National Republican., 1881-07-04
In THE CHURCHES.
PRAYERS FOR THE PRESIDENT.
Tho Assassination Alluded to In Nearly Every
Church Yestcrday-Speclal Services a
the Presidents Church-Tlo-
qucnt Sermons.


AZ the Vermont Avenue Christian
Church, where President Garfield is n member, the
n )rning service was conducted by Rev. A.
J. Hobbs, OF Cincinnati, who delivered
an impressive discourse II was resolved
to hold special service of prayer in
the evening In the morning Mr.. Hobbs took for
his text |. Corinthians, Nv:32-"Let us cat and
drink, for tomorrow we die lie argued that the
religion and morality of country was moulded
by its philosophy; that the stole was the
philosophy out of which the Romans pro-
duced their patriots aud heroes Sub
scqucntly tho cpicurean philosophy tended
toward scnsuOlity and indulgence or love Of
pleasure, and from It's advent was marked the dc.
cline ofmornity and statcsmnnship. We nrc now
entering upon this cpicurcan epoch, and It very
naturally promotes suicide, homicide and gen.
cral Generalization of society. We now carry out
to great extent the maxim of "Cat and drink, for
tomorrow we die" lie concluded by stating that
this modern epicurcansm and disregard Tor the
Gospel Of Christ has eliminated in the attrcl< of
this assassin, who, by his own letter, clearly
shows him to be cpioure0n, telling us that
life is liim5y dream, and that a single human life
is Of value; that he hoped almost against hope
for the Presidents recovery, knowing that IL the
continuance of his life is ncccSsaryto effect prov.
idential end he will live but II hisde0th Is neccs-
sary for provdental end he will die which may
God forbid
The special service took place ut half.past seven
O'Clock. The pastor, Rev. Fred. d. Power, presided
over the preliminary services, which lnsted about
an hour during which there was a general inter
ohdnse Of thought .5,,..76 10 Gh5 President, and
many prayers were offered up for his carly rccov.
cry. The Rev. A. I, Hobbs, of Cincinnati, a. the
close of these proceedings, delivered the following
remarks.
We nre engaged tonight In prayer to God In behalf
ofthc President Of the United states We remember
him at the Throne of Grace, not only for his high
onlcc, but also because he sstnins to n religious
body and to this church In particular nearer than
political relation. We happy in the assurance,
when we thus remember him, that his life, according
10 the testimony of public men most Intimately as
sociated with him. has been In keeping with his
high profession disciple OF Christ He will have
len the cause with which he has been Identified,
should the worst come, true to his convictions and
has scorned to make merchandise of his religion. In
the fear OF God he has steadmstly adhered to the
glous principles which IL the body represent in
| the Christian world
The tenderness and deicacy of his domestic rela.
tions must necessarily come before remem-
her him at the Throne of Grace. While remembering
him we will also contemplate his afTcctlonate wife, u
sister In Christ dear to who under this terri
BILE cloud OF aiction, needs the consolation and sup
port that comes from wcll-grounded hope In Christ,
both for herself and In behalf of her husband and the
| mother, whose heart Is absorbed with natural ma.
ernal pride in her devoted son, grievcs tonight rs
none OF us conceive His tender and delicate nf
cCtlOn for his mother, known TO all the people, and
best to those who knew them well. has touched q
chord In the public heart that responds 10 his aic
| tion to-day with tenderer sympathy than could
otherwise exist His children also bear before the
Throne of Grace praying that God may guide and sup.
port them, and that our President may be delivered
| from the power Of death and restored to his wOnted
activity and usefulness In the pablic office, In the
| church, and IN the family circle.
