The Portland daily press., 1871-08-14

ron Greenough. 1t was founded on Acts xiii
3d. For David, after he had served his own
generation by the will OF God, fell on sleep, ana
was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption.
Alter noting the wonderful de'icacy and skill
with which the Bible alludes to death, SO as 10
rob it of its natural uglinees, and unfolding the
idea of a mans serving his own generation by
the will of God, and the nature of the rest
which he then reaches, he briefly spoke of the
nropriety and benefi of contemplating the
characters and labors of such men. If truly
presented, just as life moulded them-unfold-
ing their conflict, showing their virtues and
defects, revealing them as real, not like the
fictitious, unnatural pic,u,es of modern writ
ers, but like the true portraits of the Bible,
this service for humanity will be prolonged
and rendered still more benefcient He then
announced as the directing line of his dis
course, this theme: The servant of his gen.
Grafton fallen asleep
The circumstances of bis Ii e were then
briefly sketched, as constituting the Frame
work of the picture, and throwing upon it the
lights and shades which are to modify the i'm
pressions it is destined to produce. As these
have already been given in this paper, they
need not be repeated. The Dr. then present
ed the important services which Mr.. Green
ough rendered his age, under thel following
heads.
1. His accumulation of capital, and the de-
veiopment and combination OF the forces and
materials of business. Mr.. Greenough was
here represented as a producer using his gains
10 enlatging his business, calling around him
and employing others; foanding and enlarping
lucrative business; replacing old and inferi-
OF structures by new and better ones: aiding
and encouraging others to opulence and DOW
er; investing his wealth at home; and in ether
wsys contributing to the fame and prosperity
of the city of his adoption. His character aud
life we're presented in contrast with those
worthless, helpless, contemplate paupers, who,
though they spread and swell as il proprietors
Of the real estate of the universe, only waste,
consume and destroy, but never add to the
wealth or worth OF the city or the family which
sustains them.
ii. Another service was the formation and
maintenance OF apure and noble character.
Real manhood, sterling character, made up OF
the cardinal virtues, is the force that wins. 1t
10, therefore, great advantage to COMMUNE
ty to see hoao it is done and that IL is
done. This service Mr.. Greenough rem
dered his age For fifty years his charac-
ter has been forming and maturing. His in-
tegrity, his fair dealing, his irugalty and self
control, bis sobriety, as opposed to vanity and
vain glory, his Inconsistencies and still more
important, in the preachers estimation, his
sincere, earnest piety were alluded to, with the
notifications which resulted from constitu-
tiOnal tendencies, and the influence of insidi-
GUS disease, constantly at work within him for
thelast twenty years.
III. Another service was his support of the
church and those institutions and enterprises
which have sprung therefrom. In this respect
bis conduct was consistent, steady and liberal.
He was not only prominent worker in the
Free street church, but steady supporter of
the educational and missionary enterprises
connected with his denomination. He some.
times differed from his pastor and brethren,
and desired to prescribe their duty when he
did his own ;but not from love of prominence
or of ruling, but because he desired the welfare
of the church and conscientiously believed his
view correct Acting for fifty years in these
A5ooCAoeiOuc Nc las uOCA b JEu0 O6QeI6CCOr TO
his race.
Nv. Mr.. Greenough remembered the Door,
not from sudden impulse, in spasmodic efforts,
or magnificent dashes of charity, nor for the
fame of the thing, or for its merit, but from
the principle and with solid satisfaction. He
might turn away the beggar of doubtful char
acter, deny the request of the indolent and
wasteful, but he sought out and helped the de.
serving, supporting some, almost wholly for
years; gladdening the hearts of the sick,
cheering the sorrowing He made his pastor
and others almoners Of his bounties, placing
money in their hands to be used at discre.
ton. during the war, giving somefof these
almOners leave to draw on him at any time and
to any amount.
Now that be has gone, we shall view him to
better advantage because we shall see him,
not in fragments, but as whole. We shall
often speak of him, beth of his faults and of
his excellencies ;but under the impresions made
on US by his life and. character as whole
must extend with the knowledge of his name,
and be reckoned among the moral forces which
act most benefcently on society. In such ]
treasures this church is rich. What magnif-
cent columns has Christ been erecting in your
presence Hart, Hammond and Greenough,
with what glorious inscriptions has he cover
ed them, and to their study and power the
preacher commended the young men Of the
church.
At the First Baptist church in the afternoon,
Rev. DIR. Smaller. the pastor, preached SER
non from Ps 12:i-"Help, Lord; for the godly
man ceaseth. 1T was suggested by the death
If Mr., Greenough and Eben Steele, and the
Ipeaker owelt more particularly upon the per-
'onal history and philanthrophic labors of the
ormer, who was for fifty years AMI active
member of the Baptist churches Of Portland.
He at the same time paid beautiful tribute
TO Mr.. Steele, and remarked that it was seldom
that q community like ours is called upon to
mourn, in SO short time, the loss Of two men
30 similar in the practice of the christian vir-
tues, and who had endeered themselves to SO
many of their fellow.men.