Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-06
Services In the Evangelical Lutheran
Church.
MONDAY MORNING, Sept. 20, 1881.
ORDER OF SERVICE.

Introduction by the Choir; Introits; Gloria Patri
Sung; Confessson OF Sin. in Concert kyris lsgngi
Supplication Apostles Greed In Concert elotA IN
Hxcelsis (sunnl LItany, including Adaptations TO the
Occasion HYMN aBcio.s Jehoyah's Awful Throne"
Tune, Old Hundred Scripture Lessons realm
XVI, and extracts dom 19hn AN nyh NJ, var
non; Address; Prayer, concluding with ths LoTds
PRAYER. In Concert: Hymn; "Nesrer, my God, TO
Thces-Tune. Bethany; Beneiiction'
Txxr-aFor when Thy judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world will learn righteohsness
Isaiah xxyI:a
mot word sf the above address was written before
10 was delivered 1t was reduced to writing after
three days because of very general DESIRE expressed
by those who present to have II In print. The
following is believed to be accurate reproduction OF
tho line Of thought pursued butts ia not pretended
that the phraseology Is precisely the same.l
The nation mourns. We have Assem-.
bled in Gods house not to increase the
honor of the dead, but for the benefit
of the living. The illustrious departed
himself truly said, ave can add to the
dead no glory-we can give TO them no
Immortality" and, il is equally true, we
can take nothing from them. When
death calls man he is beyond the
reach of human power.
We have come here out of respect to
the honored memory of our deceased
Chief Magistrate and to bow down in
deep humility and make solemn con.
fession before Almighty God, acknowl.
edging our entire dependence upon
Hmm ploring His mercy and guild.
ance that we may be enabled to study
Alright His judgments that are in the
earth, so that we may learn righteous
ness.
1t is not an easy thing to make clear
the lessons taught by this great bereave.
ment. Yet, even TO our short sight and
weak comprehension great truths al-
ready appear. Perhaps the simplest
way to introduce our reflections will be
to take an illustration from the charac.
ters concerned in this tremendous trag.
edy. The assassin was bad boy and
grew into bold, bad man, so that even
those of his own family, ii is reported.
were led to expect and fear he would,
at sometime, commit some horrible
crime. He went on from bad to worse,
hardening his heart, the evil within
him developing until, demon.like. the
foul deed was perpetrated which placed
him beyond the possibility of doing
further harm. Pharaoh's heart was
hardened by what would have softened
the hearts of others, and he continued
in his stubborn and growing wickedness
until he brought destruction upon him
self and his hosts. God overruled Pha.
raoh's inhuman prosecutions for the
good of His chosen people. God over.
rules and will continue to override the
fendish act Of this wretched murderer
for the inexpressible benefit of all who
sincerely put their trust in Him. James
Abram Garfield was good boy. n good
youth and developed into a noble man.
hood and q rich, fully rounded. Chris.
tian character until he became fit for q
martyr, and in the shocking manner OF
his taking off he was enabled to effect
results which no man could have pro
duced in life. God honored him in &C.
complishing ends through his sad death
that could not otherwise have been
attained. Under the inscrutable direc-
ton OF an all.wise and all.merciful
Providence the evil defeats itself and is
made to contribute and add lustre to
the glorious victory OF the good.
Let us now turn TO few of the many
LESSONS OF THE HOUR.
|. Noble and lussLfsh purposes arc re-
versed. General Garfield did not desire
the nomination for the Presidency. 1t
was while he was pleading, with unsur
passed eloquence, the fitness of another
for that exalted place that attention
was riyeted upon himself as the proper
man. We cannot forget how strong his
expressed preference was to occupy the
seat in the United States Senate to
which he had been elected rather than
take the executive chair. A superin.
tending Providence, nevertheless. plac.
ed him in the executive mansion, and
in Il, during less than four months of
active service, he founded a policy at
once so assuring, so commanding and so
far.reachina that half dozen terms
would have been too short to fully carry
IL out, but which has become fixed IN
effect as fore gone conclusion by the
dreadful sacrifice of his precious life.
Chester A. Arthur shrank from ac.
cepting the nomination even for the
Vice Presidency, aud when the fatal
ball had struck the President, full of
emotion, he said, out Of the abundance
OF an overfiowing heart. TO the grief.
stricken, heroic wife of the suffering
chief, "God knows do not want to be
President" And yet to-day he ellis the
Presidential Office, TO carry on in detail
and perplexity the work 30 broadly
planned By his lamented predecessor.
Oh who could, without shudder,
have seen our now sainted Garfield 90
back and bear the almost unbearable
burdens of that trying position after
the sanctifying influences Of sorest ex.
perience had made him too pure for
earthl The unexpected and undesired
change was wrought In Gods judgment,
whose wisdom i higher than mans,
that thus the inhabitants Of the world
might learn righteousness.
2. The homage Of nc people Is TUNED
from man 20 God. Had President Gar.
field been restored TO physical health
this nation would have been in danger
Of idoIising him. Although IN the hon.
est indignation OF his great heart he
minht. apostle like, have cried. stand