in our veins runs cold, as we read the harrowing details, how the villain, armed to the teeth, pursues his innocent and unsuspecting victim; watches his opportunity from day to day, and from hour to hour; then approaches him stealthily from behind, and, all unseen, inflicts the fatal wound. When at last, rejoicing in his infamy, he shrieks out his exultant motto, it does, indeed, appear as if hell itself had broken loose, and were enjoying a momentary triumph.

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The unparalleled atrocity of the crime is heightened in the present instance by its striking contrast with the character of its victim. However much many may have differed from him on questions of political expediency. all men bear witness to his singular purity and tenderness of heart. If he had been capable of intrigue and violence, if he had shown signs of a vindictive and unforgiving temper, this deed, terribly dark at best, would not have shown in such appalling blackness. But it is probable that he who was thus remorselessly shot down had not a single unkind feeling towards any one, The saying is in everybody's mouth, that those, on whose behalf this villany was done, have lost thereby their best friend.

At this very moment the funeral obsequies are progressing at the capital of the nation; and, by official invitation, all churches and denominations are contributing their part towards them. It is for this purpose that we have now assembled here.

There is no reason why we may not perform all the essential part of a funeral service. To be sure, the remains of the illustrious deceased are not with us.

But that matters not. He who considers the subject will see, that the religious exercises in connection with a burial are never for the sake of him who has gone, but solely for those who remain. The departed spirit. stands in need of nothing which men can do for him. He is entering upon a new and active life in the spiritual world. He has left his material body behind him. It is a matter of concern to him no longer. Nor are the realities of his spiritual existence in any way affected by the eulogies or prayers which may be uttered in this world. But if by means of them those who listen are lifted up to a higher and better state, so that they can more clearly

"Assert eternal Providence,

And justify the ways of God to men,"

then surely the services have fulfilled their legitimate purpose. Hence it makes no difference whether the corpse is present or not. The religious exercises can be just as real and useful without it as with it.

It is a doctrine of the New Church that the Lord is Love itself, and Wisdom itself; and has created all things from Divine Love by Divine Wisdom. Because He is Love itself, therefore has He created human beings to the end that they may become angels of heaven, and be conjoined with him in eternal blessedness. The infinite love yearned for that on which it could be bestowed, and by which it could be reciprocated; and man was created. But, inasmuch as freedom is the indispensable condition of all genuine reciprocal love and all true happiness, therefore the

Lord made man a free agent; and His constant effort with regard to him is to lead him to shun evil and do good in freedom. Yet he may abuse his freedom, and act in opposition to the Lord's wishes; and so obtain eternal misery instead of blessedness.

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If we bear in mind this great principle, that the Divine Providence has for its object a heaven of angels from the human race, we can understand, in a general way, all the Lord's dealings with men. By means of the various events which befall them from sources beyond their control, He designs to bring them into the highest degree of happiness which they are capable of. The Divine Providence looks to eternal things; and no otherwise to things temporal, than as far as they agree with things eternal." The Lord's view of events is not limited and contracted like ours. Not only does He look infinitely beyond the present moment, but, in all that He provides or permits, He has regard to the effect which is to be produced on every human being. We may truly say, therefore, that no event can come to pass except in the precise way which is best calculated to benefit all who are in any degree affected by it, either directly or indirectly, now or hereafter. The only condition imposed upon us is, that we should freely make use of the providential opportunities which, in His infinite wisdom, our heavenly Father offers. Unless we do so, we throw away the benefit which forms the chief part of His merciful designs.

Accordingly, even this barbarous and inhuman work of the assassin has been divinely permitted for the good of our beloved country and of the whole human race, to

the end of time. By means of it, each and all of us may be strengthened, if we will, for the heavenly journey. As for him who has been struck down, we cannot doubt that he, in his new abode, is inspired with the same trust in Providence which was so conspicuous a trait of his character while he was in the flesh. Nor can we doubt that he is able to see more plainly, by far, than he could here, the reasons why Providence leads mankind through such strange and devious paths.

The Lord, I say, has permitted this shocking deed. But let us remember that He has not caused it. He is the cause of no evil whatsoever. But all evil has its origin in man himself, and is occasioned by the abuse or perversion of his divinely given freedom. No belief could be more false, than that the Lord put it into the heart of the murderer to do this thing. On the contrary, His infinite love was extended over him, as it is over all of us, to lead him to put away the fiendish lust and thought which impelled him to the fiendish act. But he would not yield to any divine or heavenly influence, working within and upon him. He listened to the voice of hell in preference to that of heaven. And the Lord, knowing what was best for all concerned, interposed with none of those events, which we call accidents, but permitted him to carry out his bloody purpose. The successful villany is no more wicked in itself than if it had been unsuccessful. As far as the spiritual condition of the criminal is affected, it is no worse than if his plot had failed. The murderer of the President is no more worthy of condemnation than the would-be murderer of the Secretary of State. But

as for the results, reaching far beyond the deed itself and the doer of it, what a wondrous difference! Who can measure them? Who can conceive of them? Who can adequately estimate them even during the past week, if we take into account nothing more than what we have seen in our own immediate community? And who can doubt that the Lord of love and mercy is directing, and will direct, them to His own infinite purposes?

That our heavenly Father provides good, and good only, for all of His children, must be clear to those who regard Him as infinitely good and wise. That at the same time He permits the existence of certain evils, is evident from the simple fact that they exist; for how could this be without His permission?

It is a somewhat striking fact that the day on which this terrible deed was perpetrated, is celebrated by the greater part of the Christian world as the anniversary of the Lord's crucifixion. The Sabbath following is, in like manner, supposed to be the anniversary of His resurrection. It matters little whether these suppositions are correct or not. The great truth remains the same, that the Lord was crucified, and that he rose again. So too, there is no event, however dark and sorrowful, which has not, if we but use it rightly, its day of resurrection, in which it re-appears, not in the same form, indeed, but transfigured; its aspect changed from deformity into beauty, from grief into gladness. So are the Lord's doings made acceptable, as well as marvellous, in our

eyes.

We may not, and doubtless do not, see clearly why the horrid events of the past week should have taken