Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1911-01-05
A Christian
Burial
By REV. W. BEHNkrN
Pas,or of Trinity Lutheran Church
Houston. Texas

slsht Christian burial De granted
Dur answer is shcrt and coueise
hflsllan's burial ought 10 be granted
'nly 70 Christians and 10 NO one slse.
wen if he We're The nieh,iesi ru,ar
IN earth Is that answer mol clear.
plain and concise enough NON let
IS look at that matter a little closer
When see a funeral procession
composed OF heatheis. headed by
leathen priest. ! conegdo hat the de.
'eased was a heathen When SOC
lsws, headed by a rabbi IN lisMeral
PROFESSIONS, rightly conclude that HE
deceased was a jew Men a COM.
9any OF men WEARING aprons or h.4dI,.s
y other naraphernalia ioilow a coy
in conclude that the deVe4s d VAS
! lodge memher When see j COZ
an decked With The country 5 flag &C.
solnpanicd hy military mon. and when
see military rites performed a the
grave can safely conclude tha, Ia,
deceased was soldier. And whot
see the Christian CONGREGATION. with
fi"lr pastor. al the grave aud hear
hen sing or pray or use tho wera OF
.fod. ! ought 10 BE able to conclude
hat the deceased MAS a Christian and
lied Christian death
Is that not right Onsht We NJ 10
Dc able 10 conclude that Yes, We.
ought 10. and years ago We could. tn,
nowadays You cannon Alnes daily
you can see whore so-called Christian
minister's ofiiciate all The graves Of open
Anhelievers. Suicides criminals and
he like Is this moi truce They arc
not ahashed To grant such who have
lied In open unbelief a Christian bur.
al That is shameful unspclkably
horrible
l'at they say. vow cannot Judge
others. You cannot see into their
heart whether they We're Christians OF.
not. whether they have died in tile
aiill or not God says llIdec not
hat We be not Judged and that is
What You do when YOU deny them a
hristian burial
Now my dear friends 1t Is true that
Ne cannot look into other mems hearts
q see whether they are upright Chris
rams or not l'nt We do know, and
hat most assuredly what kind OF PEG
Die are not Christians. namely. those
ho despised the word of God and
he sacraments and refused 10 make
use OF the means OF grace and that
such people are not Christians, we
Nnow from the word OF God that cNi
lot lie Christ says in unmistakable
words He that is OF God hearc,h
;od's word "
! Md God also SAYS Because thou
hast rejected knowledge. will also
eject thee. Think of this mo-
aent. There is u man who knows our
hurch doors are open to him. he
knows that the ringing of the bells In.
yite him. but he passes by
ask everyone who still has a
park Of conscience In him. ought snch
man to have IA Christian burial
Ought we TO open the door 10 such a
person. who refused to enter them
Nhen alive Shall we confess shat we
ook forward to his resurrection into
verlasting life? Is that DENYING the
7aith denying Christ as the only hope
of salva'ion9 DO we not know that
Tod says, blessed are the dead who
He'd In the Lord o. Shall We alter or
ehange this? Let us remember that
iod said. BE not deceived God Is
not Knocked
1t is just this gross denial of faith
Il the graves OF The ungodly that
causes men to become Indifferent in
religious matters Christianity is
therefore laid hare 10 open iidictile
Men viii ask. why shonld run to
church When | die they can easily
get preacher who will bury me for
ten dollars and Will preach as fine a
sermon as for those who constantly 20
to church n
i'ni some Will say. He viii not men
'ion the deceased Mt all We do not
want to have the impression hat the
deceased is blessed and eternally
saved That makes matters worse
still Then they become hypocrites
ny HE fact that the deceased is not
mentioned. In the prayers they show
he is not worthy of 1t
They stand here as Christian min
listers and yet do not dare to mention
The deceased because they and every
one present knows that he was not a
Christian. and that q Christian min.
lister has no business there
But they say. We are preac hing to
ME living and not the dead What,
are we burying the living2 Is II not
the dead 10 whom the honor of Chris
tal burial is given And do they say
that they want TO comfort the sulviv
ors How shall they comfort2 Ii they
say the deceased is saved they are
guilty Of falsehood or If they speak
the truth and say the deceased did
uo die a Christian and cannot be
saved. fhen they have aroused storm
Of haired against themselves. or.
,sllall they preach repentance there
That will fail also Are they rot Off.
eating 81 The burial OF an unbelieyero
Nill not The people say If what YOU
.ay be. Jiiie why arr you here granting
Christian burial to an unbeliever2?ns
oh Ay friends let Us remember
blessed are tie dead and only ihey)
who 81. ii, the Lord And 10 them
done ought i Christian burial be
granted Il hel have been hypocriies
ana deeeiged tss. thts Ssill find their
illGae yssela hey caflno deceive But
as i0F US may God grant us grace
tAar Ne laay MOI DIN. tho faith nor
lsny the ss'ayioun SIS granting Christian
f.RialS 70 snch as haS not died 10
III. ord