Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-02-16
A REMARKABLE
SERMON DELIVERED
ByReV. Preston Gray Over
a Child'S Remains at
Portsmouth.

The remains of Ellis, two.moths' old
baby of Anna II. Morris OF Grandview
avenue, were buried IN Greenlawn Gem.
etery on Wednesday morning. Brie f
funeral services We're held at the Morris
home. only the child mother, a fifteen
year-old girl, her mother and q few
friends of the family being present. Rev.
A Preston GRAY. pastor of the Grand
view Avenue Christian church, condu ct
ed the funeral services, and in his re-
marks made reference TO the circum-
stances surrounding the birth and death
of the baby
Rev. Gray's remarks are given in full,
as follows:
My dear friends l have never been
called upon to ofiiciate at funeral where
circumstances We're more sombre.
Before us Is the 'ifeless form of an al
most nameless babe. We usually con
front an event like this with sadness
but such should not be our feeling today
Under ordinary circumstances the
child Is far better off that escapes the
trials and temptations of this lite. But
II that be true of the average chlld, this
infant is blessed ten thousand, thousand
times
am glad that Jesus loved and stiI
loves the children He loves them all
Obscure pare 1tage or family prestige
affect Him not. Neither do riches nor
poverty. Their future cannot be other
than JOY and peace in "a land of unfading
tints.
inns unwelcome babe came into this
Worlu as an accident-the result of folly
and vice. But the child is blameiass
and spotless. However tender maternal
arms ever were, they were unworthy of
1t. Little mother, you have nv heart
felt sympathy. Today childhood's laugh
tor gives place to sigh, aud your age so
tender that instead of grieving over the
loss OF this babe, or having now to feel n
myriad pangs of~conscience for your sad
mlsstep, you should yet be nursing doll
babies and running in short skirts with
your brothers and sisters at play.
Inc young man who misled you had
not a spark of love for You when Won
Thought he cared, but with the diaboli-
col cunning of a serpent he coiled him
self into your affections when every kiss
was as yenomous as the most deadly rep
tile that ever threw its fangs into the
qulvering flesh of humanity. He has
done ten thousand times worse than
murder his victim. and had our law the
least heavenly sanction il would require
at his hand the worthless life of this
beast and give him the burial of a dog.
But we cannot change the past As
we look back our regrets outnumber the
stars that twinkle In the night, AMI our
remorse burns like the eternal fires of the
internal pit.
But there is a remedy, thank God
Jesus Christ can and will forgive. In
sorrow he soothes with the tender hand
OF mother. Let us still be glad, knowing
that the Lord dCeth all things well. and
II we truly repent and serve our King we
Will meet in that land where the rainbow
never fades and become citizens Of
country where one broken good bye will
never fall from quivering lips and where
tears OF grief will be transformed into
diamonds of JOY, and the once sinful of
earth. from the least 10 the grentest
will fall with countless angels and sai..ts
before the throne and in one mighty ac-
cord exclaim, Our Fatherp Ports
mouth (OhioJ Times.