Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1901 — TEXT OF FUNERAL SERMON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TEXT OF FUNERAL SERMON

Bishop Andrews’ Tribute to William McKinley’s Character AT SERVICE IN WASHINGTON. Ask at the Grave of the Illustrious 1 of What Sort They Were —Deceased Was a Man Admirable lu Ills Moral Temper and Alms." The following Is the full text of the sermon delivered by Bishop Edward G. Andrews at the services In the national capitol: Blessed ba the God and Father of our Lord, who 6f hIH abundant mercy huth begotten us again unto a lively hope of the resurrection of Christ from the dead, to an Inheritance Incorruptible, undelllcd, and that fadeth not away, reserved In heaven for us who are now, by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed In the last time. The services for the dead are fitly and almost of necessity services of religion and of Immortal hope. In the presence of the shroud and the cotlln and the narrow home, questions concerning Intellectual quality, concerning public station, concerning greut achievements, sink Into comparative Insignificance; und questions concerning character and man's relation to the Lord and giver of life, even the lire eternal, emerge to our view and Impress themselves upon us. Character Abides. Character abides. We bring nothing Into this world; we cun carry nothing out. We ourselves depart with all the accumulations of tendency und Imblt and quality which the years have given to us. We a.Bk, therefore, even at the grave of the illustrious, not altogether whut greut achievement they hud performed and how they commended themselves to the memory and affection or respect of the world, but chiefly of what sort they were; wlmt the Interior nuture of the man was; what were hts affinities? Were they with tho good, the true, the noble? What hIH relation to the Infinite Cord of the universe and to the compassionate Savior of mankind; what his fitness for that greut hereafter to which he had passed? And such great questions come to us. with moment, even In the hour when we gather around the bier of those whom we profoundly respect and eulogize and

whom we tenderly love. In the years to come the days aial the months that lie Immediately before us will give full utterance as to the high statesmanship ami great achievements of the Illustrious man whom we mourn to-day. We shall not touch them to-day. The nation already has broken out In its grief and poured Its tears, and Is still pouring them, over tho loss of a loved man. It Is well. But we ask this looming of what sort this man is, so that we may perhaps, knowing the moral and spiritual life that Is past, be able to shape the fur-withdrawing future. MeKlnley us a Man. I think we must all concede that nature and training are—reverently, be It Haldthe Inspiration of the Almighty, conspired to conform a man. a man admirable In his moral temper and alms. We none of us can doubt. I think that even by nature he was eminently gifted. The kindly, calm und equltublc temperament, tlie kindly and generous heart, the love of justice and right, and the tendency toward faith and loyalty to unseen powers and authorities—these things must have been with him from hl« childhood, from his Infancy; but upon them supervened the training for which he was always tenderly thankful and of which even this great nation from sea to sea continually has taken note. It was a humble home In which he was born. Narrow conditions were around him, but faith In God had lifted that lowly roof according to the statement of some great writer, “up to the very heavens and permitted Its Inmates to behold the things eternal, Immortal, and divine;" and he came under that training. It Is a beautiful thing that to the end of his life he bent reverently before that mother whose example and teaching and prayer had so fashioned his mind und all his alms. The Hchool came but briefly, and then came to him the church with Its ministration of power. He accepted the truth which It taught. He believed In God and In Jesus Christ, through whom God was revealed. He accepted the divine law of the Scripture; he based his hope on Jesus Christ, the appointed and only Redeemer of men; and t|ie church, beginning its operation upon his character at an early, period of his life, continued even to Its close to mold him. He waited attentively upon its ministration. He gladly partook with his brethren of the symbols of mysterious passion und redeeming love of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was helpful In all of those beneficences and activities, and from the church, to the close of hts life, he received Inspiration that lifted him above much of the trouble and weakness Incident to our human nature; und, blessings be to God. may we say, in the last Anal hour they enublod him confidently, tenderly, to say: "It Is his will, not ours, that will be done." Ills Self-Control. Such Influences gave to us William McKinley. And what was he? A man of incorruptible personal and, political Integrity. 1 suppose no one ever attempted to approach him In the way of a bribe; and we remember with great felicitation at this time for such an example to ourselves thut when great financial difficulties and perils encompassed him he determined to deliver all he possessed to his creditors—that there should De no challenge of Ills perfect honesty In the matter. A man of immaculate purity, shall we say? No stain was upon his escutcheon, no syllable of suspicion was ever heard whispered against his ehuracter. He walked In perfect and noble self-control. Beyond that this man had somehow wrought in him—l suppose upon tho foundations of a very hupplly constructed nature—a great and generous love of his fellowmen. He believed In men. He had himself been brought up among the common people. He knew their labors, struggles, necessities. He Joved them; but I think that beyond that It was to the church and Its teachings concerning the fatherhood of God and universal brotherhood of man that he was indebted for that habit of kindness, for that generosity of spirit, that was wrought Into his very substance and became him so, though he was of all men most courteous, no one ever supposed but his courtesy was from the heart. It was spontaneous, unaffected, kindly In p most eminent degree. HU Attachments. What he was In the narrow circle of those to whom he was personally attached, I think he was also In the greatness of his comprehensive love toward the race of which ke wa*»part. Shall I speak a word next of that which 1 will hardly advert to? The tenderness of that domestic love which has so often beau cqmmented upon? 1 pass It with

