E 687 
 
 •B81 ^ 
 
 Copy 1 ^p 
 
 PSALM XXXVII, 23. 
 I he steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. 
 
 A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 By C, D, BRADLEE, 
 
 1 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Harrison Square, Dorchester District, Hoston, Mass. 
 
 Sunday, September 25, 1881, 
 
 THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE DEATH OF 
 
 \-. Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, LL. D. 
 
 President of the United States. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 PRESS OF NATHAN SAWYER & SON, 
 Xo. 70 State Street. 
 
 1881 . 
 
> 
 
PSALM XXXVII, 23. 
 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. 
 
 A 
 
 SERMON 
 
 By C, D. BRADLEE, , 
 
 Pastor of the Church at Harrison Square, Dorchester District, Boston, Mass. 
 
 Sunday, September 25, 1881, 
 
 THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE DEATH OF 
 
 Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, LL. D., 
 
 President of the United States. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 PRESS OF NATHAN SAWYER .*c SON, 
 
 No. 70 State Street. 
 
 18S1. 
 
nJ 
 
 v>\; 
 
 ,5f/ 
 
 
 / 
 
SERMON. 
 
 " The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." 
 PsAi.M xxxvii, 23. 
 
 "^TO man can be called prosperous, or happy, 
 -^^ or good, until the earthly life has been 
 finished ; no measurement can be taken of 
 character, no absolute prophecy can be made 
 concerning destiny, no congratulations can be 
 offered, no encouragements given, no safe ap- 
 plause bestowed, until the curtain of life falls, 
 and the great actor is dismissed. 
 
 " I am surprised at nothing," says one ; and 
 "there must be a first time," says another; and 
 "be not hasty to praise," say a great many ; and 
 all speak, as they are moved by the one great 
 thouiiht of the uncertainty of all things, of the 
 changeableness of conduct, and of the various 
 side issues that invade all lives at every point. 
 How many people, in the world's history, who 
 have stood high almost to the last moment of 
 their existence, have become at last submerged, 
 and overpowered, and disgraced, and have van- 
 ished from sight, amid the anguish or the exe- 
 cration of many a heart; and so, how many 
 people have begun their life at- zero, and have 
 
staid at zero for a long time, and then, all at 
 once, or by slow and sure steps, have marched 
 into honor, and usefulness, and power, and 
 glory, and have held to their place to the very 
 end, and perhaps there have been, in the long 
 run, as man\' advances, as slips; as many pro- 
 motions, as degrfcdations ; as large a number of 
 ascents, as of tails : and again, I say, we cannot 
 judge of a life till that life has closed this side 
 of Heaven, and gone up to God. 
 
 Then again, when we speak of a good man, 
 or woman, or child, we do not mean absolute 
 goodness, for, of course, perfect goodness can be 
 credited to no mere mortal, and perfection can- 
 not be found in any being not divine, and 
 we only mean a superlative goodness ; and 
 yet there are some who exceed in nobility of 
 character a majority of their fellow-beings, and 
 such people we call good, and w^e have a right 
 to call them good. 
 
 Of course none of us can stand up and say, 
 " I am thoroughly true," for the ver}' claim, made 
 by our own lips, would prove that the speaker 
 was untrue, immodest, and worth but very little ; 
 for we should then detect pride, and assumption, 
 and by-ends, and a considerable tinge of hypoc- 
 risy, for no one can measure self justly. Yet 
 we all can look at another person and say, good, 
 and true, and noble ; and we may say it sin- 
 cerely, and with admiration, and gratitude, and 
 real delight : lor looking at a noble person makes 
 
us proud of the best side of human nature, and 
 thankful to God for the possibilities that He has 
 lavished upon his children, and glad that some 
 have climbed high up the ladder that reaches to 
 Heaven, and thoroughly ashamed of ourselves 
 that we fall so far below those at whom we gaze, 
 that we have been so neglectful of our truest 
 interests, and that our possible has never been 
 consecrated in our actual, and thoroughly dis- 
 heartened that we have staid so long in the 
 marsh, when we might as well have been at the 
 top of the mountain. 
 
