The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-12-07
A Sermon Before Congress.

lhe session OF Congress was about to
close upon the administration of Mr.. Van
Buren,. The Inauguration of Gen. Harri-
son was to take place. MIR. Goodman had
all his arrangements made to visit Europe
on the steamer President. The first dis.
patch from the new administration was to
be con6ded to his charge. The next Sab
bath be was to take leave of the members
Of Congress in his farewell sermon. The
day came. An hour before the usual time
the crowd was seen filling the pavements OF
the avenue, and pressing up the hill to Rep
resentatlve Hall, which was file to over
flowing, and many, unable to get seats, went
away disappointed. obtained seat early,
in front OF the clerks desk. John Quincy
Adams sat in the speakers chair, facing
Mr.. Goodman. The whole space on the
rostrum and steps was filled with Senators
and Representatives. The moment had
come. Mr.. Goodman, evidently much al
fected, knee!ed in a thrilling prayer, and
rose with his eyes blinded with tears. His
voice faltered with suppressed emotions as
he gave out the hymn
when marshaied on the mighty plain,
The glitterins hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone. Of all the train,
Can fix the sinners wandering eye.
''Hark bark to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem;
But one alone the Savior speaks,
1t is the star of Bethlehem.
"Once on the raging seas rode
The storm was loud, the night was dark;
The ocean yawned and rudely blowed
The wind that tossed my laundering bark
The hymn was sung by Mr.. Goodman
alone. l can yet, in imagination, hear bis
voice as it filled the large hall, and the last
sounds, with their echoes died away in the
dome:
And l saw great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and
the heavens fed away; and there was no place
for them.
And l saw the dead, small and great, stand
before God, and the books were opened; and
another book was opened, which is the book of
life, and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books accord.
ing to their works.
Mr.. Goodman was more affected when he
gave US the text than l had ever seen
him before. He several times passed his
handkerchief over his eyes before he began.
The first sentences are fresh in recollection 4:
"Wben Massillon, one of the greatest d.
vines France ever knew, was called to
preach the funeral sermon of the departed
king, in the cathedral of Paris, before the
resgning kings, the royal family, the Cham
bers, and the grandees of France, he took
with him to the sacred desk little golden
urn. containing a lock of hair of the late
king. Tie immense congregation was seat
ed. and the silence of death reigned. Mas
sillon arose, holding the urn in his fingers,
his hand resting upon the sacred cushion.
All eyes were intentIy fixed upon him. Mo-
ments, minutes passed; Massillon stood
motionless, pale as statue the feeling be-
came intense many believed he was struck
dumb before the august assembly !; many
sighed and groaned aloud; many eyes were
sufused with tears, when the hand of Mas
sillon Was seen slowly raising the little gold
en- urn, his eyes fixed upon the king. As
the hand was returned to the sacred cushion,
the loud and solemn voice of Massillon Was
heard in every part of the cathedral, God
alone IS great p So l say to you, to-day,
my beloved bearers, there is no human
greatness-'G God alone Is great. p The sub
ject was the day Of judgment. had heard
it preached before many times, but never as
| heard it then. The immense congregation
was held almost breathless with the most
beautiful, sublime, and powerful sermon l
ever heard. He spoke OF the final separa-
ton in the great day of judgment, and fam
cied the angel of the Lord locking the door
that led to the bottomless pitt, stepping up
on the ramparts, letting fall the key into the
abyss below, and dropping the last tear
over fallen and condemned man. He closed:
4 60 to the land of my birth, to press once
more to my heart my aged mother, and drop
a tear on the grave of my sainted father.
Farewell, farewell And he sank overpow-
cred to his seat, while the whole cOngrega-
ton responded with sympathizing tears"