conviction, he accepted
the Calvinistic system of Theology as
embodied in the Westminster Standards,
and in all his preaching he emphasized
the foundation truths of that system.
In his pastoral work, he literally
waicnea ror souls as one who must give
account." He never shirked an unpleasant
duty in warning or reproving those
who were going astray. He was the very
heart of sympathy in comforting the surviving.
In his social relations he was genial,
affable, courteous, approachable. As a
thorough gentleman he could adapt himself
to the company, and yet preserve the
due dignity as man and minister.
I have known no man who more worthily
filled, and more faithfully exalted, his
office. May our Lord raiBe up many like
him.
James H. McNeilly.
MEMORIAL OF DR. ALFXAMI-IPD
"The Synod of Mississippi has heard
with profound sorrow of the sudden death
of our beloved brother and faithful coworker,
Rev. W. A. Alexander, D. D. The
information comes to us that he fell in
the union railroad station in the city of
Memphis, while on his way from his home
in Clarksville to attend the sessions of
this meeting. He was in the midst of
earnest duties, with his mind full of the
affairs of the university, in which our representatives
had made him a teacher 17
years ago. Our hearts are full of the
tenderest emotion. Our voices are muffled
with unwonted solemnity and deep
grief. We use no extravagant language
when we ask, 'Know ye not that there
is a prince and a great man fallen this
day in Israel?'
"William Addison Alexander was born
in Kosciusko, Miss., in 1857. He was a
child of the covenant, a son of the Manse.
He had the best of home training. The
personal instruction of a scholarly father
prepared him for the University of Mississippi
by the time he was 14 years of
age. There he conducted himself as a
thoughtful, pious, industrious young student
He won the respect of the faculty
and students. In due time he was graduated
with distinguished honor. After
one year of teaching in the university he
went to Princeton Theological Seminary,
where his wonderful powers of acquisition
jvere soon discovered by hia, teachers. He
took the full course and won great favor
in the highest esteem of the Hodges and
their noble colleagues. Coming home to
his native Presbytery, he became pastor
at Lexington and later at Yazoo City.
"Many of us remember that he was the
cordial host of the Synod of Mississippi