It was in this way that our friend secured his best development. The great secret of it was his piety. He was taught of God. He was trained in the school of Christ. He was devoted to the Saviour’s cause. In his own estimation he was not his own, but belonged to Him who had redeemed him at such cost. All that he was, and all that he possessed and all that he was capable of becoming, were the Lord’s. His talents were his trust, to be improved for his Master, like his property. His intelligence, his sound judgment, his capacity for business, were cultivated for Christian use. When they brought him honor and position, he was not elated by them. Position was only another name for opportunity and influence, which brought with them increased responsibilities. Honors only sobered him and made him pray to God that he might prove worthy of them.
In the spirit also of his Master, who came to “seek and to save that which was lost,” he would bless and benefit all for whom Christ died. He was not only desirous of dealing justly with his fellow men, but he must do them good as he had opportunity, and to all men, Negroes, Indians, Chinese, as well as to his own countrymen. He sought to secure wise legislation for them, and a faithful administration of the Government. He would educate the ignorant, reform the vicious and remove the disabilities under which so many labor. He would improve their worldly condition and make his business profitable to those in his employ as well as to himself. But above all, he would bless men spiritually and eternally with the blessings which only the gospel of Christ can bestow. This was the secret of his interest in your work and in all kindred works, and in everything that could improve the character and condition of men. This is the reason that he devoted time and thought and assistance to so many Christian and philanthropic enterprises which are accomplishing these objects. This is why he gave to this Association so much of his attention and best counsel, his generous contributions and fervent prayers, and why he left such large bequests to this and kindred societies.
As an Association we owe too much to our late President and devoted friend not to make mention of his many and invaluable services, and always hold in loving and grateful remembrance the name of William Barrett Washburn. Few causes have such helpers, and not often are better men raised up for their time and work. We shall miss him in our deliberations, while we need more than ever, as our fields for Christian enterprise are enlarging, his sound judgment, untiring energy and steadfast Christian faith.
When such men as Governor Washburn, Alpheus Hardy and President Hopkins are taken from us, we can only pray that He who has the whole work in charge will inspire others with similar devotion and bestow upon us all more of his grace and blessing.
The circumstances of Governor Washburn’s death were peculiar and startling to those about him, though not wholly unexpected to his family. It was known to them that he had a serious affection of the heart, but they were encouraged to hope that by care, and the avoidance of all undue excitement and exertion, he might have comfortable health for some years. The morning meeting of the Board found him a little late from the cars, and climbing the stairs to the hall, he had scarcely seated himself upon the platform and spoken to his friends about him, when he fell forward unconscious into their arms; and though a physician was immediately at his side, and his wife soon there also, there was no return of consciousness, and almost as quickly as the scene can be described, he had left us, and his spirit had gone home to God. A sudden departure, and a startling one to those of us who were trying to detain him; but his Lord called him, and he must have said:
“I hear a voice ye cannot hear,
That says I must not stay;
I see a hand ye cannot see,
That beckons me away.”
As we saw the light of life fade out from that benignant face, as when the glory of the day becomes the gloom of the night, we heard it coming down out of Heaven: “He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Christ’s saints never perish. They only begin to live in the truest and highest sense when they seem to die; and with our Christian faith and immortal hopes, we love to think of him as having entered upon that higher life and commenced a nobler service. It was an unexpected summons, but we cannot think that he was ever unprepared for it. Like that Connecticut Puritan, who, when the “Dark Day” came and it was proposed that the Legislature should adjourn because the end of the world had come, replied that “this might be, but if it was, he chose to be found at his post, doing his duty.” “Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing. And if He shall come in the second watch or in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.”
THE MISSIONARY INFLUENCE OF A LIFE, AND THE LIFE OF A MISSIONARY INFLUENCE.
BY REV. A. F. BEARD, D.D.