The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1875-12-14
MEMORIAL SERMON.
Delivered at the First Congre-
gational Church of
Detroit.
ON TIE TwENTY-EIGH DAY
OF NOVEMBER, ny REV,
ZACHARY EDDY, ID. ID.

took thee from the sheepcote even from fol-
lowing the sheep. that thou shouldst DO ruler
over my people Israel.
thou hast walked, and have cut of all thine
enlmies from before thee, and have made
thee name like the name Of the great men
that are in the earth. ~ CHRoS. IL; 2. 8.
David, the illustrious prophet-king,
was anointed to his high Office, when he
was but shepard lad. Samuel would
have anointed Eliab, Dayid's elder
brother, but the Lord said to him:
"Look not on his countenance, or on
the height Of his stature; because the
the Lord hath rejected him; for the
Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but
the Lord looketh on the heart" So
David, the STRIPPING, who was in the
field was sent for, and made to pass
before the prophet, who ut once discern
ed in him tho chosen OF the Lord, and
anointed him in the midst OF his breth-
ren.
But David, though thus early con-
secrated to the kingly Office, had to
pass through long and painful course
OF preparatory discipline before he act
ually ascended 10 the throne. He was
trained for his work in the stern school
of adversity. All his powers OF body
and mind were developed and matured
by toll and hardships, by danger and
suffering. He was the nursing and
pupil of a kindly but severe and watch
full providence, which gave him no ease
no holiday till the time had como for
the government to be laid on his shoul.
ders. He had experience OF hunger
and thirst, of the extremes OF heat aud
cold. of wandering in tho desert, and
of exile among suspicious idolators In
a strange land. He was hunted like
wild beast from den 10 den, from cave
To cave. Thus all his senses and facul-
ries were sharpencd and strengthened.
Naturally generous, brave, imaginative,
religious, and induced beside with the
spirit of God, he became at length an
! invincible warrior, wise ruler, and n
sweet psalmist, the echoes of whose
harp still charms the ears Of great ma
tions.
The glorious reign of David justified
the Divine wisdom in leading him
through the rigorous course OF prepar-
atory discipline. His kingdom was
consolidated. his enimies were subdu-
ed, and his fame spread throughout the
world. He pushed his conquests to
Damascus and the Euphrates, to the
! Red Sea and the Iathmus OF Suez.
1t was at late period OF his reign,
when all his enimies were subdued un-
der him, that the prophet Nathan was
sent TO remind him OF his humble orr
gin. and OF the lowly occupation from
which he had been summoned to gov
ern a great nation: Thus saith the
Lord. took thee from the sheepcote,
even from following the shoep. that
thou shouldst be ruler over my people
Israel. And i have been with thee
withersoever thou hast walked, and
have made thee name, like the name
Of the great men that are in the earth
IL must have been about the same
time that David wrote the grandest oil
his odes, the 18th Psalm, in which he
gratefully acknowledges that oil his
greatness and glory were from thu
Lord: 1T is God that girdeth me
with strength, and maketh my way
perfect. He maketh my feet like hind, Z
feet and setteth me upon my hgl
places. He teacheth my lands to war
, 40 that a bow of steel is broken by
mine arms. Thou hast given me thu
shield of Thy salvation, and Thy righ
ha.d hath holden me up, aud thy gen
: tleness hath made me great.
Icannot but wonder whether thes
and such like passages did not fall un
der the late Vice President Of of tn
2 United States, during the last fe,
: years OF his life. Probably they did
E Tor he was n dilligent reader OF In
= word OF God, and he doubtless sough
II for passages especially appropriate t
his own experience and circumstance
And though he was too humble a ma
u to compare himself with the heroi
" prophet-king of Israel, he must hav
been struck with the analogy betwee
Gods dealings with him, the son
y poor illiterate parents, among til
u mountains OF New Hampshire, an
: with David the shepard boy OF Bethl,
Al hem. Whatever were his own reading
u and meditations, the life OF Hem
e Wilson is worthy our thoughtful stud.
u especially as illustrating Gods prov
10 DENTAL method Of training his servan
r for eminent position and fruitful sc
le vices both in the State aud IN u
A. church.
e In attempting to grasp aud analyi
p an individual character, We must col
Al slider ii as living growth. determin,
OF and modified TO a large extent, by ci
pc pc cumstances. Given, as the germ
al character, free spirit endowed wi
70 vast though latent faculties of though
- and with active powers; given, i say,
Is, personal intelligence, a soul fresh
re re come into body in which 1t Is henC
forth to live aud work, through who
organs IT is TO gain knowledge OF {
external world. and carry on its int
elr lectual operations; given such so
We and II is clear that its developme
lp- must be greatly Influenced, il not ab'
We lutely determined, by its material ,
yironment. III the organization be
90 ceased and feeble, the soul-growth W
~ Z be in the same degree obstructed, p'
yerted. and sickly. The objects
sense which surround the young int
90 ligence become n part Of itself.
'ne sights and sounds and sensations @,
tribute to its education. Other
l. man beings, especially parents, bro
ers. sisters, and later, teachers, ,schoC
and what is called society, all have
important influence on the open
] mind.
In many instances there is ben
'he aud beautiful harmony between
soul and its surroundings. Picture
= yourselves child, lovely as a cher
Z free from bodily defect or blemi
fresh and clear-eyed, eager TO know
thinrs good aud fair, picture sue
child, nurtured by refined aud int
gent Christian parents, growing uI
an elegant home, among books
pictures and statuary, under the IN
encc Of cultured and graceful men
women. Provide this beautiful
with the most skillful teachers; ~
early TO a great University; saturate
soul with classical learning; throw
to him the great Libraries and art
leries Of the world; send him TO for,
countries; let him study the remain
Up ancient civilizations, and enrich
mind by familiar intercourses with {
-, nent scholars, orators, poets, and sts
iuIa, men, Let him return while still in
dys- bloom OF his youth. TO receive
I, ,v highest academic and civic hol
ssfaI which his admiring countrymen
heap upon him. In this case you
peri. a character shaped by influences
tear ally accounted the most favorab
re,a- ,n. character, round. symmetrical, M
rorI. aud polished like Grecian ststue;
&c - have an Edward Everett or Chr
m Summer. names worthy To he ment
lam .,l here and nov, aud To be had IN
, but r.nn.o,herency. but names less lcf