The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1905-09-08

we'll for US all to remember that like
character is possible for us even If our
opportunities are fewer and our sphere
Of influence less wide. For character
is not dependent upon privilege or op-
portunity. Character depends upon
the use of privilege and the Selling of
opportunity. And in fact it is often
the case that privileges which are
unusual and opportunities that are
rare constitute snares of the soul rath-
er than make it's path smooth. We
have highest authority for this in our
Lord s words, "How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the king
dom of Heaven" There is, we now
believe, such thing as consecrated
wealth. We know now a CONSPICUOUS
instance of a true servant Of God who
has overcome the ensnaring tempta-
lions which attend wealth and posi-
tion and power, which naturally &C
companies them, and has humbly
served God, and without ostentation
has ministered to her fellow-men. Her
privileges and opportunities made her
achievement more difficult rather than
less so. And similarly, her life, chaS-
tened with sorrow upon sorrow and
loss succeeding loss, out of great trib-
ulation issued in that peace of God
which passeth all understandings
peace realized constantly here on earth
and into the fullneSS of which she has
now entered-a life sustained by a
simple, trustful faith in God and in
his blessed promises, into the enjoy
ment of which, we believe, she now
has passed.
| l have said that she loved this house
of God and this parish. But we well
know that such devotion was but a
part of that love for the church as a
whole in which she was born and bred
The church's liturgy she valued fol
it's dignity and beauty and spiritua.
aspiration, the church's truth she
chung to with the simple faith of a
trustful child, the church's standards
of teaching, of ministry, of sacraments,
of all the means of grace were her &C
cepted way and indispensable to bel
living. Regularly has she worShippeC
here within these walls, regularly has
she received the blessed sacrament Of
the body and blood of Christ at thi!
altar, and through these means pro
vided she drew the inspiration of al
her living and through them constant
ly and rightly and faithfully used, she
grew to advanced age in the spirit O.
the apostle whose phrase is applicable
to this servant of the same Lord, 'Th'
life hid with Christ in God" Ant
she could say in the words of anothe
apostolic man who was once her rec
tor in another parish in this city, tn
parish whence this parish sprang:-
81 love the Church-the holy Church
That DER our life presides,
The birth, the bridal, and the grave,
And many an hour besides!
Be mine, through life, to live ia her,
And when the Lord shall call,
To die in her-spouse of Christ
The Mother of us ALL"
In the same church are provided 70
US the same means of grace. To-day
lesson is that we see to it that we b
found faithful in our use of these or
binary means for the upbuilding of GU
Christian character Strength AM
greatness in this real meaning ar
found in the life Of prayer and o
faith, in the habit of public worship
in the reception of the holy sacrament
, and in the Word of God read an
preached.
There is indeed to-day among US al
sense of loss, a feeling of sorrow tina
). we shall see her face no more. Blu
. there is also another feeling to whic]
, 1 have alluded already. 1t was sue
gested by the funeral service he'll
! here Friday, August 25, and I thin
you must have detected i'll mean tn
7 tone which pervaded the service, a
n that Of Christian triumph and victory
the feeling to-day of profound thank
o fulness to GOD for the blessing Of sue
a life. Everything in the life of thi
9 departed one is something to be thank
full for. We think indeed of her deaf
! and we are sad.
O But inevitably we go back in though
= and think upon her llfe-her life o
earth hitherto. But we cannot sto
6 there. We look on through the We
v and think of her life henceforth. Sh
). is not dead, but liveth as do live th
q spirits of those who depart hence i
r. the Lord, whose souls are in JOY an
felicity. And 1 do not know how it
!. to you, but to me one of the stronges
IS evidences of the future life is the lii
# on earth of one of Gods truest saints
Such lives cannot be limited to tt
r. short span of earthly existence, ell
were Gods work a colossal failur,
>. Gods universe hopeless enigm
! and Gods very being scarcely credibl
is And SO we can say to-day wit
deepened conviction, 81 believe
- everlasting life.''
And to-day we must so take tt
| lesson to heart that we resolve to Co
secrate ourselves, body, soul and spir