, 1874-03-16

thus Hhpw that wo can reverence mud copy mod
ern virtues ns vol as praise tho anoiont. So
shall ont American manhood beoomo less rar0,
and, ut tue snmo time, mono tho loEB precious,
Ind truo men shnll bo as common, md yet as
bright md golden, as tho stars.
A sHIN1Na LIGHT.
Sermon by the Rev. n. DcDnptlsto.
Yesterday morning tho Rev. n. DeDaptisto,
pastor Of Oliyot (Atrioan DaptiBt) Church,
preached On the death Of Senator Summer. The
rhuro Oh waB heavily drnped, md waa filled with a
large congregation. Io took aB bis toxt,
He WIS burning and . shining llght.-John ", IS.
and preached thereon as follows, :.
During tho past wook melancholy gloom has
settled upon this nation. Tho sablo sigma Of
mourning arc seen in our houses OF worship.
What has ocoasionod this gloon7 Why this
drapcry Of aaiuess7 Alas pillar beautiful
and grand In tho tomple Of the nation has fallon
ia shining light" in tho halls Of
its legislation bus boen oxtiugniahed,- "a
brilliant star OF the first magnitude haa
disappeared from the armament Of lis illustrious
na1noB Of living BtntcBmon-Cha Summer,
Massachusetts IGNORED son, hcr groat Senator,
orator, statoHman, md scholar is no more.
Ilor loss Ia common to tho nation. The death
of her illustrious son Inns taken from tho Re-
public watohful guardian Of her honor,-an aa-
siduouB promoter Of her national groatness. In
peculiar gliof do tho politically oppressed, pro-
Bcibcd and Booially oatraolsod colored race min
glo its tears in this common mourning. lily
Bret iron, We havo lost in the departed Sumner q
tllel, trlo and lifelong friend. Ours Is more
than an ordinary loBs. His doath ia a particular
ailliotion to uB, and we gather around our altar
to.day to honor the memory Of our friend with
grief peculiar to ourselves.
This event brings to us "a day Of darkness
and Of gloon,iucHs: yoa, day Of clouds and OF
thick darkncss," for ho who has ahiuod on tho
pathway Of our political and civil enfranchiso-
mont over ,1nobscurod, "a burning aud chin.
lug Light" has passed beyond the horizon Of
limo.
Wo coma In onr doep sorrow to I" tho Lord
God Omnipotont," the Sovereign Disposor Of tho
Bign will OF Henven We would rovorontly bow,
md though wo weep, We would worshipfully
Him good"
given rcst to worry laboror, aud taught US to
depend for the yindication Of our rights, and OUR
uplifting from centuries of inflicted wrongs, not
merely on m arm of flesh, but on tue Righteous
Ruler Of tho universe; ~ whose government
"lot all tho earth rojoice, for he Ia nblo to do
think or ask. ,m
The words Of tho text wore used by tho Lord
Jesus 70 illustrate tue romarlabe character Of
anrs tlaya OF tho political and religious dcgou-
eracy of tho jewish nation, when tho rulers Of
tho pooplo had made void the law Of God by
their win traditions, when tho wcightier matters
Df that law,-to doal justly, and to love mercy,
were substituted by tho busor considerations Of
tlthngs Of aniso mud cumin,-in the midst Of
these daya of darkness camo John the Baptist Us
q burning and shining light " to bis nation.
He told tle1n OF d botter day coming, tho day
rise upon them with tho healing in his bonms.
But truo TO his mission ho reproyod thoir degon-
sracy with tho fitting words Of roEuke, ooh
generation Of vperB, who hath warned You 10
aee from tho wrath to como7 Bring forth there
tho glory Of TINT day could only bo con-
s1lmated by putting away their eyil-loiugs aud
humiliation OF tho evif-doers.
Ills faithfulncss to God aud humanity, truth,
nnd to righteousness, brought down upon Ills
head The vengeance of tho wrong-doora Smart
ing under the cutting roproo&s OF this servant Of
God the yioators OF the laws of God aud man
demanded tue hcad Of JoLM tho Baptist. Justice
and truth were by him yiudicatcd; but unjuBtly
aud yludctyely lis lifo waH taken. ;.
Docs not the 1ife and end or Charles Sumner
secln almost. lko tho repetition Of history?
Coming into tho councils of the nation at ti1no
III national history when, by dcgeucracy Of the
nation, itscomcd to ho tho furtheroat removed
from tho noble enunclntions and lofty, yet sound
principles sot forth ut tho laying Of tho corner
stone OF the national fabric; when, coming out
from under the hoe OF British oppression, they
declureb to the world tint all men were cronted
eqnhl apd wero endowed with tho inalenablo
rights of lifo liberty, aud the pursuit Of hnppi.
ness ? From this tho nation Ind fal1on. The
naturalization Of slavery lad we'll nigh been
consunmatoa; ut all events, no domand seemed
to bo too great to bo granted to the dominooriug
saye-powor. Tho chIttellzing Of human beings
socnhcd to iave boon conceded to bo conHonaut
with tho fundamental law OF the Government.
But against this MIN to nationalizo slavery by
tho lords Of the alave-powor: and against theso
wicked concessions OF the right Of property IN
and by his massive cloquenco and profound
reasoning, ho hurlol hia weighty arguments
nganst tho weak oaHtlo Of thoir baso assump-
tions, and awoke tho nation to SEQ how near to
the verge Of utter ruin they had como,
THO voice Of Chnrlos Sumner in the Senate
Chnmber Of tho United Htates at Washington,
was heard, llko'tho roaring Of lion, in tho ro-
motost hna,m!etB, n, and borougha Of tho entire
country 10 the lovers Of liIertyit inspired hopes
sounded Hike tho doath knoll Of their pet institu-
tiop. and kindlod into d 1la1ne tho fires Of thor
wrath. Upon tho head Of this noblo defender OF
human rights. came in heavy blows the murder
GUS weapon OF tho outraBerB OF human rights
and fossillzors OF an anolent barbariAm. Charles
Sumner fell all but dead, stricken down In the
Senate Of the United States, but he Ind viudl-
cated in his masterly apoech the principles of
human slavery singing blow, from which it
Ho had bruised tho sorpont's hend,-alboit tho
blows he bud received were his markB for tho
grave, for It has boon announced by tile tole-
grams that Lis physicians haye pronounced that
Ls death was superin!lnced by the blows he then
rocaiyed In the Senate Chamber ut Washington,
from which ho Ind mover Wholly recovered.
But tliH attempt to bring his valuable life to q
speedy, II not immediate close WAS thwartel by
Divine Providence upon whose mission no had
como, and was preserved al I" d burning and q
shining light to tho nation.