Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-09-26
SUNDAY sermons
Upon the Life and Character OF
Our l~llustrious Dead.
Fittinu Tributes Paid to His Nc m.
DRY by Our Ministers.
According to His Virtues Let Us
Use Him."
Nothing Extsnuate, nor Set Down
H Aught In Malice"

city for the past week hung more heaSiy
Yesterday than on any previous day, and
when the clangor Of the bells called the
citizens to the houses OF God it remind
ed one of the dismal Monday night when
the tslegraphic wires flashed the words;
The President is dead" In most o.
the churches yest"r 'ay s''vces COM
m~erorative OF the sad event we're held,
and many tears of bitter anguish shed
IS the various clergymen recounted the
many virtues and 'amiable qualities oil
Of him who now lies cold in deaths en-
brace. Below will be found abstracts OF
the more important discourses;
ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.
Rev. R. r. Swope, at this place OF wor-
ship. discoursed a fitting tribute 10 the
nations dead % a large congregation.
Following are the more important points
of the sermon:
NJ DAYS are passed away as the swift ships;
as the eagle that basteth TO the prey. '-Jo6s 70
Tins once spoke a great prince OF
Idumea; he was buoyant In the abund'
apcs of his strength and his power; he
had brave sons and fair daughters; his
servants were legion; his tiocks and
herds numbered thousands, but God had
a lesson for him to learn which pros
perity could not teach and so he broke
that prosperity and Job stands forever
in sacred history as the typical man OF
sorrows. And as he sat upon the brink
Of the open grave he expressed in words
that are beautiful in their Oriental
imagery the lesson he had learned IN the
hour OF his desolation. "My days are
passed away as the swift ships; as the
eagle that hasteth to the prey"
The swift ship and the hurrylng eagle
came alike from the dim o~bscurlty
which the eye could not pierce, each
was visible for a time. Each when the
range OF vision was passed faded into
obscurity, and in these Job saw appro-
pirate figures of his earthly life. Years
before it emerged from non-existence, a
few wears hence and it must disappear
in the opacity which surrounds the
tomb. The text suggests reflections
which well accord with the subject which
is filling our thoughts to the exclusion
of more personal matters. / am address
sing q congregation OF mourners. This
calamity is rs personal as though the
murdered President were indeed the
father of all the people. Extended bio
graphical notice is not necessary. The
struggle Of the widowed mother to sup.
port and educate her children and the
noble way in which her gifted son has
repaid her care are familiar household
words. | know of nothing that so well
expresses itin brief as the lines frOm''ln
Memoriam" quoted by Gen. Garfield in
an address delivered in the House OF
Representatives, when the memory oil
Lincoln was his theme, and which ap.
ply with equal truth TO him:
"He was divinely gifted man
Whose life ia low estate began
And ON u tumble village green,
Who hooks his births invidiOuS bar,
An I grasps the skirts Of happy chance,
Aud breasts the blows Of circumstance
Aud gapples with his evil star,
And mounting up from high to higher
Becomes on fortunes crawning slope,
The pillow ola peoples hope,
The entire OF q worlds desire"
History has yet to pass upon his pc.
litical lie and administration, but OF one
thing we are assured, that for intellectu-
al yigor, patience, manliness and hero
ism, the American people will cherish
the memory OF their late Chief Magis
trate as a precious legacy. His mental
qualities are more easily passed
upon. To something akin TO
he imperial mind of a Webster
he united the subtle metaphysical in
sight Of a Calhoun, and the ready and
convincing e~loqueuce Of a Fox and Cha
than
These are qualities that command our
admiration; our love is gained when we
find them supplemented and crowned
by rue gentlemanliness and Christian
faith.
In every sense of that full-freighted
word, he vas a ma, dis affections
were pure and ardent, his temperament
was emotional, his disposition sweet and
gentle as a woman, his impulses warm
and generous. He was true to princi
pie. When he acted it was from con
science, and We are constrained to be.
lieve that he stlove TO realize religious
rectitude in his conduct and official &C,
items
And hest Of all he was a Christian
man. He had deep reverence and affec
ton for those things which faith alone
apprehends, the existence and justice
OF God, the great mission OF Jesus
Christ, the final triumph OF the good,
the true, the %virtuous.
So close we the chapter OF his noble
life. He will care little what we say Of
him now, but it is a relief TO gather
and speak OF him as children OF a de-
ceased father love to meet and recall the
familiar incidents in the parents life
and dwell upon his virtues. Beyond
the reach Of praise or blame he Is at rest.
The ship of his life, so full. ireighted
with national and private interests, has
passed behind the vol Of the unseen.
His life mas passed as ours will do, even
as the flight of the eagle; here a mo-
ment and then gone forever, leaving
the blue sky unmarked by its passage
The lessons We derive from this sad
event are two-fold: First, Praise to God
for such a life. Second, The lesson Of
unmurmuring submission to Gods will.
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Motiatt OF the second Pres
byterian church, read Is his first lesson
The Amalekite's account OF the Staying
of Saul, and Qavid's song Of lsmentation
for saul and Jonathan"
He took for his text a part OF the tenth
verse OF the 46ih Psalm, BE silent, and
know that | am God"
The speaker said that We are ~silents,
When death enters the household voices
are hushed; and when death enters the
nation and its head is removed, We are
dumb. These eighty days Of suffering
have taught US the man, and how little
prepared this nation is to lose him. We
are in the presence OF death and in the
presence OF God. 81 kill and | make
alive, saith the Lord OF hosts"
Some men have said, "lf God
answers these millions OF
prayers it will be proof Of HIS exist.
ence and the efficacy Of prayer" But
God does not always give these noisy
evidences of power; and what men
need to make them believe is tenderness
of heart and u disposition to use Alright
the knowledge they have. God spoke
to Elijah not in the earthquake, the
tempest or the FIRE, but with a still
small voice. All of US who have tested
prayer in the spiritual reolm are ready