The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-08-02
Synopsis ola
FUNERAL SERMON
Delivered by Rev. G. W. Barrett, OF
the NJ. p. Church, at Hall Chapel,
Lewis County, In Memory OF
Mrs. SARAH SPAUR,latc
wife OF Mr.. Anthony
Il. Spaur.

"Lct not your hearts be troubIcl-yc be-
licve in Col believe also in me.
In my Fathers house are mnny mansions
il il were not SO would have told you.
20 10 prepare place for you.
And III 60 md prepare n place for you
will come again and receive you unto N.Y.
self that where | am yc may be also. -
John l4:l 2 and 8.
Jesus spake these words to comfor
His disciples when they were greatly
troubled. The immediate cause ofthcil
trouble was the intelligence he had pre-
viously communicated to them, viz
that he must depart out Of this world
and go to His Father and their Father
This filled their hearts with grief and
sorrow, to think that they should sec
Ills facc no moro. Oh how sad theil
hearts must have been to think that He
whose words of instruction and com.
fort they had so long enjoyed. was nov
to leave them forever: But the blessed
Jesus, who was always ready to relieve
the distressed, proceeded to comfort
them by administering tho cordial in
the text, saying, "Lct not your hearts
DO troubled-yc believe in God,
believe also :: in me-" &c: And
doubtless if tho blessed Saviour was
present to-day lie would proceed to
administer comfort to the friends Of the
deceased by saying, "shc is not dead,
but slccpeth,"
In the calculation of the subject we
will notice three things, viz:
lst, That all those that are destitute
Of saving faith in Christ are unhappy.
%, That all those who have saving
faith in Christ arc greatly comfortcd 10
this life.
Sd, That all those who have and re.
tain saving faith in Christ have glo-
rious inheritance in prospect.
First. That all who arc not united to
Christ by saving faith, arc unhappy, is
o truth that is taught by revelation and
experience that faith in God withou,
an interest in tho blood Of Christ can
not make men happy, is uuqucstion-
able. St. James says, "bclicvest thou
that there is one God, thou docst vol
the Devils also believe and trcmblc."
Now if the belief that there is a God Of
Holiness, Purity and Justice makes
Devils tremble, it surely must make
sinners unhappy, who have no interest
in tue blood Of Christ Jesus; "for G cd
out Of Christ is . consuming fire." But
it is lamentablc fact that there arc many
in our land to-day that admit the OK.
islenco Of God and his claims upon
them, but practically deny his right to
reign in aud rule over them BY Christ
Fills Son, aud their rejection Of Christ
necessarily renders them miserable in
this life.
Again, the thought that there is a
just God, before whose bar they must
appear to give an account for the deeds
done in this life-this thought has
driven men to the widest extremes to
seek relief in suudry ways. To illus.
iratc this truth, there is the InGdcl.
In order to get rid Of the awful reality
Of tho Judgment day and fearful eter-
nifty. he tries to believe there is no God.
David says "tho fool hath said in his
heart there is no Cod Now is there
any comfort 10 this thought? I think
net. Yet be must have great trouble
ia reaching this absurd conclusion; for
in whatever direction he turns his eyes
he bcholds tho certain indications of
the existence Of a God. "For the
Heavens declare the Glory of God and
the Nrmamcnt sheweth his handy
work. Day unto day uttcrcth speech,
and night unto night shcweth kuowl-
edge" In tho language of tho poet
ave need no; soar above the sky,
Leave sun and stars below.
And seek Thee with unclouded eyes,
In all that Angels know
The very breath we now inhalc,
The pulse in every heart.
Attts. with force that cannot fail,
Thou art, Oh God, Thou artp'
Again, the truth that there is a G cd
is written on the tablet of every human
heart, by the finger Of Deity itself; for
the heather themselves acknowledge
this truth. Now, to be an Ipfdcl, is
to believe less than the heather believe
1t is to believe less than reason teaches
yea. it is to believe less than ones
own conscience teaches. But to be a
consistent lnilel he must 60 farther
and deny the doctrine of the immortal
i,y of the soul. Now for an intelli.
gent being Of such wonderful powers of
mind, judgment, will and conscience,
to believe that after death the soul will
have no conscious existence elsewhere {;
to know no one or 10 be known by no
one, but to 60 into noncnity--Oh, this
thought itself must be equal to ten
thousand torments. But again. to be
consistent with himself no must 20
farther, and adopt the theory ofchancc.
For il there be no grand first cause of
all causes, then Of course all things
must come by chance. Now is there
any real comfort in this thought? Ifso,
where is the hcpc that seed. time and
harvest will come? that summer and
winter shall last in succession? Or
where is the hope that the Universe will
not chance to become confused and
crushed to atoms 10 a moment; for il
there be no God to regulate laws of ma
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