East Saginaw courier., 1865-02-22

Putting on black" as a sign OF
mourning, was an essentially heathen
custom, indicating the horror of death,
and that all beyond the grave was u
blank. Mrs Ware. in her very useful
little book, "Death and Life" has
some excellent remarks upon these
customs :-"The early Christians rec
ognized the new aspect which the
knowledge of immortality gave to tho
death of the body; and they soan
ceased to use signs of morning for the
dead, that till then had been un yer.
sal. They felt that it was wrong to
mourn for the dead; and their epi-
taphs in tho Roman cataconibs still
testify to the peaceful trust and tho
hopeful assurance that animated the
minds of those who there deposited
the mortal remains, often sealed with
the blood Of martyrdon Of those they
held most dear.
Among the thousands Of inserip-
tons still to be read thore, there is no
allusion to be found to tho grief Of
those who were left TO perform the
last offices to their friends. No incon-
solable relatives immortalizod their
tears on those walls. The simplicity
of n childlike faith that TO die here
was to live in .he mansions of the all
loving Father, seems to have been tho
abounding source whence flowed the
countless phrases that speak of death
as always "a goo rather than an evil.
The bad Latin in which many of the
inscriptions are couched, proves that a
large proportion of the deal were OF
the lower and little educated classes;
but all ranks seem to have been ami
mated by the same spirit. Selfish
grief finds no expression there; and
the historians tell us that oil signs of
mourning in dress were deemed un-
fitting in those who believed i'll the
Christian Immortality"
CARps.-Trump, which some con-
slider the parent of whist, was 50 COM
monty known, that Latimer, after
wards bishop and martyr, in some
sermons "on the Card" preached at
ST. Edinund's Church, Cambridge, the
Sunday before Christmas, 1929, actu-
ally used it as familiar illustration,
and thus dealt out an exposition of
Christianity: "And whereas you are
about to celebrate Christmas in play
ing at cards, / intend by Gods grace,
to deal unto you Christ's cards, where
in you shall perceive Christs rule
The game that We will play at shall
be called the triumph, which, if it be
well played at, he that dealeth shall
win; the players shall likewise win /;
and the standers and lockers upon
shall do the same; insomuch that
there is no man willing to play at this
triumph with these cards, but they
shall be oil winners and no losers. -
Cambridge, p. 1887 "that he suited
his sermons rather to the time than to
the tex', which was the Baptist's ques-
ton to our Lord, who art thou p
John i. 10, taking thereby to conform
his discourse to the playing Mt cards,
making the heart triumph ttrump).--
This blunt preaching was in Those
days admirably et.ectual, but would
be Justly ridiculous III our age" Il
remember" adds Fuller, I'm my time,
a country minister preached ut st.
Mary's from Rom. xii. 3, as God
halth dealt to every MAN the measure
of faith In u fond imitation of Lat
liners sermon he prosecuted the met
aphor of dealing that men should
play above board :. e., avoid oil dis
sembling, not pocket cards, but i'm
prove their gifts and gracos, follow
suit &C., all which produced nothing
but laughter i'll the audience.-Iay-
lOr's History Of Phyiy Crds.