Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1865-06-23

you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as
others which have no hope. For, if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with
him"
Aflliction is the inheritance Of humans
fly. In every age, man has been mourn
er. Death makes no exceptions. The
rich, the poor, the high, the low, the bond,
the free, heather and christian; all, are
alike obnoxious to his darts. II will re-
store thy Son again to life" said an East
ern sage, to Prince who grieved i'm
moderately for the loss of a beloved child
s'provided thou wilt engrave on his tomb,
the names Of three persons who have
never wept." The Prince, after dilligent
search, found the inquiry vain and was
silent.
The church at Thessalonca stood in
the midst of Heathenism and, Of course
its members were accustomed to witness
excessive demonstrations of grief on
funeral occasions. How could it be other
wise ? Standing beside the silent pros
trate forms of those dear as their own
lives, with mo hope" of resurrection to
a glorious, immortal life no prospect OF
reunion, on brighter and better shore
we need not wonder that surviving friends
committed their loved ones to the grave,
in paroxysms of despair. No wonder
that the ancients carried the art Of en-
baming to such perfection it was the
mighty struggle Of affection with corrup-
ton and annihiIaton. The conversion
Of those here addressed by the Apostle
had been so recent, that, we may sup
pose their faith had only partially adj
iasted itself to the sublime hopes set be-
fore them in the gospel. For, do not
even we, ourselves, with all our religious
training and long study Of the christian
evidence, find it hard to look upon our
encolTined dear ones, not as dead, but
sleeping? Said pious minister Of our
acquaintance, notwithstanding had for
years believed and preached the doctrine
Of the conscious existence of the soul, be-
tween death and the resurrection, | found
it exceedingly difficult to realize, that my
beloved child, recently buried, was still
alive and conscious, as when saw bis
form and heard his voice"
1t was to guard the believers against
the influence of their former views and
habits in respect to the dead, that the
Apostle wrote the paragraph, from which
the text is selected. For, after giving
sublime panorama of the closing scene,
when the living shall be changed and the
dead raised, and both "be caught up to-
gether in the clouds, to meet the Lord in
the air" he adds, "wherefore, comfort one
another with these words"
The doctrine of the text then, with its
connection, is, that the present condition
and future prospects of the pious dead,
are such, as, greatly to mitigate the sor-
row of their surviving friends.
l. In the elucidation ofthis most blessed
truth, the first thought perhaps, in most
minds would be, they hare filed up the
measure of their suteringS.
Christianity does not propose to save
believers from suffering, but by means
of it. "And not only they" said the
Apostle, "but ourselves, also, which have
the first fruits of the Spirit, even we our
selves, groan within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body"
"For thy sake we are killed all the day
long, we are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter" "Many are the Affections of
the righteous" 1--WE must through much
tribuIation enter into the kingdom of
God" In common with all others, the
christian is subject to sickness, pain and
death. Like them, he must see bis loved
ones smitten by disease, and groan and
struggle in the agonies of death. Nor,
does piety secure an uninterrupted flow
of temporal prosperity. Indeed, t h e
Psalmist, in the hour of temptation, was
led to think that the wicked had the ad-
vantage! "They are not in trouble as
other men, neither are they plagued like
other men, Verify | have cleansed
zny heart in vain, and washed my hands
in innocence. For all the day long have
/ been plagued chasteued every
morning. Therefore bis people return
hither and waters ofa full cup are wrung
out to them How many of Gods dear
children have anticipated death, almost
with impatience, as the hour of release
from sufferingI Signing with the Poet
81 long to lay this aching heart,
And weary head,
Beneath the soil
70 slumber in that dreamless bed,
From all my toll