New-York tribune., 1874-03-16
THE PULPIT ON SUMNER
ELEMENTS OF A GREAT LIFE.
The R'r Or. r. s M,rsrsar at ~ colorss Bqp,.o n,

| The Rev. DR.. Macarthur of the Colored
Baptist Church delivered sermon yesterday morning
upon the public services OF Charles Sumner III. teri
was taken from Isaiah x, 2, Tho flower fadeth but
tho words Of our God shall stand forever"
great man has fallen An ilustrious name dis.,
pears from the roll OF fame where n filled hi rh and
honored position. The short announcement, Charlie.
Sumner is dead" filed two continents with sorrow w.
shall not again see another sumner halls Of Iees
tion The school to which no belonged IL THO Of tbs
past. We have now Of a narrower gauge
a lower tone and fceber grasp; men who may bs
sharp and shrewd bnt who certainly broad com.
prehensiye and scholarly The princely form o; the
great Senator we shall no more the fine fnll mel
odlous voice Is silent forever One day he "a IN nj,
place, leader and king among men the next day he II,
numbered among the dead. One day Canon Klng-Iey
speaks loving words with him in Washington the next
evening Canon Kingsley in Brooklyn speaks loving
words OF him, and mourns him dead. Ho has faIlsn
crowned with bon0r-an apostle of liDery-a martyr Of
freedom The spirit OF barbarism and slavery struck
him down i8 years ago Ho never fully recovered. lie
dies before his time. the result Of that blow and
the subsequent struggles which freedom demanded.
suoh life is worthy Of more than passing notice.
Permit first to call your attention 70 trte bu.
nevertheless seldom duly weighed factercat die
We persist In feeling. contrary 20 knowledge and
observation, that imen who Ill large a place IN
society aud public affairs are sometimes removed irom
the Ills OF life. ana cannot die This strange, trans
parent trick which We play on ourselves; but
tinue to play Aud not only do great die but
many respects they are forgotten They f 30 largo
place in life tha ther friends think the world could
get on without them When the news OF their deaths
heard IL 4 the w1e ,ls Of trade and legislation
must I've elftctually blocked. They die; they
buried The papers are full OF details The pulpit
points lesson. Iae grass grows green over
gets them. Horace Greeley hicd large
place when living as an uncrOwned head, aud larger
than many kings and queens. lie dies, aud be Is IN
forgotten In one short year O course tero
senses in which good deeds are immortal. Horace
Greeley's work did not die with him. The TRIBUNK
hves and the reforms Of which he the author are
heart II Is remarked by the traveller than iG west
minister Abbey there arc unknown graves Many
the dust the soldier from that Of the pIi-st-he poet
from the Baron Those who sleep in these unknown
graves were once mighty men OF renOYn princes whose
loved and feared brave soldcr5 aud great
rulers. Here they sleep and the historian OF to-day can
not even tell their the Time may come WREN
boy who decIaIns ms brave words and Inspiring
thoughts. the question "a We stand bes a. tins
dead il not did he win wealth or honor did ne gain
power ana glory but did he do rghti Right allies US
TO God a nd makes Us TAR immortal. o. wealth ana
power death may strip but character born OF God
steps to the Of God Death loves shining mark.
but he will not decline 10 strike at any target none ~
high, none low, to escape his notice. Death Is
bbeess Let learn the lesson and be prepared for
his coming.
Bearing these general truths iu mind let Us learn th.
first stand the dead torn Of the great
senator. He made thorough preparation Ia his youth
often true, that position and power are the result OF
shire eTdness ana snarE practice, Z Zraber na1 or @ uius
who seek position do not a rule prepare themselves
by scholarship honesty ana high mora purpose lucy
cultivate, as kind Of political necessity, the society
and iL2uence OF men whom otherwise they would
despse, they adopt often measures from WHEN tne
higher instinct snrins. There Is, too among some OF
US sort OF idea that, 10 be great man. one must have
been poor, ignorant ana somewhat coarse We reloie:
that the genius of Our Government Il such thai
coming from the lowest pace may go to @ the
rance are great drawback, aud that when men riss
NJ III. a
first to last along different ne he was born 70
position and wealth lie was born helr 70 elorou5 m
born OF ancestors VINO were SCHOLARS.
senemen. Christians. He receiyeda hne body, Sort
ous intellect, and noble heart. HIS leisure and bu
wealth might have been a curse % tln; they E!-sht
have taken away IRON hun, as from many othfrs an
ambition and desire tor scholarship -nd promotion.
