The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-12
AT ST. JOHN EPISCOPAL
REV. STEWART MEANS R REMARKS
 CONCERNING
Two Pnrishionsrs - Conclusion of Strong sermon Yesterday-Ltves of Merwtn Briefly Reviewed.

Strong sermon festerday-htVes or N the Late George Hosmer and Robert TT
 Merwtn Briefly Reviewed.
 At St. Johns Episcopal church yes
 terday the rector, Rev Stewart Means
 preached an especially strong sermon.
 and concluded it with brief remarks
 concerning two of his parishioners who
 departed this life during the past week.
 They were George Hosmer and Robert
 T. Merwin. He said:
 "So to-day these strange new and
 wonderful thoughts of Christ's saliva
 ton are brought vividly before us
 through the things that have come to
 us and to those who form part of our
 common life. During the week that has
 just past two of our oldest members
 have gone to God. It does not often
 happen, 1t has never happened to me
 before in all my ministry, that should
 be called to lay to their rest two of our
 church officers at once. The first one
 to go had been identified with the par
 ish ever since the weak beginnings of it's history. For five and forty years he
 had been communicant of this parish,
 and all through those years he had been
 a member of the vestry. Whatever
 changes there had been--and there were
 many-he had remained steadfast in his
 attachment to this the home which he
 had chosen in his early years. Here \ his family had grown up and still are
 and from this home, too, the wife of
 his youth went to her rest in God
 There were no striking events to mark that quiet and silent history, but amid the shifting and changing life of to-day 1t is something of note that he never found any need for change, and amid | < this restless American life of ours he | had quiet tenacity of purpose and | convlctiosn that bore him on in the path | that he believed was the one he was to | walk in. When his work was done and | his life had reached the long full meas ure of mans existence, silently and qui- etly, as he had lived, he went without a | word of doubt out into that other life | where He who had led him through all those four-score years was opening up a new and larger history where he should grow into something far better than any he had known or than we have ever seen. Was it not best that it should be as 1t was? If there is any thing better, as we believe there is, it must be best for him, and, if for him. then for all of us.
 And he who this morning was laid at rest, was it not best with him, too. and cannot we think that He who died for all of us will begin a larger and wider history for him after this narrow life of ours has ended? It is more than forty years ago since he, as a very young man. began his life in this par ish of ours Through all those years he too, Loyalty held fast to the parish that he loved Nothing ever touched it's interests without arousing his deep est concern. Anything that to him seemed obviously to be for it's welfare gained at once his warmest sympathy and his eager cooperation. A few years since when the critical time came in the history of the parish, he was one of the fndst eager that we should take that great step which, under Gods blessing. promises to have been the wis., est thing we ever did. Although a man of strong will and great tencity of pur- pose if the best interests of the parish demanded that he should surrender hfe yielded where others might have mad their aims an object of strife and u1ti- mate division.
 "As we look back to those early days of the parish and see how few there were to hold it on it's way it seems al- most wonderful that it survived through the strange vicissitudes that beset it. and that it did survive was due to the fact that the few who were there in those days were determined that it should survive and so amid discourage ments and feebleness they held on un- til better day came-a day when there were more hands, but none more will ing, to carry the burden that rested so long on their shoulders It would be easy to name those who bore the weight of those past year. Some of them, I am thankful to say are still with us, but many have passed away. Among that number are these two whom we> shall never see again in their old fa- miliar places which they occupied 50 long If the men of the present and those of the future could be depended upon to have the same resolute courage and unfaltering faith and persistent loyalty, 1t will be well with the parish and it will be well with them. Tn these two were found some of the most str'k- ing characteristics of their New Eng land blood and training-great personal q silent determinat ton and an unrelaxing steadfastness of purpose that gave fibre and strength to their characters
 "Oftentimes it seems to-day as if men had no convictions, or, if they had held hem so slightly that they made no i'm oresson either upon their character or their conduct Habits and convictions that rule tfe life for near half a cen .ury have some strength, or they could not outlast the wear of time and trial. 1t would be we'll for all of US if there was some of that silent certainty that makes life sure and makes life strong"