only that word. I take It that no words cun set forth fully the unfaltering kindness and carefulness and upbearing love which belonged to thlk great man. And he 'was a man who believed In right, who had a profound conviction that the courses of this world must be ordered In accordance with everlasting righteous-' ness, or this world’s highest -point of good will never be reached; that no nation can expect success In life except as It conforms to the eternal love of the Infinite Lord and pass itself In Individual and collective activity according to that divine will. It was deeply Ingrained In him that righteousness was me perfection of any man and uny people. Simplicity belonged to him. 1 need not dwell upon It, and I close the statement of these qualities by saying thut underlying Hll and overreaching all and penetrating ull there was a profound loyalty to guard the great king of the universe, the author of all good, the eternal hope of all that trust In him." And now, may I say further that It seemed to mo that to whatever we may attribute all the Illustriousness of this man, ull the greatness of his achievements—whatever of that we may attribute to hts Intellectual character and quality, whatever of it we may attribute to tho patient and thorough study which he gave to the various questions thrust upon him for attention, for all his success as a politician, as a statesman, us a man of this greut country, those successes were largely due to the mural qualities of which 1 have spoken. They drew to him the hearts of men everywhere and particularly of those who best know him. They called to his Mldo helpers In every exigency of his cureer, so that when his future was ut one time likely to have been Imperiled und utterly ruined by his financial conditions, they who had resource*, for the suke of helping a mun who had In him such qualities, came to his side und put him on the high ruud of uildltlonul und larger success. Ills I‘oliUeul Associates. Ills high qualities drew to him the good will of his associates In political llfo In an eminent degree. They believed In him, felt his kindness, .confided In his honesty und In his honor. Ills qualities even associated with him In kindly relations those who were his political opponents. They made It possible for him to enter that land with which he, as one of the soldiers of the Union, had been In some sort at war and to draw closer the tie that was to bind ull the purts Ih one firmer and Indissoluble union. They commanded the confidence of the great body of Congress, so that they listened*to Ills plans und accepted klnuly, und hopefully, und trustfully, all Ills declarations. Ills qualities gave him reputation, not In this land alone, but throughout the world, und made It possible for him to minister in the style In which ho bus within the lust two or three years ministered to the welfare und peace of humankind. It was out of the profound depths of his morul und religious character that came the possibilities of thill usefulness which we are all glad to attribute to him. And will such u mun die? Is It possible that ho who created, redeemed, transformed, uplifted, Illumined hucli a man will permit him to fall into oblivion? Tho InsttnctH of morality are In ull good men. Tho divine word of the Herlpture leaves us no room for doubt. "I, said one whom we trusted, "am the resurrection and the life. He that belleveth In ma. though he were dead, yet shall he live, aral whosoever llvelti und belleveth In me, shall never die." Lost, from Farth. Lost to us, hut not to his God. Lost from earth, hut entered heaven. Lost from these labors, and tolls, und perils, hut entered Into tho everlasting penes und over-advancing progress. Blessed be God, who gives us this l»ipe In the hour of our calamity and enables us to triumph through him who hath redeeineth us. If there Is a personal Immortality before him let us also rejolee thut there Is an Immortality and memory In the hearts of a large aial ever-growing people, who, through the ages to come, the generations that are yet to be, will look back upon llilm life, upon Its nobility, ami purity, and service to Immunity and thank God for It. The years draw on when his name shall be counted umnng the Illustrious of the eurth. William of Grunge Is not doad. Cromwell is not dead. Washington lives In the hearts and lives of his countrymen. Lincoln, with his Infinite sorrow, lives to teach us and lead us on. Ana McKinley shall summon all statesmen, and ull his countrymen, to purer- living, nobler alms, sweeter und Immortal blessed ness.

