The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-18 00:00:00

SERMON IN COMMEMORATION OF SL

HENRY HAVELOCK,

Bloomsbury_ Chapel was yesterday morning
crowded to excess in consequence of an annouvce.
merit having been made by the minister, the .kev.
_Mr. Brock, that he would take that opportunity of
paying a tribute of respect to the memory of the
-lamented Sir Henry Havelock, who was formerly
A member of the Christian community hssembling
in that place of worship. The sermon, whichoccu-
pied 'about an hour in the delivery, and of which
we present an abstract, was listened to with the
most Profound attention, and at its conclusion an
intimation was given that, as a great number of
pensons bad been unable to obtain admission, the
prominent features of the dilcourae w0u)..1 be
noticed on the following evening.
The rev. gentleman took for his text the 24th

verse of theMth chapter of Genesis—" And Euoch
walked with God, and he was not : for GA took
him." The reeoncileablenem of war with Chris-
_ _

tianity (be obseived) had been a mooted pßint froim.
the first day until riow, and that was not the proper
occasion on which to discuss such a qUestion ; it
was rather a time for reasoners on both sides to:
forego their differences and to unite in a tribute of.
respect and love for a Man who certainly did believei
that in the discharge of the duties of his militaryi
profession he was subserving the glory of God in:
the highest, peace on earth and good will towards!
men: It seemed to him a befi,tiug and proper.
occasion for all to unite in doing honour .o those God-
fearins military men who reit in :Ohristby holding
theit memorAis in veneration, and those who stall,

remain, by commending them daily to the favour
and blessing of Almighty God. DA every one en-
deavour to glorify God in one whose death could
not be regarded-but as a matter of naiional grief
and distress, and be thought the text which he had
selected was well calculated to serve the object in
view. He " walked with God." That was a fact
for devout thankfulness. "He was not." That
was an incident on account of which all were un-

feignedly distressed. " God took him." That was
a transition whereon all might triumphantly rejoice.
The patriarch " walked with God." Havelock
" walked with God." That might be taken as in-
dicating a habit for which every one ought to he
thankful. He gave himself up earnestly to promote
the glory of God, and like a child, warrior as he
wai., sought to enjoy communion with God. He
acknowledged God in all his ways. He fc and in
every act and position of his lifo an opportuuil for
glorifying God, and turned each opportunity to
good account. He avoided alike sanctimoniousness
and profanity. He avoided ungodliness and worldly
lusts, and lived soberly, righteou-ly, and godly in
this present world. Where he might have been re-
ligious, he was devout. Where he might have baen

