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 BX 9225 .L47 15 1873 
 
 In memory of Joseph W. 
 Lester 
 
 LIBRARY OF PRINCETON 
 
 MAR 2 I 2005 
 
 THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
IN MEMORY 
 
 OF 
 
 \^y 
 
 JOSEPH W. LESTER 
 
 August, 1873 
 
"Champion of Jesus, man of God, 
 Servant of Christ, well done ! 
 Thy path of thorns hath now been trod, 
 Thy red cross crown is won." 
 
 Joseph William Lester was born at Norwich, Conn., September 5th, 
 1822, and died at his home in New Rochelle, N. Y., August 8th, 1873, in 
 the 51st year of his age. 
 
-'\ 
 
Mr. Simeon Lester, the father of Mr. Lester, is now 
 ']'] years of age. Through him he was a descendant, in 
 about the fifteenth generation, from Sir Nicholas Leicester, 
 of the County of Cheshire, England, a knight in the thir- 
 teenth century. 
 
 The family emigrated to New England early in the 
 eighteenth centuiy, and from that time the name was 
 written Lester. They settled in New London County, 
 Connecticut, where some of the descendants still live. The 
 grandfather of Mr. Lester (William Lester) served in 
 the Revolution, under Col. Ledyard, at Groton Fort. 
 Fifteen to twenty relatives of the family were killed in the 
 capture of this fort. 
 
 Mr. Lester's father was born in Norwich, Connecticut, 
 in 1796, and in 1825 (Joseph then being a child two years 
 old) moved to New Rochelle, Westchester County, N. Y., 
 where he still resides, an honored elder in the Church, and 
 a bright example of an upright Christian life to all about 
 him. He has been a successful farmer. There were born 
 to him eight children, six boys and two girls, of whom 
 the subject of the present narrative was the oldest. The 
 youngest, David Brainerd Lester, is the only child now 
 living-. He was associated with his brother in business. 
 
Marked elements in the character of the Lesters are, 
 persistency in a purpose, and strong adherence to a principle. 
 These characteristics were most prominent in Joseph W. 
 Lester. 
 
 The mother of Mr. Lester was Miss Hannah Maria 
 Brewster. She was born at Preston, Connecticut, February 
 6th, 1795, and died at her home in New Rochelle, June 
 1 2th, 1865, at the age of 70, after a most exemplary 
 Christian life. Through her, he was a descendant, in the 
 seventh generation, from Elder William Brewster, who 
 came to New England in the " May Flower." 
 
 At one time, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Elder 
 Brewster was one of the under Secretaries of State. A church 
 was formed in his own house ; there they were accustomed 
 to worship, and he was most liberal in its support. This 
 church emigrated to Holland, and afterwards to New 
 England. He was also one of the prime founders of the 
 Plymouth Colony. In all its early history, he was the 
 chief mover in ecclesiastical affairs. As a man, he was 
 social, unobtrusive, enterprising, kind and generous to the 
 poor and godly ; he was one of the most popular and 
 efficient men in the Old Colony. 
 
 In many of his characteristics, Elder Lester strikingly 
 resembled his renowned ancestor. 
 
. [The following Address was delivered in the Allen Street Presbyterian 
 Church, New York City, by Rev. W. W. Newell, D. D., pastor of the 
 Church, December 14th, 1873]. 
 
 I STAND here to-day a stricken mourner. There 
 Is a weight upon my spirit ; there is a grief in my 
 heart. I feel the awe and solemnity of death. 
 This vacant seat appals me ; this absence stuns 
 me ; these bereaved relatives and friends oppress 
 me. Our senior elder, our loving and beloved 
 brother, is gone. He has passed the river of death, 
 never to return. 
 
 On the 28th of July, I saw Mr. Lester at his 
 country house in New Rochelle. We all expected 
 his recovery. I went immediately to Grand Isle, in 
 the northern part of Lake Champlain. There I 
 was seriously ill. Late one evening a messenger 
 from the main land handed in a telep^ram. As I 
 read the fatal words, "Father died last night," I 
 dropped the paper, and sank down under the power 
 of a shock which I shall never forget. It was dark 
 around me. 
 
8 
 
 It seemed like the gloom of that day in 
 August, just six years before, when I was lying 
 by the side of my smitten dead. He and his 
 companion were the first to come to me then. 
 Now, as then, he seemed to be walking at the 
 foot of my bed, saying as he walked, " God has 
 done it, God has done it." I felt that I must go 
 to you. I only asked to sit down among you and 
 share your grief. But I knew that I could not. 
 Oh ! the anguish of that night. For almost fourteen 
 years we had loved and prayed and wept and 
 struggled together for Jesus and the lost. In all 
 that time his kindness to me had never wearied ; 
 my confidence in him had never wavered. I had 
 tried him in the light and in the darkness. I loved 
 him. I built upon him. I realized what he was 
 to me, to this church, and to the world. With a 
 bound I sprang forward to my life work, inspired by 
 the assurance that he was wishing me God speed. 
 
 As the hour of his burial came, I seemed to 
 see the coffined form ; the full church and the 
 measured tread, bearino- him to the erave. But, 
 dearly beloved friends, there was no lack of 
 
mourners ; for I learn that firms composed of a 
 hundred men closed their stores, and that five 
 hundred persons went out from the city, and that 
 the people gathered from the surrounding country, 
 reminding us of the prophecy of Amos, "Wailing 
 shall be in all the streets ; and they shall say in 
 all the highways, alas ! alas ! " 
 
 This funeral of our brother has called to mind 
 the scene described in the 2d verse of the 8th 
 chapter of the Acts of the Apostles : 
 
 "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamen- 
 tation over him." 
 
 And there were certainly resemblances in some 
 of the characteristics of Stephen and our departed 
 brother. 
 
 But as my object is not a sermon, but a memorial 
 address, I will make no minute comparisons. I 
 will merely say, in passing, that Stephen was a 
 deacon of the church, who distributed to the wants 
 of the poor. He was a good man, and a man 
 of force, "full of faith and power." He reproved 
 the wicked and stood by the right. He gave his 
 
lO 
 
 life for the truth, as it is in Jesus ; forgave his 
 enemies, and died a triumphant death, 
 
 I am to speak to you now of the hfe of Mr. 
 Lester ; not because he needs our commendation, 
 but because we need the stimulus of his example. 
 It will encourage us to find that we may reach 
 after the standard and even attain to some of the 
 characteristics of Stephen, that martyred associate 
 of the Apostles. 
 
 Mr. Lester was a man of tremendous energy, 
 of great promptness of action, and of remarkable 
 persistence. He had a vigorous body, with all 
 the life and spirits of a boy. His industry was 
 prodigious ; yet he never seemed weary. He 
 was the last man whom you would expect to 
 outlive. Gifted with a magnetic power, his man- 
 ner was so genial and hearty, so cheerful and 
 candid, that people of all conditions were attracted 
 to him. 
 
 In January, i860, I accepted a call to this church, 
 I had traveled alone some 300 miles, in the chill 
 winter. I was full of anxieties for the future. The 
 cars reached the city late in the evening. Long 
 
II 
 
 before they stopped, the car door opened, and Mr. 
 Lester rushed up to me with a greeting so hearty 
 and a welcome so enthusiastic, that my soul was 
 instandy drawn to him ; my fears were gone. Swift 
 horses brought us to his cheerful dwelling, where 
 friends were celebrating the anniversary of his wed- 
 ding. From that day, I have always received at 
 his house the same hearty welcome. 
 
 The young people of the church were won to him. 
 He was one of them. Business men were enthu- 
 siasdc in their admiradon of him. Persons with the 
 slightest possible acquaintance were attracted by him. 
 
