Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-11-03
tbe Ohio Statesman
Extracts from the Memorial Sermon
OF TIIE Latte
REV. JAMES HOGE, D. D.
Preached in the First Presbyterian
Church, Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday
Evening, October 1th, lsS3; by
William G, Roberts, Pastor.
MEMORIAL SERMON.


things to which IL is attributed, sometimes, In
common pavlance, are not entitled to II In reali-
ty. The sun, which has ever been regarded as
the highest symbol Of purity and perfection,
has iis spots, aud the Aslatio sky, looked upon
by tho Jews aa the brightest mirror of The
Divine glory, had It's lights and shades, its
faults, and apparent deficiencies. The heaven
of heavens Is not clean In Jehovah's sight, and
he ''charges his angels with folly"
IL perfection cannot be found among these
higher works of God, how vain Ia il to look for
IL 10 anything that pertains TO man! He is a
fallen creature. Every power of hia aonl and
body 10 60 prOstrated by sin, that he is COM
PEELED to adopt the humlllatlng language of the
prophet: "The whole head ls sick and the
whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot
even unto the head, there ia no soundness In H.;
but wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores. 4"
Even when he ia renewed by grace, the remains
OF corruption cling to him go tenacIously, that
he is heard to cry, often, in the language Of St.
Paul, 20 wretched man that / am. who shall
deliver me from the body of this death7" This
is universally the case, ss we learn from expert
ence, personal observation, and the word Of the
living God.
There Ia no disagreement between this and
the language Of the Psalmist in our text. He
does not apply the word "perfect" there to the
godly, in its absolute eenss, but In its ordinary
Soriptursl acceptatioD, which varies somewhat
Ia its shades OF meaning, 10 the Old Testament
aud the New. When applied to the patriarch
Of the land Of Uz, by the writer Of the book
of JOB, IL means uprightness of conduct, and
sincerity of motives. When used by the spos.
tie Paul, with reference to the Christians at
Corinth, it means that they had reached high
attachments in the divine life, And, when IL is
attributed to the Thessaloniaps, by the game
apostle, IL means, according to the best author
tiles, Completeness of Christian character, or
harmony of parts. This Ia just the meaning
OF the word "perfect" ss employed by the
Psalmist in our text; and thie is the meaning
which we shall attach to is whenever We shall
apply il, in our present discourse, to our late
venerable father, DR.. Hoge. We do not claim
for him, or any other moral being, absolute
perfection; but simply that he was one of the
most complete, symmetrical Christians we have
ever known.
.
In order to prove the iustusss of these views,
We propose TO call your attention, for few
moments this evening, to some facts connected
with the life of DR.. Hoge, "that are known
and read of all men" In this community -
And .t..
First: "Msrk him." as man, moving daiIv
among you, He was born at Moor6eld, Har.
dy county, Va, on the 4!h of July, 1854. When
four years of age. his father removed from
Moor6eld to Sbepherdstown, on the Potomac,
ten miles above HarpeF's Ferry, where he
grew to manhood. Without being personally
handsome. he possessed noble appearance and
native majesty that impressed every one that
saw him. He was tall aud perfectly erect M
I'll the day of his death There was something
peculiar In bis looks that attracted every On e's
attention, and when once observed, II was pey-
er forgotten. His great dignity forbade all
levity and undue familiarity, This was mis
taken by the young for that sternness of char
acter which tends 10 repal, but there was moth
ing more erroneous ever entertained concern
Ing him. He was Q man of strong affections
and keen sensibiities. Hia countenanee, in
the company Of his friends and relatives, al.
ways beamed With the warmth and kindness of
his heart. He so unbent himself, at times, ss
to amuse hla guests with bis ready wit and
playful repartee.
No one could be treer than DE-. Hoge from
that mean spirit of envy and jealously which is
the bane Of 50 many of our public men. He
never felt that brothers. elevation reduced
him in tho least, and hence never sought to
bring him down shat he might eIalt himself.
His evor.abidlng principle was that God had @
special place for every man, and endowed him
with gifts to perform the duties Of tha! place,
and In that way, excluded oil rational grounds
for strife or unhRlloWed emulation. Ho was
never heard to speak alightly Of any worthy
brother, or known 10 indulge In inyldous insin.
n n,tlons about him for the sake Of lessenIng bic
influence. But, he labored peaceably with
brethren of different denominations, and wished
them all God.speed 10 building up the Redeem
ar's Kingdom.
He was not only FREQ from the spirit Of envy
and Jealousy, but possessed of most eQngbie
temper: No one ever saw him angry or pertur-
bed In tho least degree. He was always the
same In sunshine and In storms, In safety and
In danger. He remarked Onco TO q friend, that
he never experienced the sense Of fear. This
was partly owing to physlcal peculiarities, and
partly to that perfect love which casteth out
fear. He was always firm and decided, but
neither rash nor reckless. This made him iust
tho kind of man that was needed TO labor on
our frontiers. where tho white population Wes
weekly threatened with Indian massacrcs.
When It became known once, that the red man
was contemplating the speedy and utter dessruc-
tion Of Franklnton, meeting of the citizens
was called together to adopt some meane OF
fortifylng the place, and saving their lives
DR.. Hoge, then young man, was made the
chairman Of that meetllg. "The danger was
imminent enough" said Mr.. Gardiner In
speech afterwards at political meeting, "to
make the pale face of the young psrson turn
reds" but, instead of that, he calmly remarked
shat God WAS shield and q buckler against the
arrows Of the Indians, and the dagger of the
assassin. These words we're like oil poured
upon the troubled waters; they calmed the fran
tic women, and inspired the weak-hesrted men
with courage.
Such spirit 10 many q man would have led
him 10 all kinds Of excesses, bat il did not
produce that effec. upon DR.. Hoge. He was
one Of the most prudent men Of his day. This
MAS owing to hie excellent Judgment and pro.
found sense. These, we are told, never failed
him; but served as regulators 10 all his actions,
and balance-wheel to all his movements. He
was never known to do an unwise thing. When
looking back over life Of four score years, he
was able to say, that be could scarcely think
Of any thing that he ever did, that he would
like 10 have undone. He gave the benefit OF
his good judgment to many others, who fire..
quently resorted to him for COUNCIL. II is nc
exsggeratipn TO sHy, as you all know, that be
! was consulted on almost every, thing from 0
common Agricultural implements to the highest
lava that regulate the State. On many mat
ters, his word twas the end Of all strife. '.s T.
f. With all this, he Was sxtremsly aodssf an,
tnassnming. He made no display Of bis pow
4 es, Or parade about bis learning; but, on th,