Qass^ E_ S^f^ Book 1^ 3f4 CUE NATION'S SORROW. Al ADDRESS. ^2! I>elivered in St. Luke's Churcli, Kacine. DA^Y OF THE FITNEKA.r PRESIDENT LINCOLN, ^^-fKiL anil, iiKos, BY THE RECTOK, THE lh:v. A. D. BENEDICT. 1 865. TOriiNAL I'UINT, UACIM: ^ -^ m OUR NATION'S SORROW. AN ADDRESS, l>elivered in St. Luke's ClmrcU, R,aoine, DAY OF THE FUNERA.L PRESIDENT LINCOLN AF»I1IL lOth, 1S0S. BT THB BKCTOK, The Rev. A. D. BENEDICT. 1865. JOtlBNAL PRINT, RACIN«. TO THOSE OP MY PAKISHIONEKS "WHO HAVE REQUESTED THE rUBLICATION OF THE FOLLOWING HASTILY WRITTEN ADDRESS, I DEDICATE THE SAME, ONLY REGRETTING THAT IT IS NOT MORE W.ORTHY OF THE MOURNFUL EVENT WHICH IT COMMEMORATES. A D. BENEDICT. O. Almighty and eyerliving God, onr only Refuge in this time of trouble, have compassion on our afflicted nation. "Out of the deep do we call unto thee, Lord ; Lord, hear our voice." In Tliymygterious wisdota the iniquitous devices of the wicked have prevailed. Under our mournful l)ercav*ment, we look to Thee for grace, that we may couuuit our sorely stricken heritage into Thy hands, knowing that Tliou canst make cren the wrath of man to praise Thee. Dfsert us not in this our hour of bitter trial. Bring good out of this fearful evil. Stay the hand of further violence. May all those evils which the craft and subtlety of the devil or man would work against us, l)y Thy good Provi- dence be brouglit to nought. In our adversity, .as well as prosperity, help lis to recognize Thy governing hand, and in all thiiiijs to be guided by Tliy blessed will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amin. merciful God and Ilravenly Father, who hast tauglit us in Thy Holy Word that Thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men ; look with pity, we beseech Ther, upon the bereaved family of our lamented President. In Thy wisdom Thou hast seen fit to visit them with trouble and to bring distress upon thciu. Remember them, Lord, in mercy ; sanctify thy Fatherly correction to them ; endue their souls v%ith patience under their affliction, and with resignation to Thy blessed will; comfort them witJi a sense of Thy goodness; lift up Thy counte- nance upon them and give them penct^.: througli Jesus Christ our Lord. A:ii( 11. Father of mercies ai\d God of all comuirt, our only help in titne of need ; look down from licaven, we humbly bcaeech Thee, behold, visit and relieve Thy eick servant,* now brought near by murderous violence to the grave. Iiook upon him with the eyes of Thy merc> ; comfort him with a sense of Thy goodness^ ; preserve him from the tcm;)tations of the enemy; give him patience tinder his affliction : and in Thy good lime restore him to health, and enable hiia to lead tho residue of his life In Thy fear and to Thy g!ory. Or else give him grace so to take Thy visitation, that after this painful life ended he may dwell with Thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. « lion. Wnl. H. S, viir.l. ADDRESS There are times when words are almost powerless. Times, when no language satisfies all that a speaker wishes to convey, or a congregation to hear. When tlse deep waters of the soul arc stirred by a common subject of in- terest — when the full heart sympatliizes oiihj \<\\h a cer- tain class of sentiments and cmutions — when the feelings are already elevated to a high pitch of intensity, it is indeed a diflicnlt task to continue the strain, and supply all that a subject worthily demands. In such a straitenii; position, I find myself to-day. I am sensible of my utici inability to do justice to ray task, to present thouglits that are fully suited to that most afilictive event which has called us together. Everywhere a gloomy iiall is s|.'read (H-er our beloved country. Numberless public and private buildings, h.allH and phtces of residerree are draped with the habiliments of death. Numberless tensples, also, dis- play to their gathered congregations the symbols of n grief that oppresses every heart. The vast body of our American people are at this time intently gazing on tlie fearful tragedy of our National vv-oe and degradation; absorbed with that terrible event, tvhich has shot its cold chills tlu-ongh every fibre of our body politic ; Avhich makes us almost doubt the trulii of that v/liich our very G prosciice in these courts forces us to believe. Yes, our Chief IMnoistrnte, onr honored President, is no more. His cold reninins now lie shrouded in dcMth, waitin«j^ to be borne to their last resting place in the grave. His death at any time, through any of those dis(5^ases that continu- ally ])i-('y n))on the living, would have occasioned sore lauientnfion. Yet, such a visitation would have been generally regarded as a wise dispensation of Almighty Pi-nvidcnce, an issue to which mortal man, without dis- tinction, is everywiiere ex])0sed. But that he should die by a base assassin, that a vile wretch, whom all would