The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-27

might be mentioned, but | desire, in
what time remains. to sneak OF that
which was the central and dominant
principle of his character, and which
made his life SO powerful among men tor
| good.
refer to his religious faith. What he
might have been. in moral power, ana
general usefulness without faith in Christ
cannot presume to say. what ne was;
as Christian believer, imbued with and
controlled by living faith in God, we
all know, who knew him at all.
| His religious life was marked by a
transparent simplicity. 1t was the natu-
raj product of spiritual principle, and
was developed from within. His faith
was not an appendage to his character,
not a supplement, but complement;
not something added, but something that
| fills up or completes the character 1t
was a seed principle which grew with his
| years, and more and more gave quality
| and flavor to his whole character. Hence
4 his religion was not something taken on,
| OF put Off; it was part, and the SUI
preme part of his nature. Hence, too,
| he was everywhere, and under all cir
| cumstances, the same-the man OF sin
| gle eye and single aim; the man with
| consecrated purpose to live unto God in
| all things and in all places. In the do
nestle circle he was the religious man
mindful ever of his obligation to make
| his home centre of Christian influence.
| In the business office, amid the pres
| sures and competitions of commercial
| life, he was transparently the Christian
man, known as such, not because he had
a Bible on his desk, or talked religion
| with his partners or employees, but be-
| cause he breathed Christian spirit in
| his daily life, and exemplified Christian
| principle in his business transactions.
He was steadfast in his faith withou, be-
| ing confined to the ruts of old beliefs.
As the years progressed he grew firmer
| in his trust in God and in dependence
upon his Saviour, but he was progress
sive in his view of Christian doctrine and
duty.
| Els mind waSalways open to the in
creasing light of divine truth. Always
true to his convictions of light and truth,
| it was not impossible for him to yield up
his old convictions when increased light
showed them to be wrong.
In the matter of covenant obligations
he was simply faithful In this he has
left high example to his brethren.
For "a years this man has been constant
and dutiful in the routine life of church
attendance and church work. What a
path he would have worn from his home
to this church door if he had not walked
upon payments.
Dea. Burgess heart was always warm
towards the young. His influence was
especially persuasive and powerful
over young men. He, himself, never
seemed to outgrow his youthfulness. 1t
was to many a surprise to learn that ne
had passed through sixty summers. 1t
wos time for him to be laying down some
of his burdens of care, but he thought
not of doing this; rather at the time of
his sudden removal his thoughts were
pom new measures for the quickening
of the church, and he was ready to as
sumo new responsibilities. He was at
the time of his death a deacon of the
church, the parish treasurer, a teacher in
the Sunday school, and member OF the
Young Peoples Christian Endeavor
Society. in which he had been an active
worker from its organization. What a
worker our brother was! There is some
thing very sad, yet not altogether dis
tressing in the manner of his removal.
He died in the harness, as it were
girded for toll. Smitten while at his
Office desk! Cheerful, energetic, elastic
in spirits to the last! Called away in the
midst of his work. No one thought,
much less himself, that the end of his
busy, useful, and loving life was near.
AS he stood the evening before his sud-
den, overwhelming sickness, in his pas
tors place, conducting the prayer service
of the church, a tender prayer was on his
lips for the recovery of his sick lad. The
boy had revived, but the man of God is
gone! How it breaks our hearts
to speak it, and yet We have
great comfort, and deep spirit
ual joy, when we conaider the issue of
such life. We know the dead are
blessed who die in the Lord. We feel
that it is blessed to be permitted to toll
in the vineyard until the Masters voice
is heard saying to the diligent servant,
"Come Up Hither." We think of the
rest that remains for the people of God,
aud we are assured that he hath entered
into that rest It is, we feel impossible
that he should have come short of it.
Brethren, friends have held up before
you our departed brothers life. My
words have been utterly inadequate to
reach the height OF your own thought of
its beneficence. I have spoken not SO
much to honor the dead as to inspire and
comfort the living. When the mercy low
ing Dorcas died, the poor widows held
up, with streaming eyes, the garments
she had made for their comfort with her
own hands. They were the most inn
pressive eulogy of that holy apostolic
woman. So have held up before you
the life of our brother. The manner of
that life, it's spirit and its works, are his
enduring eulogy. I need not request
you to remember him, who has been
your guide, teacher and helper. It is
useless to ask you to cease from sorrow