The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-09-26
A SERMON
Commemorative of the Ri. Rev. Il G. Lay.
the First Bishop Of Easton,


Rev. william Schouler. Rector of the
| Parish.
"unto the upright there ariscih light in
the darkness: he is gracious, and fall "l
| compassion and righteous.
| "A good man sheweth favour, and lend
| eth he will guide his affairs with diScre-
| ton.
''Surely lie shall not be moved for ever:
the righteous shall be i'll everlasting re-
membrane. Psalm ll2; 4, ), i.
| l feel that in no way can | more fit
tingly occupy the moments that remain
to-day than by reverting to the I'M
speakably sad loss which. in common
| with our brethren throughout the do
cese, we have sustained in the removal
of our beloved and rcvered Bishop, and
dwelling upon memory and example so
precious, and which are our lasting heri-
tage.
Our thoughts travel back to-day to
that Mid Lent Sunday, when he stood
where your preacher to-day stands, and
discoursed of sacred things: and after
wards laid hands of blessing upon those
whose three fold profession lie had re-
| ceived. Then it was that, for the last
| time Gf not absolutely, yet for the last
| time within the bounds of his own do
cese). lie celebrated the memorial of the
| Saviour'S death and consccrated the
sacred elements in the Holy Supper. We
remember, too, the testimony given to
the young brother departed, whose me
mortal had been newly set Up in the
| house of God where once he had minis
tered. Little did we think that, for the
last time, we had listened to the familiar
voice, and that no more should he be
present with us in the administration OF
Holy Rite or Sacrament. In few brief
days death had laid upon him his chilling
hand, and the beginning Of the end had
come. We have watched and prayed
that our chief shepherd might be spared
to US; but in His wisdom God has
thought best to deny the request, while
ready ever, and now, i'll our urgent need,
to bestow some substantial good in an
swer to the prayer of trustful and sub
missive spirit. May such spirit be
ours; and in view of the weighty respon-
sibilIties that must needs devolve upon
the diocese within the coming twelve
month, may there be the constant
prayer for the fright Judgment in all
things" under the Spirits guidance.
The career of cur departed Bishop has
been varied and eventful. At the early
age of thirty six he was called by the
voice of the Church's highest council to
the office of Missionary Bishop, being
elected by the General Convention as
sembled in Richmond, Va, in the year
1859 Missionary Bishop of the South
west. During the civil war that followed
in less than two years from that date,
the Bishop became the Diocesan Bishop
of Arkansas, uLder the Confederate
Church organization. At the close of
the war, however, in conjunction with the
revcred Bishop Atkinson, OF North Car
DINA, lie exerted himself strenuously to
bring back the old union in the Church
that had subsisted previous to the strug-
gle; and a most interesting and touching
feature of ths General Convention of
1865, that met in Philadelphia only six
months after the bloody strife had
ceased and when the current of excited
feeling on either side ran deep and
strong, was the appearance of the two
Southern Bishops, the sole representa-
tives of their order, bent on a mission of
peace, and willing, for the sake of peace,
to expose themselves to whatever of adj
verse criticism among brethren in their
own section their act should call forth !;
and, on the other hand, to put themselves
within the range of utterances that must
necessarily CRATE upon their feelings as
Southern men, although prompted by
| sincere and conscientious conviction.
| The remark was made to me few days
since in BBaitinIGifee bt a chit woman OF
tat city somewhat to this effect: 1.-The
Church will never know how much it
owes to Bishop Lay Tor the bringing
about of unity between churchmen in
the two sections after the war;" Certain
it Is that, by Gods blessing, tic noble
action of the two Bishops was followed
by the complete and speedy restoration
of unity; and three years afterwards, at
the General Convention held in New
| York city, the whole Church, North and
South, was represented, and brethren sat
side by side as in the days preceding the
civil conflict, and for the fist time for
nearly decade.
We have arrived now at the period of
the organization of the Diocese of Eas-
ton. When the time came for the cleo
ton of its first Bishop the choice fell
upon the then Missionary Bishop of the
| Southwest, the diocesan organization of
tho Church in Arkansas having been
abandoned; and so it was that the man
of God whose departure is widely
mourned to-day, took up his abode
among US, and coIsccrated his remaining
| years to the service of the Church in
| this portion of the Masters field. Not
| quite twelve month has rolled by since
the celebration of the twenty fth ami
versary of the Bishops consecration
| Fifteen years out of the twenty five had
been spent in this diocese. These sixteen
years have furnished the record of faith
full and efficient service. The Church,
doing its work amid a slowly-ncreasing
population, and where there are no large
| business centres, has gone steadily for
ward and made large Increase Compar-
ing the statistics of the diocese rs given
in 1870 (wlien the Bishop had been in
charge for Year, with those of 1885,
the record is as follows: Number of
clergy in 1870, "a; in 1885, 33-a gain Of
one third; number of communicates in
the two years, respectively, lee and
2, GJS-a gain of one half. Some twenty
new churches and chapels have been
erected during Bishop Lays epscopate
A Home for Friendlcss Children has been
established in Easton. Surely here is a
record that calls for thankfulncss and
encouragement, and that shall prove an
enduring monument to the memory of
the first Bishop of Elston.
| AS regards the matter of personal APP
titrdes. He was one of whom it might
be said that God had bestowed upon him
|
manifold gifts, and that he had the