Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-03-15

earthly fortunes peals forth the hymn
OF your eternal deiverance. Above the
harsh discOrd of strife, tribulation and
temptatiOn,-like a song at evening
you may hear the sweet notes of heav-
enly anthem of peace and victory.
Hovering over the desolated fields of
hope, where many treasure lies buried
and many palace lies smoking in ruin,
you may discern the vision of a celestial
city, with walls of sapphire and jasper,
and gates of pearl. There your buried
hopes arise into immortality; there your
palaces stand, beautiful and forever.
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Righteousness conquers sin. Pain yields
to gladness. Bereavement smiles in re-
union. Despair becomes rejoicing; shad-
ow becomes sunlight; darkness becomes
day.
Weeping may endure for night but
JOY cometh in the morning. You who
have waited for Him; you who hail Him
God and Savior, Danish your fears to-
day, and in the light of coming glory, let
the tears of your sorrow become tears
of joy.
My friends, in behalf of our sister
who is gone, | have come from distant
city to meet with you and speak with
you to-day. [ have spoken as it seemed
to me she would have me speak; not
mournfully, but gladly; not in eulogy of
her, but in praise of her Master. The
supreme purpose of her life seemed to
be to glorify and rejoice in her Savior;
and now that, in His presence, she rests
from labor and care, l know that she
would have us glorify and rejoice in
Him. And if | were to write an epitaph
for her new-made grave, it would be-
'Lo, we have waited for Him, and He
will save us; this is the Lord, we have
waited for Him, and we will be glad and
rejoice in His salvation"
Perhaps, however, even she. with all
the unassuming humility of her nature.
would not object to our passing by and
laying truthful tribute on her grave:
we may be sure she would not if it
should appear to rebound to her Savior's
praise, and the good of those she loved.
Her life so transformations, so hidden,
it might seem, from the public gaze, had
a relation to us all; belonged to us all,
for it blessed us all. 1t was like a rose
hidden deep amid the leaves and branch
es. yet sending forth fragrance that
filled all the air We cannot, therefore,
in justice to ourselves pass by the love-
ly traits that adorned her Christian
character and made her example and
presence gospel among us. | can hard
ly spea k OF her as one who is gone, for,
in all the old familiar places, | look to
see her face, beaming with that constant
light which made her presence sunshine.
And it seems to me as though she must
be near and l shall see her soon. But
you have laid her in the grave, and |
shall behold her face no more only as [
see it always in memory But we shall
see her soon
o, it is blessed thing, when we look
over those faces with which the walls of
memory are so thickly hung, to find one
in which there turks no shadow of dark
passions; on whose pure lines there is
wrought no Disagreement of sin; the
sight of which calls up no painful mem
Ory, no recollection of an unhappy hour.
The vision is like looking into the Holy
OF Holes of human experience; the very
thought is benediction forever.
AS | look back over the three years
in which it was my privilege and joy to
know her, ! cannot recall single
instance in which | felt that she
did wrong. do not say she had no
faults, but | say that, in those years of
acquaintance with her as her Pastor, |
did not find them ! come. therefore,
with this wreath-this rare. fairaWrcath
to lay it on her tomb; a tribute which
| know she would say belonged to Jesus,
not to her; but which, if it belongs to
Jesus, lie will suffer us to bestow on
her, and her to wear for joy and crown
forever But if faults were not marked
in her character, it was not because her
character lacked positive and clearly de-
fined qualities. She always impressed
us as one who had well matured views.
deep convictions, firmly held principles.
Her influence, while of a very unobtru-
sive and gentle type, like the sunlight,
like the light, had power and positive
ness and permanence. Weak people
may not err in positive directions, be-
cause they commit themselves to no po-
sition and attempt no aggressive work.
But this very failure to believe and to be
something is the sublimest failure pos
sible outside of an actual career Of sin.
1t is better to be faulty than to be futile;
better to err in some things than to be
nothing at ALL But oh. what a blessing
to be possessed of that nice, conscien-
tious discrimination which clearly per-
ceives the right and Loyalty serves it, in
a spirit that blends firmness with chari-
ty, and wins confidence, respect and af-
lection even from those of adverse sent
iments May the number of those be
increased who are not afraid to own
their fellowship with the right, and to
serve it with the best powers God gives;
yetever in the spirit of Him who from the
cross of His supreme sacrifice to truth,
breathes a prayer, full of touching sym
pathy and tenderest forgiveness for
those who could not see it. May their
number be increased, for, by at least
one, we painfully know that it has been
diminished.
Our theme calls to mind some very
marked features Of her character. The
deep thought of her life could not be
more tittingly expressed in any way
than by the words of our text. Her un-
shaken and unclouded trust in her
Savior was remarkable. This trust ex-
ercised constant, profound, ruling in
huence on all her thoughts and acts.
To this trust we must refer that unas-
suming, self-denying devotion to all the
work of the church, which indicated
that it was the result of no fitful i'm
pulse, but of unwavering loyalty to
Christ, and steady love for Him and
His cause. Her physical strength was
not great, often her domestic cares nu-
merous; but always portion of her
time and strength she gave to Christian
work. and all of it seemed consecrated
by His spirit Is there a more beaut-
full sight to angels than that of deli
cate frame, with apparently no strength
to spare, giving so cheerfully from that
slender store for Jesus and His cause?
All, | think if there be joy in Heaven
over sinners that repent, there must be
triumphant rejoicing over some of the
subsequent victories of faith. And
gratefully must we remember to-day
that it is the good and faithful SER
wants whom the Master greets with
well done, enter thou into the joy of
the Lord" which greeting we rejoice to
believe she has had the bliss to hear.
IT. was this dependence on Christ. this