 He was a man of strict integrity and inspired 
 in others the most perfect confidence. He was one 
 whom men loved to name in their wills as guardian 
 of their children or administrator of their estates. 
 
 Said an old business friend of his, "Mr. Lester 
 is my ideal of a man. I have referred to him an 
 hundred times as one whose integrity of heart was 
 so visible in his face, that every person must be 
 inspired with it." 
 
 He was a godly man. He was trained to all 
 that was good by an honest, honorable and godly 
 
12 
 
 father, and by a loving, refined and Christ-like 
 mother ; and yet he felt that he must be trans- 
 formed. He knew that saints might rock his 
 cradle and that angels might guard his tottering 
 steps, and yet that he must be born again. 
 
 Mr. Christopher R. Robert writes to his wife : " I 
 remember you and Joseph when you were children ; 
 joyous and happy, but without God. He called you 
 out of darkness into His marvellous light, leaving 
 many of your classmates to perish in their sins." 
 
 As his whole earth-life and heaven-life hinged 
 upon this moment of his history, let me add to this 
 testimony of Mr. Robert, and tell you how he 
 described the circumstances to me. "I was anxious," 
 he said, "about .my soul, but saw no way to be 
 converted. A Christian friend said to me one day, 
 ' Will you serve God ?' Yes, with His help, I will. 
 'Will you give up your sins and trust in Jesus?' 
 Yes, I do ;" and then he added, " From that moment 
 to this, I have been trying to trust and serve the 
 Lord." Oh ! how simple, how easy this turning 
 point, and yet how stupendous the results. His 
 conversion to Christ was not so much a gush of 
 
13 
 
 tenderness as a settled, deep-rooted purpose to fear 
 and love and serve the Lord. Where is the young 
 man that will not do likewise ? 
 
 Dr. Asa D. Smith, president of Dartmouth College, 
 writes me : " Your letter has touched one of the 
 \ tenderest chords of memory in my heart. It brings 
 before me afresh those years of our dear departed 
 brother Lester's life, with which I was familiar in 
 the old Brainard church. I remember him as a 
 boy in the family of his uncle, that noble servant 
 of Christ, Joseph Brewster. It has always seemed 
 to me that his uncle's mantle fell upon him. When 
 twenty years old he entered our Sabbath School 
 as a teacher, and was soon after converted. The old 
 Brainard church register is before me, and I read : 
 ' Joseph W. Lester, baptized in infancy ; received 
 May 28th, 1843.'" His companion united with the 
 church at the same time. " From the vows he then 
 took upon himself, who ever knew him to swerve, 
 in all the thirty years of service that followed ? I 
 remember his fidelity to the church. I remember 
 his touching kindness to me in a protracted illness. 
 When my church moved to the Second Avenue, I 
 
H 
 
 was sorry to part with him, but I rejoiced in the 
 ofood which I knew he would do in Allen Street. 
 For frankness and guilelessness, for singleness of 
 purpose, for earnestness, energy and quiet persist- 
 ence in his Master's work ; for all the qualities that 
 could render him a help to his pastor and a bless- 
 ing to the church, I have seldom met his like." 
 
 To this striking description of Dr. Smith's, I will 
 add, that he not only walked in the steps of Joseph 
 Brewster, his uncle, but, as I have often remarked, 
 there was a wonderful resemblance between him 
 and Elder William Brewster, of the " May Flower," 
 from whom he was a descendant, in the seventh 
 generation. They were both remarkable for the 
 same cheerful, genial manner, and the courageous, 
 persistent, self-denying devotion to the service of 
 God, and to the upbuilding of His Church, 
 
 " They belonged to Christ's chivalry." 
 
 He was remarkable for his general benevolence. 
 It seemed natural to him to devise liberal things. 
 It was not only a purpose, but a pleasure. Some- 
 times he spent more than one-tenth of his yearly 
 
17 
 
 Intuitively alive to signs of suffering, his very 
 presence brought relief and hope. 
 
 He was a peace-maker. His good sense and 
 hearty good-will made him very efficient in setdino- 
 disputes. Though faithful in reproving others, he 
 could acknowledge his own errors. A brother in 
 the church recendy said of him, " I never loved 
 that man as I do now. Last evening we differed 
 upon an important matter. This morning he came 
 all this long distance, before breakfast. Taking my 
 hand, in his hearty way, he said, 'I am afraid I 
 spoke too warmly last night. You will forgive it.' " 
 
 He was a self-denying, reliable man. "His words 
 were bonds, his oaths were oracles." The business 
 community regarded him as a prompt, energetic, 
 and stricdy upright man. The ungodly looked upon 
 him with profound respect. How many a man has 
 said to me, " I would like to be religious, if I could 
 be such a christian as he is." In him relieion and 
 business were beautifully harmonized. 
 
 He was reliable in his family. Few men ever 
 did more to make home a sweet and well ordered 
 household. How they watched for his well known 
 
i8 
 
 footstep, and how they were enhvened by his coming. 
 It was a home of culture and comfort, of peace and 
 prayer, of love and hospitality. Duringr almost 27 
 years, no black cloud ever hung over it. Said his 
 companion to me once, " Our pathway has always 
 been in the sunlight." 
 
 He was reliable in the church. He was a pillar 
 there. While such crowds were seeking more con- 
 genial homes, he and his united household wouki 
 not remove from the bounds of the parish. They 
 denied themselves for the church. He died leaving 
 a dwelling within four blocks of this place. His 
 pastor could rely upon his presence and his prayers 
 upon the Sabbath. He had a pleasant greeting and 
 a cordial welcome for strangers in the sanctuary. 
 
 He was reliable in the prayer meeting. He was 
 there promptly, and was always ready to take his 
 share of the exercises. He would sometimes do a 
 large business in town, rush out to his country 
 house in New Rochelle, and then come into the 
 prayer meeting without his evening meal. There, 
 forgetting all worldly cares, he would speak or 
 pray with an earnestness and point that was most 
 
19 
 
 refreshing. One of the last times he was in that 
 meeting-, he spoke of the place as one of the most 
 sweet and precious to him on the face of the earth. 
 
 He was reliable in the Sabbath School. Thirty 
 years ago he became a teacher. For a long time 
 he had a flourishing Bible class of young men. 
 For the last eight years he has been a most enthu- 
 siastic, popular and successful superintendent of our 
 parish school. 
 
 He was reliable as a friend and an adviser. 
 There seemed to be no end to the persons who 
 revealed to him their circumstances and asked his 
 opinion. 
 
 For years my companion and myself joined him 
 and his family at the Saturday evening meal. There, 
 after the rush of New York life had subsided, we 
 would spend a delightful hour in social communings 
 and in earnest deliberations about the interests of 
 the church. 
 
 But the crowning achievement of his life was 
 his labor for the conversion of men. He was an 
 ardent worker in revivals of religion. The thought 
 of saving the lost fired his soul. It awakened his 
 
20 
 
 noblest impulses and his loftiest efforts. To him 
 "the soul of man was larger than the sky and 
 deeper than the ocean." To save that soul was 
 with him a business — a business of transcendent 
 importance. He was anything but an ascetic, or a 
 formalist, or a fanatic. To others he represented 
 the service of God as the most cheerful and honor- 
 able thing in the universe. He was judicious. He 
 had such a loathing of all pretences, that he was 
 conservative in reference to revival measures. He 
 approved of the pointed word of God, the power 
 of the Holy Ghost, and such simple measures as 
 the state of feeling demanded. Sometimes he would 
 visit the impenitent in passing home from his day's 
 business. Sometimes the anxious would linger after 
 a service or a prayer meeting; at such times our 
 prayers, instructions and tears were often blessed 
 of God, and we had delightful hope that souls had 
 yielded to Christ. It was in passing away from 
 such scenes, that we experienced together some 
 of the loftiest joys of life. It was almost heaven. 
 Christ and the angels were very near — we could 
 almost catch a strain of joy over repentant souls. 
 