 When we look at a character and call it irood, 
 we mean a character where goodness is, or has 
 been, the predominant motive, the ruling desire, 
 the constant thought, and the regulator of a 
 large majority of the deeds ; specks of course 
 in all characters, for there are specks found in 
 the sun ; crevices somewhere, perhaps, for the 
 noblest of mountains have their seams, and 
 rents, and openings ; with varied shades, per- 
 haps, for the giant hills have several signs of 
 beauty, as they shift their colors, according to 
 the time of day, or the tone of the air, or the 
 perfection, or the imperfection of the eye that 
 looks at them ; yet, these characters that we call 
 good, like the sun, or like the mountains, are 
 really great, and grand, and beautiful, and holy, 
 and truly loom up in massive splendor, and 
 evoke the reverent thankfulness of all who study 
 their graceful proportions. 
 
Let us suppose, lor a moment, a character 
 that we can call good, without any impeachment 
 of the phrase, without any muffling of our 
 conscience, without any degradation to our soul, 
 and without any fears of a challenge from any 
 critical lips. 
 
 Look at it in boyhood, and we claim that then 
 there must be obedience, and truth, and love, 
 and purity, and activit}', and holiness. Suppose 
 that it starts, under unfavorable circumstances, in 
 a log-hut, if you will, in almost a wilderness, 
 surrounded by pinching poverty, with a hard 
 battle to fight from the very beginning of exist- 
 ence ; whv, then, we must look for courage, and 
 faith, and perseverance, and a laudable pride to 
 conquer circumstances, and take a position in 
 the world ; a life, though shaded in the tender 
 years, yet so glorified by fidelity, that the lookers 
 on will be astonished, and careful minds will 
 predict a splendid future. 
 
 Suppose, as the years advance, that this 
 character, or, if you choose to put it so, this 
 3'oung man of our imagination, longs to be 
 thoroughly educated, feels beating powers in his 
 mind, grasps after mighty ideas, and is deter- 
 mined to become a thinker and a giver out of 
 thoughts; why, then, the young man must give 
 his spare time to books, and obtain the friendship 
 of instructors, and plod patiently along, step by 
 step, through preparatory studies, till the prelim- 
 inary branches being mastered, an entrance into 
 
College is obtained ; and then, our friend, in his 
 college-life, must be constantly industrious, tilled 
 with high moral principle, thoroughly pure, and 
 really religious, and never ashamed, if the trial 
 should come, of showing the banner of religion, 
 and of standing by the right through every 
 contingency. 
 
 But let us carry our imagination a little 
 further, and let us suppose that our hero gradu- 
 ates with honor, with the respect of the 
 professors and the president, with the love of his 
 class-mates, and with a good name, that is better 
 than riches, and then becomes a teacher, and 
 finally the President of a College, and we know 
 just what he will teach, just the power that will 
 leap out of his teaching ; and we know that his 
 grand aim will be to make true men, and noble 
 women, and correct thinkers, and good citizens ; 
 and we know that those who are fortunate enough 
 to be labelled as his pupils, will bear his mark 
 with them, in their accomplishments, and graces, 
 and powers. 
 
 For, says the great John Milton, "The end of 
 learning is to know God, and out of that knowl- 
 edge to love Him, and to imitate Him, as we 
 may the nearest, by possessing our souls of true 
 virtue." So the pupils of the one we are trying 
 to sketch will be filled with virtue, and holiness, 
 and peace ; because the teacher is himself a 
 glorious embodiment of the same. 
 
