The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-05-26

bright, ardent and satisfying. upon the very
first consciousness of deaths approach. The
soul of every true Christian, even in the
hour and article of death, must bd sustained
by this hope. Every pang which loosens
the cords of lifo, as they come one after an-
othor in rapid succession, must awaken the
fresh conviction that final and eternal frui.
ton is thereby FASTENED, and that every
paDg will become to the soul fresh utter.
auce of The sense expressed by be words Of
the poot:
Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee.
Fen though GROSS it be that rsiseth me."
4. The end OF every true Christian will be
peaceful and happy, because it brings with
it final and perfect triumph over all that
ever did or ever can oppose his salvation.
He will have tbenceeorward no spiritual
enemies to encounter, no more trials to test
his grace, no moro temptations, no more
perplexipg doubts and fears to distract, no
more so'icitude for the lsnguishiug cause of
Zion, no moro painful anxiety for the i'm.
peuitont, no more terrors of suspense to be-
cloud his own prospects. The world. the
flesh and the devil are now vanquished foes.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and
tho pride of life are at length overcome
The time of trial is past; the end of proba.
tion has come; the problem of salvation is
solved. "Now," says Paul, IL am ready to
be offered, and the time CT my departure 10
at band bavo fought good fight, have
finished my course, i bave kept The faith.
Hepceforth there 10 laid up for me a crown
Of Righteousness, which the Lord, the Right.
eous Judge, will give me in that day, and
not to me only, but unto all them also that
love His appearing" The Christian living
is as one Fighting in the Acid but The Chris
tian dying Is as One gaining the final victo-
~. Tho Christian living is as one running
in race course but the Christian dying 10
as one taking the prize. The Christian liv-
ing is always hoping. always pursuing, al
ways toilpg ;'but the Christian dying is now
ceasing from labor, and entering into the
rest Of eternal fruition. The Christian liv.
ing 10 over encouptering, ever confronting.
and ever resisting the power of sin as the
bane of life and sting of death tho Chris
tian dying is passing beyond the range of
lis corrupting presence and destroying pow.
er forever.
But the Believers final victory implies
more than a triumph over the evils with
which he is called to contend: it implies the
actual attainment of the good for which he
strives. All true Christians now como At
once into the presence and perfect likeness
of Christ, and now obtain perfect confrma-
tion in holiness, and, being thus perfectly
sauotified, they are made perfectly blessed
in tho enjoyment of God forever. They
now receive the crown of rig hteOusness
which the Righteous Judge will givo them
in that day. They now take possession OF
that eternal mansion which He went before
to prepare for them. They now enter fully
into the inheritance of that everlasting z
kingdom which was prepared for them from
the foundation of the world. And here, in
their eternal house, not made with hands,
in their city which hath foundations. they
are 10 live torevermore, enjoying the pres
ence and favor OF God and his Christ, the
society of holy angels and the spirits of just
men made perfect. And all things thar Of
fend shall be gathered out of the kingdom.
There the wicked cease from troubling, and
the weary spirit shalt be forever at rest
In view, tnen, of this subject, and of thin
affective providence, We remark:
l. That the all-important lesson of this
hour is the necessity OF our being Christians
being soundly converted to God-of our
Icing spiritually regenerated by the power
of the Holy Ghost.
My impenitent bearers, "Marvel not that
l say unto you 20 mus: be born again, you
must become tho reconced and adopted
children of God, or you can never see his
face in peace" Those OF US who profess to
be the people OF God, are most solemnly
admonished to make new aud thorough ex.
animation of our own hearts, and hopes and
standing in the sight of God. Does the
hope We entertain really anchor the soul,
and hold it sure and steadtast, and docs il
enter into that within tho veil? Let US not
be satisfied without having our souls secure
ly anchored in Christ then the floods ol
Jordan will not overwbelm us. Only let u:
make sure that we are Christians indeed
and cultivate o Christian character, then
shall our end be peace.
2. To those who mourn on this occasion
the subject and this providence are full oi
comfort. If our departed friend vas true
Christian, as we humbly trust he was, then
how can we wish him back: How can We
mourn or weep for him: 1t is not, indeed,
forbidden Us to weep. Nature must weep.
Christ himself wept at tho grave of Lazarus,
because he loved him. For a like reason,
VIC may weep at tho grave of this beloved
husband and father--thisf friend and brother
and neghbor-not, indeed, for him, but for
! ourselves, and the loss we sust tain in bis de-
parture. But our loss is his everlasting
gain. He has gone to rest in the enjoy
ment of eternal peace. where sin, and suf.
ferng and disappointment. shall be known
no more. There will be no alarms of death
in heaven, no sickness, no decline OF
age, nor premature decrepitude. Tho re,
deemed shall return and come to Zion in
ell the yigor of immortal youth. You may
then. plant your evergreens and wreath gar
lands of flowers in hope of a blessed mmor-
tality beyond. the grave-a happy Reunion
in the mansions OF rest prepared for the re-
deemad of the Lord where YOU shall einp