21 
 
 He was cautious in receiving persons into the 
 church from the world. 
 
 He was a ministerial man. He did not sustain 
 his pastor in the wrong, but honored his position. 
 In late years, when measures for the promotion 
 of religion were proposed to the session, he would 
 often remark, "The whole field is familiar to our 
 pastor ; I move that it be left to his judgment." 
 In leaving the church on the Sabbath, he would 
 often give his pastor a cheering word in reference 
 to the services. During his illness, he referred with 
 much emotion to the benefit which he himself had 
 received from the Allen Street church. 
 
 He was a great man. He had not the fancy or 
 Imagination or the literary culture of a poet or a 
 novelist ; but he knew how to deal with men and with 
 things. He knew how to reject shams, and how to 
 cherish realities. His executive ability was remark- 
 able. He was a live man. He seemed to decide 
 things by intuition, and then pressed on his projects 
 with an impetus and a persistence that was sometimes 
 heroic. He was not always right, but he decided 
 well according to the knowledge within his reach. 
 
22 
 
 He had a purpose in life ; upon this purpose he 
 concentrated his powers. It was no single per- 
 formance. He set his face, as a flint, upon the 
 service of God and the benefit of his fellow men, 
 and, with God's help, he has left behind him deep 
 furrows of benign influence. He was a vital force 
 in the rig-ht direction. He was a success. This I 
 call great. From small beginnings he built up a 
 large and successful wholesale business. This he 
 transacted for God. 
 
 He did his best to sustain his country in the 
 time of her recent struggles. 
 
 He was a valued member of many public insti- 
 tutions in this city. Among the seventy or eighty 
 letters of condolence received by his family, are 
 seven from public associations of which he was 
 an efficient officer. The press and the pulpit have 
 commended his life. As chairman of the Finan- 
 cial Committee of the National Temperance Society, 
 he devised liberal things, and gave largely for the 
 promotion of its invaluable work. Besides constant 
 donations to this Society, he gave at one time 
 ^i,ooo, and at another $500. Said the Hon. William 
 
23 
 
 E. Dodge, president of that Society, "We can put 
 a man in his position, but we cannot fill his place." 
 
 The Allen Street church is not located among- 
 the wealthy and the prosperous. Yet no matter 
 how large the expenses or the contributions, with 
 his help and activity, we always rejoiced at our 
 annual meeting, over a surplus in the treasury. 
 
 The Sabbath school that he superintended was 
 a marvel of prosperity. He was a power in the 
 work of leading souls to Christ, and in strength- 
 ening the walls of our beloved Zion. 
 
 And so, in all this variety of projects he was an 
 efficient helper. Other great men have left their 
 impress on perishable matter. His mark is upon 
 hearts and souls, that never die. 
 
 His death was a triumph. He made no special 
 preparation for it. He was not expecting to die. 
 On the 28th of July, just as I was leaving New York 
 for my summer vacation, I went up to New Rochelle. 
 He asked to see me alone. As I entered the room, 
 he said, " You see my body a wreck, but my mind 
 is awake. I have often felt that I needed some- 
 thing more in my religious experience, and I have 
 
24 
 
 wondered how it was to come. Three weeks ago 
 this sickness came. I feh that it was all right. My 
 business did not enter my mind. I understood the 
 whole case, and I was entirely ready that God 
 should do his will. Since last Wednesday I was 
 very sick. For three days I did not know how I 
 could get through. Saturday morning I lay here in 
 my weakness, like an infant, I felt as if Jesus took 
 me in his arms and carried me. Somehow, he 
 manifested himself to me in a most wojidcrfitl way. 
 I never conceived anything like it. My soul was 
 full. It was almost more than I could bear ; and 
 now, for three days, I have had a peace and bless- 
 edness that I cannot describe. Oh ! for one hour 
 of such demonstration of His love as this, I would 
 willingly endure all this sickness. I could not get 
 it myself; He came and gave it to me." 
 
 He repeated these and other like words with 
 great rapidity, and as he spoke, the tears were 
 rolling down his face. I stood at his side spell- 
 bound. It was a new phase in this dear man's 
 character, and I could only say, " Precious, precious 
 Saviour." It was so like heaven. I knelt at his 
 
25 
 
 bedside. As I closed a brief prayer, he said aloud, 
 "Amen!" And then came diat holy kiss; dien our 
 pardng, and that was the last. 
 
 Among many other sweet things, he said to his 
 companion, " God came right to me, and spoke to 
 me. Oh ! I am so happy. I thought I had enjoyed 
 reliofion before, but it was a cold service. How 
 many times have I prayed, especially in revival 
 seasons, that the Lord would melt my heart, and 
 now he has burst it. Oh ! wonderful, wonderful 
 love ! I want to tell everybody what gladness and 
 peace I am enjoying." 
 
 " In our delightful seasons of prayer," she adds, 
 " he would say, ' Read me a psalm of praise ; ' and 
 as I read, he would say, 'Oh! what a loving Father; 
 how precious he is to me ; ' and then as we sang, 
 ' I love to tell the story,' and ' My faith looks up to 
 Thee,' and ' How sweet the name of Jesus sounds,' 
 the tears would flow down his cheeks, while he 
 often exclaimed, 'Oh! how sweet, how sweet!'" 
 
 His mother had been dead eight years. During 
 these manifestations, though never delirious or even 
 despondent, he said to me, " My dear mother came 
 
26 
 
 to me, and she looked so lovingly into my face, 
 and I looked into her dear, loving eyes ; and Jesus 
 also came and stood by me." I said to him, " some 
 would think this a delusion ; they would call you 
 a fanatic." " No," said he, " there is no delusion in 
 this, it is too real." I said to him, "I wish I could 
 bear a part of your suffering." ''No," said he, "let 
 no one bear it but Jesus." After a painful, sleepless 
 night, he said, " God comes to me so lovingly and 
 says, 'be patient, be patient' — I am willing to bear 
 it for His sake." Through all this he expected to 
 recover. He had such wonderful vitality. He said, 
 " I am not anxious to die ; I love my family so dearly, 
 and I have so much to live for. I feel that my 
 work is not done ; and if I get well, I shall do 
 so niiLch more for Christ." "How more?" I said. 
 " Oh ! I shall do it with such a different spirit." 
 
 On the 8th, he was visited by his New York 
 physician. He insisted on knowing Dr. Clark's 
 opinion of the case. But he gave him little en- 
 couragement. Mr. Lester immediately dismissed 
 the idea of recovery. He had a conversation with 
 his companion, and soon after said to her mother, 
 
27 
 
 " I have felt that the Lord had more for me to do, 
 but the doctor seems discouraged ; and now I would 
 not turn my hand over to decide the matter. I 
 have such a precious Saviour. If He wants me, 
 let Him take me. I have talked with my dear wife, 
 and she bears it like an ano-el." 
 
 The usual time for retiring to rest soon arrived. 
 With a loving kiss and a beaming smile, he said, 
 " Good night, dear wife ;" and as she left the 'room, 
 he said, " Now, mother, I am going to sleep." 
 These were his last words, and this was his last 
 sleep. He soon awoke in heaven. What a sweet 
 and precious ending. 
 
 In a few moments his breathing changed. The 
 family were recalled, and there they stood around 
 his bed. But so august was the presence of God 
 in that chamber of death, that not a tear was shed ; 
 the tears were to come. As the breath soon 
 left the body, they involuntarily sang, "There are 
 angels hovering round;" and even that wife, after 
 such union of hearts and brightness of life, was 
 enabled to exclaim, " Oh ! my dear husband, I would 
 not call you back." The aged father walked the 
 
28 
 
 room, wringing his hands and sighing as he went, 
 "Why can't I go, why can't I go, in his place?" 
 But he soon dropped upon his knees before God, 
 and led them in humble, submissive prayer. 
 
