A THREE-FOLD FUNERAL SERMON
Death has been busy lately among the members the Newbury Baptist Church, no fewer than three having died during the past few days. They were Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Keens, and Mr. Benjamin Freeman. Each enjoyed an almhouse and had lived to a good old age, one indeed obtaining celebrity as a centenarian.
The latter, Mr. Benjamin Freeman, was buried last week, the funeral being attended by a large number of relatives, members of the congregation, and townspeople. On Sunday evening a "memorial service" was held,when the Rev. E. George selected for his text, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (1 Philippians, 21). To-night, said the preacher,as pastor of this church. I have to note the departure of three of our members, all of whom had passed the allotted age of man, two of them being over four-score years, and in one case particularly, over five-score years had been his lot on earth. Not for one moment do I mean to sound the note of melancholy, to indulge in any flattery of those friends who have been called away. My great desire is not to eulsgise the dead, but to glorify God in them, and to impress upon our hearts that we should so live that our deaths may be viewed with equal joy and gladness.
The preacher proceeded to treat textually of the christian's life and the gain which death brought. Mr. George said that in the removal of their dear old friend Freeman, he had in an earthly sense lost his best teacher; he had sat at his feet and learnt many lessons from his mature experience. With him Christ was a living reality, and in his daily life he sought to evince it. He was like a shock of corn fully ripe. He once referred to Mr. Freeman's failing sight as being an affliction. Smiling be said—"The Lord has been very merciful; He has closed my eyes that I shall not see much beside Him. If I could see very well, I should sometimes see things that would grieve me. I only want to see Jesus and have converge with Him. l am rather deaf I but I think how merciful God has been, because I should hear many things that would do me no good. I have only to talk to Him, and to listen to Him." Truly could they say without flattery of the three departed friends that "to live was Christ.”
If the first part of the text were true, how much more the second, "to die is gain." (1) Because in Heaven there would be no more sin, (2) no suffering, (3) no more death ; (4) gain to meet our friends.
Mr. Freeman said when he was taken ill, he hoped the Lord would take him this time. The soldier had reached home, the battle was over, and the reward had come. The sailor had entered the harbour, where the storms were for ever past. There would be no more suffering there.
Only God knew the suffering that their Sister Clark had endured during the past few months of her life. Her life bad been a living agony, but her sufferings were borne with patience, and she acquiesced in the will of God. What a marvellous change for her in Heaven! A martyr's death was a paradise to her sufferings, for none could tell the pains that good woman endured.
While attending at the grave of Mrs. Keens, he could not help noticing the number of new graves in the cemetery. Death was doing a busy trade, but in Heaven there would be no death, no vacant chairs upon which they would look and weep, no more last partings with relatives and friends; no more graves, no more mourning. There was a multitude of friends in Heaven, and if they lived as christians, they would meet them there.
With much earnestness the preacher exhorted all to ask themselves the question— "Will death be gain to me ?" The concluding hymn was, “How blest the righteous when he dies.” |