Tney however quckened tie desire for Do,h, as they
furnished The opportunity for the attainment OF
90 oS'n' we can least afford to lose. American
society and political life nave too few such men VINO
great urInclpes OF the science of political economy
not studied far less understood b, the majority Of our
higher order, the days OF seward Chase, aud Snmner
seem to be numGerea species ol I"wIi c pI,er nsl
the rish ami mistake success for honest ability, l. IN
mineut aud greatly to be dreaded. radical rrio.n Is
needed here Precisely here Is Mr. Summers lie pecu
ary valuable We need to learn the necessity o pa
tent aud untrng perseverance II We are TO accomisn
great things for God or man.
commend TO you, another lesson worthy OF imita-
On, MIR. Summers moral courage in following li5 o"n
CONVICTIONS OF right even al te ehpenie Oh an personii
interests aud all party laYOr lO the cly o DOStO III
".
Grandeur oil Nations" IL was magnihcent enJrf. Tho
address is historical The key note OF song was then
struck-a song which was 10 have IN H., subs quent
notes the booming OF cannon the clash or sWord, IN"
groans OF the dying, and tie wainss OF the h'lng-a
song whose end 10 be great shout OF praise rom
millions of slaves to the Goa OF Battle aud Free.on
No man wasimOrc loyal than Charles sumner, yet he
faithfully criticised ms party and its measures No one
more bitterly opposed the South While II CHERISHED tho
demon Slavery no one was more ha5hhllmJ Ju' Wheh
the demon was expelled ana the sOuh W's lOs'iase'
The brave nan Is always the mHShdhimouS Hiiu' 10
day the SOath mourns him. sumner DtOu-cd 10 Lo
state TO no He dared 10 do right iu the great
cfI.is of his nations history. We bless God for the men
who fought blOOdess battles an me hdlIs ot esslA
ton as well Tor the men VINO gained victories on the
tented fields.
After the war was over there other tests for Mr.
sumner He mad oppose his party and hht IJyaly
me did IT, Party domination is OF tue evils Of our
tme weak man may donOunce II but 1t takes brave
man 10 oppose H. All the machinery Oi the party was
hron eIt upon him 20 make hun yield to crush hlm-
Snmnsr dared 10 do mis- duty He rebuksd sharply. His
blows were felt As result he Was removed rom Az
office he long held, petty maize dd LIS "ots', ;od ne
to crush ana to allenate from nun TIE synathS OK
the enancipated slaves but sun he sood nrH. ieso
chusetts. The who passed, as We'll a. those who
revoked IT, must rejoice that was revoked before the
great man died. Through all these aspcrspus bc walked
unharmed, with name neutrality-suspicious. t. the last
what believed to be wrong, upholdng to the last
ruption which shdmGs all his name l. pure, ns char
acier unquestouabe Ii might he said thar 63 years OF
pure life speaks to from the bier OF Charles sumner
Tns. then is the losson-a man can afford 10 do right.
Certain business tell Us they cannot AFFORD to heepa
conscience God has given them one and they must
keep Sumner did right; sumner triumphed Cod
could afford tO advance such man Ia positions OK
power aud glory while his WICKED consequences cote
pOrares sank 10 nan.ess Obscurlty or are reemOered
with contempt and disgrace. Men de nations lise aud
fall schools Of arr, literature and science appear and
disappear the grass withcreth, the Hover ioth cue
the word of our God shall stand forever Gods prom
ises and Gods threatenngs endure forever IL you
would make your lives sublime oonSecrdte them Ia God
and to BY divine grace live again the life of
the perfect man, Jesus Cnris; Rs on the sure testi
he said of Charles Sumner, Z" the rgh'eous