Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-19

Funeral Of the Late c. W. Ssabright,
Yesterday Afternoon.

AUotV4u0J A1sO4 uVVus
THE ATTENDANCE AT LIONS
LUTHERAN CHURCH AND AT
THE CEMETERY VERY LARGE.
THE SERMON PREACHED BY
REV. Hob SERVICES AT THE
GRAVE BY THE ELKS, WHO
TURNED OUT A LARGE NUMBER
OF MEMBERS, HEADED BY A
BAND-COUNCIL AND CITY OF
FICIALS PRESENT.
The remains of the late Hon. c. w.
Seabright, ex-member of the Legisla-
ture and ex-Mayor of the city, were
consigned to earth at Mt. Zion ceme-
terry yesterday afternoon in the pres
ence of very large number OF citi-
zens and with impressive ceremonies.
The funeral services were conducted
at lions Lutheran Church, by Rev. p.
]. Hob, the pastor, and were very i'm
pressive. At the cemetery the Elks
conducted services.
The members of Council and city
officials assembled at the City Hall at
two o'clock and proceeded in body to
the church. A little later Wheeling
Lodge B. P. o. Elks, headed by the
Opera House band, with over one hun
dred men in line, marched from the
lodge room to the church, where a Ge-
tachment of eight police officers, under
command of Lieutenant Supler, had
also repaired. Not only was the
church edifice crowded, but there was a
very large number of people outside.
The services were elaborate, and dur
ing their progress these musical selec-
lions were rendered: I'm Quiet Rest, .
by the choir, Some Sweet Day. solo,
by Miss Louisa Maurer, abide With
Me-" by the choir, and Chopin's fun
eral march, by Prof Arbenz.
Rev. Hob spoke both in German and
English. In part he said:
Rev. H.. 10: ''Be thou faithful unto death
and l will give thee crown of life.
My Christian friends: l have spoken in
German of the earthly and heavenly call
ing of a Christian, and | have shown to
these friends that faithfulness must in
either case be the governing principle. In S
is especially true in our heavenly Gaining
unto which we are called from infancy on,
by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Most any man is convinced that faltnfui-
ness in his earthly career will at last bring
to the desired goal but how many forget
that our Lord speaks of faithfulness in the
kings not of this earth viii not the ne
elect of faithfulness bring a man 10 ruin?
And so it is in heavenly spiritual things.
Man springs forth as a plant in spring,
fresh and comely, and thinks that he has
a great future a long time before him, but
before he realizes it, his life has sped away
and death claims him for his victim. The
earth, all it's glory, all it's great promises,
all its goods and gifts prove vain vanity
of vanities What is this life with all its
happiness and enjoyment and pleasures
and promises? What is man in his strength
and greatness and honor and esteem and
fame, amidst all. the things of the world?
Solomon says: All is vanity. Why? Be-
cause these things perish-and man. 0.
pity him who has no treasure in heaven
when the time comes when he has to lie
down forever.
In reviewing the life of the departed
must say that he was one of the happy
men who are blessed with many and good
gifts. When Mr.. Seabright came to this
country to make it his future and perman-
ont ba li1a5 ,xyhaf Opa
said: America is only another name for
opportunity. See how the poor German
boy works with al This power, how untir-
ingly he fulfills his duty. Note how his en-
ergy, perseverance, his strong will power,
his patience lead him by and by to the es-
tablishment of an important business. You
say: He was faithful in his earthly cali
ing. This was one of the reasons why his
friends and the inhabitants of this city
soon became aware that they could entrust
him with their confidence. And so finally
we seee him in the highest position of city
government, as Mayor of Wheeling from
1888. Must we not say: For unto whom
soever much is given, of him shall be much
required, and to whom men have commit
ted much, of him they will ask the more.
Now l wish to remind you of his former
connections with our congregation. An
early settler in our city when 1t was still a
very small town, he had with others be-
come entrusted in building up a Lutheran
congregation at this place His excellent
knowledge and finely discriminating judg-
ment soon caused him to be intrusted with
important Offices in the congregation. For
years he held the very important position
of treasurer and discharged the functions
of that office with rare tact. Everybody
thought well of him and put the greatest
confidence in him. He was a light and
pillar of our congregation, and a personal
friends of dear. sainted pastor Berkemeier.
-
Be thou faithful-not for period of
years. Be thou faithful unto death and
then, only then will | give thee a crown
of life. A life spent in life communion
with Christ from the baptismal font to the
last communion-that is faithfulness unto
death. In ourselves we find no faithful
ness, even when we have done ALL we mus
profess ourselves Improbable servants;
but in Him. we have all that we iced 10
arm us for the fight. to cheer us N Cur
weaker hours, to rouse US in our fatigue or
security. The more we become convinced
that this faithfulness unto death is nor in