Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-07-06

the portals of the tomb. Christianity alone may
penetrate these shades and bearing the lamp of life
and immortality, fill these dreary abodes with her
celestial light.
Inasmuch as all men must die, and
"-al that tread,
The earth are but handful to the tribes,
That slumber in lis bosom,
we would pause awhile at the Threshold Of these ST.
lent palaces and learn from the records of the past
lessons of interest and Importance to the living
The practice of inhumation is coeval with the
death of Abel. From the sacred records we are
forced to the belief that this mode of burial the
one universally adopted by the Jews; and perhaps
derived its solemn sanction by direct inference from
the language of the curse: For dust thou art, and
unto dust shalt thou return" We are not informed
specially that Abels mangled body cofincd and
buried under the earth but this is surely the inter
petraton of the sacred text "The voice of thy bro
Tiers blood crieth unto from the ground. y
This manner of burial has never been abandoned by
the Jews, even in times of the most cruel persecu
ton There have been occasions, however, when it
became necessary that they should adopt other
modes; and we find that, in times of pestence, the
bodies of the dead were burned to prevent pollution
The body of SAUL King of Israel, after having been
Cisgraced at Bethshan by the Philistincs. was
covered by the men of JabeSh-Gilead and burned
we suppose to prevent any future indigntes by the
enemies Of Israel. Sometimes they would kndle
large fires around the bodies of their friends who
had died. as in the case of Asa, who was laid upon
couch filled with sweet orders and divers kind of
spices prepared by the apothecary's art and they
made very great burning for him." The Jews
have never, except in these peculiar instances de-
parted from this practice of their fathers, the patri
archs. When subjects of the Roman power and
perhaps degenerate as they have been in the
faith and practice of the Mosaic Covenant they yield
| ed only so much to the manners and customs of
their rulers to frequent the place where the body
of Caesar Was buried, and perhaps lamented the I'M
| expected death of the friend whom they loved.
! Scattered abroad and peeled they have been in
every age since the downfall of their nationality it
is surprising that they have adhered so closely to
this feature of their religion and while departing
in many other respects from the traditions of their
fathers, they are certainly our Instructors and
amples in this sacred rite at least We observe in
consulting their history, that many absurd obse
| queS gradually cngrafted upon the original
ceremonies for the burial of the dead hut only such
would naturally follow from their admixturc with
the Pagan superSttionS around them. They in
common with the early Christians would never con-
sent to be inferred in the same grave with Pagans
Pythagoras also had reason to prefer this mode of
burial rather perhaps in conformity with his cher
iShed notions on the transmigration of souls, and
the apprehensons excited by Egyptian sentiment as
to the fiery ordeal, than any opposition to the gen.
eral custom observed among the Greeks of his day.
From the same notion also Numa and the adherents
of the Pythagorlan sect expressed their hearty
ceptance of this mode of burial and refused the fire.
That the Medes and Persians regarded this rite of
Inflammation as sacred, may be clearly inferred from
the dying language Of the great Cyrus who after
cOunselling his children, and giving particular in
structions to his friends that his funeral should be
without pomp or nagnfcence, uttered these remark
able words: For my body, my sons, when life has
forsaken it, enclose it neither in gold silver nor
notn ,falx-
to the earth" Without much license, therefore, we
may suppose that this great man. so emnently the
instrument of God in the downfall of Babylon, re.
ceived this rite not only by inheritance from the
Persans, but from his intimate acquaintance with
Hebrew traditions and customs The Assyrians al
furnished him with long established precedents in
this particular for they had ever observed this rite
of Inflammation, and esteemed it as a mOnstrous evil
to be burned after death.
} There are many nations of Egypt, who while they
discard the practice of Inflammation as observed by
the Jews, yet bury their dead in the sea. We ART
not informed to the reason of this, or the manner
in which the body is deposited; but it certainly
presents some features Of interest to the contempa
tive mind We know that for long period tn,
bodies of the common people of Egypt were inferred
in the earth, and that the soil of that country pos
sessed remarkable properties for the preservation o
the dead. In consequence Of the proximity of thes
bodies to the surface of the ground they were sub
jcct to the ravages of wild beasts and after NAM
fruitess efforts had been made to remedy this evil
the practice of embalmment became the universal Gus
tom of these people. Whether Inflammation was no
originally the mode of burial in use among tn
Egyptians and abolished by actual necessity or be
cause of the progress of the arts and sciences sus
costing and providing for the better sculpture of tn
dead, we are not prepared to decide. 1t is surel
y not surprising that people should embalm thei
dead, who had previously buried them in the earth
s either mode may not inaptly represent our commo
graves and collins, our vaults and burial-cases.
On the other hand, what conld be more revoltin
to Homer's heroes, than watery grave. They,
well as himself actually dreaded this as a terrib
y calamity.
y The rite of nhumation, received by inheritanc
n from the patrarchs, descended through successi1
I'd generations to the primitive Christian Church. B
them it faithfully observed, and scrupuousl
guarded against all Entertainments from Pagan 81
persitiOn. The strong arm of the Roman law, IL
malice and hatred of their most bitter prosecutor
neither abated the zeal of these fearless defenders
the fath or deferred them from the performance
this sacred rite. Surprised and apprehended fr
quenty in the observance of this last act of devotic
to the dead, they were nevertheless as determi1
us and resolute in its maintenance, and cheerfuy
III dured the rage of their enemies in token of the
undying attachment to their brethren in the fait
AS trial of their faith in Christ they gladly SUITE
ed martrydom by fire; but as heather rite of Sc
ulture they abhorred the flames that would consur
their dead bodies. In imitation of the fathers of Il
i'm Church, we cherish the customs they have transm
ted and this, not least among them ALL will be pe
J. petuated to the end of time.
In accordance with their supersttious and re