 But go a step further, and let us imagine that 
 
a great ci\il-\var springs up, and men are needed 
 who shall take the lead, men of bravery, men of 
 action, men of wisdom, and experience, and 
 insight, and we shall expect that our gifted one 
 will take a place as a commander, and that he 
 will receive continually promotion after promo- 
 tion, and honor after honor, and in time we 
 should not be surprised, should he be sent to 
 Congress, and there will he try to do his duty, 
 there will his speeches do him great credit, there 
 will he gain the reputation, the pre-eminent 
 reputation of a true patriot, and scholar, and 
 statesman. 
 
 Then, again, in order that we may finish the 
 picture, we desire to have our hero called to the 
 highest place of responsibility, and we look, of 
 course, for that final ste^ of power, the assump- 
 tion of the Presidential office, and then we know 
 that we shall find the same person, the good 
 boy, the faithful young man, the gifted teacher, 
 the experienced legislator, all developed into 
 the gentle, and the wise, and the thoughtful, 
 and the loving President, and we shall not be 
 disappointed ! 
 
 But why need I speak now of any case that 
 might be, why need I create an ideal personage, 
 why need 1 call upon my imagination to illus- 
 trate what seems to be a good character on its 
 most fortunate side, why any fanciful delineation, 
 when our hearts, — all our hearts, and the 
 hearts of all the people all over tiie world, in 
 
high places, and in low places, are now mourn- 
 ing for one who, in his earthly life, was an actual 
 embodiment of that which I have, till just this 
 moment, called merely the possible P why should 
 I not speak of what has been, of what is no 
 more on the mortal side, of our beloved President 
 who has fallen asleep, of that good boy, that 
 true pupil, th'at noble collegian, that conscien- 
 tious officer, that gifted legislator, that beloved 
 head of the nation, and, when stricken down, 
 that resigned child of God, who is now a saint 
 in Heaven. 
 
 //e started from the log-cabin in the wilder- 
 ness, and he passed away occup3ing a position 
 the greatest in the land ; and he was one who 
 was universally acknowledged as a man of 
 massive intellect, of large heart, of a lovincr 
 soul, strong in endurance, ready in utterance, 
 and having a healthy, living, and glorious and 
 submissive faith. 
 
 Look at the eighty days of his prostration, 
 and you hear no murmur, no w^ords uttered 
 against the assassin, and you behold a perfect 
 resignation to the will of Almighty God ! O, as 
 we think of his letter to his wife when he was 
 first injured, of his few words to his aged 
 mother, of his gentle greetings in his sick 
 chamber, of all his dear ones, and of his 
 constant respect to his medical attendants, when 
 we think of his glorious clinging /o h/s one 
 chance f 07- life, and yet of his willingness to go, 
 
 I" 
 
lO 
 
 if God should so order — when we hear him 
 speak so lovingly, towards the last, of the United 
 States, we feel that we have lost not only our 
 President, but our brother, our father, our 
 dearest friend, and as we find that his last words 
 are about the great pain in his heart, O, a great 
 pain comes to our hearts, and this, his dying 
 telegram, bows us low in grief. 
 
 The steps of a good man are ordered by the 
 Lord. 
 
 But can we say that the last days of our noble 
 President were ordered by the Lord ? Can we 
 see the Lord's hand, as we think of the shot of 
 the assassin, and of the days and weeks of pain, 
 and of the tears of the world? Can we see the 
 Lord's hand in permitdng one of the greatest 
 nations upon the earth, to be at the mercy of the 
 freak of the murderer, so that hco of our Presi- 
 dents, who have represented law, and order, and 
 justice, and humanity, have been dismissed from 
 life, with but little warning, and at the bidding 
 of a demoniacal spirit? 
 
 Yes, we must believe in the Lord's hand 
 fnally over-ruling all things for good, else 
 " Booth " and " Guiteau " have, in some respects, 
 a power of withstanding God, and if the Ruler 
 of the world, can, in any one thing, \ni fnally 
 conquered, where are we my friends? 
 
 It is uot the hour for skepticism, but the time 
 for faith, and courage, and submission, and 
 patience, and a tender waiting for the revelations 
 
II 
 
 of the Almighty, for. out of this great darkness, 
 in His own good time, and by His own gracious 
 way, and in a wonderful manner, will God bring 
 light. 
 
