The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-18 00:00:00

The Clera- two et 4 two.
THB BODY,
Csuried by bearen‘ with nall bearer&
Dr. Spender, Mre. Headland, widow of deceased,
Master Spender.

Mr. ;come Godfrey. Miss Headland.
Mr. John Thompson, hlias Thomieilin, Mr. David Smith,
Mr. Henry Yhuith, Rev. I. Sterling.
.titx

Representatives of (..;;;ri7iii;r7f nroadwey,"
Among those in the procession were the Revs. If. C.
Wyke Bothandey ; Ludlow, Martinstown ;
Holden, curate of Broadwey ; Reginald Smith; F.
Fisher; R. Marriott; T. A. Ottley. St. John's; J. A.
Beazor, St. (eorge's, Portland ; C. W. Bingham,
Meloombe ; IL Moule,Fonlington ; J. Miller, Middle
School. Weymouth; J. Burt, N. L. Geslye, Weymouth ;
J. Ellis, Collegiate School J. Lynes., J. A. Rockies,
chickeed ; Colonel U. O. F. Steward, Dermot Rifles;
Messrs. C. Goodden, .LP., IL If. Eliot, J.P., Jams*
Milledge, J.P., 1). Pridham, Messrs. T., IL, and John
Gale, L. Luckham, Upwey; Luckham, Broadwey ;
John Mayo, Upwey and Broadwey ; Cake (2), Lennox,
J. Otter, jun., George Bowditch and W. Parsons,
churchwardens, Swatridge, Nottington ; and
Stephens, relieving officer, with many others.
The procession moved slowly through the village,
and was continually being swelled by groups of
villagers in black, and carrying white flowers. At the
churchyard gate the c Min awl bearers were met by the
Rev. J. Stephenson, who, assisted by the parish curate,
officiated on the melancholy occasion, and the coffin
was then borne into the church, where the service for
the burial of the dead proceeded. The coffin was
c ivered with a white pall edged with black, and on it
lay two wreaths of white flowers, lilies, jessamine, &c.,
and a cross formed of similar flowers. The church was
crowded to excess, even the imssages being full, and
many could not even find room in the church. Among
the congregation we observed Mrs. Reginald Smith,
also Mr. G. Eliot, .I.l'. The burial service was
continued most impressively by the Rev. J. Stephen-
son, and a hymn was sung rolomnencing. "Thou art
gone up on high." This hymn, and "For ever with
the Lord," had been specially printed and were distri-
buted among the congregation. " In memoriam,
K IL, July 12th 187 i.." The grave was dug in the new
piece on the east side of the road, and the earth taken
out WAN entirely On ered with floweri and evergreens,
with which also the grave, and a broad space around
had been bordered. At this Her of the sepulchre
were two wreaths and a ems. f white lilies and with
evergreens. The 1500,1111Npeeial Ilylllll "Forever with
the Lord " was then song, the church choir leading
the assembled crowd. Deep sympathy was in whispers
expressed all around where we stood, for the bereaved
widow, who supported the painful scene with almost
wonderful firmness At the close of the service,
The Rev. lens FerENIIINSON Said: My dear friends. I
have been asked by the chief mourners to-day to say a
word or two to you before we separate from this place.
I do that more willingly because I ani quite sure you
would wish me to carry out the desire of those for whom
and with whom we an deeply sympathise to day. I am
also glad to say • word or two to you ilie dear friends, for
you know bow many times I have been here side by side
with your dear rector, and how often we have together
worked here and spoken to you, and tried to bear the
message of God to you. I know, my dear friends. well.
what a place you all hail in his heart; I know well how be
loved the people of Breedwey, I know how he laboured for
them, and prayed for them I believe it was the chief
joy of Ids life to spend and he spent tor them. I saw

