Connecticut western news., 1879-09-17
CANAAN. CONN., WEDNESDAY,, SEPT. 17.1S79.

CANAAN. CONN., WEDNESDAY,, SEPT. 17.1S79. VI VI l sketch of Sermon and l1emerial Re-
 R0Rks aa the Funeral of John Rs
 Wards Salisbury Cts I
 John D. Ward was born at Cornwall, Ct., November 11th, 1911, and died September 10eA, 1879, aged 6s years. In 1914 he re- moved to Sheffield. About 40 years since he came spSalisbury, Ct. At the age of g years, ,luringa camp-meeting aiePins Plains, he was converted to God. We insert 8 bief sketch of the funeral services as delivered by the Rev. Robt Hnnt-text, John xvii. 24, '1sther, will that they also whom thou hast given. me. be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me: for thou. .lovedst me before the foundations of the world" My friends, subduing and sad as, the Eisitations of death are, they are not new. This work of desolating and depicting the hu- man family hss been going on during the cen-~ turies under the divine decree, ''Dust thou art ed unto dust shalt thou return." Deaths sceptre is universal. "The air is full of fare- Teals for the dying and nfournings for the dead. The heart of Rachel, for her children csying, will not be comforted. Let us be pa tent These severe afhictions not from the ground arise. But oftentimes celestial bene- dictions assume this dark disguise. There is no desth; what seems so is transition, this life of mortal breath is but suburb of the life elysian, whose pQllRl we call Death" Death strikes the hour of the souls everlasting es- pSasal ,and though the sound of the voice be harsh, what matters that? To common ears it may seem death knell, to the ear of faith 1t may seem bridal peal Come to the mar. riage supper of the Lambl That ye may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Those believers who are thus to behold Christ's glory and be with him where he is forever, for whom he prays in this re- narksble language, are described as They whom thou hast given me,-objects of the Fathers love are given to Christ to be the subjects of Chrias atoning virtue and media torial are.
 Let us look at the object of this prayer-' not the prayer of creature but the in- sercessions of the great High Priest, who has entered within the veil, where He ever liveth for this one specific purpose, to make interces- sons for us. The object of this prayer is, First that they, {. s., believers or Christians, may be with him. He does not pray that they may be taken out ofthe world, but this do pray thatswhen their journey is finished, when the work that thou hast given them to do is dones then they may be with me. I 30 loved them that I came to be with them and to die for them. stin SO love them that pray that they may be with me and reign in happiness and glory forever. Some gleans of this glory have famed upon the poor earth child. The heavenly. minded disciple of Christ-the saint ly Flavel-often said iThis has been to me one of the days of heaven" But here is an- other whom the Lord is calling to see His glory. A little before Mr. Golding's death, when his brother said to him, ''You seem to enjoy fpretaates of Heaven he replied, "Oh, this is no longer foretaste, this is Heaven not only feel the climate, but I breathe the fine, ambrosial air of Heaven and soon shall enjoy the company" The last words he was heard to utter were "Glory, glory, gloryl Fa- ther, will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where au, that they may behold my glory" Such is the flood of light Gods truth pours upon the dark mystery of dying, Illuminating the dark valley and shadow of death nd lighting the way to palaces of moro than imperial splerdor. With these ex- alted views of our transition, She precious promises of God hanging out their bright por- tents above the confines of the grave, we part company with or dear and honored brother.
 And now the personal and memorial ob- servations which feel should be made, de- wolves difficult task upon me. Difficult from this consideration. that 8 symetrical character, one approaching nearly to completeness. re- Quifes great skill to dehneate. Where there stands out some single prominent character istic which by general consent distinguished the person, to describe that is not intricate nor hand, but where all the faculties are held in equipoise, all the powers of mind and heart 30 nicely adjusted, that no ridges or jutting pesks, or eve undulations appear; when the character suggests sphere, the most we can say of it is, that it is round-globe-ike. Such was John R. Ward, as his character stands shaped in my mind. Much of that symmetry of nature which he possessed possibly was in- herited from similarly constituted ancestry. A few days since scrutinized closely por- trait of his father, and discovered resem- blance very close and marked; that father was a notable man. Even had dissimilar qualities developed in bis children the .infu- enoe of his own character ss seen and exerted in his life, would have moulded them into harmony with himself An ohservsnt and intelligent citizen of Sheffield said that Dr. Orv1 Dewey and John Ward, Jr., were two of the most remarkable men he ever knew in the management of a household in govern ing and assimilating all the members of the family. Most favorable were the conditions under which our ascended brother entered upon his aerth-life. Rare and beautiful were the organizing and developing influences shed upon him in that Christian home in which he reached his majority. Gods richest benedic. 4ion rests upon the house roofed with prayer and walled with devotion. At the age of 22 at camp meeting held in Pine Plains, N. F., together with bis sisters, he yielded to the call of Gods Holy Spirit and soon realized the pesoe, assurance and joy of believer. The incoming of the Divine Spirit into his nature,