The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-05-06
AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS.
Elder tianawaIt's Discourse at the
N,oat,, ar,.harSs Funeral.

serunon delivered by Elder swigart, on The
same occasion The IAtteTs text was the
frs verse of the 46,h Psalm: God is our
refuge and strength. very present help in
troable J
The elder has shown Us very elesriy sever
al important facts; That God Is our ref
uge, our strength. our help; and the great
consolation in the text is that these favors
are actually present in our time Of trouble.
The question naturally arises, How DO
We receive the help In what way are We
helped What kind Of help do We get ? Can
we tell when We are helped
God operates through agencies. The pre-
vaiIiEg winds, the freighsed clouds, the pelt-
ing storm. the heaving of the ocean, the flow
ingof the rivers, the voyage OF the icehergs,
the power of the frost and sunshine are all
agencies in His hand and entirely out Of our
control, snd We are present helps for man
I kind But tc day and on this very sad &C.
casion We want that help il our overwheim-
ing weight Of trouble We want some
I strength 20 bear up under this terrible sor=
row. We want some shelter from these bill
lows Of remorse that have been cast upon
US.
Why do Christians attend funerals Be
! cause Christ was there. Have We the spirit
of Jesus Have we meekness and love Ike
| His Have we anything Of His amazing
sympathy was there ever such comfort
ers Thoaeh be was Lord Of lords and
/ King of kings. and had the power Of the
eternal Father, in His great sympathy, he
humbled himself to the sutferings Of the af-
aicted. When be met anybody that was
sick, be made them well anybody that was
I lame, He Ioosed their limbs anybody that
was blind, He opened their eyes, and when
4 He came TO the house Of IN 1urning He min
/ gIed His tears with the tears ofsOrr0w. " He
was man Of sorrow and acquainted with
grief
There is vast collection of people here
/ 10 dav. Very many of as profess Chrisiiani-
ty. We trust We have come with the proper
/ spirit Of sympathy for these sorrowing peo-
Die. If we have. se are doing well We are
on a Cody errand II any have come a.
q
scoffers at these peoples calamity, or out of
idle curiosity, they have mistaken the place,
/ for I feel thar the tender sympathy of Jesus
is the prevailing spirit here to-day. These
people are suffering under double calami-
ty. was among the first to visit them az
ter the arrest of these brothers. who have
now suffered the ignominious death on the
fatal trap for the terrible and revolving crime
| that was committed in Somerset county,
and can testify that have met none who
deplored more the awful crime and bereave-
ment in the Umberger family than do
these parents and mourning friends here to-
day
/ The common wealth has attached thecrime
upon these brothers and has adiudged them
suiltv has claimed their lives As sn expia-
tion ofthe crime and has now all il asked
/ for. But have understood that these men
declared then innocence to the very last
This makes il very sad, indeed
I represent a church LDunkArdl that IS
opposed to the death penalty for capital
eriue We think the commonwealth goes
a s;ep TOO far when il takes away life-some-
thing it cannot possibly return in case OF
errors discovered We know that an eye for
an eve. and tooth fora tooth, life for life,
etc. vas granted in the Old Testament dis
nensatiop. buf Paul tells Us that the law
| and the prophets we're until John and nom
/ thence the kingiom Of Christ Is preached
And in that wonderful Mount sermon. in
tbe gssuei We end Christ pas made some
/ radical changes in this as we'll as in the per
fyrmance OF oaths, and in the Elat er Of di-
/ vorse. ete. Thus We claim that Christian
government should accept CHRIST as authori-
~ In this matter The Jewish church,
though highly favored aad greatly blessed
/ wa only half civilized. and al Christians
claim that the day of grace is nov ushered
/ IN and the clearer light Of the gospel should
show n the way. So I think, under the
circumstances. the state took toe much
when il took the lives Of these two brothers,
even ifthey we're guilty. Of which have all
! along thought there might be some donOts.
I believe. hoxevsr. the tine will come dur
ing the lives of many present that What
seems to many Of US 50 dark and mysterious
now. will be made plain, and their guilt or
innocence be placed beyond a doubt.
And now I declare to all christian people
herr to-day. that God has promised TO be
abusband 20 the widow and father 70 the
fatherless." We have taken the position that
God works by means, and We christian
protesting people are the means OF God
present upon this occasion, and We have q
care in view. I, therefore, by the holy COM
mission that God has placed upon me, cite
you TO your duty to these bereft ones.
commit them into your hands, TO care for
not only the comfort Of their souls by your
prayers, but Of their bodies with your char
" in case Of need
And nov, szy to these mourning PAren Is
wives and children, and all the friends q
the deceased, your case is not an isolated
one neither is ii an extraordinary one, al
though fknow tits very sad, can comfort
you in this, that We know that many Of The
} very best men that graeed the earth have
, died al the executioner's hand The Re
, deemer We look 20 to-day died martyr fol
the sake Of you and I and We are told bI
: the historian that eleven Of the holy Apos-
ties of our Lords own choosing departed
their lives IN tragic way, and most Of then
: A. the bands Of the state. We might men
nor many more if time would permit.
, You tell me these brothers have made |
profession Of christianity and received th'
! rites and sacrameuts Of the charUh and pro
fess TO have made peace and reconciliation
with their God We can only accept rner
upon their profession !; God only can se'
beyond that We are not much in the habi
Of sulogizinz the dead, neither do We thinl
: it very prudent. Our mission IS TO the liv
ing, and we will refer you to the devotion
the Apostle Paul as a SUBSTANTIAL means 0
getting above sll Of our troubles. de-
looked upon his troubles as light Affections
I though they were sco1rges, stripes with rod
and bruises with stones. He said The.
; work out for Us a far more exceeding an
/ eternal weight Of glory" Oh, there are .
e many things We don't know; but If "
cling right close to Jesus there is one thin
We NAV We will hear Paul again, For "
know that il our earthly house of this sabei
3 marie we're dissolved. We have q building q
E God. an house not made with bands, sterns
: in the heavens Blessed intelligence
t,far,tu- intelligence! May the Lord hel
D. 10 re Give il!