denounce as unfit to live, should, for himself or under the instigation of others, be allowed to execute the deed of blood, shocks onr reason and sorely tries onr faith. W our hearts nre ready to exclain), should this have been ])ermitted? Why should he, who for the past four years has guided our National bark through most dangerous seas, until our hearts were gladdened with the sight of the jiromised haven, why should such a one be the des- tined victim of a dee]>1y laid scheme for clothing onr land ill iiinuruinir, and that, too, at a time Avhen thousands of hearts were lifted in gratitude, and thousands of voices wei-e chanting hymns of thaidcsgiving to the Giver of all victory for His merciful interposition in our behalf ? Was our ])revions elation too boastful, our rejoicing too godless ? Did we need, for our sore correction, thus in a moment to be cast down, until our lips are forced to kiss the dust? Yet, that this act of murderous violence Jias occurred in lh(i Providence of God, we cannot question, impossible as it may be for our weak minds to solve the perjtlexities attending it. God, we are assured, "makes even the wrath of man to praise Him, and the remainder of wrath He will restrain." The history of the world abounds in instances ot goodness being triumphed over by vice, of the innocent and unsus])ecting becoming the victims of base intrigue and villainous dccejition. Neros steeped in blood have seemingly llourished in great prosperity. In- 7 deed, the very foundation of our holy religion was laid when malicious Jews with wicked hands had crucified the Lord of Glory. It is on account of this seeniing ine- quality in the Divine dealings, that our faith is often sorely tried. Reason, as in the manner by which our Chief Magistrate has been removed from our head, searches in vain for a solution of the mystery. It is one of the sub- jects Avhicli it cannot grasp. But, blessed be God, we may trust. Faith is above reason. And, therefore, although now our sea is dark and tempestuous, yet we know that there is a loving Father walking upon the waters in the greatness of His strength. "God moves in a mysterious way. His wonders to perform." That our heaven is now covered with clouds, is no proof that He has deserted us. Ah, no ! The bright bow of His love and mercy will span the abyss. The sun of His blessing will yet shine upon our storm-tossed and troubled Nation. We shall yet, I doubt not, see the reason for such a mysterious dealing. We shall yet feel that we have cause to praise Him out of the very midst of the fires. The very iniquity of such a nefarious scheme shocks every noble and right feeling of our nature. Ni)t a man, with a spark of patriotism in his breast, or any suitable reverence for the office of the civil ruler as di- vinely ordained, but stands aghast at such a deed. "We are all as one body united in its condemnation. That wicked murder is already accomplishing its blessed woi k. The drapery of woe everywhere displayed speaks the pulsations of our common heart. It proves that we have common feelings and sympathies. Not only North, hut South, will such a nefarious scheme produce its leavening power. Men of sterling virtue and noble feeling will re- buke and despise any encouragement that is to be gath- ered from the assassin's dagger. I believe that its regene- rating power -will tend to quench the burning fires of 8 animosity, roorirninatio'i and resentment vvlierever they exist. Besides, let us remember that Jehovah has various in- strumentalities for the accomplishment of His purposes. !Never, in the wliole of our world's history, has rrny great purpose been perfected by the agency of a single individ- ual. And this, for the very reason that the praise might not be ascribed to the creature. That the Most High has had a great good to be accomplished through the fiery ordeal of a four years' warfare, a purpose worthy of all that it has cost to carry it forward, who can doubt? Our late Magistrate, having performed his part of the work, is removed in order that aaotlier may take his place, aiid, it may l»e, act as ourExecutive Head, in tiiiishing the blessed woik (if our country's {)urification. It was his precious reward that his life was spared to see the giant monster cri{)pled and prostrate ; his great satisfaction, that his ])ure desires and wearing, anxious efforts and fatherly care for his country'^ good were so far blessed by an Al- mighty Sovereign. And now that his mantle has been taken up by his successor, let us believe that he has that to do as our Nation's Head which God sees that he is best fitted to accomplish. Charitably let us judge, patient- ly let us wait, earnestly let us pray that he may be guided and governed by the spirit of grace and wisdom. Truly, there is no trial that is not tempered with mercy. The sun is always shining upon one side of the wrathful