Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-07-18
q E}iac00lsr


Church, lIighaatc and Of tine Church of
the Holy Trinity, @wanton, on The oc-
casion OF the death OF Norman Lascll,
OF .-Wanton.
His text was Job. 1914
IF man die she'll he live again ~
Thc subject of The discourse was: "1he
Immortality OF the Soul, j" IA Future
Life.' In closing the discussion OF bis
subject, Mir. Pitman said;
We have thus in q very general man
ncr tried TO consider the question o. a
Future Life as contained in Jhc text
lst. We have tried TO show that ucith-
or The changes observed in nature nor
the teachings OF philosophy, nor human
rea on Of itself gives Il sure and certain
ground Of belief that after death we
shall live again in any state OGcOnditiOn
either in this world, or IN the other.
We say no certain ground OF belief.
They offer nothing bat pgob0bHitjcs.
We Wight live not we sh0H live again.
I'd. We have 4ccn that the Volume Of
Inspiration IS the only Source from
winch We can draw q c'car conception
OF another world, and another life be-
side the present,
But we are brought, my hearers, TO
the discussion Of the question Ola future
lie, to-day under circumstances OF OK
traordinanly painful interest. For
death has yN,Vr>G our midst not Accord
ing 10 common eNpeutnc}, hnt IN an un7
usual manucr. he deceased has been
taken from Us with noncOi the ordinary
associations and surroundings Of death.
Jew brio! months since ne Was NOV
ing With You, Ia ,hc business AND social
aim .ff s.F ~ I, I,
and reason with tho prospect Of Il long
and useful life. but alas. too soon we
were called to witness The breaking
down OF mans greatest giit from his
Makcr-reasOn. Gradually but surely
tine unWCicOmC. painful tWlth was
forced upon al OF us-tlat we were
about 20 loose one OF our most inliuen-
tiai citizens by n calamity wore even
than dca.h.
act we We're not without hope. We
hoped tnat time, change OF scene and
proper treatment, would restore him to
.us once more. With This hope his be-
loved Wiic and friends were willing to
submit 10 his painful removal from his
home four short weeks ago, believing
Inc would come back with restored
health of BODY and mind. But this was
not 10 be. He comes bac1 to rs prepared
for the tomb.
it is NOT for me Il comparative stran-
ger TO speak to YOU OF The deceased. lie
has EUcd with YOU for years. use the
term Hued in the most emphatic manner.
We find a great many persons in every
community who are simply stuying.
They NAV be there for wears, but they
do not Ire i22 and acith the cOnlAlaaity-
thcv ONLY stan. Not so with the de-
ceased. POSSESSING. as he did, eminent
social powers. and q strong sympathy
Tor his friends and neighbors, he seemed
to enter into their wants, and make
himself felt. not onlv in the Bank of
which he was an officer for many wears.
ever ready to accommodate and assist
in emcrrencv-not ONLY on the street.
where his kind greetings were heard bV
men and bv chiidren-but in almost ev-
cry family. He was aDDarently n vital
part OF each and every one of YOU.
The evidence of this was seen in the
universal interest manifested i'm hisc
the past few months.
When he was removed from us four
weeks since. it Was cause for a common
sorrow, and this assembled congregation
testifies to-day that IN the returning of
his liieless body we have experienced a
common bereavement.
From the time commenced NV la
bors here the deceased manifested a
special interest in all NV work until
reason failed-the more marked because
he had not been recognized before as one
religiously inclined We have every
reason to believe that this interest was
real and sincere, for he was not the man
to appear what he was not, or to pursue
any course simply for effect. And, my
hearers, | need not tell YOU that if the
deceased had been in the possession of
strong religious faith that there i, no
man III this community-not even ex-
cepting the clergy who could have eXer-
ted so powerful an influence for good.
Even as it was, he exhibited many Of
the nobler traits of mans character 10 Il