The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-04-18

tlat n Affirmed ut its Hrsf Mau tha'
aiel Abel vou remember. iha lfst mar.
aE 81 tbal nar thousand years a0er li.
sad death aB inspired apostle declares,
aIie isret speaking Nor Is hIs voice
bnshli a wc put om ear down upon
the eFcd page we io1 can testify that
he yea pesks Of the uaiufe ana value oi
true tlIlh d GOD ana g acceptable wof-
.lip And 81, more d le-s. 81 all the
righicou, dead MuBitules die ana are
forgotten indeed ana set every moulI.
ering corpse bas 8 history, while thc
character lhe ayiuQ, and The dongs OF
kuomu and departed friends oflcn arrest
q amid lii'. busy cares, aud We must
pause 20 muse thereon The infant Of
da} whisper, something Ia the mothers
attentive ear long after its little body ha.
.eruabIcd into dn.t The tender youth
uller. louder uotc. maturer sge stH
louder aui gray locks, hia ln lhe grave,
speak Wo dout lic out. even Ia tms
world, when we sIeopin death Oar cem-
eteries are vocal For Ioug while quite
every grave, TO some hearts, i. an alive
with sad OF precious memories, aud every
memory !, voiced Yes, saint and sinner
peak Cain d. well rs Aba}, Judas as
John, NnltMrc and Byron a. Butler and
4 Cowper, Arnoid a. Washington. Il this
Do So of those long aga dead, how true Of
those known otu- more recently de.
parted especially those we loved IAey
are trad ~ 0u sight bHf diirs ~ oay
hoaght; nay their features and form. as
once living, start into contrast with al
that IS lealhIike about them and we seem
% be once more in their presence listen.
ing 10 what they say and often times,
what they now say, has more emphasis
upon the heart than whom living Jesus.
as gone, has a power over bis disciples
that he never possessed while with them.
Tho holy example and prayers Of father
or mother, NOW in the grave, have All ~
tlucHce aud pathos over u5- their chill !.
dreu-never realized while they lived
le7 the dead speak, and it is well that
wo hear what they say, if the holy and
faithful dead. The sinful dead warn. the
holy dead allure ever saving "Come I'D
hither', while we are enioned By an
Apostle not to be slothful but followers
Of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises
And among those who have more re.
Gently gone onward before us, and we
trust TO inherit the wondrous promises
God bath given Ills children, is our late
brother in Christ, Deacon Smith. Not
great man IN the worlds esteem, not. a
perfect man, but to my mind good man
full OF faith and the Holy Ghost, am af-
icctionate husband, a kind and proyident
father, a hard toilcr q good and honest
citizen and an earnest, faithful Christian.
In his death who Of us has not been led
anew tocry out, "IIelp Lord for the God
~ man eeaseth and the faithful fail from
among the children of men"
And yet he lives he speaksin reasons
car and in example lives, "Though dead
he yet speaketh."
And lst, Plainly of the supreme, the
absolute importance of Religion--the re.
ligion of Christ--in the head, in the heart
and in the daily life.
As man among men, other interests
and matters moved him, for he was every
where an earnest man, "doing with his
might what his hands found TO do; but
how clear to all that knew him that no in
terest or matter lay 80 near bis heart and
consumed so much Of his thought and
toll as the great aud momentous concerns
Of God and religion His mind aud heart
responded quick and earnestly to the
touch OF true aud proper earthly relations,
bat not so quick and earnestly as 10 the
touch Of the spiritual and eternal; Christ
wa, dearer TO bis thought than The bare
good of this world Hence while "not {
slothful 10 business, he was "fervent in
spirit serving the Lord and for the J
very plain reason that he recognized The {
simple truth, that the Kingdom OF God &
and its righteousness ia the heart and IN )
the world Is tie supreme, prime concern: Z
that the relations of the soul 10 God are
more real and Of yastcr moment than the j
bare relations Of the body 60 ibis world !
With him true and heart picty, inspired y
by faith IN Christ rs q Saviour from sin I
Ia The exercise Of true penitcncc and d
Cody observance, was the cone thing d
that the Bible was the best, the y
choicest Of All books; the true Christian y
tie highest style of man; that 10 fear God
and keep his commandments was the d
prime aud supreme end of his immortal 7
being. Like Caleb Of ola, hc followed !
the Lord fully, OF with biz whole heart 4
How many protesting Christians there u
are that manifest far more 4gal aud earn. "a
sstue.s Ia their business 81 iu their pleas q
ores than theg DO 10 theirreligioH-- -sacri. &
Dee more and 60 farther 20 compass or a
secure worldly good illau they win b
spiritual good How many when appeal !
"A to 10 relation 10 any fond earthly OBJ =
te afe as sensitive as au iuilamcd u
nerve, bn, afe quito dormant when ap. v
pcalei % in reference ~ their spiritual L
relations sud needs The trouble e. re-. q
igiH 8, 4 matter % principle sud llie i o
aoi thc supreme coneern The whole &
heart ]. not eiyeu @ il. u does not bold L
he supremacy of dcsife, oi thought, aud =
ll labor L war uot - think, wlh 0uf Z
ate deceased brother smith Religion q
alth him was reality, uat 9nly, bat t4c a