Smyrna times., 1878-01-30
For the Smyrna Times.
FOF UC SNYIWI
Funeral Discourse.

funeral of James Boggs, in the Leipsic NJ.
E. Church, Jan. 10th, 1878, and is published
by request of the congregation of said
church, Of which the deceased was a mem
Der.
The sermon was from the text "The time
of my departure is at hand" Tim. 4-l6, at
the close of which, referring to the life of
the departed, the speaker said,-
We are to-day called upon to pay
tribute of respect to the memory of our
brother, who, like Paul, as he contemplated
the approaching hour of dissolution, could |
say calmly, "The time of my departure is
at hand" To him, the hour of death was
but the end of suffering. No gloomy fore.
boding of ill caused him to shrink from
the approach of the grim monster, but on
the contrary he frequently expressed a
desire to depart and be with Christ; and
while we are to-day gathered to carry his
remains to their last resting place, there to
await the voice that shall break the stiffness
of deaths long sleep, and bid the sleeper
rise, we look by faith across deaths dark,
cold stream to the land of eternal life, and
hope to meet again. And while we mingle
our tears with those of the widow and
orphan, we are assured that what is our
loss is his infinite gain.
In reviewing the life of our brother and
in noticing the rule by which he regulated
his conduct, we are impressed with three
things that entered prominently into the
makeup of his character as a man.
lst. He a0as zeaLous. Regarding the
command, Be diligent in business to
mean something, he endeavored to fulfil its
requirements by improveing every oppor-
tunity for securing the necessaries of life,
for the comfort and happiness of his family,
and in laying by store against time Of
need. He had no time to waste in idle.
ness; each day was to him a golden op-
portunity for doing good that must be i'm.
proved, and even when disease had laid its
wasting hand upon him, and his humanity
was tottering to its fall, it was, with difficulty
that he could be persuaded to relax his
efforts in business until physical weakness
compelled him to retire from his accustomed
| labors.
Nor was he Jealous in business only, but
his whole life was marked in every depart.
ment by this trait ofcharactsr. As friend,
he was not among those who live in our
sunshine only, and fly when the shadows
OF adversely gather around us, but, coupling
fidelity with his zeal, he loved most when
most needed.
Nor was his zeal Of that impulsive kind
that moved upon the impulse of the
moment, and, like the shooting meteor, died
away when its strength was spent, but it
was a zeal that was founded upon the
settled convictions of a we'll balanced judg
ment, and acted upon the everlasting
principle of right.
I'd. He 'caS loving and kind. Being of {
quiet and reserved nature, he would appear
to the stranger rather diffident, and on,
needed to be well acquainted with him t
know him, but none knew him butt admir-,
the sterling qualities ofhs nature. His famil,
was his delight, and his greatest pleasur,
consisted in ministering to their wants ant
adding to their happiness, and while tn,
years shall roll, and new friends be found
his place can only be supplied by one, an,
that one is God. May he in his mercy he'll
those who now mourn the loss of the hus
, band and father, to confde in his love, an,
find in him the friend that shall supply al
, their needs.
81. He ,0as honest Honestl And, o
what world Of meaning there is in tina
one word Honest toward God,-hones
| toward his Aforementioned toward him
self. The first question in his mind in ever
' transaction was,-is it rightP and upon tn
I answer of his conscience to this auestio
= depended his actions in all things. {
: course he made mistakes, and who has not
e But if he did wrong, it was fault of judi
# ment and not of intention-he meant I
l. do right. These assertions | make to.da
IS in the presence of men with whom he h,
e been transacting business for the la
d quarter of a century, and make it witho,
e heleast fear of even mental contradictio
e in the mind of any one. You have know
him; you have mingled with him in soci
1t and business life, and as you look back I
1t day on the past you may see his mistake
e. but where do you see wrong intention
y desire prompting to any act of his life
i. And how, you ask, did he attain to III
ID character? answer, through faith in Go
and the importation of the holy spir
His testimony was, "what am the Lol
b, has made me-" He was a christian. II
/, piety was not of that demonstrative kir
that sounds a trumpet before it, or shov
I'd itself in gaudy colors upon the stree
IS, corners, but it consisted in doing, in oui
I'd way, what he conceived to be the will
Oh his master; and brought not, as its rusu
AS sounding. name, but the answer Of GO
conscience towards God. Let our purpo.
lie like his, be to do right, our faith in G.
l" and our allegiance TO him prompt us
IL that honesty to our maker and our fell,
i'll that we shall not fear to die, and then o
ow last end, like his, shall be peace.
de -
Ter A bill before the Legislature of Virgin
Ter provides for tax of one cent each up
I'M cigars. With the Mafitt bill punch, a