Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-06-17
SERMON
Delivered al Cincinnati, on the occasion
of the Death of President Harrison.
BY REV. JOHN T. BROOKE

BY REV. JOHN 7. BROOKE.
/ The author Of the following discourse has had
due intimaton tina; the publication Of il would not
be unacceptable to the immediate friends and fell
| low.parshioners Of Gen. HARRISON. And although
aware that its intrinsic merit a composition, does
entle it the respect Of more distant readers,
he entertans the hope that the relation which he
sustained TO the lamented subject Of it. may give it
sufficient interest to make it useful. The Sermon
was prepared under Of his responsibility as
a messenger Of truth and it was his desire, so
watch his strong personal Partially for the deceas
ed, MOTTO be betrayed by it into the utterance Of
a sentence which, dying he would visa to blot. ]
Pastors testimony to The character Of William
/ Henry Harrison--A Sermon preached on The
| late National Fast Day, By the Rec. John T.
| Brooke, Rector Of Christ Church, Cincinnati.
| --l34i
For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth
that we are dust.'-CIIG. Ps, l4v.
To recognise the hand Of God in ma
tonal blessings and distresses, is dis
| tngushlng mark of christian people.
And although in this country the service
Of God is "periect freedom" our civil
magistrates feel at liberty to recommend
days Of thanksgiving and fasting espe-
cially when they have reason to believe
| that such recommendation will meet
with hearty response from the people.
| Acting under this view of the subject, the
respected individual who now presides
over this nation, has deemed It proper 10
designate this day for COMMUNICATING and
improving the death Of our late honored
Chief Magistrate. In accordance with his
recommendation we are now assembled,
And we propose to take the passage of
Scripture which we have announced, as a
guide in the reflections which we shall Of
Ter. 1t speaks divine mercy to human
| fraiIty. He knoweih our frame, that
is, he compassionately regards our inward
and spiritual week.-mrs. he remember
eth that we are dust, '-corruptible and
pershable in our corporeal nature. The
direct tendency of this verse is to blend
penitence and humiliation for human
weakness, with hope in the divine CON-
passion "a combination OF feelings we'll
suited to the present occasion.
And aside from the intrinsic fitness OF
the text, we have been led to prefer it, be-
cause we have found it associated with
the latter hours Of our deceased President.
On the morning preceding his death,
strong hope was entertained of his recoye-
nv. And this 103d psalm, which is
psalm of thanksgiving, was read to him by
female friend. Little did those who lis
tened to its recital suppose that they were
furnishing us with matter so appropriate
to the present mournlul occasion as the
text, with its two following verses. For
he knoweth our frame nc remembereth
that we are dust. AS for man, his days
are as grass: as a flower Of the field so
he hourisheth. For the wind passeth
over it aud it is gone and the place
thereof shall know it no more. But Gods
thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are
his ways our ways. And let US not utter
a single murmur, but strive 20 profit by
the dispensation. In doing so, the text
will
|. Aid US in humbling our hearts under
a national affection:
IL. Guide US in rendering due honor to
the memory of the deceased. And
Ill. Assist us in forming hopeful es-
Innate of him as an avowed believer in
the gospel.
|. That the death Of our late President
is national affection, we might venture
to assume. For there is not, perhaps, an
individual in this assembly who would de.
Inv it. True, our government as constl-
lutionally organized, has wrought safely
under this calamity, and thereby proven
the wisdom of its structure. The wave OF
death which swept suddenly over our
ship of state and bore away its command
err, while it gave a severe shock, produced
no serious disaster. The second in COM
mand has taken the charge. And al
though there is mourning, the vessel still
holds on her way under "a iavoring breeze.
But we know not what breakers or storms
may be ahead And without meaning to
disparage the respected successor, we can
not tell how soon we may need the prac-
tical wisdom, the mature experience, and
the large popularity of our late chief.
Certainly the anxiety of many hearts
would be less, if it had pleased God to
spare him for the remainder of his term.
1t is readily admitted that the removal of
chief magistrate may not be in all cases
calamity. On the contrary, we can
conceive of q case in which his removal
might be a relief. But whenever such a
high officer possesses large measure oil
popular favor, and is wthal what is sig
nifcantly termed safe man. his de-
cease may be consistently regarded by all
parties as an affection. And just such
was the position of our late President. No
incumbent since the first presidency, en-
ioyed so large a share of popular favor.
Ills political friends had full confidence in
his policy and fidelity. And his political
opponents were cheered in their defeat by
the persuasion that he was at heart a
sound patriot. For we venture to assert,
that if the great mass of the party OPP
posed to his elevation could have been
put TO the question, who amongst your po-
lltical opponents would you prefer as a
chief magistrate the answer would have
been, almost by reclamation, give US Har
rison before any other man in your ranks !!
When, therefore, we assert that his death
is a national loss, we do but speak in ae-
cordance with the entire current of popu-
lar sentiment. As such calamity, let
us strive to improve it. Let us humble