Litchfield enquirer., 1859-08-25
DEATH OF E. T. STERLING.

DEATH OF E. T. STERLING. 4 Sermon Preaehed at St. Paurs CAurch
 Clsuelaad, om Sunday Ereming, August
 IA, 1859, by REV. DR. CLAYTON, Rector oJ
 saI Parish.
 From the Cleveland Herald, Aug. 15-l
 Never have I been called, my friends, to SC painful duty as that which is now before me. Never have 1 known-God grant may never again know-such struggle of mind aid of soul as that through which l have passed since on last Sunday morning it was told me, "E. T. Sterling is dead" Dead Can it be? My friend my counsellor my brother He whose kindness 1 lad so often proved whose unselfshness lad seen so abundantly manifested whose generosity had so largely experienced whose sympathi- sing tenderness had soothed my hours of dccr personal afhiction whose hand was the first of all the members of this parish to give me the warm grasp of greeting. in ny then dis tant home on the banks of the Ohio, ahd at- forwards, when drawn largely by the magne- tism of noble nature I came to seek home amongst ycu he with whom 1 had spent ma ny of the most pleasant hours of social inter- course that had ever enjoyed he whose bn- SIlleSS tdCt dDu lul-LtdCHlHS odSdCitf Iiu ilituS him an invaluable co-worker with ne in the Vestry of this Church. in the Convention of this Diocese, in the trusteeship of Kenyon College, Gan institution whose present pros perity is largely owing to his faithful and dis interested labor in directing it's administration he whom his fellow citizens by whom he was so we'll known) had admired, and honored and trusted he, whose presence in any cir. cle was wont to add to the satisfaction of all with whom he mingled he, whose name l had so often mentioned, in places near and far of, as one who was treasure 10 me as a rastor-he is dead
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 That our thoughts may take more prof. table shape, let me seek to link them with a passage of Gods own Word. Genesis iv. g., 10:
 'And the Lord said unto Cain. Where is Abel. thy brother! And he said, know not, am I my brothers keeper?
 And He said What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers blood crietll unto me from the ground.''
 It is a fearful thought that the first hnman death of which we have any record was a death by voence-a death by murder-and that by a brothers hand.
 But cannot dwell on this thought. Yet does enc ask me whether I do not ovcrstcr the bounds of propriety-whether I do not trench on the prerogatives of civil tribunals when even infer concerning our departed brother that his was a death of violence, in- flicted by another's hand ? l do not accuse any man here of the wilful murder of this my friend. have my own opinion as to the pro- bable agency that immediately caused his death. But as Gods messenger, cite to all- swer at Gods tribunal every man who, know ing the weaknesses of the departed, acted other than brothers part towards him
 Beloved Friends-it would be a false chari- ty-a tenderness which would be weakness not to say chargeable with unfaithfulness to God and to man, were l to seek to cover up the past Had the history of the deceased during the past few months been hitherto con- cealed, it would not be my part to give it publicity. Gladly would I, if cared, initiate those reverent loving sons, who, with a gar ment laid on both their shoulders, walked backwards, and covered up their fathers shame. No man in this community (save, possibly, those nearest of kin,) lcved E. T Sterling more than loved him. None ad- mired more his noble qualities. None, per. haps, were under greater obligations to his generosity than myself. When death, once and again, entered my household, his brother. ly sympathy offered me not only consolation, but a resting place for the remains of my own loved dead By the graves of my own chil- dren, in his own burial place, stood on Thursday last, to deposit his remains. Can speak otherwise than tenderly concerning him ? will speak as he (for knew we'll his heart would have wished me to speak. God give me grace to be faithful.
 E. T. Sterling was one of the founders of tMs church. He was pccuniariIy, its largest berefactor. He gave not only his money, but his time, his thoughts, his watchfu care to it's well-being. Twelve years ago, under the min- istry of the first Rector of St. Pauls, he pro- fessed, in Holy Baptism, to be Christ's disci- pie and the tongue would deserve to be for ever palscd which should charge him with having made that profession in wilful hypocri. sy. When I first knew him, almost seven years ago, I thought had seldom seen his equal in all that makes the high-mindetl, lbc- ral, Christian gentleman. He was-a warden of this church regular and faithful teach CT in the Sabbath-school an exceedingly punctual attendant on all the services of the Sanctuary. His hand was over open to the cause of Christ, and to the relief of His poor.
 found him just what the venerable Bishop Of this Diocese, who had known him for twe,l- ty-seyen years, described him to be-"a most perfectly confidential, a Id large-hearted, ener- getic man-as staunch a friend as ever was.'' A man, wrote the Bishop, whose mind is one of great influence" And on Friday last I received from this eminent Christian minister lament from which must read few words: I have no heart to write--but to be dumb except to say It is the Lord' in reference tc this most awful death of our poor friend What blow to you as his pastor For nearly twenty-seven years has bis house been my kind and affrctionate home, and never any,