 And so, our brother has gone ! Gone with 
 Fanning, Betts, Frazer and Farrel, of the old ses- 
 sion. Gone in the prime of his strength, in the 
 fullness of his zeal, in the vastness of his work. 
 
 " He has laid him down at noon, to rest upon his sheaves." 
 
 No cloud came over him. The anp-els bore him 
 upward, in a blaze of light ; the " emerald gates " 
 were opened and, amid seraph strains, Jesus and 
 the loved ones gave him welcorne. And now he is 
 at home, amid the rhapsodies of heaven. His great 
 soul is full at last. 
 
 But thousands have said, "Why did he die?" 
 Die! "Whosoever believeth in me shall never die." 
 He is not dead. Can he be dead who lives in 
 glory? Can he be dead whose name is graven on 
 living hearts ? Can he be dead whose life-power 
 is tramping on in the deeds of living men ? The 
 power of that life will widen and extend. But why 
 is he gone ? This is a hard question to answer. 
 
29 
 
 " Jesus said, what I do diou knowest not now." 
 Look at it as we may, it is a terrible shock. It is 
 an irreparable loss. And yet, we see but in part. 
 " Some things here are veiled : there are many 
 worlds, and much to do." He may be missioned to 
 give us a cheering word or a helping hand. We 
 know that Jesus wanted him. That his death was 
 precious in His sight. That his " pierced hand " 
 has led him, and led him well. 
 
 He has achieved wonders. He has done the 
 work of a long life. 
 
 "We live in deeds, not years." 
 
 He was a hard toiler. He needed rest, and 
 could not get it here. His heart was ever in his 
 work, and so he has gone up higher. May God 
 raise up others to fill his place. 
 
 This parting is sad for the wife and the children, 
 the father and the brother, and for all his dear 
 relatives — 
 
 "All tilings round you breathe of him." 
 
 You may weep ; you may grieve. We will grieve 
 with you. But you must not " lift up for him the 
 voice of wailing." You must not wish him back. 
 
Look forward. "This mortal must put on Immor- 
 tality." The earth shall heave ; you shall burst the 
 bars of death. With your spiritual bodies you shall 
 go throng-ing- up together, with such shouts of wel- 
 come as are given to victors, coming home. You 
 must come out from the dark cloud, and bask in 
 the sunlight. The noble past is history. It is all 
 done. The golden future is also secure. Thank 
 God for what he has been to you as a husband, a 
 father, a son, a brother. Remember his great de- 
 light when his son became a christian, and when 
 his last dear child confessed her Saviour. Remem- 
 ber his beaming smile, his cheerful, loving ways. 
 Then the sweet aroma of his name, and the vital 
 force of his deeds shall never be lost ; the ecstasy 
 of his joy shall never cease. How sweet to toil, 
 how sweet to die, while you remember his living 
 and his dying. He longs for your coming. He 
 may be your guardian angel. " He may be near 
 you when the light is low and the heart is sick." 
 And when you cross the river, he may stand upon 
 the other side to cheer you on. With open arms 
 he will give you welcome ; once more and forever 
 
31 
 
 you will be together. Till then, be patient, be sub- 
 missive. Till then — 
 
 " One other comfort, one 
 Is yours, to breathe while you adore ; 
 Thy will be done." 
 
 Thus shall your lonely hours be gladdened ; thus 
 shall you "be crowned and sainted." 
 
 And now, is there a soul in this house without 
 God, and with no hope ? How firmly he chose the 
 service of God. He did not defer it. Days and 
 weeks are rushing on. He did not live in depres- 
 sion and "die in a panic." He gloried in religion; 
 it was a blessing to him. Would it not be a 
 blessing to you ? Won't you trust and serve his 
 Saviour ? 
 
 And, dearly beloved children, is your noble su- 
 perintendent gone ? Gone to heaven ? Do you 
 remember the last time we saw him together, when 
 we went down from the May anniversary to our 
 refreshment room ? What a crowd, and how happy 
 we were ; and what a glad, loving speech he made 
 when he was surprised by that present. Oh ! how 
 he studied and toiled and prayed for you. Listen 
 
32 
 
 now; can't you hear him saying, "Children! won't 
 you love my Jesus ? Won't you remember what 
 I told you ; and when you are tempted to wrong, 
 won't you, with God's help, resist the devil ?" 
 
 Young men and young women ! how he loved 
 you. He had a heart as young as yours. How 
 he loved to do you good ; and how you loved him. 
 How you loved to please him, and how you mourned 
 him. You never will have a friend like him. Don't 
 forget him. Let his presence go with you. Let 
 the power of his life guide you. 
 
 Young man, as you sit here to-day, say this in 
 your heart, "As the Lord helpeth me, I will be 
 what he was in the world, in the Sabbath school, 
 and in the labor for souls." 
 
 And now, to the officers and members of this 
 church and congregation, and to this crowd of his 
 old friends, rich and poor, let me say, in closing : 
 There has been in our midst a royal life, and a 
 triumphant death ; and we would emulate his exam- 
 ple. Do you say he was beyond our reach? By no 
 means. His life was not the result of extraordi- 
 nary power or surprising knowledge or stupendous 
 
33 
 
 exploits. Being blest with great vitality, a vigorous 
 mind, a good education and a faithful training, he 
 pressed right on. Nothing deterred him from duty, 
 and he succeeded because he was eag-er to do the 
 most disagreeable thing's first. And here was one 
 secret of his wonderfully happy life. He seemed 
 to be always planning, toiling, succeeding, and he 
 was doing it for God. There is no pleasure like 
 constant activity for the honor of Christ and the 
 good of men. There is joy and heroism in for- 
 getting one's self. Now, what shall our life be ? 
 It is too brief and precious to lose. " It will soon 
 be dark." The account will end. Then let us — 
 
 " Work away ! 
 For the Father's eye is on us, 
 Never oft' us, still upon us, 
 
 Night and day ! 
 
 Work and pray ! " 
 
 Why not toil as well as he ? 
 
 He was not born a saint. Though a frank and 
 reliable boy, he was yet a sinner. He always had 
 an impulsive nature. It was hard to restrain his 
 exuberance of spirits. It was hard for him to bear 
 with the indolent, the tardy, the unprincipled, the 
 
34 
 
 deceitful. But grace, grace has been working, es- 
 pecially in our revivals of religion. 
 
 It was his constant habit to rise early in the 
 morning, and go at once to his little " oratory," 
 where he always prayed, audibly, to God. There 
 he has been heard confessing and renouncing his 
 sins in the deepest abasement, and pleading for 
 others, by name. But he found the blessing; for 
 he often came forth with a radiant countenance and 
 a song of praise ; and so, thanks be unto God, he 
 gained the victory. He became gentle and patient 
 and lovely. 
 
 Now, if you would live his life, you must have 
 his purpose and prayer, his industry and benevo- 
 lence, his godliness and love of souls. 
 
 If you would have his ecstasies, you must be 
 inspired by his views. In beholding Jesus, you 
 must not only see the scepter in His hand and 
 the crown on His head, but the pity in His heart 
 and the tear in His eye. And if you would die as 
 our brother died, you must climb up to those bril- 
 liant heights of heavenly vision where he stood. 
 There your toils and treasures, your gifts and 
 
35 
 
 graces, must all be paled in the full-orbed glory 
 of the Cross. There your love of life itself must 
 be absorbed in a supreme attachment to the in- 
 finitely blessed God. All this God will give you. 
 Seek it of Him. Then will you honor Jesus and 
 bless your race. 
 