 Our President is safe ! He is promoted, and 
 cleansed, and glorified, and at work with the 
 angels of God, doing the will of the Almighty. 
 He would not come back now, for he fills a 
 greater place than man can give to him, does a 
 richer work than any work that he could have 
 possibly done here, and he has received eternal 
 life ! But, O, how is it with us, stricken as we 
 are, heavy as are the clouds around us, mighty 
 as is our loss? 
 
 Well, God will not forsake us, for His eye 
 will watch, and His hand will uplift, and His 
 love will sustain, and His mercy will save every 
 one who looks above, seeking the never failing 
 grace. 
 
 He will be there, in that deserted home, 
 honored so much on the fourth of March, of 
 this eventful year, and ever since the fourth so 
 beset by storms I He will be there, with those 
 faithful, and favored, and bewildered members 
 of the Council, who have been privileged a little 
 while to have the fellowship, and the friendship, 
 and the benedictions of a noble spirit, whose 
 influence can never die out ! 
 
 He will be there with that absent and aged 
 and affectionate mother, whose last days have 
 been so deluged with tears, for He is the God of 
 
12 
 
 the widow and the fatherless, and He has 
 anointed with a peculiar ^race, and beauty, and 
 holiness, that dear word. Mother. 
 
 He will be there, when the Senate and the 
 House are assembled, as the members shall be 
 informed that the earthly life of the Executive 
 has been quenched, and he will give to" each and 
 all the spirit of eloquence, and unction, and 
 sympathy, and tenderness, and trust. 
 
 He will be there, with the one, who, by the 
 laws of tlie land, and by the votes of the people 
 made long ago, should such a possible contin- 
 gency occur, has become now the head of the 
 nation, and who knows, but that God will per- 
 mit the mantle of the departed prophet to fall 
 upon his successor, and thus send to that suc- 
 cessor, in all future days, a new power, and a 
 grand spirit, and a massive glory, so that hi& last 
 days shall be crowned with a peculiar honor. 
 
 And God will be with our Country, and will 
 hold us all up in the hollow of his blessed hand. 
 
 The items of our President's life are familiar 
 to you all. Let me briefly recall them : 
 
 James A. Garfikld was born in a log-hut, 
 in the wilderness, in Orange, Ohio, November 
 19th, 1831. He lost his father when very young, 
 and had a terrible struggle with poverty for 
 many years, but at last fitted himself for Williams 
 College, where he graduated in 1S56. He 
 studied law, practised at the Bar, occasionally 
 taught school, and was, for a while, the honored 
 President of a College. 
 
13 
 
 He was a member of the Senate of Ohio, from 
 1859 to i860, and entered service in the Civil 
 War in 1861 as Colonel, and was promoted to 
 Brigadier-General, and entered the House of 
 Representatives at Washington, December 5th, 
 1863, and just as he was about to take his 
 seat in the Senate, he was chosen President of 
 the United States, being inaugurated March 
 4th, 1881. 
 
 At a meeting of his class-mates, that was held 
 on the evening of March 3d, just before he took 
 the oath of office as President, he said : 
 
 " This honor came to me unsought : I have 
 never had the Presidential fever, no not even 
 for a day ; nor have I it to-night. I have no 
 feelings of elation in view of the position I am 
 called upon to fill. I would thank God were I 
 to-day a free lance in the House or the Senate. 
 But it is not to be, and I will go forward to 
 meet the responsibilities and discharge the duties 
 that are before me with all the firmness and 
 ability I can command." 
 
 Since he was President, and up to the dav of 
 his death, Monday night, September 19th, 1881, 
 we all have witnessed his trials, and sufferings, 
 and victories. 
 
 Farewell, beloved one, farewell, till we meet 
 on the other side of the river, where there are 
 no more changes, or tears, or death. 
 
