The Portland daily press., 1881-09-26

"a Lastly, we are Jaugnu ny bulS Sroet 70
bereavement to trust to God and hope In hi
SAmercy. We must not suppose our prayer
~ KAYE been unheard, or that God has forgotten
Sato be gracious. The answer is yet TO come
q We shall see it in the moral results OF thu
costly sacrifice upon our nation.
N On the morrow, with toiling bells, and peal
Ming cannon, amid prayers and tears, and clio
@quent words the nation will bury its honored
dead. God grant she may arise from the dus
$of humiliation and sorrow to purer ano
&stronger life.
n The desk of st. Lawrence St. church was
3decorated with beautiful flowers, and por
|&trait of the late President Garfield.
q STATE STREET CHURCH.
II The audience room of this church was beau
fully and appropriately dressed in mourning
|4colorS. The pulpit and communion table were
and graceful festoons falling
#from the centre Of the arch above to meet on
&either side flags fringed with black, while the
%fronts OF the galleries were hung with heavy
&folds of white and black intertwined. On the
$table stood a broken shaft, composed chiefly OF
1.-The very choicest white flowers. A large au-
adience was in attendance. The music was
Avery fine and adapted to the occasion, consist
ling of the anthem, cast thy burden on the
\ Lord" the chant From the recesses of low
sly spirit" and the three hymns, "God moves IN
Ia mysterious way" 'sThy will Ibe done, -
Il Earth transitory things decay"
The services were conducted by Rev. Henry
H. Griffin of Williamstown, Mass, who is a
Sson of Prof. N. 81. Griffin, of Williams Col
Alege. Prof. Griffin was the instructor of Presi-
8dent Garfield in Greek, during his collegiate
zcourse.
] The text was taken from the 18th chapter
{ Of Acts, Both verse: "For David, after, he
had served his own generation BY the will OF
SGod fell on Sleep"
The preacher said, sour murdered President
HAS thus fallen asleep. We would not attempt
~ cl1,xry ton nln 1u a
land David. In life they had many points IN
Acommon, and in death their epitaphs will not
2differ, both having, by the will of God, served
3their generation Both rose by the inherent
Sforce of their genius and character from the
zlowly walks to the highest honors their coun-
Ntrynen could confer upon them. 1t is not fam
$cful to see points of similarity in their perso-
8aal characters. In both the poetical, and at
Hfectionate and simple traits were combined
with profound understanding OF public ques-
&eions ard high order of intellectual power.
4 The power of romantic and lasting friendships
lis equally illustrated in both, and strengthened
1.-THE social relations of each. The scenes in the
7life of David and Jonathan are no more touch
ling and pathetic than the President, crowned
I with the highest office, kissing his aged moth
q Ter, and clinging to his early home and friends
4 both were early thrown into the arena Of publ
zic life, and, with strong sense OF the Divine
Z Providence, accepted the sacred trusts commit
: ted to them. Both viewed the questions that
z came before them with profound regard for
8their country's good.
OF his public career in Congress this is not
1.-THE time or place to speak, but we believe that
aof him it is written in the hearts of his mourn
ling countrymen, and will be inscribed IN hlStoI
2ry He serUed his generation. Only 5O years OF age
ahe entered the presidential office under most
promising circumstances, with an advantagel
5of training that no previous President has had B
familiar with pnblic life and men, endowed
with unusual intellectual power, with high
moral ideas and aims, he is cut off before he|
has made permanent impression on the execu-
tive history of his country.
When we consider the good OF the country
I've cannot yet trace the hand of God. Surely
Hit is no small thing to have in the PRESIDENTIAL
schair a man of the breadth, character and
lforce of James A. Garfield. He was Chris-I
titan man, and, as Christian President, would
1have exerted a salutary influence on pubic
sentiment and in favor of religion. Politicians
<of the highest order have, together with the
Ibest sentiment of the country confidently ex-
spected reform in the lie of honesty and re-
lard for the public good. The educators of
Ethe times felt that sound education had found
Ian advocate whose own life would act as a
Wholesome influence upon the youths of our
Hand. But, alas! it was not to bel Gods!
zwork and the work of this generation was to-
}be finished through other instrumentalities.
History will record the work accomplished, i
and the nation will remember the man who SO,
sasleep.
