Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1889-08-10
Death of Christian Relatives.

If our departed relative were a
Christian indeed, and gave us COM
Portable hope in his death, then it
leads our thoughts naturally to heav-
en-, and most powerfully touches the
springs of our heavenly hopes. 1t
raises our pious wishes to the upper
world, and we say, as Thomas did
at the death of Lazarus, "Let us go
that we may die with him." John
NJ. l6. Let us so to our God and
our holy kindred, and enjoy their
better presence there. Let us not
sorrow for the dead, as those that
mourn without hope. l Thes. w.
10, but look upward to things unseen,
and forward to the great rising-day,
and rejoice in the promised and fu-
ture glory that are beyond life and
time.
Every dear relation that dies and
leaves us, gives us one motive more
to be willing to die. Their death fur
nishes us with one new allurement
toward heaven, and breaks off one of
the letters and bonds that tied us
down to earth. Alas! we are tied too
fast to these earthly tabernacles,
these poisons of flesh and blood. We
are attached too much to flesh and
blood still, though we find them such
painful, and such sinful companions.
We love to tarry in this world too
we'll, though we meet with
so many weaving strokes to devide
our hearts from it. o it is good to
live more loose from earth, that we
may be ready for the parting hour.
Let us not be angry with the sover-
eign hand of God that breaks one
band after another;though the strokes
be painful, yet they loosen our spirits
from this cottage of Clay; they teach
us to practice flight heavenward in
holy meditation and devout breath
ings, and we learn to say How long,
0 Lord, how long.
The recoIlection.-Have any of us
lately felt such parting strokes as
these? Have we lost any of our be-
loved kindred? God calls upon us
now, and inquiries, "What have you
learned by these divine lessons?" I
would ask myself this day, Have ]
seen the emptiness and insuficiency
of creatures, and recalled my hope
and confidence from everything be-
meath and beside God? Have pass
ed through this solemn hour of trial
well, and shown supreme love to God
and my most entire submission tC
his sovereignty, by willingly resign
ing so dear comfort at his demand
Have l been taught by the inward
pain which l felt at parting, and by
the smart which still remains, how
dangerous thing it is to love Great
ure too well? Have l treasured W
the memory of their virtues in my
heart, and set them before me as the
copy of my life? Have my thoughts
followed the soul of my near de
parted friend, and traced it will
pleasure to the world of blessed
spirits; and does my own soul seen
to fix its hope and joy there, and t.
dwell there above? Are my thought
become more spiritual, and heaven
ly? DO l live more as a borderer OF
the other world, since a piece of M
is gone thither? And am l ready 70
the summons, lift should come befor
tomorrow?
Happy christian, who has beef
taught by the spirit of grace to i'm
prove the death of the dearest rela
tive to so divine an advantage. TIL
words of the text are then futile,
experimentally in you, Death
yours. Death itself is made a part Q
treasure. The parting stroke is pain
full indeed, but it carries blessing il
it too; for it has promoted your heav
emily, and eternally interest.-Isaa
Watts.