DIR. suNDERLAND's DISCOURSE.
| powerful and eloquent discourse was
| preached by the Rev. DR.. Sunderland at the Four
nnd-a.half Street Church. During the delivery
many in the congregation were affected to tears,
and at the close the Doctor was requested to
furnish the sermon for publication, which he con-
sentcd to do. The sermon was vividly descriptive
of the awfulnoss of the deed, and strongly de-
| mandatory of the tendency of the times TO the
preparation of such acts. Space will per-
init only slight allrsion TO the discourse.
| lie selected as the subject of his ser.
mon the text from Ezekiel 7l7-"All hands shall
be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water"
| He said: "The event of yesterday has filled the
| land with new dismay All hands are feeble
| and all knees are as weak rs water. Who could
| dream that here in our peaceful, famed country,
under the freest government on earth, with so
many severe struggles ovcrpast so many and great
| hellNtIuINcS NIOuBnl Oult sO many pIbaltIltlts
smiling OH every hand, so much happiness filling
the hearts and hopes of the people the
dreadful shadow would break in upon us, the
| demon would spring again as from the
| very mouth of hell, and in moment cover the
land with the darkness of terror, making all hands
| feeble ana all knees as weak as water. on the
| very eve of the Nations anniversary, when the
land should be filed with grateful jubilation and
men should speak proudly of the position of the
great Republic ascribing. the God of our Fathers
the glory of our establishment and the splendor o
| our progress, here in his own Capital, on Il bright
summers Saturday morning, before the eyes oi
| men, women, and children, at n public station
through which he was passing, bearing in his per-
son the chief dignity of his maelsracy, that the
President should be shot down as If he were
dog, that the murderer's hand should bca
nm aim SO cruel, and then that the lips of the de
moniac should pronounce the deed polltica
necessity is all so sudden, so startling, 50 ap
palling as to paralyze our very thoughts In sucl
atime rumor, hundred tongucd, gives voice to i'm
agination, and public inquiry must await will
impatcnco the resolution of the dreadful con
| fusion"
| FERvEST SYMPATHY OF THE JEWS
The members of the Washington Hebrew con
gregations assembled at their temple on Eight
street, and after fervent prayer for the recover!
of the President of the United States, adopted TIN
following expression of their deep-felt sorrow
| Feeling remarks were made by Hon, Simon Vol
and Lewis Abraham, esq, the audience exhibit
ing the utmost sympathy with the proceedings
The action of the congregation was at once trans
mittcd to the Department of State by Isaac l.
Blout, d. Gusdori, B. Kaufman, J. Gothelf Henr!
King, sr,, and Adolph Adler:
THOU SHALT not KILL
The members ofthe Washington Hebrew Congrc
CATION, In public meeting assembled at their house
Worship with hearts bowed down with incxpressibl
sorrow, desire to give expression to the profoun,
grief they feel at the dastardly attack the life
Ills ENcclloncy the President Of the United states
and in common with their fellowcitiZens thrOughou
the land, dcplore and denounco the horrible Grim
tlIG has SO cruelty stricken the Nation and so wan
touly afflicted an honored and beloved family.
The murderer's merclless wounds have saCrileg
ously plunged In poignant grief devoted wife an
aicctiOnately endenred children The assassins In
pious blow has made whole Nation bleed May tn
Almighty condoe the afflicted household, restore /
perfect health our beloved President, and thus bin
up the wounds of the Republlc
The members Of the Washington Hebrew CongrC
CATION, deeply moved at the deplorable inhuman an
eNecrabe outrage, that Is an Oense against all civil
lied peoples heinous crime against humanity, an In
eXcusable violation OF divine commands and huma
codes, mourn with the afflicted relatives and Natlor
, and revcrently extend their deepest sympathy an
coincidence to the family of President Garfield 1
their sad hour of trial and TO their feOwcit2ens
the terrible attack their chosen Chief Magstrat,
by the officers ofthe congregation, be forthwith tram
med TO the Secretary OF State of the United State
ST. JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Rev. John f. Potter, of ST. Johns EpscopJ
Church, preached from the text st. John VIZ vers
6s Trial and anxiety, sorrow and tribulatioI
aihlctOn ana distress have marked the history
mankind from the earliest to the Dresent day. Il