In common with the whole nation we
smourn over the hero who has fallen, and payl
jour tribute of affection and respect, while ini
hour prayers we commit the bereaved family to,
THE God of the widow and the fatherles,.
He has not died in vain, and his loving coun-
atrymen can but testify their regard for himI
land honor his memory by taking up the dnties|
Sof life at home, in the office, in public llfe,l
Il with profound conviction that in the spheres
3of their lives with a single eye to the good OF
Others and the public welfare, they will serve
their generation.
Let us remember that no grander epitaphl
lean be written for us than this;
"After that he had served his generation, by!
Rthe will of God he fell asleep.
wrLLIsroN CHURCH.
The interior of the church was very TASTE
Sfully decorated with festoons of white and
/ black drapery hanging from the lofty celllngI
Ito the sides of the church. The organ was al
3so draped with festoons across the front. TheI
4 pulpit was entirely covered, as with pail. Oni
1.-THE communion table was a floral piece, repre-
5senting broken column, in smilax and whitel
aroses. The whole interior presented beautl- i
5ful appearance. The voluntary, by Mr.. Mur
Tray, the organist, was from "The Messiah, -
{"I know that my Redeemer liveth." The
Sopening anthem, REST, Rest, was beautifully
RENDERED. The hymns were those familiar
aones sung at the services in Washington
s"Jesus, lover of my SOUL" and ASLEEP in Je
2sus, blessed Sleep"
The pastor, Rev Mr.. Clark, preached very
aearnest and thoughtful discourse from the
J words of Jesus to his disciples, John, 1877
S"What do thou knowest not now, but thou
ashalt know hereafter"
4 In this confident assurance we can rest, and
3yet while we believe that some day God will
J make it all palmer than to our finite compre-
ahension it can be made now, it is not irrever-
To Gods
5sending this grief.
In the first place, said the preacher, l think
she has taught the American people, By all the
3sad lessons of the past eleven weeks, the es
gsential nobility of true manhood and woman
Ahood This was lesson which we, as a ma
$tion, particularly needed to leatn. We wor-
Sship smartness; we glorify success; we bow
zdown to power but lately we have been
! taught that there is something better even
Sthan to be powerful; that is to be beloved.
By this affiiction God has shown us that re-
4ligion and politics need not be dis-associated !;
4 that it is possible for one in the prominent
heartily seat to bow humbly before bis God.
< President Garfield was never too great or too
busy to be Christian. And when we con-
template that poor, emaciated body, lying in
Estate, so near its western home, what else is
worth speaking of !? He was prepared to die !,
anot because he was great, and learned, and fa
( nous, and beloved, did the pearly gates open
Nor him; not because a hundred millions, the
world over, followed him lovingly to death 81
door, is heaven moved to-day, but because a
4child of God has come home.
Again, God has pointed out to us some evils
4 of our body polite, some rocks upon which
-FOUR nation was drifting. Place-seeking and
Hrancorous hate, and importunate love of office,
/ have received, if not fatal blow. at least one
T from which they will not soon recover.
ST. LUKEs.
Rev. Canon Stills, in the Bishops absence,
preached sermon on Christian hope. The
whole subject of our Christian hope appeals
Ito our hearts at this time, my brethren, with
I more than even its accustomed force. In the
presence of death we need seriously to look to-
3our faith and hope, lest, having in this life
3only, faith in Christ, we be made most miser-
liable When God deals with nstion as He
5has lately dealt with US in these United States,
Z lie means that nation to learn some lesson for
Tits eternal advantage, and it must not waste in
mere useless eulogies the precious time which
SHOULD be devoted to serious determination
Z and to the deeper understanding of the frailty
&and uncertainty of our condition here on
Hearth, and to the more careful application OF
4our hearts to the learning of heavenly wisdom
For HIM who is dead nation deeply mourns.
Ill might have said whole world, for world
ovid is the sympathy that has been expressed
$for the afflicted family. Passions and preju-
4dices tending towards the severance of the
! bond of true charity terminate in the presence
&of such loss. Men of all shades of thought
5and opinion, from every quarter under heaven,
4are drawn together in heartfelt sympathizing
Hove to do honor to the memory of one who
\ Through life brayely and boldly maintained