The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-01

| cause through them the holy life shlneS,
for that it has been wholly consecrated.
| The beauty of Gods glory is exhibited
! in them. and through them we are made
to understand better the might of the
| gospel and its softening, regeneratlng
| power.
These saints are an example to MS
and to the world. They have obcycd the
| divine injunction. Let your light 50
shine before men, and we seeing their
good works have glorifed God. The
higher their example the more G0d-like
| they are, and the greater our love and
admiration for them: and thereby the
wider and more powerful their influence.
This example becomes to us as an in
spiration. TO the pure all things be-
come pure You and | have met such
and been strengthened to feel ourselves
touch elbows with them that are pure
and high and holy. We feel ashamed of
all that is ignoble in us and we aspire
for what is pure and noble. They bark
lis back to God and teach us anew that
the Lord omnipotent reigneth Thank
| God for the inspiration of pure life;
| the inspiration of loyal obedience to
! the church. loving service to God: for all
| that goes to make life noble, useful and
helpful.
This. | fear. is too much an age of
utilitarianism. What is it worth? What
good can it do? Are the questions we
ask. forgetting purity. nobility-all that
| lifts the spirit from sordidness and in
| spires.
THESE are some of the reasons why
we should remember tenderly all those
| that have fought the good fight and
| finished the course. Though the grass
grow green over the graves that contain
their mortal remains, no grass must ever
grow on their memory. Their memory
helps bear trials, endure loss and carry
on work. AS the hills stand about .Ieru-
salem so the Lord God stands about all
them that love him.
I'VE are assembled here to-day to lift
our hearts up to God in thanksgiving
for the good example of one whose
memory must be inspiring to every one
of you. His gentleness, his kindness, his
unselfishness made us feel ashamed of
our own meanness and littleness. Never
was there IA time in his life when there
wasn't some Self-sdcrifice. But this
self-sacrifice was not conscious. He
gave himself as Christ gave himself
like men after Gods own heart always
give es-unconsciOusly, almost
mwillingly. | have yet to see purer or
more unselfsh life. There has never
stood man in chancei rail who posses
sed these two great qualities i'll more
marked degree There is no use now to
recount his deeds and life. He was
loyal to his church, to his State. to his
work. to his fellow man and to all the
obligations of life.
Pm not here to praise him. He does
not need that. No exaltatiOn at my
hands could add to his fame and fair
name. He rests in the grave. but his
work lives. Do you ask where his
monument is? Look around you. Do
not go even out of this chapel. Here,
inside his own well beloved church rail-
he was willing to do and to suffer.
IF this be not enough, go throughout
the districts of the Carolinas and Nir
gina There you will find many
churches built up in waste places. You
will find women educated in Christ's
life. raised up in the spirit and taught
religious life. They have proven them
selves worthy pupils of a worthy teacher
Many good deeds that DR.. Smedes has
done come to me from time to time by
accident As long as God gave hmi life
he would not see one girl who desired
education turned away. If no man stood
ready to help her, he would put himself
in the breach. And this is the noblest
work that man can do-take these tend
err minds and shape them for Christ and
the mother church and train them for
noble life and for usefulness. He build
al I, in vi
ask to see his monument? Look for it in
beautiful lives; in Christ-like characters
not in brick and mortar. In the souls
that came to him plastic and went out
testfying for Christ he has left his i'm
preston.
Il have but one apology for being
here to-day | did love him. That is all
the apology l have for these poor broken
words"
The speaker then told how he had
come here II years ago. unknown and
friendless. and DR.. Smedes had taken
him into his friendship and his conf
dence: and how he had become the
warmest and truest of all his friends
the most sympathetic and loving hearted.
Mr.. Clark was. especially eloquent III
his closing sentences:
His example shall never die His
influence survives The life he lives
shall not he forgotten. 1t was life
founded on rock; life sweetened and
purified by daily communion with God.
He has fought the good fight. finished
his course and long since he has heard
the plaudit We'll done thou good and
faithful servant, enter into the rest of
thy Lord
ARE EXHIBIT AT ST. MARY'S.