The Newtown bee., 1904-07-29

has gone. There are lew le1t, but their good works will live longer than the marble shaft which loving friends erect over their remains.
 THE FUNERAL or DR WOODRUFF.
 The funeral of Dr J. N. Woodruff was very largely attended, last week Thursday, at the Congregational
 church. Many from New Milford and other adjoining towns were present, thus showing the high esteem in which Dr Woodruff was held. Rev D.
 Moses, 8 former pastor, preached the sermon from the words, "What do thou knOweSt not now; but thou shalt
 know hereafter" John Is: '. Rev R.
 w. Crichton assisted in the services.
 MT Moses said in part: God s ways are not our ways; and many of his deal- ings with us are hidden in mystery and permits many things which we do not understand and could not fully understand, were they explained to us at the time, because the finite is cum- bered with the flesh. It is well that He WithhOlds from us so much; and that before each life the curtain of mystery hangs; hiding from us, not only the joys, but also the sorrows that He knows must meet us in the pathway of life. This mystery is one of great kindness toward us. A kind ness begotten of infinite love. "We know only in part; we see only in part;" says the apostle. Thus God prepares, if we will, daily, for that sphere of life in which He would use us. What we do know of his dealings with us is sufficient, not only for the practical duties ot life; but for that for the highest usefulness on earth and the brightest glory of heaven. God often aff1icts us in hidden and
 mysterious way; and though we may in our sorrow wonder why He is thus apparently severe; we may put aside our wonder and in faith and trust feel that his severity is only apparent and not real; for He will ever be true to his word, not to leave or fOrsake us, but give strength according to our day and the trials thereof. And while we cannot now understand what He does; this we can understand, that He loveth every one whom He chasteneth. And the fact that what He does which we now understand not, comes with
 the added force of sudden appear.
 ance, while it may from it's very
 nature cause amazement, it is not in some more deliberate manner Why should He take the earnest faithful workman away, suddenly ol
 lingeringly, in the strength of his
 ripened years? Is question about which we know only in part; and that
 somewhat remotely. We simply know
 that the work stops not because o1
 this: hence feel that the power back
 of 1t is mtghtier than the workman God sometimes disappOints us. Wt
 make our designs on the trestle board
 of life and lay our plans, perhaps fol
 the moment forgetting that we know
 not what day may bring forth. Il
 may be very promising in the morning
 wisdom, develop full of disappoint
 but feel God does it, but why we know
 not. His purpose, though under thu direction of infinite wisdom, is hiddeI
 from mortal vision, and finite thought
 cannot penetrate therein. We ma,
 with the keeneSt sorrow feel the frus
 tratiOn of plans, the severing of ou
 joys, but the knowledge we often mos
 desire to obtain is for the present be
 yond our reach. And yet we are no le1C ID 0Cter 0arKneSS, lest we despair There is rift in the cloud througl which beams bright ray of alvin
 mercy and love. "What I do, tho1
 knoweSt not now, but thou shalt un derstand hereafter" There will com
 time of the infinite revealing whe1 the darkness of the mystery will dis
 appear and the glory of Gods tender ness and mercy will be manifest. Tn light of Gods promise penetrates tn darkness of such an hour as this. Flo
 while He admits that it is He wh
 hath torn and wounded, He also de clares He will bind up and heal When the hereafter is ours we shal then learn of the wise design of Go , in his dealings with us. "Thou shal
 understand hereafter" does not nee essarily imply that we must wait unti we enter the life beyond the grave . We may know of these things: if il . the wisdom of God it is best, even thi side of eternity. Some, like Samson accomplish more for the glory of Go and the good of men, in their deat than they could in life, for though be ing dead they yet speak, even in
 more forcible way than they did 0 could while living, for the reason tha we do not heed their teaching whil