 Then will you hail our brother gone, and shine 
 with him, as the stars, forever. And oh ! how 
 near that meeting seems. Nothing but the mystic 
 river divides us. We can almost see " the gleam 
 of his snowy robes" and the radiance of his "angel 
 brow." Even now he waits to ofive us welcome. 
 
[ Contributed by Rev. Edward R. Burkhalter, pastor of the Presby- 
 terian Church, New Rochelle]. 
 
 When those, who in their hves have been 
 marked by rare christian character, pass away 
 from earth, it is most natural and right that some 
 memorial of their name and history should be 
 preserved, as a sweet comfort to their loved ones 
 who survive, and as a guide and stimulus to all 
 whom this memorial shall reach. Mr. Joseph W. 
 Lester was so pre-eminently one of this class — he 
 was so great in goodness — that it is at the same 
 time a sacred duty and a rare privilege to perpetu- 
 ate his memory. It is true that he was best known, 
 and his influence most deeply felt, in the city, and 
 especially in connection with the Allen Street church; 
 but for the last few years it has been his habit to 
 spend six months of each year in his country home, 
 and here in New Rochelle have we all learned to 
 honor and love him. We have, therefore, our tes- 
 timony to render and our tribute to bring. 
 
3^ 
 
 Mr. LESTE[-i said to me in the beginning of my 
 ministry, and often repeated the remark in his own 
 so inimitable manner, " You know that I am better 
 off than most persons, for I have two pastors instead 
 of one." He said it with so much heartiness, and 
 so much depth and sincerity of meaning, that it 
 always gave me a whole world of impulse and 
 encouragement. It was a great and most happy 
 incentive to duty to be called pastor by such a 
 man. Indeed, it could be said of him, that he was 
 a perpetual stimulus to his pastor. He was the 
 most active and useful and zealous layman that I 
 ever knew or ever heard of. Instead of needing, 
 as so many do, the perpetual impulse of the pulpit 
 to keep him in the spirit of christian zeal and dili- 
 gence, his own constant, warm and active piety 
 reacted on the pulpit, and greatly contributed to 
 keep the preacher in a frame of ardent desire for 
 the welfare of souls. That minister of the Gospel 
 would be a strangely unimpressible man, who could 
 see before him every Sabbath during half the year 
 that face, which was so suggestive of christian labor, 
 and not feel stimulated to preach and pray and 
 
39 
 
 strive, with similar ardor, to save souls. But per- 
 sonal contact with Mr. Lester was most inspiring. 
 There was something quite indescribable about him, 
 which was absolutely contagious. One caught his 
 spirit irresistibly. An interview with him started 
 new thoughts, desires and aspirations in the direc- 
 tion of christian usefulness. Without being at all 
 conscious of it, Mr. Lester left the impression upon 
 every one's mind that religion was with him the 
 chief concern, the ruling principle ; and what was 
 so especially dehghtful about him, his religion was 
 pre-eminently cheerful, and buoyant, and healthy. 
 This was the case, because religion was with him 
 so eminently practical, and so fruitful of good works. 
 Christianity was not to his mind a treasure to be 
 jealously guarded in one's own soul, as the source 
 of enjoyment in one's secret reflections and medita- 
 tions : as he understood it, the christian religion 
 is an active and aggressive power — the impulse to 
 do good to one's fellow-men. Religion sent him 
 constantly abroad. He did not tarry long in his 
 own heart, to ponder over its mysteries and per- 
 plexities ; he went about in every direction doing 
 
40 
 
 good. He believed in doing good of every kind. 
 He was ready to bring help of every sort, accord- 
 ing to the needs which he witnessed. He was a 
 most sensible and discreet man, and knew well how 
 to discriminate. He was a good counselor and 
 friend in both spiritual and temporal matters, and 
 he always knew in what form to administer his 
 counsel and his aid. 
 
 It was perfectly amazing to learn, (as I have 
 learned incidentally, from time to time, and I know 
 that the half has not been told me), how many 
 persons were reached by his friendly hand, and in 
 how many directions his sympathies, his interests, 
 and his active energies, were put forth. I could 
 scarcely understand how it was possible for him to 
 keep so many separate interests in his mind, and 
 to care for them all at the same time. But, amid 
 them all, no one and nothing were forgotten or 
 neglected. Although he was so full of thoughts 
 and cares, because of his interests in the city, there 
 was a place found in his heart and in his time for 
 his friends in New Rochelle. I never before under- 
 stood the capacities of time. I never before knew 
 
41 
 
 that one human hfe could undertake and accomplish 
 so much. The secret of it is, he was a man of 
 unbounded native energy, and there was added to 
 this a most unusual measure of that mighty princi- 
 ple — love for Christ. These two elements together 
 made him to be never weary in well-doing. 
 
 I cannot forbear adding, that he was also a most 
 unusual illustration of the application of christian 
 principle to all the details of life. How he carried 
 this out in his business I have had no means of 
 observing, but I have the same assurance as I 
 should have had I seen it all, that he was a rare 
 example of business integrity, who in all business 
 relations never departed from a high christian 
 standard. But, so far as his life has been led be- 
 fore my eyes, I have observed in it an unbroken 
 record of the exercise of christian character. His 
 was a life that manifested the very fewest changes. 
 As you saw him once, you saw him always. His 
 sentiments, his convictions, and his principles, were 
 all established and thoroughly understood, so that 
 you always knew where you should find him. His 
 life was disturbed by no fluctuations of feeling, but 
 
42 
 
 when he once assumed a position, he always main- 
 tained it. This added great additional value to his 
 character and his influence. You felt that you could 
 always depend upon him. He was sure to be always 
 in his place. We looked for him statedly at our 
 weekly meetings for conference and prayer, although 
 his attendance must have been at the cost of per- 
 sonal inconvenience, on account of his great distance 
 from the church. He was sure to be there, if it was 
 at all possible, and we enjoyed not his presence 
 only, but his cheering and stimulating words. 
 
 It can not be my object at this time to give an 
 analysis of Mr. Lester's character, much less to 
 present any comprehensive view of his worth. That 
 were altogether impossible. In what I have thus 
 written, I have attempted to answer the question, 
 what he has been to me. And let me comprehend 
 it all in closing. He has been to me one of the 
 best and dearest of friends ; one of the brightest 
 and most instructive of examples. His memory can 
 never die. His picture, so accurate and so speak- 
 ing, I keep ever before me, in my study, and I delight 
 to look at it, for it is a perpetual inspiration to me. 
 
43 
 
 It stimulates me to renewed zeal, and constant dili- 
 gence. It is a perpetual monitor to me, as though 
 his voice spoke to me from out the better world. I 
 believe I can truly say, I am a better and more 
 zealous man for having known and loved Mr. Joseph 
 W. Lester. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
" The sun hath set, — 
 Vet o'er the land still blooms that woiiditjus glow, 
 Still shine the topmost peaks, and down below 
 The vale is full of light, 
 And gloomy night 
 
 Cometh not yet. 
 
 Kindling my inmost soul, still shines Love's day : 
 Stronger than Death is Love, — 
 From Heaven above 
 
 Heart answers heart." 
 
SELECTIONS EROM LETTERS AND OBnUARY 
 NOTICES. 
 
 Cousin Joseph was very dear to us all ; he needs no 
 eulogizing. Perhaps I loved him better because in our 
 younger days he was so frank, always reproving me if he 
 saw me in error. 
 
 J. F. 
 
 L.\UREL Hill. 
 
 I do not think I shall realize that my dear Cousin Joseph 
 has passed away from our earthly sight, until I am in the 
 home that was always so brightened by his presence. How 
 we all felt the influence of his bright, cheering fiice, as he 
 came into the room. I can only bring him before me in that 
 way now. When I think of him, those lines of Longfellow's 
 often come to me, — 
 
 " O, though of'l depressed and lonely, 
 All my fears are laid aside, 
 If I but remember only 
 
 Such as these have lived and died ! " 
 
 L. F. B. 
 
 ( LUTON, N. Y. 
 
