The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-13
HEAVENLY hECoON'''oN
rRJECT OF REV. DIR.
lh' sCHAEFFER's SERMON.

.ot revelation Concerning
pecosnitiOn Yet Every Ren-
60 1eIieve In 1.-THE Hope o.
of the Strongest Pleas for
TjvinG-The Dead of the
vear Fewer Than Amy Other
.uspeciaI Music Sung by the
choir.
.,r,or,al service for the members
.he congregation of the Lutheran
- If the Ascension who have died
no the past year was held yester-
~ w. Nv Rev. DR.. w. c.. Schaeffer, pas
= the church. Though DR.. Schaef-
". did not give out the number of
s... that had died he stated that they
fever than in any other year Of
u, nastorate of nine years.
Tbe text of the sermon was l Thes-
.,o,ians. IV:1S, But / would not
-. Won to be ignorant, brethren,
corning them which are asleep, that
sorrow not, even as others which
.,re no hope" In his preface to the
..,uon the speaker said that while
-. service was of a two-fold nature,
=. carnorv of those that have departed
M. life and for the comfort of the
living that sorrow for them, it was
.hisAv 10 the latter that he intended
70 address himself.
aTbis life" said DR.. Schaeffer, lis
srsrt in the land of the dying; here
oro sorrow and bereavement, death and
esparation, and yet we are so consti-
tuted that it does not so appeal to us
os IN take out of our life our willing
moss and Joy in the service before us.
II is appointed of all men to die and
during my service with you 1 have seen
many changes in this congregation;
many loved ones have been taken from
your homes and l have been called
IN oftea to mingle my tears with yours
when the hand of death has been in
your homes and yet l am always glad
tbal I can bring to you the precious
trnth that Jesus Christ himself died,
and that he has assured to those that
talty.
4 want to bring to you again to-
day this assurance of comforting words
20 that you will not sorrow as those
which have no hope. Your loved ones
are lost to earth, but not to you: they
are like stars that have faded in this
armament, but to shine in another and
happier cline.
afv,D .
question that always comes up when
our loved ones are laid away. 1t is
not a question of very explicit revela-
ton from God, but yet we should be-
lieve that we shall see and recognize
them again, for are we not told that
we must not sorrow as those which
have no hope?' True reason alone can
not establish this doctrine of recogni
ton, yet the desire of it is so pure
and so in harmony with Gods purpose
that it is not an unreasonable hope.
Human happiness on earth depends
in a great measure on human com
panonship, and if we are to be happy
in heaven without recognition of our
loved ones, why it will be in direct op-
position 10 everything in this world.
It is unreasonable to fear that there
Of recognition is in every heart, and
God will not disappoint the hope of
the heart.
Another reason for believing that
there will be recognition in heaven is
lound in the continuance of memory.
Memory is not of the body, but of the
SOUL and as such must partake of the
nature of the soul. Suffice it to say
tlat if all memory of the past be cut
on in the future in our next state we
must begin life as though we had
never lived before
Further proof In favor of the recog-
1iuon in heaven Rev. DR.. Schaeffer
oeduced from the Biblical account of
Noses and Elisha appearing to Jesus
ana the disciples and coming in a form
mat made them recognizable. In con-
Guiding the sermon the speaker said:
instead Of sorrowing, let us accept
lnls great truth: our loved ones are
not lost if Jesus has taken them; they
nave but passed behind the veil. Let
US So live that we shall join them. The
nope Of happy reunion is one of the
greatest pleasure for right living"
me following music, which was eX
CeIently sung, was especially prepared
ior this service:
~ Voluntary, Bow Down Thine Ear
uoder).
,Ofertory, Lead Kindly Light" trio,
G Mrs' F. Barber, Mrs. F. Hubner and
Mr. H. Hell.
The choir was composed of Mrs.
:, Barber Mrs. f. Hubner, Miss A.
Ssnroder, Mr.. H. Hill, Mr.. Charles
r5Oulssaint and MIR. H. c. Hardy; Prof.
r. 4