Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-09-11
In MemOriam.

In MemOriam.
The following address by Rev. T. A.
Waterman, at the funeral of DR..
James, Is published by request:
Thomas Fleetwood Churchill James
was born in Wexford, ireland, July
81, 1928. He was baptized and con-
tirmed in the Church of Ireland; was
ordained into the Episcopal ministry
by Bishop Robertson of Missouri, hav-
ing offlciated at Cape Girardeau and
Ironton, Mo-, his last charge. Died
September 3, 1902, aged 70 years, l
month and 2 days.
We are reminded of the words which
Shakespeare, the great master mind
Of literature, put into the mouth of
Mark Anthony over the remains of his
friend, the dead Cesar, II come not
to praise, but to bury" We come to-
day to bury a man in the truest sense,
one who had outlived for nearly a de-
cade the allotted span of three score
years and ten. We come to bury q
minister; one who has been ordained
and set apart to minister in holy
things; one of whose whole long career
in this sacred office there is no record
of unfaithfulness, thus recalling not
only st. Paul's estimate of the ministry,
but it's highest requirements, where he
says: ''Let a man so account of US as
ministers of Christ and stewards OF the
mysteries Of God; moreover it is re-
quired OF stewards that a man be
found faithful"
To me, DR.. James sustained the re-
lation of all the most sacred. hat of
friend. A clergyman of the same
name as my own, though no relation,
had been n of his dearest friends.
Perhaps this coincidence attracted him
the more towards me when | first
came here; at any rate the friendship
then formed lasted till the end. So
while there is some satisfaction in be-
ing able to render the last service to
his memory, this is of course tempered
by the sorrow of a personal bereave-
ment. Owing to failing health the
life of Jul departed friend of late
years had been a retired one, but he
often expressed the wish that he could
show m of the activity formerly
employed in the Masters service. He
was a a Of fine scholarship, having
been for years a practicing physician,
admitted to the bar though not hav-
ing practiced, we'll read In theology,
but during his busy life all these
talents, from what l can learn, as well
as the experience gained in business,
were consecrated to his great work of
winning souls. There seemed to be a
depth of religious conviction about
him which those intimately associated
with him could best understand, and
thus I'D say with Paul, 81 know
in " have believed and am per-
sus at he is able to keep that
VIII have committed unto Him
ag j., that great day." And 80 to-
d. We take leave of one who has been
il lis time a faithful minister of the
Lord Jesus; u we'll rounded character;
one who in many respects embodied
the true ideal of manhood; leaving
him with the One who is never ex-
IRENE, even with the weakest of His
children, to mark what is done amiss,
assured that the judge of all the earth
will do right.
In the death of DR.. James l feel that
much that makes life dear to me, at
least in this community, has gone. I
do not know that he aver said an I'M
kind word or harbored an unkind
thought against anybody, and for this
reason, if for no other, there can be
no word but the kindest for him to-
day. Let US resolve to live as he
would have us live, to make the most
of life as he did while in his active
ministry, remembering that the very
word ministry means service, and we
could in some way be useful in the
service of God and our fellow men, re-
Numbering how Jesus ennobled this
ideal when He said II am among you
as he that serveth."
The church on earth, as we are re-
minded on such sad occasions as these,
is one with the church In the abode of
the blessed, and as God has thus knit
together his elect in communion and
fellowship in the mystical body Of His
son Christ our Lord, so may we follow
His saints In all virtuous and cody
living, that we may come at last to
those unspeakablb joys which He has
prepared for those who unfeignedly
love Him. And the saints, remember,
have been those who have overcome,
''men once like US with suffering tried,
but nov with glory crowned"
Our esteemed brother was one who
had learned, during the active years
Of his life, to overcome. Naturally, I
believe, OF a firm disposition, no one
can estimate how much he exercised
that firmness in earlier years in. meet
ing trials and overcoming temptations.
The sanity life Is often set forth in
the bible and in human experience as
a life Of suffering. The robe, the
palm, the crown are not apt to be won
without struggle. OF such, who have
overcome, 1t is recorded 'sthey have
washed their robes and made them
white In the blood of the lamb" but
then and thereforever in heaven, we
are told, they shall suffer no more
hunger, thirst, disease, death; and God
Himself shall wipe away all tears from