The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-29
A SERMON FOR HARRY L. KEYEs.
He Was Seaman Who Went Down
with the Maine.

A funeral service was held yesterday aft
ernoon at Fletcher-pace Church in memory
of Seaman Harry J. Keyes, of this city, who
| was killed by the Maine explosion on
| Feb. Is.
Rev. DR.. ]. S. Tevis preached the sermon,
| founding his remarks upon Job xiv IA: IF
| man die, shall he live again?" A synopsis
of his remarks is as follows:
job lived in the morning of the patri-
archal age, when the government of the
| people was theocratical. God selected the
| heads of tribes and of families by whom he
| communicated with the masses. Job was a
| prince among his people and spake as he
was moved upon by the Holy Ghost. He
| was distinguished for his integrity and
| piety, his great wealth, honors and domes-
| tic happiness. God permitted him to be de-
prived of friends, property and health for
the trial of his faith. 1t was in the midst
| Of that dark period of his experience, while
| death was all around him. and the future
| was dark, that he uttered the language OF
| the. text The thought in the text seems
| to be that when human life goes out, 1t Is
| recoverable, but that there is a beyond
for the soul in beautiful and tar more eX-
pansive sphere of existence. Therefore the
theme before us must embrace lie mere
with it's earthly termination, and It's glorleS
beyond the grave. Human life is a mystery
at best. Its achievements and failures, its
| joys and sorrows with it's brevity and sud-
uen Examinations, if viewed in the light of
| philosophy alone, make it an impenetrable
| enigma. Human existence is of the highest
| order, and is continually, and that by di-
| vine intention, subordinating all other life.
Man is monarch of the whole earth, and the
| vast congress of created things are spread
| before him for his use and happiness. How
| strange are his endowments in mis- physical
organism his mental capabilities. his moral
susceptibiities, and his social qualities.
"Consanguinity is a golden cord which
| binds parents to children and children to
MOI &c Arh fn fc n
bone and flesh of flesh Affinity is a silken
| strand which unites husbands and wives,
neighbors, communities. and nations, and
when ruthlessy touched, as it was by the
treachery of Spaniards in the destruction Of
the battle ship Maine in the Havana harbor
the vibration is felt in every loyal heart in
moral relationship with his physical forma-
ton, his body being erect, and his face
his place among sentient beings as being
| next to the angels. -
is it to die? Who has not, again and again,
asked the question with only the echo of
gone, all gone for the answer. Death is
the destruction of that mysterious vital link
which binds soul and body together. When
it is gone the soul goes out to come back
no more, and the body goes back to its
until the morning of the resurrection.
Death is our enemy and II we should reach
the hundredth year, though sick of life the
in human experience, one in awhile at least
when surroundings and Affections such
that death is a pleasure, sweet release
when one gladly folds his coverings over
him and lies down to sleep until the dawn
ing of an eternal day. If man die. shall
end of earth, but really the beginning of an
unfettered life. The soul is immortal and
must survive the wreck of death The spirit
| is the real man, and spirit is not destruct-
| ible. Many whose bodies had gone to decay
| for ages before have been seen on the
earth. Moses, the sun of whose life was
| seen to go down on Mount Nebo, and Elijah
the stern confession of the rights of Ahab
on Mount Carmel, were with the Christ on
man die. he shall live again. The long lost
dead of the ages gone shall come at the call
and the sea shall send forth the millions she
has been hiding so long. We shall sleep
but not forever. There will be glorious
dawn Oh. yes, we shall meet to part. no,
| never, on the resurrection morn.
Harry j. Reyes was born at Ellsworth.
Xigo, county, this State, on Nov. p, 1876
mostly in the neighborhood Of this church
| Here he came to worship with his mother
here he attended Sunday, school. and here:
while mere child of about ter, years of
| age, he Joined the church. A leading MEM
Der of this church said to us few days
| ago Harry was good ,G boy always quiet
twenty years old. he entered the navy in
the service of our good country where he
| remained as a good. faithful and trusted
seaman until the evening of the 18th of last
| February. On that eventful evening at the
| taps he, with $50 others, retired to their
berths for rest. Then came the awful dis
| aster. The mine was fired by cowardy.
| murderous Spaniards and the splendid
Maine was wreck and Harry ]. Keyes,
with $50 others, were off for the eternities
| in less time than 1t takes to tell IT. limo
cent unsuspecting boys. may have been
| dreaming of friends at home. and happy
| childhood days! No language can adequate
| ly describe, or pain sufficiently punish the
| dark and hellish murderer. or murderers.
who at the safe end of the wire, could hurl
| $50 souls into eternity without moment s
warning. The Maine has been remembered
and the half-cvilized bloody race has no
footing in the western hemisphere. Thank
| Godr'