Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-29
Funerals I'm Gospel Times.

From Mrs. Palmer's 'Home-Life In the Bible"
The touching gospel account Of the funeral
procession that wound out of the gate Of Nain,-
probably down the steep road which now leads
toward the ancient sepulchral caves west of the
village,-as our Lord and his disciples came
nigh, gives us probably the most familiar idea OF
the ordinary mode of committing the dead to
their ''lOng homes" in that day. First In order
came the women, according to an ancient COM
mentary OF the Jews, which explains, that, as
woman brought death into our world, she it is
who ought to lead the way in funeral process
siOn." Among them how easy for any one, much
more the Lord. to recognize the widow, about to
hide away forever from her eyes and only son.
Behind the bier followed ''much people of the
city," and last of all the hired mourners and
the musicians, with their distracting and dis
cOrdant wailing and piping. According to pre-
vailing custom, our Lord and his companions
should have joined the procession, and went
with them who wept, or shared in bearing the
burden Of the open bier on which lay the young
man, 1.-THE only son of his mother, and she was
widow" The apostle pauses in his record Of
this glorious miracle to emphasize the Saviour's
compassion for this bereaved mother. whom he
must comfort with gentle Weep not" though
in moment more he should place the dead son
alive again in her arms. May he not at that
moment have beheld. as in prophetic vision the
sorrows Of that Virgin Mother for the death of
her only Son. Of which Simeon had testified,
saying, Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy
own soul alsO:"
1t was contrary to the law that high priest
should attend the funeral, or observe any of the
customary rites Of mourning for any relative,
not even for his father or his mother; the priest
might be "deiled' for his mother, father, son,
daughter, brother and unmarried sister, but for
no other relation in life.
In the time of Christ 1t was the custom. from
the moment the body was carried out OF the
house, to reverse all chairs or touches, or seats
OF whatever sort. The mOurners sat ON the
floor. except on the Sabbath and on one hour of
the Friday, the day of preparation, and on some
feast-days in which mourning" was prohibited.
On the return Of the family from the burial with
their friends, they were served by their neigh
bOrs with symbOlical refreshment In earthen.
ware, consisting of bread, hard-boiled eggs
and lentels. The friends and funeral
meal, but at which the supply Of wine
was limited to 10 cups. These soups may
have been relic Of the ancient custom referred
to In jeremiah: "Neither shall men give them
the mOurners) 1.-The cup of consolation for their
father or for their mother" An allusion to flu
neral banquets is supposed to be found In the
circumstance after Abner's death. as recorded
in this text: ''When all the people came to
cause David to eat meat while 1t was yet day,
David aware, saying, So do God to me. and
more also, II taste bread, or aught else, till
the sun be down." and Jeremy, in his Epstle,
speaks Of the priests In the temple of idols who
'.roar and cry before their gods, as men do at
the feast when one is dead"
With the return from the grave began the
formal mourning, when the passionate express
siOns OF grief, loud and demonstratfve, before
the burial were, II possible. redoubled and in
tensifed. The prescribed season for deep
mourning was seven days, the first three of these
being those of weeping" the others those Of
fermentation" These being fulfilled, there
followed Tighter mourning of 80 days or more.
according to the nature Of the bereavement
Under the rabbits. children mourned for their
parents q whole year. The anniversary of the
death OF relative was also to be kept; while,
for season, the Jewish ''prayer for the dead'
lnot, however, intercessoryin its character) was
to be offered.