The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-10-01
REv. AUsrrN WILLIS SMITH.
Funeral Ceremonies of the Deceased
Pastor

ton, the business houses were all clio,
ed, which is an honor that was nevC
before shown to any man. This show
cd how universally he was esteemed
There were $50 MasouS in the process
sion, and Good Templars from ditfereT
portions of the county. The process
sion moved from the Parsonage i'll tb
following order:
/ NJ E. Sunday School.
| Good Tenplars.
| Young Mems Christian Association.
| Master MasOns.
| Royal Arch MaSunS.
| Helicon Silver Band.
Knights-Templar.
HEARsE AND PAIL BEARERS.
Family Carriage.
Omcers of Commandery and Banner.
| CARR ages and Buggies.
The coffin, beautifully decorated witt
| to the church. Rev. DIR. f. g Wilke
met the corpse at the door, and read
part of the Burial Service, 81 am tn
resurrection and the life," &C., &c
The choiy sung an appropriate vOlun
| tsry. Ascending the pulpit, DIR. Wiki e.
concluded that part OF the Burial Ser.
vice which is usually read In The
church. DIR. J. G. Mitchell read the
hymn, "Sleeping Jesus" the sing
ing of which was followed by beautiful
and touching prayer by DR.. Mitchell
Rev. r. G. Irvine announced the text
"Let me die the death of the righteous
and let my last end be like his"Numb ers
1910. OF this gospel sermon the follow
ing in an outline: There are three kinds
OF death mentioned in the Scriptures
natural, spiritual, and eternal. Natur-
al or temporal death is the separa-
lion of the soul from the body; spiritual
death is the separation of God from the
soul; eternal death is the punishment
of both body and soul with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of his power. ;"
OF course, it is temporal death, the
dissolution of body and soul, to which
Balaam Rlludes in the passage under
notice. To every living man, death is
the most important subject this side
eternity. 1t is universal as to its domin-
ion over mankind, but altogether a1o-
certain as regards the time of it's occur
renee. A preparation of heart and life
Is essential in order to the character of
death desired in the text, "the death of
the righteous" This is not ABSOLUTE
righteousness. In this sense, "there is
none good, (righteous) but one, that is
God" It is not ORIGINAL righteous
ness; for we are all far gone from origi~
nal righteousness, and without Divine
aid rendered incapable of pleasing God.
1t is not imputed righteousness, the
imputing to the sinner a righteousness
which belongs only to another. While
God, of his good pleasure, works in us
both to will and to do, He requires
every man to work out his own saliva
Lion with fear and trembling. It is a
personal righteousness, and implies the
pardon of sin, a change OF heart, and a
life of holiness. It is the work of Gods
glorious grace, through the merits and
mediation of Jesus Christ. This, and
this alone will ensure us "the death of
the righteous" Their death is always
safe; generally PEACEFUL; and frequents
ly TRIUMPHANT. In all these respects
DIR. Smiths death was that OF the rights
eous. He died in absolute safety, in
perfect peace, and in glorious triumph.
No wonder; for he was eminently
righteous man. In early youth, he was
converted to God by the power of the
Holy Ghost, and from that hour to the
close of life, he lived "soberly, right
eously, and godly in this present world;
looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God, our
Saviour Jesus Christ" This excellent
discourse was followed by remarks SUBJ
mitted by request, by two other minis
tiers
Rev. H A. Jones said that it was hard
to realize the fact, that our dear Bro.
Smith was dead. Family, church, friends
all exclaimed alasi alas! our brother is
dead-but angels were rejoicing over a
redeemed soul-leleRsCd from the bon>
dage OF immortality. He stated that he
had visited DIR. Smith during his first
and after engaging in prayer
with him, he said, BRO. Jones, / want
you to know that am prepared to die
| do not know but this sickness may
my life, and perhaps 1 may
not re tain my consciousness to the last;
wish you to know, and through you,
/ wish the p ople TO know, that the
whom have preached to oth>
ers, is near and dear to me now" Wis
tied him repeatedly until the morning
with him, and at the close we repeated
the Lords prayer, in which he took part
in clear voice every word.
He then called his wife, relatives, and
friends around him and kissed them a
last adieu.
church, his zeal for the cause of God,
his eminent pastoral qualities, and his
Christ~like love for his fell
loW-men.
Rev. Wellborn Mooney said: We are
here not to praise DIR. Smith, but to bury
him. His works praise him His mons
uments are in the homes, and in the
hea It's OF the people, You knew him
well, and loved him dearly. He was a
&OOd n1dus AuAA va lnILns anu Vi LuC 11Oly
Ghost. Energetic and enterprising,
honest and faithful, he went about do
ing good. He lived and labored for bis
race, for the church and the count ~, for
t he glory of God and the salvation OF
souls. His death ia a public calamity
He was my friend, and with you, /
mourn his loss. My farewell interview
with him was the seYerest ordeal OF the
sort, through / was eyer called to pass.
N QftaFnnOr n Gf
tered the chamber where the good man
met his fate. He recognized me readily,
and cordially. With bis almost dying
breath, he assured me that be was "rest-
ing on the old foundation" So, too,
said the great and good DIR. Olin when
he was passing through death triumph
ant home. Right earnestly, Bro. Smith
asked NE to pray for him; for he had
full and implicit confidence in the pow
er and efficacy Of prayer. Said he, "pray
for me before you leave; pray for me
now" Tenderly he put his arm around
my neck, and as bent over him, and
bowed my ear to catch his feeble &C
cents, he said, 81 want you, at the Cons
ference, to tell the brethren l have
been more deeply in love with them"
THE rest of the SEN
tence 1 could not understand, and we
may never hear it until we meet him in
heaven. Still speaking OF the Confer
ence, he added, II wanted to go this
time" With an afGectionate tender
ness, which I would never forget, he
said to me further, "Give my love to
the family" kiss me goOd-by." Oh,
brethren, it was touching thus to part
with cur glOrified friend. May we all
greet him again in our Fathers house
and home on high. Thank God, heis in
heaYenJ alreadyhe is in heaven enjoy
ing the'rest snd reward OF the good.
After the SERVICES, the procession
moved towards the grave, and it was
one of The largest, if not the largest
ever seen in Columbia. 1t was over
half mile long. Many who had been
unable to get into tho church walked
up to the graveyard in advance of the
funeral procession, The ceremonies at
The grave lasted more than an honr.
DIR. fowler, not satisfied with the
Knights TemPlar burial service, maze
many improvements, and it was very
touching and beautiful, abiding sever
al times to the deceased, whom ne cher
ished, and greatly esteemed. The
crowd at the grave wac very large.
morning DIR. Mitchell, OF the
Church, and Rev. III. A,
Jones, of the c. p. Church, preached
from texts bearing directly upon the
death of the Methodist pastor, and thew
both alluded to him In touching and
impressive manner,
DR., Austin Willis Smith was born in
davidson County, Tenn, Oct. 4th, 1886,