Morning journal and courier., 1881-12-28

ment aboundinp in kindliness and love to- wards all men. How plainly, also, those years of intercourse with him have manifest ed to us who looked upon his daily life the loving character of his personal relation to the Master. He was like Peter and Paul in his labors, his energy, his earnestness, his ability and readiness to sound the notes of battle; but in his own souls life he had much of the simplicity and beauty of the Johannean love to Christ.
 Our honored friend was magnanimous he was generous he was always disposed to aid in any work in which he was engaged with others; he had no desire to take away from the honor or reward of other men in order to increase his own; he was hearty believer in the powers and capabilities of young men. and was hopeful for them; he was ever promoter and advocate of the highest we'll being of the community. He had the Kindly instincts of true gentleman. He had the trustful, serious, self-sacrifcing, devoted, manly, godly spirit of a sincere Christian
 How much he did for New Haven can be measured and estimated best by observing what place he holds in the regard of his fellow citizens, and what weight has, for these many years, been given by them to his opinions and his words. He has been identi- fled with the life of the city for half cen tury Its interests have been near to his thoughts and to his heart His energies and his wisdom have responded to it's call when ever they were needed. It has been an in- teresting sight to see him, in his later life, as he walked about the streets. Others have spoken to me of it, and have often thought of it myself as noble element in our life here, that man like him who has contended for more than generation against evil, and in the name of God has warned and rebuked evil-doers-a man who has had no favors to ask or to give, but who has simply tried to do the Great Masters work and to speak for
 
 should have been able to gather around him. self at the end the veneration of men of every party in Church or State, of the poor and the rich alike, of the foreign citizen as well as the one born upon the soil, and should pass the bright and lovely evening of his lifetime with out an enemy. I am glad that our eyes have been permitted to witness this sight, and that the city of our abode has this honor for it. self. The name of Leonard Bacon will sure ly be always enrolled among the number of those to which the highest place is assigned in the history of New Haven.
 Our friends career had remarkable com pleteness. He had lived beyond the or6i- nary limits of human life, and in two months more would have seen his eightieth birthday. And all the years from childhood onward were full of work. From his early maturity, even from his college days, he won the es- teem of all who knew him best, both for his mental power and his moral excellence. At the age of twenty three, when most young men are still in the work of preparation, he was called 10 the pastorate of this church of Christ. Though scarcely more than boy in years, he proved himself to be no unworthy successor to the ablest men who had preceded him. He took a high rank as preacher, and as man he was among those whose power was felt throughout the community and the commonwealth. For forty years, period as important as any in the country's history, he labored in this office, giving his daily service to his people, but striving for the good cause also in the regions beyond. He worked steadily onward until he had sur yived the older generation to whom he min istered at first, and then he handed on the message of the gospel to their children, and even their grandchildren. But he lost none of his strength and ardor as time passed away. For great many years before he laid aside his active work here he was the most conspicuous leader in the Congregational ministry, and none in any branch of the Church held a more prominent place. He made this church to be known and honored
 everywhere. At the end of this extended pc. riod he said to his people that he had served them long enough for their highest well-be. ing, and asked them to give the work and
 the responsibility of his office to another
 Then he devoted himself with all the enthu. siasm of youth to a new employment He became teacher of doctrinal theology-s
 successor in the Divinity school of our uni versity of the distinguished divine whom he had also followed in the pastorate In this
 new position he found delightful occupa ton. He gave to his pupils the fruits of his long years of thought and of learning, and he ever kept his mind open to the truth. When this position was subse quently filled, in accordance with his OWL views, by the gentleman who now holds 1t he took, at the urgent request of his col ,1ns. x,es FrY- ten successive classes of students he has lee tured upon Church Polity and American Church History, subjects respecting whicI he was as well qualified to communicate val uable knowledge as any man in the country His work in this lectureship continued to tht last moment. found him on Thursday af ternoon of last week giving the coneiudine lecture of the term, and before the sun hai risen on the second morning aften&ards hi life on earth was over.
 Success and honor attended him in botf spheres of his activity from the beginning tt | the ending. He had the consciousness tha he was doing good service, which would b, 1 lasting in it's influence, both in the Churcl and in the Theological School. To what h, ! has done for the former the Christian knowl edge and Christian thought of many anon. | the living and the dead have borne witness 1 in the past. The Christian life itself in oth ! CTS has owed it's beginning to his teaching and his prayers. Even in these declining | years of his old age, he has almost resumed | the duties of it's pastor and has centralized I it's Church life in himself in no small degree ! on the other hand, is vel ! known to his associates and to man, l of it's friends For his efforts to establish | the school on the best foundations, and tt | give it it's highest efficiency and an honorabl | fame the churches throughout the land ma. \ we'll be grateful to God. For his instruction and his personal influence more than thre \ work of the Gospel in diff | ferent parts of the country and the worl'
 remember him with unfeigned regard, whil | they all have 8 tender feeling towards him a
 8 venerated father and friend.
 The great causes for which he has lahore, ! have always been good ones also, and to 1 remarkable degree his efforts have been man l ifestly attended with good effect. He. ha | rejoiced for years in the victory of freedom I and of the cause of the Union, for which h strove SO long and so we'll. His mind; whicl l has had such extraordinary interest in tn 1 progress of the world, has been granted tn vision of the wonderful results both for sci ence and for Christianity accomplished in ou ! generation. He has passed his lifetime in al intellectual circle and in cultivated city He has known the greatest earthly blessing
 happy home, e,-sacred in it's joys, and equal ! ly sacred in it's sorrows. He has seen hi children grew up around him and find fo themselves spheres of usefulness and honor while thair children also have added to tn comfort and satisfaction of his old age. H has been permitted to behold the sunlight o
 heaven shining along his pathway, as the en of his earthly pilgrimage began to draw near ' CT. He has had the privilege of working t | the last, with all the freshness of his ments l vigor and all the buoyancy of an ardent soul He has died almost in 8 moment, and almos ! without struggle. Happy hfe,-we say t one another, who could have wished it to b otherwise in it's progress or in it's closing?
 The closing was at the hour of earlies dawn on Saturday last. It was 8 fallin
 asleep, as we call it. But the sleep was only Q ! the bodily powers. The active spiri passed at that moment beyond our earthl \ vision to it's home. As the tidings came t us so suddenly, I could not but ask myself the hours that immediately followed, Wha 1 is the new experience through which he now going? We often think of the great ae count and the solemn judgment when life
 ended, and every serious mind must feel th ! influence of this coming scene as giving t all that we do here deep significance. But | as tried to picture to myself the beginnin \ -R, s-k-- f