him myself about three weeks ago, then under
great weakness, and I was able to see him lust
for a very few tuoments ; but all the time our
conversation wee upon his work, upon this parish,
where I believe be has resided perpetua,---and I think
we might truly gay it was his experience, ea the Voglm
has 0., beautifully expressed "Ye are in our hearts," to
die, and to live with you. I believe that living and
dying, you hail the first place in his affections. And I
bad • striking proof of that in the message I received this
afternoon, which was to this effect that almost with his
last breath, he sent his blessing to the parish of Broadwey.
You know his illness sperially affected his breathing, and
it was with the greatest difficulty he could say one word :
hot at the last looniest, my dear friends, when scarcely
able to speak, his blessing was sent to you. Now this
blessed ministry has ended; he will speak to us
no more on earth: but I to trust, as we are gathered
around the grave this day, for the last time, from
this grave, no freshly made, that he, beinl dead, La
yet speaking to us. Ile is speaking. I am sure,
to those to whom his ministry in this place has been
blessed, and they are many. I know how you valued
him : I know how you, many at you, have received from
his lips that message which has been to you life from the
dead. My dear friends remember that you have not lost
him; the tie that hinds the minister and his people can
never lie broken :he is with you still. And when you
kneel next time at the holy table, where in happy days
gone by you have so often met with him, oh. remember,
and let your fulleet heart go up to heaven when you MY
"Therefore, with angels and archangels and all the com-
pany in heaven your dear minister there amongst them
-we loud and maetlify His holy name." And, dear
frivnilg, love the truth. You know he loved it, how
faithful he wa-i in delivering that message of truth. I
never knew a man who took a greater delight in standing
in the pulpit in Christ's name ; it was the very joy of his
Oli ! live that tenth, cling to it, and live by it.
It is the word of Jesus Christ that he preached to you,
the same yesterday, toelay, and for ever. And oh, my
friends, if there are any here who have not profited by
his ministry, who know that their hearts were closed
against the words of life, do remember this—toslay there
conies with such force and power this same message to you.
I know how often it has happened that the grave of a
faithful minister is the birthplace of some sinner. Those
that thought little of it during his life, have thought of
the message, and hove heard it again by his open grave.
lie is gone from no; we forget him when he was with us,
we trilled with his messsse, but now we will seek to
follow him as he followed Christ. Oh ! that it might be
no with sonic of you. If it were no what would be the
joy, if his death is life to many of you, even tootle of you;
if lie has been taken away to make sonic careless sinner
hear and value the gospel that he preached. Then indeed
his death will be gain, and I believe that he would most
gladly have laid down that life, and that his closing hours
would have been made brighter, if he had known his death
would have been the call of God's Holy Spirit bringing you
in faith to your Saviour's feet. My dear friends, I know
that you will receive from Ine these words that I desire
to speak now, in the name of our Great Master, and in
loving remembrance of your friend and mine. This
parish is to-day an afflicted one: feel it round about
the neighbourhood ; how ii Ire must you feel it
here! Le! •, oink to-day of Him who can comfort and
help us, wink id those on wh this blow has
rested most heavily, and let us lift up our hearts now
together and pray that God, who is the Father of mercy
and the God of all comfort, that, lie may not leave the
widow comfortless, but may send to her the Holy Ghost
the Comforter, and exalter to the nine place whether
our Saviour Christ has gone before. Then, it is but a little
while—oh, such a little while, and then we shall tee our
dear Lord himself, with all his saints, those that now sleep
with Illim. Oh ! that we may bear from Him that welcome
which shall bring us side by side with himself, and
with those dear saints that have gone to he
with them, and no be for ever with them, and with
the Lord. I trust, dear friends, you will think of these
simple works, spoken to you to-day by the desire of
those who loved him so much, awl who 1011 Red NO
earnestly that the blessing of .thiiiglity God might rest
upon this parish, and 1110 re especially be here.- The
speaker then pronouneed the beniele tion, and for a long
time the grove was being visited by friends and
parishioners of all ages for We last look into the earth
that had received the beloviel Rector's mortal remains.