The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-03-30
~Talmage'S Tabernacle.
THE NATIONS WOE.
Or. TAimage's Sermon Sunday Morn.
ing. August IS. 1881.

Or. Taimage's Sermon Sunday Morn.
ing. August 2S, 1881.
Comfort sc, comfort ye my people, saith
your GOd."-Isaiah 10: !.
Of religion centuries ago Is Just as appropriate
this terrible morning. while we are awaiting
tidings from the suffering couch of our CHIEF
MAGISTRATE
"The President khot!' was sounded through
the r~ailtraiI az we halted q few moments on
the morning of July I'd, ut Willinmstown,
Massachusetts the place at which the PreEi.
dent WAS expected in three days. absurd
and impossible j said. l asked then, as j
ask you now,
WHY SHOULD y ONE VAN TO KILL HIM?
He had nothing but that which he had earn.
cd with his own brain and hand. IIe had
fought his own way up from country home to
college hall. and from college hall to House OF
REPRESENTATIVES, ana from House of Repre-
srntotives to the Senate Chamber, and from
tho Senate To the Presidential chair.
Why should nry one wantt to kill him Hc
was not n deipot who had been trcading on
Of the Nero or the Robesplcrrr in him. lie
had wrOnGcd no man. lie was free and hap
pT himself and wanted all the world free and
happy. Why should any one want to kill
him? He hail a family to shepherd and cdu-
cate, a noble wife and n group Of little chill
drcn leaning on his arm, aud holding his
hand, and vino needed him for many years to
come. If my one must shoot him. why shoot
him then, just as after with indcscribible per.
plrxity and fatigue he had launched his ad'
ADMINISTRATION and was off for a few days Oi
recreation which he had so dearly earned? ?
How nny man could take steady aim ut surh
trigger and see him fall Is ineXplicablc.
But the deed IS done. There Is II black sliad'
Ow Oh every hearthStOne In America. II
seems rs IL there were onedead In each house.
1 Fll1 a md nu1ir1 St.n In m nrnI.hI nc Nt.n lrO 4.
cd this morning, "Father, If 1t be possible, let
this cup pass from U.s." God will hear OH
prayer, If not in one way, then In another.
Gods way Is sometimes different from mans
way, but 1t is always the best way.
am Thankful to my friends who have sent
me Il great multitude of kilograms this morn.
ing, showing their interest in this subject,
kilograms from gentlemen who are my friend
and from others who are strangers. official
te!cgramS from the public office OF biography,
and they give n ray Of hope Who knows but
our President may come forth again and ride
through these very streets in triumph. God
grant II. But the indications are NOT In that
direction. have fastened before my time OF
expected return, because | wanted in your
presence to obey the text Comfort ye. com:
fort ye my people, saith your God" While
comfort you, i must comfort my W. SOUL, for
no public event has ever SO overwhelrncd me.
/ could dwell on the aggravntions of this
event. and say, what a pity that he could not
nave ~car;iel out the excellent policy pro.
have enjoyed the high honor bestowed by the
suifragcs OF the people,; what q pity that he
should go out Of life by the hand OF violence
what an awful thing for his family and the
nation ara the world If he should die. But
instead Of dwelling upon tho aggravaiions
Shall obey my text: 'Comfort We, comfort We
my people" and present only
THE ALTERATIONS
OF his stupendous horror.
]. Alienation the first. James 4. Garfield
I . ,N,n, 40 ~a,1 ~ 80, Il ~ ,,.r ,,,- ,t , = - l ,--, a
oclll him. Long ago lie settled that matter
He was not dependent for happiness upon the
course of n bullet or the within OF an assassin,
On his knees and in days of health and with
dcliberation he had made
ALL RIGHT FOR ETERNITY.
There has been nothing Of cant or whining
or righteousness In his religion but n manly
ont and out profession of faith In God. Yea!
ne has preached this very Gospel. A minister
said to me the other day, II heard him
preach; he preached for me in my own pull
pitt said. What style of sermon was lt?"
He responded. excellent. excellent" But in
all places he had preachcl-in Wall Street to
the excited throng the day after Lincoln wBs
Shot--at Chicknlmanga among the wonnded
soldiers-in the Congress Of the United States
in many a noble speech.
Religion was with him no new thing.
