Morning journal and courier., 1890-08-19
nEy. DIR. wALKER,s REMARKS

REV. DIR. WALKER,s REMARKS At che Funeral of the Late Alfred
 Walker-The Prayer.
 Following are the remarks, with accom- panying prayer, of the Rev. Dr. Walker of Hartford, formerly pastor of Center church, this city, at the funeral of the late Alfred Walker:
 There is no event so common and so l certain to us all as the event which has | gathered us here to-day, and yet there is no event which in it's coming is associated | with so dissimilar and special circum- stances, imparting in general way it's | own peculiar character and quality. And | this not so much because of the variance of outward points in our earthly history, though these may be exceedingly diverse; not so much because of the differences which sunder us from one another in the providences of our days and in those ex- ternal circumstances by which our lives are marked and separated from other lives The chief distinguishing thing which marks every event like this is rather derived from those traits and qualities of character and. of the life which has been lived, than anything bor- | rowed from external circumstances. In all such gatherings as this of to-day we | are, more or less consciously l unconsciously sly-impressed by recollections l and suggestions, many of them intangible, l incapable of being put into words, which nevertheless arise to the thought and to the memory. as we recall with greater or
 less distinctness the quality and character l of an ended life.
 l I am impressed by these considerations I |, &, |. IL ci l Our beloved friend and brother, who has passed through the successive years
 of long history, has had a
 life marked by many of the vicissitudes and the chief changes of this our life of
 change and of vicissitude. But it is not so
 much the outward points of this earthly
 history which give the mark and quality
 to an occasion like this. It is rather those | suggestions which arise from the internal
 sources-the recollections which belong to
 the character and nature of the inward history of our beloved brother. I need
 not say, in the midst of a group of persons l like you, who have been associated with him;
 Ineed not say anything respecting the out
 ward history of our departed friend; his
 long Identification with the business inter
 ests of this community; his long associa-
 ton with those whom we have loved
 and revered, and who have gone away from this to a better world; his long con- nection to the church of Christ, of which
 he has been for so many years trusted
 and honored officer; his connection with
 this circle of friends, who have again and again, in various ways throughout this community, proved the fidelity of his af-
 lection and the large -heartedness and sin
 cerity of his character. These things we all know. They are familiar to us.
 But the thing which comes mainly to
 my mind, as I look back upon the life with which have been privileged to be con- i nected closely enough to feel deep inter , est in it, and yet so separated from as not, 1T think, to be prejudiced in my judgment respecting !es1et1 it, the the e been derived from recognition, which ! has grown upon me as the years have gone
 by, of the strength and the sincerity and
 the devotedness- of what I may call the character of our beloved friend. He was
 a man immersed, as other people are, ir l. business affairs; engaged, as other people l are, in the struggle of life; and yet amid ii = all, parallel with it all, underneath what n ever care, there was an eagerness, an in
 quiringness, a strength and vigor of in l. tellectual application to the main things O l. interest in religious and any other truth n which seemed to me exceedingly remarka . ble Our friend had, under the circum ;. stances of his life, ,only that degree and form a of education which is the common lot of tn V great mass of our fellowmen in these, ou NewEngland communities;but he had tha
 best foundation for wise outlook int
 the things of life, a home training of tn :. best kind; godly percentage, which gay o him character of intellectual vigor and o solid principal. And, as he entered upo n life and went through it, he was, as say l. distinctively whole man and in a yer strong and unusual degree, marked by tn of earnestness of his own individual applies ,V ton to the consideration of what, afte I; all, are the chief things of interest-th Il things of religion, the things of morals i'd the things which belong to the best wei n being of society and of the community. It was very interesting to me to see ho' g. our friend was led, by the processes simpl m of his own mental inquiries, to conclusion m which in their form and statement are th n; conclusions of the philosophic thinkers an st theologians as the result of their speci U; inquiries; arrived at in perfectly ind St pendent way and by the processes of h own mind, he was nevertheless again an ei again, in articles which I read from h n, pen or in conversations which I had wit s, him, coincident with the conclusions ei some of our best and strongest thinker st These processes of his own mind wei U: brought before others again and again pt some form of printed or published stat "a, ment, and as I look back upon it can fin nd in my own reading no better, no more sa or isfactory statement of the real quality an a; characteristics of prayer, for example, "a di ce icult subject, >confessedly, to handle, tha ls- one which came from his pen and whic Es; was printed in one of our quarterlies qui .st number of years ago.
 'l' I should leave a very wrong impressio ce if did not add to what I have now sa m with regard to the characteristics of o1 as .ls friends mental endowment the furth S4 statement that, whatever of vigor and Ia strength, of originality and of earnestnes
 characterized any mental processes, the
 things were entirely subordinate to u
 power of religion over his own heart I
 was man of simple, humble, person ed trust in the things to which he was coI 'O- mitted in the judgment of his intellet in He loved and followed the truth, he yiel he ed himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, al ay desired in all things to follow where ys led And this trust, which begun so lol D ago, continued and increased and irrat
 ated his later years with sol
 ening and beautifying glow and illul elf ination which those saw most clear of who were closest to him amid t ,Iv vicissitudes and the shadows of gatheril ,os years, and this perfect trust and sereni increased and enlarged and beautified
 he approached his end, so that it seem
 but fitting, as it was most comfortil an conclusion of his life, that it passed aw ed without struggle-probably upon his ps zee without recognition of what was transpi re, ing, as the sun of this earthly life set in
 the morning of immortality.
 Servant of God well done, as- Thy glorious warfare's past ,d Thy battle fought, the race is won 10 And thou art crowned at last ,ur In condescending love
 lty Thy ceaseless prayer he heard, in And bade thee suddenly remove
 To thy complete reward
 : With saints enthroned on high
 Thou dost thy Lord proclaim,
 And still to God salvation cry,
 on Salvation to the Lamb
 o happy, happy soul!
 ol In ecstacies of praise,
 me Long as eternal ages roll,
 no Thou seest thy Saviors face. lp Redeemed from earth and pain, red Ahi when shall we ascend, ur- And all in Jesus presence reign ,t, With our translated friend?n Ied Almighty and eternal God, our beaver ley father, we come from thee at the first a the we go to thee at the last. Thou art t