The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-07-02
Published by request of family.

Published by request of family.
7ert, Heb. 1;4:-''He being dead, get
speqkeM. ~
A good man never dies. There is po
tential influence in his character that can
not be confined to that short period called
human life. A ship may make passage
through the sea, but where it has ploughed
the waves we cannot tell; a bird may fly
through the air, but its wing makes no
mark on the air to indicate the course of
its fight; but thinking, intelligent man
makes his impress on human society, leaves
his mark on the world through which he
has passed If human being has passed
through forest or new country he will
generally leave somcfmpress of his nature
on his pathway, such as blazed tree,
cut limb, or hewn tree, or a footprint.
and so man leaves the impress of his
power wherever he moves and something
will be left when he is dead TO show his
work.
Some six thousand years ago good man
died, his life was short. but he was
just man, and he left the impress OF his
example on the world, and some four
thousand years after his death the Apostle
Paul placed Abel's name among the Illus
trious dead and declared that "6eing dead
lie get speaketh" And what did he mean?
He meant that Abel being dead yet speaks
in his example, and character. His name
was placed among the worthless of Old
Testament history and there it will stand
shall be no longer.
Permit me to speak to you this morning
on Posthumous Influence. 1t may be well
to inquire what is the nature of this infiu-
ence, or in what respects a person lives
after his death:
FIRsT-IN THE SILENT POWER OF EXAMPLE.
There emanates from every human being
a subtle, mysterious power that is called
''influence;" 'effluence" would seem a
more appropriate word, because this means
flowing out of-whereas. 'inhuence"
means Glowing into" But this is the
word commonly used and 10 describe the
force of character and so we use it. | say
this power emanates from every person
and he cannot help it. Our words and
deeds do make their impress and we can
not prevent it.
And the character of the influence de.
pends upon the moral character of the
person eXertng il. The fower-garden
sends out its sweet fragrance and the
marsh sends out its foul malaria. The
fragrance is like the flower The words
are like the man. The influence is like
the character from which it emanates.
And this silent power of example con.
tinues 10 operate when man is dead. 1t
speaks when his voice is silent in death.
Our friends die and yet they live in our
memory; dwell in our hearts; mould our
opinions shape our character; cheer us
when respondent; comfort us in our sor-
rows, and really help us fight our battles.
When a good man dies, he is not lost to
us entirely; in fact he is part CT our life
still; we hear his words we feel his pow
er, and we are helped much by his exam
pie. am often reminded of the beautiful
lyric of Longfellow, which he is pleased
to call ''The Arrow and the Song"
"I shot an arrow in the air,
1t fell to earth I know not where
For so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight
breathed a song into the air.
1t fell to earth know not where,
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of a song.
Long, long afterwards in an oak
found the arrow still unbroke,
And the song from beginning to end
found again in the heart of friend"
And many touching song and many q
kind word may be found in the hearts of
friends.
sECoND-THE GOOD MAN LIVES IN HIS
WORKS.
He may be cut down in the prime Of his
strength before his plans are consummat-
ed; in fact at the beginning of bis work,
and yet he lives in the work he initiated.
If you should estimate the blue of his
work by his success, you might vote 1t a
failure, but if you should measure it by
his influence on society you would call it a
success. Millions have died martyrs to
good cause without this object accomplish
ed, but they live in the cause for which
they died. Our fallen heroes of the late
war live 10 our preserved liberty. our
saved country and our material and re.
ligious prosperity.
Stephen died when the infant church at
Jerusalem seemed to need him the most,
but he lives in his heroic faith. Paul died
martyr under Nero, but he lives in his
letters to the churches and in millions of
saved christians. Martin Luther is dead,