Excerpt from Two Discourses on the Occasion of the Death of William Henry Harrison, Late President of the U. States: Delivered in the City of Alton, Illinois, on Sabbath, April 18; And on Friday, May 14 One of two results usually follows the afflictive dispensations of the Almighty; either "hardness of heart," or "submission to God." This is true in the case of nations and of individuals. The text furnishes us with the exhibition of the fruit of humility and obedience, in consequence of the visitation of the righteous judgments of Heaven. It is a holy, guarded, subdued walk, attended with penitence of soul to the end of one's life. More cannot be required; and of it we may say, in the language of inspiration - "It is enough." And here let me ask, if, as a nation, we are not admonished to walk softly before God? Whose voice has so recently spoken from the high places of power in removing from us by death the Chief Magistrate of these United States? Whose awful providence has dressed the chamber of the great and the brave in the drapery of sorrow? Who, to the man on whom this great people had fixed their hopes, has said, "come down;" and suddenly he came down, and exchanged the insignia of a nations trust for the shroud and the tomb? In the midst of hope, of joy, and of veneration, that holy Being, who sitteth in the heavens, and counteth man as dust, has dashed our cup with bitterness and lamentation; and there goeth up, from the length and breadth of this land, the gloomy dirge, "Know ye not that there is a great man fallen." Having finished their public duties, and retired to the shades of domestic tranquillity, the majority of our Chief Magistrates have descended the hill of life, and quietly repose in the last bed of man. - For these events this Nation was somewhat prepared. But now, in the midst of plans merely sketched out; while not only this people, but, as it were, the civilized world, in a hushed breath were wailing for the development and issue of affairs pregnant, as was trusted, with a nation's weal - I say, in this state of things we are called to pause, dig the grave, and bury from our sight the very personage on whom the consummation of these things eminently depended. Solemn and appalling are these facts; but they are conducted by a wise and unerring hand. We needed this check. As a people, we have long been blessed of Heaven; but, I fear, in the midst of prosperity we have too much forgotten the fountain of all good. It may seem wise and befitting, therefore, that Heaven should thus speak to us. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.