Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-07-10


Lift her with care;
Fashioned So slendery,
Young and SO fair.''
The good hearted preacher followed not only
the injunction of the Savior, but the teachings
Of the poet, and that others may become re-
freshed as we have been over his remarks, we
give them in full as reported in the Tribune
After adverting to the difficulty which any one
experienced on occasions like this in preparing an
appropriate discourse, especially when the con-
temptation of it had deprived him of his rest since
the morning on which the suicide was discovered,
the reverend speaker stated that some persons
might think that he had acted injudiciously in
opening the house of God to receive the remains
of one who came to her end in such dreadful
manner, and unquestionably by her own premsd-
itated act. But when he looked into the word
of God and saw how our blessed Lord dem eaned
himself when earth, who forgave the woman
who had committed adultery, spying to her $50
and sin no more,3 and when he remembered that
our Lord was the friend of the publicans and
sinners, he felt that he was but Initiating the con-
duct Of his blessed Master in opening this house
of God for the reception of the remains of this
poor unfortunate. 1t was always better to err
on the side of charity than to err in our hearts.
1t was better, he always felt, to smooth over and
cover up faults than to magnify them ana make
them appear as if seen with IA telescope. He be-
lieved that on the last day God would not call
them to any account for this charitable work of
theirs in paying the last Offices to thu remains of
poor unfortunate-a stranger in Their neigh
borhood. Though they might expect the
tongue Of the censorous to be heard against them,
yet he was sure that when on his Death bed he
should not regret the step he had taken this day;
and he should ever cherish remembrance of the
people OF this neighborhood for the sympathy
they had shown on this occasion. They had Civ
en- true exhibition of Christian charity which
did not consist in lengthy prayers and sanctimo-
NOUS countenances, but in alternating the sorrows
and Affections of our fellow beings. 1t was in
drying up the tears of the widow and caring for
the orphan, the hauseless and the homeless and
in such case as this, in paying respect to the re-
mains of one who bore our common bumanity.--l
In honOrDg the remains of this poor creature we
honored ourselves and honored human nature
He would not envy that man who would deprive
her of the rites of Christian burial Indeed he
would have done more than he hid were he DOS
sessed of the power. Had he house he should
have insisted on having her remains brought to it
and there to remain until taken out for the fune-
raj rites. But he had no house except this house
of God, and he had opened its doors with alacri-
ty to receive the remains and render the poor
Offices which it was in his power to best0w. Nv
hearers Continued the Reverend speaker,) let US
not judge too harshy or uncharitably of her who
has left the world in SO awful manner. LIE: us
not desecrate her memory, or think her crime is
altogether an unpa, donable one. We have no
right to follow her into the eternal world and saw
that she shall he forever excluded from the lows
of Heaven. Let US leave her in the hands Of Goa,
who alone has a final disposal of the eternal des.
tiny Of every human being. How can we know
what awful temptation besct her!-what deep sor-
row penetrated her heart before she was led to
commit SO rash and fatal an act; she may have been
tempted, as she unquestionably was, by love to
one whom she loved more than she loved her
own life. beg that you will dismiss from your
minds all consciousness about this poor one, and
trust that God will arrange all things according
to the counses of Infinite wisdom. NV hearers,
we have children of our own growing up to matu-
rity who entwine themselye around our hearts
and our affections. They are more precious in
our eyes than all the gold of California or the
gems from the mines of Golconda. This poor
one has perhaps a mother who knows not where
she has fled, and is ut this moment in deep an
guish because Of the absence of her daughter.-
Perhaps, too, she has an aged father In some dis
tant city with his head nearly bowed to the grayer
who wonders where the darling who in her infan-
cy he so often fopded in his arms has gone;
when we judge harshly Of her, let US think Of what
may befall our own little ones in the providence
of God. They, too. NAV be tempted to 70 astray,
and as We would wish our childrenrto be judged
charitably, SO let judge those who fall into sin
and error in our own midst; we cannot tell
what powerful impulse melted her. to destroy
her life. Undoubtedly she was attached to him
with when she left the WORLD ard with whom
she was found in the embrace of death. r,
My hearers, that was 4 fearful SPECTACLE the
sight OF those two young beings may God grant
that it will be long time. before We witness
another. Surely our sympathies must be enlisted
in behalf OF her and her friends, when OVERCOME
as she was by unaltering devotion to the partner
OF her guilt mean that guilt which consigned
them both to eternity. 1t was fearful crime to
lay her hands upon herself; but when VIC consid-
er the cause which must have actuated her, we
should cast the mantle Of charity over her name.
Is there any man here who in some sense cannot
honor such martyr to the passion Of love p
Surely If We can secure compassion forlher from
the sterner sex, those of her own sex can appre-
ciate the violence of passion which could enable
her to meet such an awful death without shrink.
ing. But from this We should receive lesson
Whenever we are about to give our affections to
any object it is duty as Christians to see that
God is not displaced ir our hearts. Our first al
legiancs we owe to Him who made US. And here
is the fatal mistake into which these young peo-
pie fell. They permitted their love for each 9th
er to displace their love for their God. | have
often been astonished to see young persons give
their hearts to those who were not of the house,
hold of God. In all temptation we have but one
resource and that is in prayer to God. Oh, had
these young people but knelt down BY the side Of
that sofa upon which they swallowed the fatal
draft, and opened their hearts to their God. that
would have given them strength TO resist the
temptation which the evil one had put into their
minds, and they would now have been still living
49, g. 49, - L. = =