14 
 
 Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, LL. D., 
 
 Late President of the United States. 
 
 Oh. Sptt. 19th, iSSi. 
 
 By C. D. BRADLEE. 
 
 Our leader 's gone, his work is done, 
 His battles fought, his contests won; 
 He 's gone from sight, and up to God I 
 How keen the blow, how sharp the rod. 
 
 Our chief has left us I we bow low, 
 And all seems dark; we cannot know 
 How great the loss, what yet maj be 
 Our heavj lot, by God's decree. 
 
 God help the wife, now so bereft. 
 In grief so great, so lonely left; 
 And turn her eyes in peace above. 
 And guide her steps with holy love. 
 
 God help the aged mother dear. 
 And bring her to his heart most near. 
 And make her soul all still and calm, 
 And fill her with a sacred balm. 
 
 And those whose father is away, 
 God cheer and comfort, day by day, 
 And point them to the blessed shore, 
 Where pain and death can be no more. 
 
 The members of the council too, 
 O God, defend, bless what they do; 
 Lead them to say, ''Thy will be done" 
 Through Jesus Christ, the holy one. 
 
 i..u» ^- 
 
IS 
 
 The country, misjhty Father, save 
 In times so sad, and hours so grave; 
 And let the people patient be, 
 And look in trembling faith to Thee. 
 
 For him we praj who now is chief, 
 Stationed on guard, as a relief, 
 Chosen, should one depart from sight, 
 To take his work by legal right. 
 
 O watch him. Father, day by day, 
 Keep him from weakness, Lord, we pray; 
 As he shall greet his honors large, 
 O help him bear the heavy charge. 
 
 This prayer, in grief, we offer now. 
 Lord teach us what to say, and how 
 To bear thy will, and meet our loss, 
 And greet our pain, and take our cross. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 HYMNS SUNG. 
 
 I. 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 
 
 REST, NOBLE CHIEF. 
 
 By C. D. BRADLEE, Pastor of the Harrison Square Church, Boston, Mass. 
 Printed in Boston Daily Advertiser, Sept. 21, iSSi. 
 Sung at the Harrison Square Church, Sunday, September 25th, I 
 TWK. — Federal Street. 
 
 Rest, noble chief, and sweetly rest, 
 Thy work is done, God's will is best; 
 A faithful life is finished now; 
 The seal of death is on thy brow. 
 
 Rise, noble chief, rise up to Heaven, 
 Another life our God has given; 
 And angel robes are thine by right, 
 And all thy days shall now be bright. 
 
 Take now thy crown, beloved of all. 
 And hear our God's approving call; 
 Whilst we on earth bow low and weep, 
 And sad and lonely vigils keep. 
 
II. 
 THE FUTURE WORLD. 
 
 By J. Taylor. 
 
 There is a state unknown, unseen, 
 Where parted souls must be; 
 
 And but a step doth lie between 
 That world of souls and me. 
 
 I see no light, I hear no sound, 
 When midnight shades are spread; 
 
 Yet angels pitch their tents around 
 And guard my quiet bed. 
 
 The things unseen, O God, reveal; 
 
 My spirit's vision clear, 
 Till I shall feel and see and know 
 
 That those I love are near. 
 
 Impart the faith that soars on high, 
 
 Beyond this earthly strife; 
 That holds sweet converse with the sky, 
 
 And lives eternal life. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE REDEEMED IN HEAVEN. 
 
 Bv MONTGO.MERY. 
 
 Who are these in bright array. 
 
 This innumerable throng, 
 Round the altar night and day. 
 
 Hymning one triimiphant song? — 
 " Worthy is the Lamb once slain, 
 
 Blessing, honor, glory, power. 
 Wisdom, riches, to obtain. 
 
 New dominion every hour." 
 
19 
 
 These through fiery trials trod ; 
 
 These from great allliction came: 
 Now, before the throne of God, 
 
 Sealed with his Ahnightj Name. 
 Clad in raiment pure and white, 
 
 Victor-palms in every hand, 
 Through their dear Redeemer's might, 
 
 More than conquerors they stand. 
 
