The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-04
ETRIING THE DEAD.
Another Revival of the Agitation ADO"
"Keforms In Funerals

viyal Of the agitation about reforms IN
,be conduct Of funerals. The demand for
the modification OF long-conunued GUS
toms IS not easily fulfilled. a custom
fingers long after the reason for lis es-
tablisnment has disappeared, and IN inc
face Of very powerful counter-seh'lille"'
beyond a doubt, there is m1ch 10 De az
compished in the way OF lauohdi lu-
neral reform. IL is agreed on an AahuS
that burias are generally lar more eA
psnsive than Is really necessary VI
course. when this expense IS to be borne
bv persons Of large means, il is not
! matter of great consequence. But Idsl-
ION is a cruel and capricious tyTdh''
| when the person OF large means makes
lavish expenditure on the intefmeht Oh
| his dead. he sets an example WhlCh Hl9
| poorer neighbOr is only 100 apt 70 az
| tempt to follow This poorer helsnDOi
| is not likely TO exercise the same sood
| g,idoauent the same careful and dis
| terminating economy which characterize
| him under other circumstances Ills
| feelings are 80 deeply involved that MS
| Judgment is likely 10 be clouded' ana he
/ win be sorely tempted to spend more
] than may be necessary. IL Woulu' lhvic-
| fore. seem TO be the duty OF persons VINO
are well off in the goods OF TINS Worid
I
| connection with the burial OF their dedd
as TO set an example which their less for
tunata neighbors might follow wisely ana
safely. H..
| At the same time. we wish to say dis
! unctly that We do not share what seems
| to MS to be unreasonable prejudice, prev
! aent in some quarters, against all those
| attempts which bereaVed ones hatuiaHy
| and instinctively make to soften the harsh
| s.f. 1.ufh q
! AT All the prejudice against flowers at
| funerals. ii seems TO us a beautiful GUS
| tom TO send flowers TO deck the colin
| and to lay on the newly turned sod we
can see no element of unfitness in this
| testimonial Of sorrowing love. And IL
] the doft fingers of the florists weave
| them into anchors. crosses, and gates
| aiar." such einbiems surely are not out
| of place at a Christian burial.
| we are bound to add that we have no
| kympa,thy with the disposition TO do
| away entirely with the funeral sermon.
| II there is ever a place where the con-
, solations. the warnings. the invitations.
| the promises of the gospel have peculiar
! value. and ought TO have correspond
| ing emphasis, It is in the presence OF
| death OF course. everybody sees inc
| improperly OF eXtravagant eulogy OF the
| dead. The fact that ministers have so
tended 10 bring the funeral discourse into
| disrepute: but surely. in the nature OF
| the case there is no necessity for eXtraV-
agant statement. Why not be as careful,
| as discriminating. as thoroughly truth
| ful in such q sermon as in other ser
mons? We do not believe that the min
lister oJsht to be silent at such d time.
1t Is the time Of all others when he
ought 10 speak. We do not believe that
precisely the same service ought TO be
| held over all who die II d man has
been servant Of the Most High, If his
faithfuness has extended through years
| If he has been a constant witLess Tor the
, truth in his community, surely II cannot
| be harmful to give that testimony over
his tenantess form ana TO call his neigh-
| b0rs and comrades to the practice or
those virtues for which he was distin-
guished. But somebody viii say: What
is to be done in the case OF the man VINO
| dies without hope, whose life has been
| a reprOach 10 the community in whch
! If has been spent?" This question Is not
difficult. Silence at such time would
be both delicate and significant
An pbseryant pastor knows that
great many people attend funerals who
are not in the habit Of going TO ordinary
church services. Tile funeral service
furnishes an opportunity 10 speal, 20
! those nOn-churchgoers, under circum-
stances that are peculiarly Impressive.
Granting all that has been said in IA
yor of existing customs. there are still
some minor matters which might be
mended, greatly to the comfort Of all
concerned We think the whole practice
| of wearing mourning for the dead ought
to be broken up. 1t has so often been
meaningless ii has so often been turn
ed into an occasion Of vanity and dis
play, IL has 50 often rendered necessary
unwise expense that these considera-
tons alone ought to justify its oXtinc-
ton, But, besides all this, the sombre-
ness and gloom that are suggested by
the practice are certainly not Christian.
IT, however, mourning must be worn
then. Icy all means, give us some other
color than black. Nature abhors black.
Services at the grave ought, for OBJ
| vious reasons OF health aud comfort, 10
be very brief and simple This is not
always possible now. l. often happens
that various "orders" are present
through their committees. with more or
less elaborate rituals. which they read
| in addition 10 the regular religious ser
vice Meanwhile the kindred and friends
| are standing with uncovered heads, al
the peril of their health. and thus they
, ! too frequently remain until the grave
has been filed. Many a case Of Illness
has begun at a funeral. These and Other
minor evils, which might be mentioned
II II were necessary could easily be
4 remedied by a little concert Of action OF
the part Of the ministers
Let US all take care lest we uncon
sciously fall I'm with the materiaiisti'
spirit Of our time, which tends 10 maxi
, everything commonplace. To the believ
er in Christ, death can never be common
place. The issues that are involved, ~
1 function In its relation TO the soul, ~
! dreadful domination, our Lords con
q quest OF it-all these give it significance
The Religious Herald.