The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-11-02
LOCAL DEPARTMENT..

LOCAL DEPARTMENT..
FIRST BAPrfsr CnURoH.-In accordance
with previous announcement, the Rev. DIR.
Gillette delivered a discourse oommemora-
tive-of the life and character OF the late Rev.
text from acts s2-a And devout men carried
ssslRon over se siS ald G'Ts Of
Stephen has been a. sweet perfume to Zion
and the world ever sinee persecution man
Reartstrings of from their few ties below, and
gave them leave TO Irvine around the glorious
high throne OF his Redeemer In heaven. Our
text 10 history; it Is history teaching by cx-
ample, and suggeats our theme; the good min
isters death and burial, and our lamentations
over him. The structure OF our text divides
the good minister's funeral; q funeral implies
The funersa sermon OF the lsmented DR.. Our
ley has been preached, and come simply to
say that, knowing him as a student In linton
college, Schenectady,he was regarded there as
apiou:, painstaking young man, and one who
70 his future course Of life. 1t became a Ro-
man to say, ~ come to bury Cgsar, not TO
praise him. ! how.ye,. do not adopt these
" Not absolutsly vain Is human praise,
when human Is supported by divine"
II 10 alone Of one that no blemish is record
ed. His enemies were compelled to say, 1--WE
shall ind no occasion against this Daniel, ex.
cept we ind It against him concerning thelaw
Of his God.p To say one is Imperfect Is TO adj.
init him human, the admission implying I'M
perfection. II 10 no concern Of mine that the
sun hath Its srots. nor shall It be mine to hunt
up blemishes In any, much less In the history
OF one who, for a quarter OF . century, has
which we have done, but according to his
mercy He saved us.n No good man claims
completeness. The rejoicing saints in heaven
name, o Lord, be ali the gioryia and the lofty
souls yet on earth, but whose spiritual attain
nents are so far W the MOUNTAIN steep. that
heaven, have only reached those sublime re-
gions by treading Inch by Inch the path Of liio
draw no parallel between Stephen the
martyr and the good man who has so recently
gone from our midst, leaving examples for US
to follow, As he followed Christ; but 4 10 due
to his memory to record our conviction. OF
his usefulness among US, and hence speak as
do OF this late PASTORS life.
We mourn him as friend, we miss him
from our public gatherings, we miss his
prompt and able assistance IN all philanthro-
pic work. He was the first pastor to welcome
me to this city, and we became ieilow.helpers
our depressions or Citations, and every long
tried pastor knows how relieving 1t is to inter-
change experiences with a eongenial warm.
talk turned on our own lack Of feryor or the
sad evidences of the Indifference OF our peo-
ple, his was always the. mitigating suggestion
that we must labor more earnestly, and that
by and BY we would get an honor able dis
charge
Through psinful at present. twill cease before
And then how PLEASANT the eonqusror' song"
In DIR. Guriey tho Church had q bishop OF
the type the most urgently needed, and the
P selRiH q Il. liz among non tSen With The
private griefs OF the widow and children !
may no further enter than to assure them OF
deemer /. smong them as one that oomposeth
the mourner-msy they find honey In the end
Of the rod now 90 heavy upon them May the
ali Who ever heard his gentle, winning tones
OF Instruction, counsel, and warning, "Re.
member the words he spoke unto us while he
sesosd-the death. II we draw no parallel
between the prolo-martyr's death and that OF
our brothers. we have enough In the latter to
msss sE Esanasar sa ntsss to svS
substantial basis to our meditauons, and to
cast divine glow, q crimson background Of
gloomy equipsge Of death. II not the down
ward radiance OF an opening heaven literally
Eushed its light upon his npturned eyesi II not
ne ytsio s, S 10 the b.sm. shst
Illuminated his face-yet, like stephen, he
goes through the excruciating pangs Of agony
and peseefuliy, with tie smile Of hope and Joy
upon his ever attractive and ben grant brow.
HAtpre u wprn out and exhautted, and At
o al Of p he window Of his ehsmSer, jast as tic
king Of day IL gliding creation with his rising
beams-the King q Eternity spsskks' Come,
prepared for you before the foundation Of the
world;'
''Aud ere the sun In all his state
Illumi8ed The western ssy.,0
SsitsS II p sSTss gate
That voice that rung out SO invitingly, so
meIodiously, and Tor 80 long time, In notes q
Victories OF The great Captain OF our salvation.
the Lamb OF Calvary-that voice Is silent for
1--WE AFTER life'S h!ful foyer
He sleeps we'll
Beloved, there 10 no death In heaven where
he has gomez no shadow OF the grim deyonfer
falls on the still waters or darkens the portals
Of his mansion. Joy, even amid lorrowi Joy
for this, that they that have gotten the VIC
tory, die no more. Blessed are they that do
to the tree Of lie, and may enter 10 through
The gates jnto the city. Precious In the sight
o?,hs Lott !, .hs A. Ss, n q A, saints
Third, the funeral, J know Of no funeral
f %Sss Of stephen. When the good die the
living lament, and did not the affecting sight
reappear when we saw the vacant pulpit GOV:
essior who had stepped out OF It to go home
to lie down to suffer and to die Impressive
also was the gathering OF multitudes, weep
ing h g. ss t sSSsn % TO
fIiends departed, or over them when they!
like him, should be shrouded for their las'
A church, "a city, a nation, yea, q world Il
called at such time to pause and learn now
much 10 lost. We did we'll to look upon death
upon that wasted form, and think OF the sleep
hat knows no waking, and the night that cndI
with the resurrection morning.
d, beloved, we triumph over unbelief amid
suoh heaven-tending solemDities as these, and
with the hapless but gifted Byron gay;
my heart dehlesh,
Though this life must pass away
feei my Immortality o. ersweep
ali palm, all tears, all time. all fears,,
and neal like the eternal thunderH Of the deep
h Hnta NV ears this uath-'Thou iiyest forever.
Do not fear for me, all eyii things are poweriesS