cloud. We do indeed mourn to-day. Since that dread- ful intelligence lately flashed on the electric wire through- out our land, we liave all felt the crushing burden of our Nation's grief and bereavement. Our day's thoughts and our nightly sleep have been disturbed. No defeats of our aruiies in the field ever palsied our powers, or seemed to freeze the current of our Life's blood equal to this. IJiit what would be our condition if the whole of that dia- boru-al scheme had succeeded? Congress adjourned, the President not only, but the Vice President and every mem- 9 ber of the Cabinet, cold .'in death; no Federal head, no provision for official authority but the slow process of elec- tion, what to human view would have remained but dire anarchy, the bloody three days of the French capital re- newed ? " If the Lord Himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say, if the Lord Himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us. They had swal- lowed us up quick, when they were so wrathfully dis- pleased at us. But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler ; the snare is broken and we are delivered." Yes, delivered, but not without a precious ransom. Little did we suppose that our late peans of i-ejoicing would so soon be followed by the solemn funeral dirge ; that the memory of glorious victories would in a few short hours be effaced by so foul a deed as that which now bows the heart of a whole people in sorrow to the dust. Never before has our nation's history exhibited a crime like that which now sullies its pages. Never again can we boast that the genius of our civil institutions and our admirable polity- are a security to our rulers. Alas! The day has passed when those elected by the free suffrages of a sovereign people, can go out and come in without a guard, or adopt- ing precautions against the stealtliy assassin. True, these are fearful times. Times Avhen we may all assert that our late Magistrate was too confiding and trustful Yet, who of us, at such a time of general rejoicing, when every breeze was wafting fresh tidings of victory, when every eye was bright with hope and every heart buoyant with gladness, who of us were suspecting or fearing such a deadly thrust into the very heart of our National life ? Who anticipated such a mournful issue after the many perils that doubtless attended the visit of our lamented President to the Rebel Capital, that so soon after his return to that city which had been his home for the last four years, surrounded by friends, that he should be the 10 victim of a plot which fiends of the pit must have aided and developed. The more we dwell upon it, the more are we astounded and horrified at a deed which we had vainly supposed to be confined to brute despotisms and barbar- ous tribes. It forms a crisis in our country's history when we need to trust the more in one who governs the destinies of nations. May the altar of sacritce, so long deluged with the blood of precious victims, and now consecrated by the noble form of our beloved President, soon crumble into dust. Sui-ely we have noio paid the full price of our country's redemption. Gladly would we be present at that other solemn assem- blage now gathered in and about the Executive Mansion. Not to note with curious eye that vast companv of the great and noble, titled Ambassado-rs, illustrious statesmen, strong men as well as loving women, bowed in tears and melted in sorrow ; but because drainn thither as by a loadstone's power, realizing tliat we belong to a mourning family, from whicli the paternal head has been removed ; to fasten our eyes upon that pallid countenance.; to sur- render ourselves to such feelings as the mournful sight would naturally ins])ire ; to read our own duty in that face of death ; and then to resolve, that for the sake of present and future generations, we will guard at every cost the sacred casket of our country's liberties; we will maintain the integrity of a birthright bequeathed by our fathers, ]>ure and unsullied, we will never surrender to the spoiler that holy heritage which belongs to posterity as well as ourselves ; but will guard it to the last, counting no sacri- fice too great for the ])reservation of a government that is destined to exert a mighty influence over other nations and peoples of the globe. Yea, more: Standing by the ashes of the dead, we would pledge ourselves to God to make a right use of His teaching through this mysterious dealing of His Provi- dence. As we now remember Him iu our grief, so in 11 future will we in our rejoicings. As Christian Patriots we vnW ascribe to Him tlie chief honor and the highest ado- ration in that day of Jubilee, which we trust is near at hand, when we may all with one accord proclaim every stain upon our National honor wiped away, our sacred heritage fully saved from the hand of the destroyer. '' Je 73 I