48 
 
 For the last month we have had Joseph continually in 
 our thoughts. Such a stroke cannot but affect us both, as 
 for a long time our joys and our sorrows have been so ten- 
 derly connected. Mere sympathy will help nothing ; but if 
 we speak and think of him as he lived, if we live over the old 
 days again, holding each tender thought and act close to our 
 hearts, we can then indeed feel that he still lives. Thank 
 God we can do this. His look will never die to me. 
 
 D. D. E. 
 
 When I was at your house last winter, Joseph seemed 
 changed ; he appeared more gentle, happier, if possible, and 
 altogether so lovely in his character, that when I returned 
 
 home I spoke to C of the change, telling her that it made 
 
 me feel that he was living beyond and above us more and 
 more. That month was a precious one to me, for I remember 
 his peculiarly happy ways, his greater love for religious work, 
 his happiness (almost boyish) in the love and attention of the 
 young men of Allen street. Especially do I remember that 
 Sunday afternoon, when so many of the young men ( I think 
 there were fifteen) called for him, in order that they might 
 have the pleasure of walking with him to Dr. Thompson's 
 Bible class, up town. When Joseph came into the room and 
 saw the large number who had called for him, and had come 
 by twos and threes of their own free will, and not by appoint- 
 ment, then his face was delightful to look upon — he was so 
 pleased and surprised at seeing them, and their evident love 
 for him seemed to touch him. I can hear now his happy, 
 cheery voice, thanking them for calling for him ; then his 
 
49 
 
 joyous way of stepping forward and saying, " Come, boys, we 
 don't want to be late" — speaking to them not as though he 
 were a dignified leader, but just one of thon in feeling and 
 sentiment. Do you remember how we followed them out 
 just to see that dear brother surrounded by his boys ? I 
 think tears came to the eyes of us both as we spoke of 
 Joseph's delight in those dear young men, his anxiety for 
 their welfare and well doing. As he stepped off with his 
 light, elastic step, I thought who among them all had a finer 
 physique, a younger heart, a more enthusiastic or fresher 
 view of life ! 
 
 There is one thing I aways remember so well, though I 
 don't know as I have ever spoken to you of it, that is, Joseph's 
 faithfulness in secret prayer. I have heard him in an adjoin- 
 ing room, in the early morning, in audible, earnest prayer for 
 himself and others. I thought them the best prayers he 
 made. He would speak to God of his great anxiety for his 
 friends, always mentioning individual cases, and pleading so 
 earnestly for them. Those who were out of Christ he would 
 especially plead and pray for ; and he prayed as though he 
 had such trust and reliance in God, that he would hear and 
 answer his prayers aright. He never neglected his private 
 devotions, and in leaving would often sing a line or two of 
 some hymn, such as — 
 
 "Come, thou fount of every blessing!" 
 It is a sad pleasure to recall his dear sayings, and to me his 
 playful, mischievous ways, are a delight to remember. He 
 was so alive, so bright, so active — how am we realize that he 
 
 is gone forever. 
 
 ^ S. A. D. 
 
50 . 
 
 No one could see Joseph Lester, much more knoxv his 
 worth, without a good and sort of sacred influence pervading 
 their whole being. My own respect and love for him were 
 more than ordinary. I always looked up to him as an un- 
 common christian, always ready to depart when the Lord 
 called him. He was my oracle in everything that was good 
 
 and lovely. 
 
 R. B. C. 
 
 Hartford, Conn. 
 
 Your husband was doubly dear to me — dear that he was 
 blood kin of one who is so precious to me in memories of her 
 life, dear because he was so much like Him who is the chiefest 
 among ten thousand. Yes, Cousin Joseph bore the image of 
 
 his Master. Ever since our delightful little visit at N , 
 
 in the summer of 1858, I've never ceased to love him. I 
 distinctly remember a little talk he gave us in the church one 
 evening. Some one quoted the familiar passage, " Let me die 
 the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like 
 his ! " when he seized it for his text, and spoke so pleasantly 
 and profitably that a lasting impression was made upon 
 my mind, and he seemed to give us the secret of his godly 
 life. 
 
 E. T. F. 
 New Haven, Conn. 
 
51 
 
 How many mourn with you to-day! The church, the 
 Sabbath school, the prayer meeting, society — all feel the loss. 
 There are few indeed who would be missed more. How 
 precious is the memory he leaves ! May the mantle of the 
 father rest upon that dear son. Looking at things from our 
 own stand-point of view, we are ready to say, this good man 
 cannot be spared ; the church needs him, the world needs 
 him, society needs him, his family needs him ; we cannot have 
 him go yet. Rut God says to us all, " Heaven needs him ;" 
 "shall I not do what I will with my own?" Heaven has 
 become already brighter for a radiant presence newly entered 
 there. He has entered into rest, and there is " rest for yoii!' 
 
 Rev. a. R. \V. 
 
 MoNTrLAIR, N. f. 
 
 We all loved and honored him. Although not privileged 
 
 to meet him often, we frequently heard his name mentioned, 
 
 always in connection with some good work, and we know 
 
 that if it were not that "death loves a shining mark," 
 
 he would have been spared to love and bless you with his 
 
 presence. And now you and your dear children are heirs of 
 
 the gospel of his precious life, a legacy which any might 
 
 covet. 
 
 M. C. H. 
 
52 
 
 Very few, my dear friend, have enjoyed the enviable lot 
 which has been yours for a quarter of a century. It is the 
 happy lot of but few women to have sucJi a companion — so 
 pure and good a man, so noble a christian character. Truly 
 the mantle of his sainted uncle fell upon him. They were 
 lovely in their lives, blessed in their deaths, and their works 
 do and will follow them. 
 
 O ! how many, many besides myself have occasion to-day 
 to go back and recall the generous acts of christian kindness 
 received at his hands. How many poor will weep in secret 
 places, how many young persons whom he has led to Jesus, 
 how many warm christian hearts whom he has comforted and 
 encouraged. 
 
 How many christian ministers, who have enjoyed the 
 
 privilege of his friendship, can say, as my heart has been 
 
 continually saying, " Very pleasant, my brother, hast thou 
 
 been unto me." 
 
 Rev. V. LeR. L. 
 
 New York Mills, N. Y. 
 
 I have lost my truest friend, the man to whom I owe more 
 as a minister, and Port Huron church owes more as a band of 
 Christ's followers, than to any other person. 
 
 His energy, his industry, his economy, his beneficence, his 
 charity — all told in the formation of my ministerial character. 
 His consecration to Christ was the clearest instance I had 
 ever met, and I have never met another like it since. 
 
53 
 
 And now, not boastiny;ly, the church at Port Huron has 
 the name of being the most wide-awake, and in truly christian 
 giving, the most Hberal Congregational church in the State of 
 Michigan. So he lives in me, in my church, and in the 
 churches of the State. Oh, how a man sows himself into the 
 soil of centuries when he works for Jesus. Oh, that I may 
 feel, as I think of going, that I have done as much as I think 
 he has done. But the very best of his friendship I consider 
 to have been, that stern sense of demanding of me what was 
 right, and reproving what was wrong, even though it were 
 but omission. That evening when first he came to see me 
 at Union Theological Seminary ! Oh, it shaped my whole 
 ministerial life as an active and patient one, and made me love 
 the work of saving souls as nothing else has. He is my god- 
 father indeed. 
 
 Rev. J. S. H. 
 
 Port Huron, Mich. 
 
