Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-10-15
MEMORIAL DISCOURSE OR PUL
PIT REFLECTIONS,
ON THE DEATH OF
PRESIDENT GARFIELD,
PREACHED BY
REV. 8. G. DAMON, d. d.
In the Bethel Chapel. Honolulu. Sab
bath Morning, Oct. 9th, 1881.

thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord. For AZ the heavens are higher than
the earth. ~ are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts"
During many weary days and weeks, a.
prcat nation most anxiously awaited the
result of the assassin's fatal ball They
had been days and weeks OF terrible sus-
pense. Alternate hopes and fears had ele-
waited or depressed the heart OF the nation.
Such conflict Of emotions in the bosomI
of a single individual is quite distressing
but when that feeling is intensified, by be-
ing participated in, by great nation,
keenly alive in every pulsation of its!
mighty throbbing heart, then comes n feel
ing of terrible conflict and distress alto
gethcr indescribable After seventy-nine'
days OF this alternate elevation and de
precision, the announcement flashes overI
the wires, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and TO foreign lands, President Garfield
is dead The noble Chief Magistrate, thel
upright public functionary, the affection
ate father, the true husband, the filial son,
the sincere Christian and genuine FRIEND
is no more, but sleeps in death The
cause or causes, which have conspired to-
the result OF this sad and melancholy
event, are of q nature to arrest universal
attention, and make solemn impressionI
upon the whole civilized world. Not onlyI
zens in the garments of the mourner, butt
foreign nations and foreign courts have'
put on the mourner's badge. Each mournerI
might in heart felt sorrow, break forth in,
the sad and dirgelike language of Eng
lands great poet, the immortal Milton,
over Lycidas:
"Yet once more, U We laurels, and once
Ye myrties brown, with ivy never sere,
| come to pluck your berries harsh and crude,
And with forcd fingers rude,
Shntter your leaves before the mellowing year.
Bitter constraint and sad occasion dear,
Compel me to disturb your season due;
For President Garfield is dead, dead in
his manly, noble prime, dead when, to-
human view, his life and character, ability
and craftsmanship, were most needed to
rule over and guide the political affairs of
great nation. But bark! / hear voice,
coming over the continents, and down the
centuries, from the lips of Him whospake
ns never man spake, "Are not two spar
rows sold for farthing and one of
these shall not fall to the ground without
your father And another voice l hear,
uttered seven centuries before, For
my thoughts arc not as your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith
the Lord. For as the heavens are hig her
than the earth, 50 are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts"
Without stopping to speak of dates or
refer to details which are SO abundantly
and copiously presented to the reading
public by the journalists of the day, it
has appeared as if this memorable event
was suggestive of reflections which could
be most appropriately commented upon in
tho pulpit 1t appears as if the present
was the season for the pulpit to give ut
terance to its most solemn warnings, moral
sayings and evangelical teachings. When
God speaks it is becoming in mortal man
to keep silent and listen. Is not God now
speaking Is He not now saying to all rulers
and nations by me kings reign?" For
we'll saith the Psalmist, promotion cometh
neither from the east nor the west, nor
from the south. But God is the judge;
he puteth down one and setteth mp ano-
Their. " / come before this audience with
no mere loosely expressed ideas upon
Gods sovereign rule over this world
and universe, but as an eminent Divine
president Washburn, of Roberts College,
at Constantinople) declares, "We believe
that God permitted the assassin to fire
this shot we believe that hc might have
prevented it, but that in His wisdom, He
did not choose to do so. In this sense it
was His act. We have asked Him to
mitigate the dreaded consequences of this
act, by sparing the life of the President. "
But God has not, in this respect answered
our prayers. Let III then enquire what
aro some of Gods teachings in view OF
this sad event
Firstly. The death of President Gar
field leads to reflection upon the uncer-
tainty of human life and all human plans.
This is lesson which God is ever teach
ing us, but on some occasions far more
impressively than on others. The present
is one wherein God has seen fit to i'm
press this truth on u great nation and the
world, by removing the President OF Il
nation, which had chosen him to be their
Chief Ruler. Never has President on
tered upon the duties OF his high position,
with fairer prospects of usefulness and
honor, or with more reasonable pros
pect OF living to terminate the period, for
which he was chosen, and perhaps even
another four years He was physically
hale and healthy,-possessing those phys
ical and mental elements naturally IN,
dicativo of long life. The language Of
Shakespeare might we'll be uttered, when
heholding him rs he walked ON that fatal
morning TO take the train, How noble in
; reason! In form and moving how expressive
and admirable !" The Great Nation was
proud of her noble President, intellect
ually and morally. He was noble speci'
men OF the American pee. ie. He was
born in the heart of the Great Nation,
and had grown with the Nations growth;
had fought tho Nations battles and
escaped the death-dealing weapons CO
war; but in moment the most unex-
pected receives the assassin's wound,
terminating in his death. How il confirms
Tho declaration OF the Son of Man, when
ON earth: "Watch, therefore, for ye know
neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of Man cometh." When King
David reviewed his miraculous escape, ON
certain occasion, he exclaimed; Truly,
as the Lord liveth there is but a step
between me and death" II the fallen
President could have but taken ono step,
the fatal ball would have passed him; but
it was not so 10 be,-God had, for wise