time-serving, he was fearless. Where he might been
fickle, he was persevering. Where lie might have
consulted maxims of ambition and joy, he consulted
the monitions of a regenerated conscience, that
interpreted to his eyes the teaching of the Word
of God. He lived godly in Christ Jesus. He
died godly in Christ Jesus. His godliness in-
laid his entire char. • cter. He considered there
wa but one path of duty, and was never inde-
cisive ; but one object open, and that was sin. So
long ago as the year 1807, when he was at the Charter
House school, he was accustomed to make selection
of his sleeping-room, in company with a few other
like-minded youngsters—men who have risen to
renown in their several professions. They were
accustomed to read religious books ; volumes of '
sermons among the rest. Befoie he went to India
in 1823, be had preseuted himself a living sacrifice
to God, and resolved, whatever others might do, to
serve the Lord. No sooner did he join the 13th
Light Infantry than he began to devote himself
seriously to the welfare of his fellowm n, assem-
bling them together at every opportunity for the
reading of the scriptures and psalmody and prayer,
and throughout the long period of his connexion
with that regiment that practice he religiously main-
tained. There came a time when they built a
place for their religious accommodation, and had
their own pastor, but Havelock was amongst them,
as one that served them in the gospel and grace of
the Lord Jesus. When at Rangoon with the 'el.
pedition under Sir A. Campbell, he exerted himself
to the utmost
Aid to prevent the excesses of the sol-
dieiS after --p/ace had been captured. He there
obtained the permanent use of a large chamber in
the Grand Pagoda, and converted that chamber,
the walls of which were decorated with idolatrous
images, into a meeting-house for the worship of
the true God. One day a military officer, on ap-
proaching the editioq, beard the sound of psalmody,
and entering therein, he found above a hundred
soldiers seated around their officer, who was acting
as the good minister of Jesus Christ. About that
time, a military emergency having arisen, the
General in command thought not of his
embarrassment. Having ordered out a par-
ticular troop, the reply was that they were
intoxicated, and could not take a place of danger.
Then, said the commanding officer, turn out Have-
lock's men; he is alwaysready, and his men are never
drunk. They were immediately under arms, and
the general's object was achieved. Not without
much opposition was it that he has oudeavoared t )
walk humbly with his God. He was ridiculed and
persecuted for righteousness' sake. On the ad-
jutancy and his corps becoming vacant, an applica-
tion was made to the Governor-General to give it
to Havelock. His lordship demurred on account
of what had been said to Havelock's disparagement
as being an enthusiast and a fanatic. Bitter was
the hostility which beset him on that occasion, but
it was overcome in this manner. A re: urn was
ordered of the offences committed by the men of
the several companies throughout the regiment,
and, having exawined the return, the Governor-
General said he found twit the in Havelock's
company who had joined in his religious exercises
were the most sober and best behave.' men in the
regiment. The complaint against the men, he said,
was that they were baptists, and he added that he
wished the whole regiment were baptists too. The
result of the inquiry was the bestowal of the ad-
jutancy upon Havelock, and the entry in his
memorandum-book simply mentions the fact, with
the addition of the following words : " Continue
religious instruction to the soldiers, and do every
thing to promote temperate habits among them."
And under the same date were the words " Dr.
Marchman's happy death at Serampore." During
the 23 years that he acted as a subaltern officer he
devoted one tenth part of his slender income to
purposes of relgious benevolence. In 1838 he
obtained promotion, and took au active part in
the movement at Cabool and Jellalabad, forming
one of the body designed by the Governor-
General to restore the garrisons. For six weeks
were the men employed on the fortification. On the
completion of the works, Havelock suggested to
General Sale the propriety of holding a religious
service, for the purpose of thanking God and taking
courage. The suggestion was acted upon. The
garrison were assembled, and on Havelock devolved
the duty of offering prayer and praise fur his com-
rades and himself. Thus practically did he " walk
with God." In the year 1847 he again obtained pro-
motion, and we find him at Bombay, where he iden-
tified himself with the friends of truth and mission-
ary purposes. In the year 1849 he came to England,
and remained here and on the continent fur two
pears. For some time he was a worshipper with us
in this chapel, and well do I remember when he
stood at the baptistry, as I was baptising his second
son, he looking and speaking, and demeaning him.
self a man whose very heart was glad that his boy
was thus consecrating himself to the service of the
Lord. On his return to India he was called upon to
occupy a high military position, and did so
he was without
any detriment to his religious duties. As
going to India from Persia the vessel in which he
had sailed was wrecked, and greatly owing to his
firmness and presence of mind, every soul on board
was saved. When all were safely on shore, what
did they hear but an earnest call upon them to ren-
der altogether their thanks to God for their escape. ,
And whose earnest call was that ? Havelock's.
Who would kid those thanksgivings? He would
—and so he did. And kneeling down there
and then,
surrounded by the passengers and crew, he thanked
God for giving them mercy and grace in time of need.
It is this devout spontaneous readiness to officiate in
servicts of that kind that affords anillostration of
his habits fNr which we are devoutly thankful to
God. Those who were connected with him know
that he had not put on religion for for
that he was not
sanctimonious
and sinister purposes.
prone at prayer meetings and at the mess.
They knew that he walked worthy of his vocation at
all hazard and all cost. I have authority for say-
ing that be once threw awaythe
ohinghtelsetnpdrhosimpesceitst
in his profession because he would
to the defence of a policy of which in his conscience
he utterly disapproved, and more than once did he
put his military commission in the highest jeopardy
because he would not obey a command that
had been issued which was in contravention and
opposition to his religious creed. Although he could
have maintained and did maintain his allegiance to
his Sovereign at the sacrifice of his life, he would
not sacrifice his allegiance to his Heavenly Father.
What he began in his little chamber at the Charter-