 Hunger, thirst, disease unknown, 
 
 On immortal fruits they feed; 
 Then the Lamb amidst the throne 
 
 Shall to living fountains lead. 
 Joy and gladness, banish sighs; 
 
 Perfect love dispels all fear; 
 And forever from their eyes 
 
 God shall wipe away the tear. 
 
20 
 
 Selections from -the Holy Bible 
 
 For the first Sunday after the Death of the late President 
 of the United State's, 
 
 Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, LL. D. 
 
 (I) 
 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high 
 places ; how are the mighty tallen. 
 
 (2) 
 
 How is the strong staff broken, and the 
 beautiful rod. 
 
 (3) 
 
 For behold the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth 
 take away from Jerusalem, and from Judah. the 
 stay and the staff; the mighty man, and the 
 prophet, and the prudent, and the honorable 
 man, and the counsellor, and the eloquent 
 orator. 
 
 (4) 
 
 And there they mourned with a great and very 
 sore lamentation. 
 
 (5) 
 Know ye not that there is a prince, and a 
 great man fallen this day in Israel. 
 
21 
 
 (6) 
 
 Thus saith the Lord God, In the day when 
 he went down to the grave, I caused a mourn- 
 ing- 
 
 ■ (7) 
 
 Behold at evening-tide trouble, and before the 
 morning, he is not. 
 
 (8) 
 He being dead, yet speaketh. 
 
 (9) 
 Consider how great this man was. 
 
 (lO) 
 
 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the 
 counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way 
 of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
 But his delight is in the law of the Lord. 
 
 (11) 
 In his law does he walk all the day long. 
 
 (12) 
 
 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand 
 of God, and there shall no torment touch them. 
 
 (13) 
 What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou 
 shalt know hereafter. "* 
 
22 
 
 (14) 
 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth. 
 
 (15) 
 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, 
 for the end of that man is peace. 
 
 (i6) 
 
 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death 
 of his saints. 
 
 (17) 
 
 So teach us to number our days that we may 
 apply our hearts unto wisdom. 
 
 (i8) 
 
 It is the Lord, let him do what seems to him 
 good. 
 
 (19) 
 
 Even so Father, for thus it seems good in thy 
 sight. 
 
 (20) 
 
 Thy will, not mine, be done. 
 
 (21) 
 
 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 
 
 (22) 
 
 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who 
 made Heaven and earth. 
 
23 
 
 The following beautiful hymn was the favorite 
 one of the late lamented President, and when- 
 ever he visited Hiram, by his request, it was 
 always sung : 
 
 THE FIELDS ARE WHITE, Etc. 
 
 Ho, reapers of life's harvest, 
 
 Why stand with rusted blade, 
 Until the night draws round thee, 
 
 And day begins to fade? 
 Why stand je idle, waiting 
 
 For reapers more to come? 
 The golden morn is passing, 
 
 Why sit ye idle, dumb? 
 
 Thrust in your sharpened sickle, 
 
 And gather in the grain ; 
 The night is fast approaching, 
 
 And soon will come again. 
 Thy Master calls for reapers ; 
 
 And shall he call in vain? 
 Shall sheaves lie there ungathered, 
 
 And waste upon the plain? 
 
 Come down from hill and mountain, 
 
 In morning's ruddy glow, 
 Nor wait until the dial 
 
 Points to the noon below; 
 And come with the strong sinew. 
 
 Nor faint in heat or cold ; 
 And pause not till the evening 
 
 Draws round its wealth of gold. 
 
24 
 
 Mount up the heights of wisdom, 
 
 And crush each error low; 
 Keep back no words of knowledge, 
 
 That human hearts should know. 
 Be faithful to thy mission, 
 
 In service of thy Lord ; 
 And then a golden chaplet 
 
 Shall be thy just reward. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 013 789 914