 There was no friend, not one, that I loved more than 
 Joseph Lester, and I felt honored by his friendship. As a 
 christian brother, I loved him — so true, so humble, yet so 
 firm and resolute. "I have kept the faith" may well be 
 written of him. We lose his cheering words and his devoted 
 life, his prayers and his generous sympathy, and the love of 
 his big, warm heart ; but Hem'oi gains it all, and it will be 
 happier there (if such a thing were possible) with him among 
 them. "His works do follow him;" yes, they have gone 
 
54 
 
 before him, and will be his diadem forever. It almost seems 
 to me I can hear, among the voices that have greeted him, 
 one that is saying, " Well done !" 
 
 This is not all. The memory of Joseph Lester is precious, 
 and it will live when hundreds are forgotten. 
 
 J. P. P. 
 
 To know your husband was to love him. I always loved 
 to meet him" and have a friendly talk. I don't know of any 
 one, not even a brother, who had my confidence more than 
 your husband. He was always cheerful and pleasant, never 
 complaining or desponding, but looking always on the bright 
 
 side and feeling hopeful. 
 
 O. B. J. 
 
 Lake George, N. Y. 
 
 I had known and loved him many years, when we were 
 brought more closely together by meeting every month in 
 the Board of Managers of the National Temperance Society. 
 He, like myself, was scarcely absent from those meetings, 
 and we were always of one mind, in everything that con- 
 cerned a cause he had so much at heart. We will greatly 
 miss him and his wise counsels in that Board. There was 
 no other member in whose sound judgment I had such 
 implicit confidence. I scarcely see how we are to get on 
 without him. 
 
55 
 
 His plain, unassuminy; ways, liis unselfishness, his thought- 
 fulness for others, his willingness to work and readiness to 
 contribute — all endeared him to us more than I can express. 
 
 F. C. 
 
 He was my friend — I esteemed him highly : not alone 
 
 because he was my friend in all times of business cares, but 
 
 because he was a self-made man, upright and honorable in all 
 
 his dealings, and with a heart which was always ready to 
 
 sympathize with others in need. 
 
 W. S. 
 
 Charleston, S. C. 
 
 Truly he was a most extraordinary man — most unusually 
 christian, most singularly wise and good, strong, loving and 
 tender. He was universally esteemed, respected and beloved. 
 You would be comforted, indeed, did you know what an 
 impression he has left upon the hearts of all of us at New 
 Rochelle. 
 
 I feel the most perfect assurance that the impression he 
 
 has left upon my heart will never be lost, and I would count 
 
 it one of my greatest blessings if it could be kept as vivid as 
 
 it is now. I pray that it may be. 
 
 Rev. E. R. B. 
 
 Manchksikk, Vt. 
 
56 
 
 It seems but yesterday that I met him, and had the 
 usual cordial grasp of the hand and the kindly word and 
 smile. We were nearly of an age, and have taken " sweet 
 counsel together " for many years. If to live so as to be 
 missed be an object for the christian, surely he early attained 
 it. How he will be missed in the circle of his business 
 friends, in the Church of Christ, and in the sacred circle of 
 his own family. He leaves few equals behind him. 
 
 W. C. 
 
 In all these years since I first met your husband, I have 
 not met the man whom I more honored and loved, as a sym- 
 pathizing, consistent christian man. Oh, how blessed to have 
 
 so lived and died. 
 
 Rev. J. H. T. 
 
 Lake Forest, III. 
 
 1 never before felt more seriously the loss of a friend than 
 in the departure of almost my dearest friend, Mr. Joseph W. 
 Lester. He has been as a ministering angel to me, ever 
 since the first Sabbath morning that I went into your Sun- 
 day school, in Allen street. He met me so cordially and 
 made me feel so much at home, took such pains to introduce 
 me to the teachers and superintendent, and afterwards invited 
 me to sit with him in your pew ; and, if I remember aright. 
 
57 
 
 took me home to dinner, then to Sunday school again, to 
 Young Peoples' prayer meeting, and to evening church. 
 His kindness and largeness of heart have been manifested 
 in so many ways, and so frequently, that no language that 
 I can command will convey any proper conception of my 
 esteem and admiration for him as a christian Jiian, in the 
 true sense of the term. 
 
 Mr. Lester has been a great blessing in the church, 
 Sunday school, prayer meetings, benevolent associations, 
 Bible and tract societies, American S. S. Union, and, not 
 least by any means, as a christian merchant, who was not 
 ashamed to show his true colors in his counting-room. His 
 associations in these different relationships have brought 
 him in contact with a host of individuals, and God only 
 knows the ultimate results of influences set in motion or 
 owing their origin to Mr. Lester. 
 
 H. P. A. 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 Though I knew Mr. Lester was a mighty worker, yet 
 I presumed he possessed vigor equal to the tax levied daily 
 upon his system ; and I have always anticipated a hale and 
 hearty old age for him. But what he would not accord to 
 himself, the Lord has given to him — Rest! Now he has 
 entered into the full enjoyment of" Rest, Refuge and Home." 
 
 Whenever my thoughts wandered to New York, I always 
 remembered Mr. Lester as a much prized friend. I always 
 
58 
 
 felt better for meeting him. How much I shall miss him ! 
 He was a model christian business man. His Christianity 
 was felt under all circumstances. He daily proved that a 
 man can be a thorough christian, and successful in business 
 at the same time. • 
 
 The energy displayed in the store was given also to the 
 work of the church. He was a tower of strength to his 
 pastor — such a co-laborer as any minister would be proud to 
 possess. Many will arise to call him blessed, and who can 
 estimate the number of stars in his crown of rejoicing? I 
 have gone over in imagination the hundreds of different per- 
 sons for whom he has made life sweeter, and across whose 
 pathways he has thrown a ray of sunlight. 
 
 To be a minister of good cheer is to be a minister of God ; 
 and such a man was Mr. J. W. Lester. May the Lord grant 
 to business circles and to the church many such men. 
 
 Rev. N. B. R. 
 Troy, N. Y. 
 
 [ From a Sunday School Scholar ] . 
 
 You know Mr. Lester was an exemplary man in all 
 respects, therefore we looked to him for an example more 
 than we ought : also, the rest of the church folks let him do 
 too much of the work, and were too dependent on him, not 
 only for money but also to do almost all the thinking. Now, 
 somebody else must do the thinking and acting, and there 
 
59 
 
 will be more than one who will be willing to work for Jesus, 
 and thereby obtain a starry crown. It seems as though at 
 the mention of Mr. Lester's name, the young men are in- 
 spired, and I wish you could hear some of them speak, and 
 hear their resolves to work with a will and build up the 
 church by their united efforts. 
 
 LILY M. 
 
 O, how I have felt since dear Mr. Lester's death. I can- 
 not express my loss. In him I have lost the only father I 
 ever knew, for indeed he has been a father to me for thirteen 
 years. 
 
 I love to think of him as having been the means of leading 
 hundreds to Christ. No one ever left the world of whom 
 it could be more appropriately said than of him — "I have 
 fought a good fight, I have kept the faith : henceforth there 
 is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 
 
 H. P. T. 
 
 Portland, Me. 
 
 I can say honestly, that after my only brother, no man 
 living had such a hold of my heart as Mr. Lester. 
 
 How many times he has interested himself in my behalf 
 I remember one case. One night I came to*prayer meet- 
 ing, jaded, worried, worn out ; my face (which with me is 
 always a tell-tale) told the story. Our minister called upon 
 
6o 
 
 me the very first to engage in prayer. I had to comply in 
 a few feeble utterances. Some three months after, in con- 
 versation, the subject was touched, and I expressed surprise 
 that in my miserable state, I should have been called upon, 
 at that time. Mr. L. replied, " Man, my sympathies were 
 more drawn out and excited by that helpless, broken-up 
 prayer of yours, than any I ever heard you present ! " 
 
 Panegyrics upon those who have departed, are at best, in 
 most cases, a tissue of misrepresentations ; but the half of the 
 truth, as I can testify, was not told in regard to him. 
 
