Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-31
Monday, March 81, 1854.
First n. b. Church.

4 RemuaffuI Floral Decorattons-A Memo
i rial Sermon by Rev c. H. Buck.
| Despite the wind and cold very Jorge con"
ereeation assembled at the First Methodist
church yesterday morning. The pastor.
Rev. G. H. Buck, preached sermon in
memory of those members of the church
| who have died during his three years. pasto-
rate The floral decorations were very beau
tiful and in harmony with the occasion. Mr.
Buck took for his text the 18th verse of the
| 14th chapter of Revelations, BLESSED are
| the dead who die in the Lord"
Death is an event of universal experience.
It happens to all. Enoch 'walksd with God
and was not for God took him and Elijah
went up in a chariot of fire. With these
solitary exceptions the successive generations.
one by one, have passed into eternity through
the valley and shadow of death. Even the
good must die. A pure and elevated char
acter does not shield from sickness and
death. Hence from Abel till now the
beautiful and the deformed, the useful
and the useless, the virtuous and the
vicious have slept together in the dust.
But into this dying world comes the glor-
ious gospel with its utterances of comfort, its
revelations of life. 1t declares, BLESSED are
the dead which die in the Lord" This ut
terance is clear and positive. Aside from the
gospel there is no certain revelation of tu-
ture life. Philosophy and science throw NO
light on the world beyond the grave. Nature
merely hints at immortality, but the gospel
saws with magnificent and tremorless GER
tainty, ITO die is gain" It was voice
from heaven that uttered this benedlctlon.
1t is not human conjecture but heaven,
inspired truth. John was commanded. not
to speak it, but to write it SO that all men In
all lands and in all time might read it and be
comforted.
The utterance is invariably true. When
ever or wherever or however they die, it
matters not All who die in the Lord are
blessed. But wherein are they blessed?
What is it that transforms this angel of terror
into an angel of benediction?
Death brings release to the coed from all
trouble. Like sin, trouble is universal. It
projects its dismal presence into every home,
throws its dark shadow over every path.
Sorrow enters every experience. Tears are
the heirloom of humanity. At death all
these sad features vanish. They who die in
the Lord ''rest from their labors." They
enter on a life which is one long bliss
Death brings relief from all physical disa-
bilities and bodily ills. In that ''better
country" disease is unknown. Sickness
never wastes, cares never wrinkle an immortal
youth. Poisonous and pestilential atmos-
pnef6S 4D16SG NOT Inc heavenly ahAus
They who die in the Lord are freed from
all sin. All evil thoughts and desires are
forever annihilated. Not one particle of
corruption remains; the last fibre of de-
pravity is destroyed. Pure as the angels
Christ sees in them mo spot nor wrinkles
nor any such thing" They who die in the
Lord pass into realms where they and their
loved ones shall die no more. In this world
death moves everywhere; in city and coun-
try it seizes its victims from youth and
age from the beautiful and the unlovely.
There is no Preside that has not some vacant
chair; no circle out of which some brightness
has not gone. But heaven is deathless
cline. The glorified are made forever i'm
mortal. These are the thoughts with which
could fill your minds, as to day we observe
this memorial service. These hopes I would
have you cherish concerning those who were
oncs with us in church life and work, but
have now passed on into the realms of the
| immortal life. During the last three years
| twenty-four have gone from the
fellow snip of this church to the
| fellowship of the church u triumphant;
from the struggles and sorrows of this earth
| life to the light and glory of the celestial
/ life. To them We consecrate this service
| We tenderly recall them to ur.thought. We
\ sadly mourn their loss; still we sorrow not
| as those who have no hope. They have en-
Il tered into rest. They have departed to be
1 with Christ, which is far better.
| Mr. Buck then gave the names of those
1 who have died, making some tender allusion
| concerniDp each one