Death disarmed of its sting

In Short

This book is a transcript of a funeral sermon delivered in 1845 by a Congregational pastor in Fairfield, Connecticut. It serves two purposes: first, a theological exposition on how Christian belief removes the "sting" of death by annulling the legal penalty of sin; and second, a detailed eulogy for the Honorable Roger Minott Sherman, a prominent jurist and statesman. It remains a primary historical record of mid-19th-century American religious thought and the life of a significant, if now largely forgotten, public figure from the early republic.

The Story

The narrative begins not with the deceased, but with a theological inquiry into the nature of death itself. The speaker presents a central argument: death is naturally dreaded as a physical cessation of existence, but its true "sting"—the source of lasting terror—is sin, which the Apostle Paul identifies as the violation of God’s law. The sermon asserts that Christ, through his sacrificial death and resurrection, has satisfied the demands of that law for all believers. Consequently, for those in union with Christ, death is no longer a penal curse or an entrance into divine wrath, but a transition to a state of rest and eventual bodily glorification.

The argument then shifts to the personal sphere to demonstrate these principles in practice. The focus turns to the life and death of Roger Minott Sherman, a man of profound intellectual and professional stature. The speaker traces Sherman’s journey from his humble beginnings as the son of a minister in Massachusetts, through his struggle to afford an education at Yale following his father’s death, to his eventual rise as one of the most formidable legal minds of his generation. The biographical arc highlights a life of rigorous discipline, moral rectitude, and civic duty, culminating in his service on the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut.

As the account moves toward the end of Sherman’s life, it emphasizes the consistency of his character. Even as his physical health declined, his intellectual clarity remained sharp, and he approached his final days with the same calm resolution that defined his professional career. The speaker relates that in his final hours, Sherman was entirely free from the "mental sting" of death; he exhibited no struggle or agony, but rather a peaceful, quiet departure. The narrative concludes that his death was the final act of a long, exemplary Christian life. By presenting the biographical evidence of Sherman’s life and the peaceful nature of his passing, the speaker reinforces the sermon’s initial premise: that the theology of the gospel is not merely a theoretical construct, but a living, tangible power that provides serenity in the face of the ultimate human crisis. The sermon ends with an urgent appeal to the congregation, challenging them to reflect on this life and to secure their own salvation through the same faith, lest they face the prospect of eternity without the support of the hope that sustained the departed.

How It Unfolds

Defining the sting of death The speaker argues that human dread of death is a natural instinct, but its true, agonizing sting is the consciousness of sin and the resulting judgment of God’s immutable law.

Removing the sting through grace The text explains that Christ effectively nullifies the legal condemnation of death for the believer, replacing the wages of sin with the gift of eternal life.

The requirements of saving faith The sermon distinguishes between a spurious, dead faith and a living, genuine faith, asserting that the latter must be evidenced by a life of conscientious, practical obedience to God.

The transition to biography Turning to the specific case of Roger Minott Sherman, the speaker introduces his subject as a man whose life and death serve as a living validation of the preceding theological argument.

The trajectory of a public life The narrative details Sherman’s rise from a impoverished student at Yale to a celebrated jurist, highlighting his intellectual prowess, his work on legal reform, and his role in the 1814 Hartford Convention.

The final hours The account describes Sherman’s declining health and his final days in domestic retirement, noting his lack of fear and his serene death as evidence that he truly found peace in Christ.

The closing exhortation The sermon concludes by challenging the living to contemplate the void left by such a man and to seek the same foundation of faith, warning those who lack it of the danger of ignoring such a salvation.

The People

Roger Minott Sherman is the central figure, a man of immense intellect, professional discipline, and deep-seated religious conviction. He is portrayed as a figure of "iron patience" who mastered the complexities of the law and served his state with integrity. He is a man who possessed a rare ability to simplify the complex and who, despite his high public stature, remained marked by a "modest, unassuming" spirit. His transition from a promising youth, who had to work his way through college, to a revered jurist, demonstrates a life defined by perseverance and moral clarity.

The pastor acts as the voice and observer of the community, standing as the mediator between the public life of the deceased and the private grief of the attendees. He is tasked with reconciling the stark reality of the death of a "strong pillar" of the church with the theological promise of victory. He frames the loss of Sherman as a communal crisis, urging his audience to recognize their own fragility. Through his lens, Sherman is held up as a model of the "perfect man" whose end is peace, serving as a template for how a life of service and faith should conclude.

In Its Own Voice

"This triumphant ejaculation, which Christ hath made the property of all dying believers, implies that death may lose its sting and the grave its victory."

The pastor introduces the central thesis of the sermon by referencing the promise of victory over mortality found in the Apostle Paul’s writing.

"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."

The speaker uses this scriptural verse to define the precise nature of the existential crisis faced by humanity.

"So wholly had death lost its sting. It was good to be there notwithstanding the gloom: to see the venerable servant of God calmly and placidly falling asleep in Jesus, 'quite on the verge of heaven.'"

The speaker reflects on the final moments of the deceased, using the scene to illustrate the practical reality of the theological victory described earlier.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the reconciliation of human frailty with the Christian promise of immortality. The work examines the question of how an individual can face the absolute cessation of life without despair. It argues that the "sting" of death is not the physiological process of dying, but the moral burden of sin and legal accountability. The text posits that this weight is lifted through a specific, active faith in the substitutionary work of Christ. Beneath the biographical details, the work addresses the anxiety of the human condition in the face of inevitable mortality, asserting that a life of rigorous moral duty, when anchored in sincere religious belief, creates a foundation capable of sustaining a person through the ultimate uncertainty of death.

Why Read It Today

Reading this work today feels like stepping into a precise, deliberate moment in the mid-19th century. It will appeal to readers interested in the history of American religious rhetoric, the development of the legal profession in early Connecticut, and the way 19th-century communities processed the death of their civic leaders. The language is formal, highly structured, and deeply rooted in the Puritan intellectual tradition—qualities that may feel challenging to modern readers accustomed to more informal modes of address.

The text is unapologetically heavy with the language of the pulpit, reflecting a time when theological terminology was part of the common vocabulary of public life. However, beneath the theological technicalities, there is an intimate, observational quality to the eulogy that captures the texture of a life well-lived. The speaker’s descriptions of Sherman’s character—his conversational grace, his "iron" work ethic, and his genuine humility—bring a historical figure to life with surprising warmth. It is a slow, meditative read that demands a degree of patience, but it offers a unique, unfiltered look at the intersection of faith, law, and personal legacy in a bygone era. It stays with you as a testament to how one community sought to find meaning in the finality of a life that had mattered to them deeply.