TKXT OF KUNKKAL I’HAVKH, R«v. I»r. 11. it. Navlor Gives Invocation Ht McKlnloy ObMqalei. Rev. Dr. Henry R. Naylor, presiding elder of the Washington district of the Methodist conference, delivered the following prayer at the services under the dome of the capitol. O Lord God, our Heavenly Father, a bereaved nation oometh to thee In Its deep sorrow. To whom can we go In such an hour as this but unto thee? Thou only art able to comfort and support the aflllcted. Death slrlkeH down the tallest and best of men and consequent changes are continually occurring among nations and communities. But we have been taught that thou art the same yesterday, to-day and forever; that, with thee there Is no variableness nor the least shadow of turning. Bo In the midst of our grief we turn to thee for help. We thank thee, O Lord, that years ago thou didst give to this nation a man whose loss we mourn to-day. We thank thee for the pure and unselfish life he was enabled to live In the midst of so eventful an experience. We thank thee for the faithful and distinguished services which he was enabled to render to thee, to our country and to the world. We bless thee for such a citizen, for such a lawmaker, for such a governor, for such a president, for such a husband, for such a Christian example and for a friend. Hut, O Lord, we deplore our loss to-day; we sincerely Implore thy sanctifying benediction. We pray thee for that dear one who has been walking by his side through the years, Hliarlng his triumphs and partaking of his sorrows. Give to her all needed sustenance and the comfort her stricken heart so greatly craves. And under the shadow of this great calamity may she learn as never before the fatherhood of God and the matchless character of his sustaining grace. And, O Lord, wo sincerely pray for him upon whom the mantle of presidential authority has so suddenly and unexpectedly fallen. Help him to walk worthy the high vocation whereunto he has been called. He needs thy guiding hand and thine Inspiring spirit continually. May he always present to the nation and to the world divinely Illumined Judgment, a brave heart and an unsulled character. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for the official family of the administration, those men who are associated with thy servant the president In the administration of the uffars of government: guide them In all their deliberations to the nation's welfare and the glory of God. And now, O Lord, wo humbly pray for thy blessing and consolation to come to all the people of our land and nation. Forgive our past shortcomings; our sins of omission as well as our sins of commission. Help us to make the golden rule the standard of our lives, that we may "do unto others as we would have them do unto us,” and thus become, Indeed, a people whose God Is the Lord. These things we humbly ask in the name of him who taught us when we pray to say: “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done In eartlt as It is In heaven. Give us this day our dally bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not Into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine .is the kingdom and the power and glory, forever. Amen."

BISHOP ANDREWS.