The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-10-07

the Congregational church, Middlcburv,
Sunday morning, September %.
Text; Know, yc not that there is n prince and
Ss.' 81" ''' '"''''' ''''' 0'y III 'Sr0''' SAM ILL.,
To-day a nation bows in grief. Our
broad land is one temple of sorrow.
The supports upon which fifty millions
have rested are gone in a night. Long
weeks of anxious waiting were no
preparation for the Gual blasting of
hope. Trembling and crushed VIC
heard words heavy almost with the
weight of personal doom. "Our
president is dead"
Rightly interpreted our whole his
tory of sudden horror, of agonized sus-
pcnse, of fearful petition, and crushed
hopes, is the voice of God telling what
we need to learn.
l. The first lesson, emphasized with
unusual impressiveness, is the value of
character over and above all eminence
OF achievements or position.
In all the years since David's lamen-
tations for Abncr, never has the qucs-
lon been more appropriate -" Know
ye not that there is prince, aud a
great man fallen this day in Isracl?v
But wherein the greatness of our Ah-
nerI Was it bis successful conflict
with poverty end obscurity in gaining
college culture and honors; his quick
ana easy mastery. of military science
ana rapid promotion; his political hon
ors anu progress with constituencies, To-
cal ana national, that were exacting in
their demands, until he stood conspicu.
Gus as worthy successor to Washing
In
com All these credentials, valuable
US they are, are only tho background of
a personal worth, of cminence in in
tegrlty' III loyalty to noble convictions
ana purpose. The man was always
greater tnail MS position. Had Presi-
dent Gai Icld fulfilled tho usual term
OF once; had even greater success of
administration and public service come
10 MN, and his lite gone OH according
10 inc experience common to man, we
might have lost sight of individual
worth in the breadth and brilliancv of
public achievement; but now, sorrows
dark shades shut out the sheen and
glamour of success as usually defined
and we see with tender appreciation
with chastened Joy, and personal graft.
tude, his greatness of soul in its in
most fibre and quality, shining forth
only the more clearly when all else is
echpsed, and living on more securely
whcn the grandcst of earthly setting
has been wholly wrecked.
The reality of true living in any and
all stations comes to view with clear
ness before unseen, and to-day the
sight is SO impressive we believe i,
will permanently elevate the ideals ofl
our time and of all time, Young men
Oh earnest purpose and conscious
strength have learned and will transmit
the lesson, that lifc's true mission is
building character great in goodness. |
AS never before, this truth will enter
with moulding power into ..e buoy
ancy and intensity of American life.
Ill. Another lesson emphas' 1ed by the |
terrlbleness Of our calamity is the
depth and magnitude of our disoaso
and danger requiring such remedy.
centuries ago one man, the Son of
God, died for his people that the
whole nation might not perish. In all
times God has used vicarious suffering
as means and condition of sparing
mercy. Perhaps history has no nearer
copying OF her greatest sacrifice than
that which shadows our broad land to-
day, almost as when the earth covered
her face from the sixth to the ninth
hour before the crime of Judas and his
infamous employers. The magnitude
OF our pain-shall we not say the
worlds pain ?-is a measure of our sin
and peril. No lighter summons could
command our attention; no midcr
pruning bring the fruits of repentance
and righteousness.
Lake cave-dwellers, insensibly drug
ged with foul air, we have looked
weakly, or dreamily, or alphabetically,
or i'll dcspairing impotence, while cor.
ruptiop and cruelty to the weak have
proudly and deflantly stalked in high
places. Somehow it has come about.
tiat we have allowed principles of poll
tical conduct and life to pass unchal-
lenged that would be spurncd in pri-
vate life as base and Infamous. We
must learn that sin strikes weakness
ana death TO the nation rs truly as to
inc individual Violated trusts, rob.
Deries OF public treasure, shameful
excesses, .perjurcd conscicnces, plum
derlnS of weaker races, snbsidiziug
vice ana crime by licensing the chief
fountains of iniquity, clecting men 10
nigh trusts whose known impulse is
pupnc spoil, these are a cluster of Vi
rus-Dreeding ccnters with which the as
sassih's s bullet is III no way incongru-
GUS, and may not long absent itself.
we look with unspeakable rcvulsion
upon the cowardly wretch tremb-
ing before a retribution consciously
deserved, and may well thank God that
lew, IL any others, of all our fifty mil
lions could have so sinned; but, how
ever Illuminating the lesson, we must
not forget that our Judas is a growth of
our Time; that political usages have be-
come current, sentiments have at least
Deeh tolerated, whereby wicked schcm-
ing ana wicked hands have been in
close proximity TO our high places of
government. When such is the general
atmosphere, we must moi DC surprised
at crime unexpected and exceptional.
before which tho nation is aghast.
we VINO are at the extremities of the
pouy polite must remember that our
circulation determines that of the
central heart. We fill the capital. Dis.
case OF ours goes there with inevitable
surehess and speed. Purify the sour.
ces and the confluent centre must be
pure. II the right eye must be plucked
out, and the cunning right hand cut OIL,
petter so than the whole body perish.
Tho nation can be saved, and the
next lesson, comforting as emphatic is.
IL The value, the present and pos
siDle worth OF nation, for which such
loss Is made by divine permission.
In nothing was Gods love for Israel
more manifest than in his swift-folIow-
Ing chastisements. What SON is he /
whom the father chastencth not? Isra-
eps worth and destiny for the worlds
uplifting were proven by their calami-
ties leading to repentance and purifca-