The Penn's Grove record., 1911-01-27
A Christian
Burial
By REV. W. BEHNKEN
Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church
Houston. Texas

OtCA ~ AO WOlS tu0 UQlkutl6SL IQlOl
on earth. Is that answer not clear,
plain and concise enough? Now, let
us look at that matter a little closer.
When l see a funeral procession
composed Of heathens, headed by q
heather priest. l conclude that the de.
ceased was a heather. When I see
Jews. headed by a rabbi, In funeral
professions, l rightly conclude that the
deceased was a Jew. When a com.
pany of men wearing aprons or badges
OF other paraphernalia follow a c6f-
fin. l conclude that the deceased was
a lodge member. When l see a cot
fin decked with the country's flag. &C
companied by military men, and when
l see military rites performed at the
grave, | a safely conclude that the
deceased was a soldier. And when
| Q the Christian congregation, with
their pastor, at the grave and hear
them sing or pray or use the word OF
God, I ought to be able to conclude
that the deceased was a Christian and
died a Christian death.
Is that not right? Ought we not to
be able to conclude that? Yes, we
ought to, and years 6 we could. but
nowadays you cannot. Almost daily
you a see where so-called Christian
ministers of1lciate at the graves Of open
unbelievers, suicides, criminals and
the like. Is this not true? They are
not abashed to grant such who have
died in open unbelief a Christian bur-
ial. That is shameful, unspeakably
horrible.
But, they say, you cannot Judge
others, you cannot see into their
heart whether they were Christians or
not, whether they have died in tho
faith or not. God says: Judge not,
that ye be not Judged" and that IL
what you do when you deny them a
Christian burial.
Now, my dear friends, 1t is true that
we cannot look into other mems hearts
to see whether they are upright Chris.
tians or not. But we do know, and
that most assuredly, what kind of PEG
pie are not Christians, namely, those
who despised the word of God and
the sacraments and refused to make
use of the means of grace and that
such people are not Christians, we
know from the word of God that can.
not lie. Christ says in unmistakable
words: "He that is of God heareth
Gods word"
And God also says: Because thou
hast rejected knowledge, / will also
reject thee" Think of this a mo-
ment. There is a man who knows our
church doors are open to him, he
knows that the ringing of the bells In
vite him. but he passes by.
l ask everyone who still has a
spark of conscience in him, ought such
! mar to. have a Christian burial?
Ought we to open the door to such a
person, who refused to enter them
when alive? Shall we confess hat we
look forward to his resurrection into
everlasting life? Is that denying the
faith, denying Christ as the only hope
Of salvation? Do we not know that
God says. blessed are the dead who
died in the Lord?" Shall we alter or
change this? Let us remember that
God said: BE not deceived, God is
aot Knocked"
It is just this gross denial of faith
1T the graves OF the ungodly that
causes men to become Indifferent in
religious matters. Christianity liz
therefore laid bare to open ridicule.
Men will ask, why should I run to
church? When I die they a easily
get a preacher who will bury me for
ZEN dollars and will preach as fine a
lermon as for those who constantly go
% church,"
But some will say, HE will not men
ion the deceased at all. We do not
want to have the impression that the
deceased is blessed and e%ternally
saved" That makes matters worse
still. Then they become hypocrites.
BY the fact that the deceased is not
mentioned in the prayers they show
10 Is not worthy Of 1t.
They stand there as Christian min
lsters and yet do not dare to mention
he deceased, because they and every
,ne present knows that he was not q
Christian, and that a Christian min
sster has no business there.
But they say, 1--WE are preaching to
he living and not the dead" What,
ire we burying the living? Is 1t not
he dead to whom the honor Of a Chris
ian burial is given? And do they say
hat they want to comfort the surviv-
re? How shall they comfort? If they
,ay the deceased Is saved, they are
guilty of a falsehood or If they speak
he truth and say the deceased did
lot die a Christian and cannot be
iaved, then they have aroused a storm
# hatred against themselves. Or
hall they preach repentance there
chat will fail also. Are they not off
dating at the burial Of an unbeliever?
WEI not the people say, Eff what you
Jay be true, why arc you here granting,
Christian burial to an unbeliever? ~
oh. my friends. let US remember
Blessed are the dead land only they)
Who die in the Lord" And to them
lone ought a Christian burial be-
ranted. If they have been hypocrites
md deceived us, they will find their
udge whom they cannot deceive. But
IS for us, may God grant us grace
hat we may not deny the faith nor
ieny the Saviour by granting Christian
ourials to such as have not died In
he Lord.
What Religion Supplies.
Every life must have force, 1t must,