 The humble christian, the faithful friend, the true citizen — 
 
 not to say anything of his own private home virtues, were all 
 
 united in him. 
 
 H. G. F. 
 
 Paris, Fr.vnce. 
 
OBITUARY NOTICES. 
 
 [From the A\'70 York Observer, August 2lst, 1873]. 
 
 Viewed from a christian stand-point, Joseph W. Lester 
 was no ordinary man. He was a bright, shining hght in the 
 Church of Christ, to which his whole life from early man- 
 hood was singularly devoted. His entire life was freely 
 spent in his divine Master's cause. Hundreds of the poor 
 of New York, who came within the sphere of his charmed 
 circle of usefulness, can bear testimony to the fact that his 
 hand was ever open to the wants of the needy, many if not 
 all of whom he led, by his winning, gentle manner and 
 persuasive eloquence, to the feet of Jesus, and who now 
 rejoice in His saving grace. It is impossible to do anything 
 like justice to the character of Mr. Lester in an obituary 
 notice. To speak of his christian graces and many acts of 
 christian charity would fill a volume. Truly can it be said 
 of him, he "fought a good fight" and "kept the faith," 
 and is now wearing that crown of righteousness reserved 
 for the valiant soldiers of the Cross. 
 
62 
 
 [ From the National Temperance Advocate^ September, 1873 ]. 
 
 Mr. Lester had been a member of the Board of Managers 
 of the National Temperance Society since its organization, 
 and was, at the time of his death, chairman of the Finance 
 Committee. 
 
 He was one of the most efficient members of the Board ; 
 always prompt, ready with judicious counsel, genuine sym- 
 pathy and generous material aid. Much of the success and 
 usefulness of the National Temperance Society and Publica- 
 tion House has been due to his hearty co-operation and 
 valuable, though unostentatious, labors in connection with 
 the management of its financial affairs. He will be sadly 
 missed and mourned by his associates, and by all who knew 
 him. The temperance cause can ill afford, at the present 
 juncture, to lose so staunch and steadfast a supporter and 
 worker. 
 
 [From the Sioiday School Times, September 6th, 1873]. 
 
 Joseph W. Lester, our beloved superintendent, is dead. 
 A good man, a great man has fallen. As superintendent 
 of the school — Allen Street Presbyterian — we deplore his 
 loss, and cannot fill his place. Punctual, practical, kind, 
 loving, sympathizing, with a pleasant word for every one, 
 he was loved by all, to the youngest of the infant class. 
 He was modest, humble, abounding with " charity towards 
 all," benevolent beyond others. He was a godly man, and 
 
in his closet received the strength which he asked of God, 
 and would come forth with countenance beaming, ready 
 for his work, and equal to any emergency. 
 
 When the pinching cold of winter comes, the poor of 
 the church will miss him ; " For," said one of the deacons, 
 " wherever I went I found that his footsteps had been 
 before me." He was the wise counselor in the Eldership. 
 He has led us as a church for years past " out of the 
 depths" (pecuniarily) when "deficiencies" have been either 
 large or small. 
 
 Always in his place in the social prayer meeting, his 
 exhortations — short, pointed, earnest — carried conviction to 
 all who heard them : how many who said, " It did me good 
 to hear him talk." If we turn to business, we hear the same 
 story. Mr. Lester was a superior business man, and was 
 prospered of God. We believe that as he gave away he 
 " increased." Many young men attribute their success in 
 business — some entirely, some largely — to him. Some he 
 established, others aided materially, others assisted by sound 
 judgment and advice. 
 
 Let us emulate his virtues, and follow him as he fol- 
 lowed Christ. 
 
 [From The Hat, Cap and Fur Trade Revieio, September, 1873]. 
 
 The trade has suffered a great loss by the death of 
 Joseph W. Lester, who leaves behind him an untarnished 
 name and reputation. He was essentially a good, worthy 
 
64 
 
 citizen. Hard working and a thorough business man, he 
 never for a moment forgot that Hfe has other duties besides 
 mere money-making, and so devoted himself to every effort 
 that conduced to elevate his fellow-men. Such an existence 
 has to us a special charm. There is a straightforward, 
 honest manliness about it that soars above the miserable 
 pettiness of our every-day life, and in our opinion does, 
 single-handed, more to improve the general welfare than 
 all the ill considered efforts of those who indulge in spas- 
 modic fits of benevolence and religion. No higher and 
 nobler testimony of Mr. Lester's usefulness can be given 
 than the following paper which, at his death, was circu- 
 lated among the trade : 
 
 In consequence of the death of our esteemed fellow-citizen, Joseph W. 
 Lester, Esq., whose loss w-e ao sincerely deplore, and in testimony of our 
 respect for his exalted worth as a man, his usefulness as a citizen, his unbending 
 integrity as a merchant, and his amiable qualities as a friend, we, the under- 
 signed, manufacturers and wholesale hat dealers, agree to withdraw from our 
 labors for the day, and to close our respective places of business, at the hour 
 of I o'clock, on Tuesday, the 12th instant, for the purpose of attending his 
 funeral, to be held in the Presbyterian church, at New Rochelle, at 2 o'clock, 
 P. M. 
 
 [SIGNED BY FIFTY-ONE FIRMS]. 
 
 [From the New York Evangelist, August 21st, 1S73 ]. 
 
 Rarely is a community called to mourn the loss of so 
 estimable a citizen as Joseph W. Lester. 
 
 A man of untiring industry, strict integrity and of eco- 
 nomical habits, he soon attained the front rank in his 
 
65 
 
 calling, and acquired a competency. While his counting- 
 room has found him assiduous in the discharge of its daily 
 duties for years past, the fruits of his efforts have been 
 liberally disseminated among benevolent objects in unos- 
 tentatious charity. Recognized as a most exemplary mer- 
 chant while living, none could be more lamented in death. 
 Few have succeeded in establishing a reputation so spot- 
 less and a character so lovely. 
 
 Identified as he had been with the interests of the 
 wholesale hat trade, and brought into daily intercourse 
 with its members for more than a quarter of a century, 
 none knew better how to estimate his virtues or appreciate 
 his worth. His was a character which commanded the 
 respect, love and confidence of all classes and conditions 
 of men. His was a Christianity which reflected from within 
 the holy emotions of a pure and exalted faith, practically 
 illustrating in daily life the essence and value of true re- 
 ligion. Scrupulously punctilious in all his engagements, 
 the important and minor details of his business were con- 
 ducted upon the strictest principles of rectitude and honor. 
 His was a life that embellished the counting-room, dignified 
 his calling, sweetened intercourse, and indelibly impressed the 
 beauty and influence of a holy example upon the minds 
 of his associates. Unassuming, meek, gentle, affable, modest 
 and refined, with a kind word for all, his relations with 
 business men have left recollections of the most pleasing 
 and happy character. We love to think of him as we 
 saw him daily moving, with quick, elastic step, countenance 
 radiant with inward joy, and smiles of friendship which we 
 
66 
 
 knew were pure, because reflected from a heart that knew 
 no guile. In him were clustered irresistible graces, which 
 while they inspire love, magnetize and charm. 
 
 Though his spirit has passed beyond that bourn from 
 whence no pilgrim returns, his influence still lives, while 
 the recollections of his virtues are enshrined in heart and 
 embalmed in memory. 
 
 52rc . 315 
 
 02-17-05 32180 4 I 
 
 Press of C. H. Jones Sf Co., 114 Fulton Street, New i'ori City. 
 
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Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Lit 
 
 1 1012 01043 1676 
 
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