The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-29
THE REWARD OF 1TRE RIGHTEOUS.
ADiscourse I'M OmmemOratiOn Of Bishop
Edward R. Ames, D. D. LII. D.
Preached 10 Fourth Street Church, April 81,
1879, by Rev. Augustus C. George,
D. D., the Pastor Of
the Church.

them'"-Hev. 1918, 's''''
What Is the state ofthe dead? Isl thrill
ing and important question. 1t is ques
ton which we cannot refrain from asking
oven though no answer comes. It hal
been asked by myriads OF sad souls In
every generation. We are all interested
IN the answer to this question, II IN an
swer bepossible. The dead have passed
from our loving eyes, from our clinginl
love, from our clasping arms, into impen
etrable darkness. They send back nc
voices oil cheer and hope. They give ut
no information concerning the realm Of
the departed. They have taken with them
portion OF our own life. They have drag.
ged our hearts down into their grass.grown
graves. The earth is not so green, the sky
lsnot so bright, the years are not so beau,
tttul, since their radiant footsteps passed
from these mortal shores. The music has
gone out OF our souls, since we listened ID
the dying cadence of their loving words,
We live in the past which they made sGGis
US; and sometimes we seem to look into
the same dear faces, and to hear once
more the tones which charmed us as a
melody; but then we bethink ourselves,
and remember. that we are walking
amongst the tombs.
What is the state Of the dead? This
question concerns us; for the state OF the
dead will soon be our state. We also,
when Q few years arc come, shall 20 the
way whence We shall not return.
What is the state of the deadP History
cannot answer, NOR philosophy. In ali
the domain Of science, there is nothing so
mysterious, so unexplainable, as the in.
coming of life and the awful catastrophe OF
death. Nor has human experience any
light to shed on our dark pathway.
Those who 60 from US, 60 from US for
ever.
What isthe state Of the dead? The Bible
answers. The revelation Of God discloses
70 our view worlds beyond the grave.
Lille and immortality are brought to light
in the Gospel. This text declares of the
pious dead that they are blessed, blessed
from henceforth, that they rest from their
labors, and that their works follow them,
and adorn and crown their future ex.
istence.
l. In the first place, we must consider
who these are OF whom such great and
wonderful things are declared. They are
they. which die in the Lord" Those who
live in the Lord will die in the Lord. To
live in the Lord is to live in His favor, in
conformity to His will, in the communion
Of His love. i is to be identified with
Him, to be renewed in His image, to be
devoted to His cause. These are "they
that keep the commandments OF God, and
the faith Of Jesus" Those who live in the
Lord live life OF prayer and trust they
work out their personal salvation, and
they do the beneticent work of the Cos.
pei. They walk in the footprints OF the
divine Jesus. They reproduce His life,
they multiply their charities, they strive
/ to bless and save the erring and lost. They
are "laborers together with God" and
, they seek and find and do their own spe
cific, providential, life-werk. They con,
tinue in this way till death. They are moi
titful and spasmodic in their religious
course. They are settled, established and
persevering. They are not weary in we'll
. doing, They do not grow tired Of Chris
] tan duties, restraints aud obligations
They are faithful to the end. Their char
acter and career are completed, rounded
perfected The last enemy, death, is con.
quered. They Idle in the Lord" peace
2. Consider the blessedness Of these pa.
tient, enduring, victorious saints. They
rest from their labors. This is not annihi,
lation. Things which are not, do not rest
Rest is positive, not negative idea. II
, is a state actually enjoyed. They rest az
. Paul did when he had finished his course
: when he had departed, according to his de
/ sire, to DO with Christ. They rest as Ste
phen did when
Il Goods glory smots him on the iaOO."
. and he saw "the heavens opened" to re,
!, ceive him, and "the Son OF man standing
: on the right hand of God" They res
from their labors. They have repose fror
LIES tolls and struggles They enter int
their reward.
Their works follow them. The saints
on the heavenly hills still have their roots
in time. They reach back to this perioC
OF probation. The eternal life flows out o
the present life Of faith and love and pu
rity. As Archbishop Leighton says
"Grace Is glory begun glory Is grace con
sumated." Good men die, but their indu
ence does not die with them. The wave
! which they have put In motion break OF
4 the celestial shores for generations. Thel
g good works are not the ground Of their 40
y ceptance, but they arc the measure o
their reward. HE that soweth sparingll
!, shall reap also sparingly, and he tina
. soweth bouptifully shall reap also bounti
: fully" "For God iG not unrighteous t
forget your work and labor Of love, whicl
We have showed toward his name, in tina
w have ministered to the saints and d.
minister" New revelations Of the Ia
reaching Influence Of their faithfulness vii
repeatedly blossom along the pathway 0
the redeemed and gloriaed In their in
;. mortal life.
With this mere outline OF thought,
dismiss the immediate consideration OF III
-lteXt, in order to say some personal word
:, ofthat great and godly Bishop who BIZ
y lately ceased from bis work and entere
Z into his reward. To him has pome, pltt
:. many years Of labor, the promised rest
:. crest for the toilIng hand,
q Best for the anxious brow,
70 Rest for the weary, Way.sorc feet,
Rest from all labor now"
: Not only in the city Of Baltimore, br
throughout the length and breadth OF III
continent, will his oRsequies ls observe
this Sabbath day, by . bereayed but graf
full church.
Bishop Ames was descended from Bu,
tan stock. His grandfather, Rev. SYLVIA
us Ames, was q Massachusetts man,
graduate Of old Harvard, and died In Ii
camp Of Washington at Valley Forg
= where he was chaplain, during the whit
OF l777.S. Tho Bishops father settled in
district in Athens county, Ohio, whit
was afterwards kno%n as AmeS TOWNSHIP
I, and the Bishop was born there on May
1905. His early education was plain al
practical. Anatural taste for reading W
q, iostered by alocal library to which he hi
access, and when twenty years Of age
entered the Ohio University at Ather
ID He remained there for several years, mai
" supporting himself by teaching.
::s Bishop Ames stated, in an addrt
~. which he delivered at the CinCinnl