St. Mary's beacon., 1862-06-12

at St. PauFs Church, Rirhn,ond. on
the occasion Of the funeral of tie 1T.
Rev. VIM. Neode, ID. d., March 17th,
1862.
''And his disciples came, and took M the
body. and bu. led IT. and went and told Je-
sus." ST Matt. rir. IL.
My Christian Brtthrrn: have scarce
ly courage for the sad service which de-
wolves upon me. | could not brace my
self for tho effort. but for The special com
mission which | dare moi dcclinc--a com
mission not from the living. but from the
now dead--frcm the lips of our honorcl
and beloved father in God, whose dcrar-
ture has stricken our hearts. with sorrow
and around whose mortal remains wo are
assembled. to render them the last tribute
Of respect and affection.
My commission is not to present for
your admiration the rare and decided ex-
crllcncics Of his character and fecite the
deeds Of his remarkable life All sucl,
culogy. either from the pulpit or the press
he strongly deprecated A just regard
for his wishes on that subjects repeatedly
aud explicitly expressed, n,easurably res
trains utter.nces for which every feeling
Of my heart pleads. and which usage on
such occasions authorizes you to expect
Happily though it may be. that formal
ranegyric was never more deserved, it GER
tainly has rarely, if ever, been less needed
lie. who more than any other man, was
honored as the instrument in raising the
Church in Virgins from what was pro-
nouEced hopeless extinction, who gave TO
this work his early manhood-his vigorous
maturity, and the wisdom and efficiency of
advanced hfc--whose extensive itineration
in this service. year after year, for more
than half century, had made lis name
q household word, and his name familiar
throughout the Diocese his patria, chai
proscnce the privilege of the people. and
his wise instructions priced as precious
rreccpts-surcly he needs no formal pam
egyric. His praise is in all the churches
Of his care, and his spiritual children are
his living epistles Of commendation. writ
ten not with ink, but with the Spirit of the
living God. not on tablets of stone, but ip
feshy tablets Of the heart.
Ii was unusual to find our good Bishop
here at this time of the year, and nothing
but ease Of great Importance would have
justified his leaving his home in the valley,
and encountering the fatigue and exposure
Of the tedious journey. Such he deemed
the accomplishment Of the conservation of
DR.. Wilmer. Repeated arrangements had
been proposed to effect it without the pre-
scnce of our venerable Bishop, for we
were unwilling that life so Invaluable
should be subjected to the least unnccessa.
ry danger. But when all other arrange
pents failed. and he was informed that
Richmond was selected for another cx-
pertinent, which would also be unsuccess-
: full for the want of the requisite number
Of consecrators, unless he could be here
he thought bis duty clear, and though
laboring under deep seated cold, he es-
sayed and accomplished the journey. on a
very inclement day. aud under circum-
stances Of grea: discomfort. The result
was the serious aggravation of this mala-
dy. rendering it exceeding doubtful
whether he would. after all his effort. be
able to unite in the cousccration When
the day appointed came, he was in truth
more fitted for the rrpose Of his chamber
and couch than for the services of the
ebancel. But with resolution and Gu
ergy which never failed him when duty
seemed plain. he reused his emfccblcd
physical powtrs to action just adequate
to the emergency, and came only when
his presence could no longer be dispensed
with. and officiated merely in the act of
cousecration. As he moved slowly up
the ai.le 10 his seat in the chanccl, the
impairment Of his once powerful frame was
afectingly apparent. And when the Bish-
ops present helped him from bis chair to
his feet, and supported aud united with
him in the imposition of hands. whilst
that voice once of 30 much sweetness and
compass, now trrmulous and broken,
enuncisted with difficulty the Apostolic
commission, whose heart was Not cad
dehed by the spectacle
1t proved to be the last official act Of