The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-01
TRIBUTE 10 DR.. BYERS.
Sermon Preached Yesterday by Rev. ".
II. ltsyeII
III the FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
h Upon the Lessons 10 Be Gained from,
the Life and Character Of Rev.
n. II. Byers, DID.

"Mer shalt come 10 the grave IN a full
age. like as shock OF corn cometh In
in its season. Job Y. Is.
on Tuesday fast. the 25th day OF April.
at half-past eight in the morning, the Rev
Robert Hamilton Byers. D o., after IS
years OF mortal life, entered upon his in
heritance OF the intending years Of inn
mortal life on Wednesday, the 26th day
OF April. at half-past three In the after
noon. | read the burial service over MS
lifeless body and it was laid away in the
grave. hidden under beautiful mantle OF
flowers. No words OF eulogy were pro-
nounced. Some weeks before his end Or.
Byers sent for me and told me that he
was sure his remaining days would be few
and chat ne wished me to conduct :he
funeral services winch he should die. He
told me Thai he had requested mis- family
TO bury him with the utmost simplicity,
and that he had sent for me to say that
he desired | should read the scriptures
and offer a prayer when the occasion
should arrive, bus that he did not wish any
Grafton or eulogy pronounced over him.
He had no wish, he said. 20 violate custom
was not in his thought. He had lived
simply and wished 10 be buried without
ostcntation--that was all. He did not
feel that ne deserved anything. said that
he was a sinner saved BY the grace OF our
Lord Jesus Christ thai he had honestly
siriven 10 do his duty IN the world anu
that was not thing 10 boast Of; and when
he would pass 10 his judgment judgment
to be rendered by the allwise God and low
ine Father who knew all his weaknesses
and all his cndeaYors. Then he added:
Read the Word OF God and oier a prayer.
Brother Leayell, and then lay my poor
body away"
SO | said nothing when We came to bury
one OF the most remarkable men i, has
ever been my fortune 20 know. Ny desire
10 say something fitting mgged away AZ
my heart. but ] respected his dying wish
and said nothing. And even here In this
place today. where my own sense OF fitness
must be my guide. rather than his sense
OF htncss, | would not 20 80 far 80 10
violate his wishes. But / an s1rs be
would be the last 10 Impose upon me $
wish Of his which would in my judgment,
interfere win NY duty to ihis church aud
this community. Yet 10 following my
sense Of right viii enaeaYcr 30 keep in
mind tnst nothing could Re Jess couEeuiai
TO his shirt than a fussone and glowing
euiogy
Ms wish Is not 50 mach % praise the
dead as TO draS some lessons from that
completed life Tor the encouragement. and
guidance o. { ne living. .5r my duty Is not
TO the dead % much as 10 the Hying, Nv
personal relations wifh Or. Byers we're so
eioss &c to warrant this use OF his life and
character and could | help any man to a
ee1isr life og 50 doing. my old friend
Wo1lo mol binder. want too to place
o. rseo-d ny Affection for him aud my
hiEn AopTreia.icn of his character aud
abilities. de was NOT a man TO give or
aoceps open praise. have heard from
csnsrs many kindly things he said about
me. but recall no compliment or Hat
tsrsnr ~ord be ever said to me And
surrey DO not need to tell YOU that
possess 40 hattering lips Close as was
our association, mutually apprecIatIve as
0e knew eaen other TO be, no words OF
mere compliment ever passed between
US And vet our mutual confidence. our
reedcm with each other, our constant CON
sahation on matters pertaining to the in
tsress OF our common Master. our almost
UNIFORM agreement on matters OF Motley
me mutual Difference h5lown for each
DINERS Judgment whenever We differed.
~ testify TO very unusual friendship
between two men whose ages were a
wiae apsrt, During all the mora than sIy
years OF our constant association there
never was the rlpDle Of q disturbance Of
our relations, ! have never received
greater Difference from any man. and
nsHer showed more reverence to any min
ister Of Jesus Christ
me very day ! reached gouston he
called 10 see me at the house of his ven
cradle friend Mrs Charlotte NJ. Alien
ana gave mo an EXPRESSION of his interest |
our relations rinened into a friendship |
whleh was neither broken nor disturbed |
10 the end.
had recently returned To ministry
10 the south from a ministry of MANY |
wears IN New England and by some |
sesious ministers OF the church was on |
Thar account looked upon asksnca heinz |
suspected OF having imbihed 4 modicum ~ |
New england humsnitsrianisn,- NH
ianihropic doctrine which limits The 40.
nlncance Christianity to its ethical ,nnn,,
before ! reached Houston they had under. |
Vihen 70 N-rn pr Ryers. He came to me I
st once frankly told me what warning he
naa received and who Ind warned him
ana vigorously EXPRESSED his ontnion ~ |
that kind Of religious zeal Nv heart was
orawp 10 him from that dav
snd never failed 10 do hin,
manor but enc distinguished ooessio,
70 40 MN honor arose during our ascot
a,s ana that was used with a pleasure
nv nov undertake 10 conceal This I
peeutfnl building was finished ana 10
we're g enter 4 for worship On ,hn ,oth
o. March 1896. Al my suersst,on ~
session unanimously invited mr. pvsr, ~
ptsAcn one OF the sermons on that onaa
70 more men and women than
e ever seen nassed IN this room Al
~. one time since. he preached with
~usuensy o. argument force OF thought
1890 nu Ivy OF sreech that astoundea evsn
nose q US who were somewhat fant,i.r
st'n ms rnusuai powers, powers hars1,,
81 life ''su's ana TWO years
i. from my personal appreciation =,
n, y would be right for me IA snsa, =,
nn " IBIS presence because 4, ~, W
ysafs When was but child ana r,as. ns,
.u were YET unborn, Or. Pvers n,ss ~, ~
.sssr OF mis- church. now mora mar ,a ~
,.t. - Sta century in which he iivaa "a
svV'.1 Is ninety and nire wear. IA ,n
NJ, ,sn,S and five years OF ITS wondars,,i
n.s .. pr Ryer watched its deysia
Win wide open and ever irsars pnent
serss.s ",s' y. o,o he watch and was he IN
cn,m,ns,a5nh ne movements which have
rrsst So. ne present position of this I
AZ ', STATE tomirg 10 the state nssr,', {
c;st,,'' s",s ss9, he was thrown into assa,
Sa,'pn Win the men who won the ~ I
honor. shu ever held tbem in
bot more especially WAS he cone.,o.. i
IT IT. 1pa factor In the growth ~ presbv
-yss't,nan'ssm, When he reached ta,sn.ss ,
.u pc nrst labored, The strens,h =, sop.
pnvfen was almost nothing ars , ~ WI
~ VIC MS labor and the ina,,enc.. 1911,