The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-10-12
MEMORIAL DISCOURSE OR PUL
PIT REFLECTIONS,
ON THE DEATH OF
PRESIDENT GARFIELD,
REV. S. C. DAMON. d. D.,
In the Bethel Chapel Honolulu, Sab
bath Morning, Oct. 9th, 1881.
PREACHED BY

REV. S. C. DAMON. D. D,
In the Bethel Chapel. Honolulu, Sab
bath Morning, Oct. 9th. 1881.
1s.r,u I.y. SO. For my thoughts not your
tl5ourhts neither are YOUR ways my ways, saitn
stlr lord For as the heavens are higher lhAn
Inc earth. 50 are nv ways higher than your ways,
and nv thoughts than your thoughts
During many weary days and weeks, a
r-rast nation most anxiously awaited the
yesnlt ~ the assassin's fatal ball. They
had been DAYS and weeks OF terrible sus-
7,ense Alternate hopes and fears had ele-
waited or depressed the heart Of the nation.
Such conflict of emotions IN the bosom
of a single individual is quite distressing,
i,ut when that feeling is intensified, by be
inc participated IN, by great nation
lesnlT alive in every pulsation OF Its
,,,;,-btx throbhing heart, then comes feel
- "a terrible conflict and distress alto
10 ;ndescribable After seventy-nlne
g. M this alternate elevation and de-
,-,-..ss;;o,, tbe announcement flashes over
~, ,,-i,as from the Atlantic TO the Pacific,
- - Foreic-n lands. - President Garfield
: 5os5 = The noble Chief Magistrate, the
,1rrirlt public functionary, the affection
-. father. the true husband, the tilial son,
he sincere Christian and genuine Trend,
i no more. but sleeps IN death Ihe
,,nsa or causes. which have consplred to
re result Of this sad and melancholy
,,,-o,,4 srn az a nature to arrest universal
...,an+ior,. and make solemn impression
49,, the whole civilized world. Not only
- Il clad fifty millions Of American cItl-
-s-,s m +be garments of the mourner, but
f,raie-n nations and foreign courts have
nm. an the rnourners badge. Each mourner
NIGHT In heartfelt sorrow, break forth IN
tbe I'd and dirge-hke language Of Eng
lands Great poet, the immortal Milton
over Lycidas:
yr. once more, o ye laurels, and once more
Ye iuvrtles brown. with IVY never sere,
,.-r1p a. r,luck YOUR berries harsh and cruoe'
And with fore fingers rude, ,
Sea- vour leaves before the rnellowing year.
bitter calstraInt and sad occasion dear
Cn-nr.fl me 10 disturb Your season Que
For President Garfield is dead,-dead in
-. manly noble prime.-dead when, to
j,,,,,g7 view. his life and character, ability
and craftsmanship, were most needed 20
-, 80 and ruide the political affairs of
= Great nation. But bark! / hear VOICE,
coming over the continents, and down uhe
centuries, from the lips OF Him VINO spake
as never man spake, Are not TWO spar
rows sold for a farthing and one OF
these shall not fall to the ground without
.-our father" And another voice L hear
uttered seven centuries before, for
my thoughts are not as your thoughts
neither are your ways my ways, Satin
the Lord. For as the heavens are hlgherI
than the earth. SO 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 readlng
public by the journalists OF the day. M
has appeared as if this memorable event
was suggestive Of reflections winch cou!dl
be most appropriately commented upon IN
the unIpit. 1t appears as if the present
was the season for the pulpit to give ut
ta-ance 10 lis most solemn warnings, moral
savings and evangelical teachings. When
God speaks Il Is becoming IN mortal man
:, Ieen silent and listen. Is not God now
,pealingi Is He not now saying to all rulers
and nations. By me kings relgn?" For|
we'll saith the Psalmist. promotion comethI
ro;tber from the east nor the west, nor
from the south. But God is the Judge; 4
lie puteth down one and setteth up ano-
fher. / come before this audience with
no mere loosely expressed ideas uponl
Gods sovereign rule over this world!
and universe. but as an eminent DlvlneI
President Washburn. of Roberts College,
al Constantinople) declares, We beheyeI
that God permitted the assassin to hreI
tins shot. we believe that he might have
prevented II. but that in His wisdom, HeI
Sid moi choose to do So In this sense 1T
,ras His act. We have asked Him toI
mitigate the dreaded consequences OF this
scf. bv sparing the life of the President.
But God has not. IN this respect answered.
our pravers. Let us then enquire what
arr some Of Gods teachings in view OfI
this sad event.
Ffrelv. The death Of President Gar
field leads to reflection upon the uncer
faiutv of human life, and all human plans
This Is a lesson which God Is ever teach
ING rs. but on some occasions far morej
irauressively than on others. The present.
i one wherein God has seen fit to I'm
press this truth on a great nation and thel
world. l)y removing the President OF a
nation. which had chosen him TO be thelri
Chief Ruler. Never has a President en-
tered uron the duties of his high position,
with fairer prospects of usefulness and
honor. or with more reasonable pros
pecf Of living to terminate the period, lori
which he was chosen. and perhaps event
another four wears. He was physically
hale and bcalthy.-pOssessl those phys-l
;csl and mental elements naturally IN
dicative Of long life. The language OF
Shakespeare might well be uttered, whenl
heholding him as he walked on that fatal
morning to take the train, +" How noble mi
reason / In form and moving how expressivel
and admirable :" The Great Nation wasI
uroud of her noble President, intellect
usIlv aud morally He was noble specl
men OF the American pee, &c. he wasl
horn IN the heart Of the Great Nation,
aud had grown with the Nations growth 4
had fought the Nations battles andl
ESCAPED the death-dealing weapons CT
uur: but in a moment, the most unex-
pecfed receives the assasSln's wound,
terminating In his death. How it conhrmsI
the declaration OF the Son OF Man, when
on earfh- - Watch. therefore, for We know
neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son Of Man cometh." When hlngl
David reviewed his miraculous escape, on!
4 certain occasion. he exclaimed: "Truly,I
As the Lord iveta, there is but a stepl
between me and death" If the fallenl
President could have but taken one STEP
the fatal ball would have passed him; butt
J: was not 50 to be,-God had, for wlsel
-sasons.. ordered otherwise; and 1t is
Tor us. short-sighted moTtals, to bow our
heads ard say: q Not our wills, but Thine
he done II IS IN vain for US to reason.
- ia - Cd o,,lar otherwise. lust as