When q college boy, and cncamped among
the mountains for ummer recreation, al
eventidc he takes out his Bible and says:
IVY . a. WIS III vi u 4 dlu CDl w
read a passage Of The Scripture; If you would
like TO hear It. I will read q chapter now"
And then one Of the comrades was called up
on for prayer, and they all knelt IN their UNI
mer tent. The last thing he did before lcav-
ing Mentor for Washington, was to take the
holy sacrament of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
tears Of emotion rolling down the check of
The commitment. The first opportunity he
friend. Doctor Sunderland, that lie trusted all
in the Lords hand, was ready to die or to
live. Surely he was ready then. After these
eight weeks Of purifying distress he Is ready
now.
want all the world to mark that this Illus
trious bed. If it be Il death bed. illustrious for
patience, illustrious for courage. illustrions
for gcntlerfeSS, Is no infidel,S death bed, no
but in the most radiant sense n Christian
death bed. Though canopicd and surrounded
with the elegance Of Il rnier's mansion, 1t Is
the same kind OF pillow that your Old Chris.
pillow which shall be offered in our last sick
ness, however humble our lot may be. Itputs
Inc more thar ever In love with the old Cos
pei, the GOSPEL of the One who died at the
mated Christ, by Thy own wounds In The side
and the hands and the feet and the brow, pity
the head, the feet, The side. the physical an
guish of our beloved President!
Presidential chair Of this country, but the
most pronounced Christian since the days Of
Washington, in the Presidential chair. is
James A; Garfield. If hego.God forbid that
straight to the bosom of a mereiful God.
Death will be promotion. He will lose moth.
ing, but gam everything. On the Stcrs OF the
capitol that Stony day In March he took tho
of high Office. II he go now ut the gate
Of Heaven he will take the crown Of triumph.
he live or die, I shout for him; "Nlc.
tory, through our Lord Jesus Christ -
TIE GARFIELD FUND.
II. Alienation the SccOud. His family will
be magnificentlv provided ior. IT is an awful
thing when the bread winner OF Il family fills,
tf there be no estate left, and the wife mustgo
to fight for q livelihood. The mother, weak
and sick with long watching, goes out tolOok
for n place. and the children are taken by
friends who, perhaps, get tired of the burden
palhy. But the more than SI50,0N already
tn the CARRIED fund arc II hint that
there is not one Of us amid the fifty millions
Of America who will allow that afflicted fam
lily to suffer need. II this stroke come, the
widow, the children, the aged mother will be
the sacred charge Of this nntion. ] see SO
many craft women IN the awful struggle for
bread dying by inches. and finding no rest un.
right when l present among the altevia.
this great sorrow the complete tlnan-
c.al dclivcralicc of our Presidents family.
NATIONAL SAFETY.
III. Alienation the Third. If our President
die, this nation. without q moments halting.
Tie death Of rulers In other lands often means
bloody revolution. This natioS endured the
death of Presidents Harrison and Taylor and
Lincoln, when 1t was not half as strong as It Is
and 1t will not be discounted by this CT
II will take more than one murder.
Gus wretch to stop this nation when God COM
mandS it to march on. # on that awful Sec
ond of July the President had been instantly
slain, l know not what would have occurred.
There would have been other pistol shots and
and perhaps national 1elirium. How
God was to spare our President these
two months, until the milton could gather its
equlpoise; for / tell you that while the heart
There will be but one life taken. and thnt bv
the hand of the law I have no admiration
for the oreaniz%tions that / hear IRE forming
to tenr down t1S Washington Jail, and maui
court take his place and the Jury be impan-
thcr DC rendc:cd, and the Judge, amid a 81.
lence like the grave, give the sentence, and
t his s aeeupied C Gu Ii ! ii ah Hun M!i py t + s' neek [o un.
til he be dead. All This excitement will soon
bn in the rear. and the nation, clias:cncd by
this aftlictiOn, will move on and up. But
you say,
"wuAr IF TIE PRESIDENT DIE,
what OF his SUCCESSOR" I answer, I have no
acquaintance Win Inc one VINO would DE tue
incoming President, but I beg of you, the
American people, give him a fair chance; do
as you would like to be done by If you were
put in the 50 NJ crisis. The nation would
make nothing oy throwing any impedimcntS
in his way. Others make q prophecy In re-
gard to this incoming President IN case of the
death OF our present rulcr-I make a proplle:
cy. They make prophecy from q political
make mine from a religious
If our President die. Judging
from what seems Gods design of Kindness to
this nation think He Will give especial
blessing for especial emergency. and the chief
ideas of President GarfeId's administration
will be carried out by President Arthur's adj
lninislratiOn.
There Are men now in the Cabinet who have
inHus such a great work that they will
certainly be retained. Postmaster General
James has sent such CONSERVATION into the
OF the Star Routes, saving our
million rs Of dollars, and making his
more illustriouS than have II Of
his predecessors, that I know his hand will be
Kept In that reformation. Secretary Window
has wrought what merchants and bankers all
over the land have called Il miracle of finan-
and | am sure he will not tie de-
throned while he Is saving the land more
millions than dare TO state. Robert Lincoln,
G nrn -, xe " - 1,,iro L., - n aNtf ls,t