The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1911-02-03
| A Christian
:: Burial
By REV. W. BEHNKEN
Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church
Houston, Texas

ought CHRISTIAN burial De Srdnleu!
Our answer is short and cOncise-a
Christians burial ought to be granted
only to Christians and to no one else
even If he were the mightiest ruler
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
heather priest, l conclude that the de-
ceased was heather. When | see
Jews, headed by a rabbi, in funeral
professions, | rightly conclude that the
deceased was a Jew When a COM
pany of men wearing aprons or badges
or other paraphernalia follow a cof
fin. | conclude that the deceased was
a lodge member. When | see a cof'
fin decked with the country's flag, &C
companied by military men, and when
| see military rites performed at the
grave, | can safely conclude that the
deceased was soldier. And when
| see the Christian congregation, with
their pastor, at the grave and hear
them sing or pray or use the word OF
God, l ought to be able to conclude
that the deceased was Christian and
died Christian death.
Is that not right? Ought we not to
be able to conclude that? Yes, we
ought to, and years ago we could, but
nowadays you cannot. Almost daily
you can see where so-called Christian
ministers officiate 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 OF
not. whether they have died in the
faith or not. God says: Judge not,
that We be not judged" and that Is
what you do when you deny them a
Christian burial.
Now, my dear friends, it 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 peo
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
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, I will also
reject thee" Think of this a mo-
ment. There is 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.
ask everyone who still has a
spark of conscience in him, ought such
a man 10 have a Christian burial?
Ought we to open the door to such a
person, who refused to enter them
when alive? Shall we confess that 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
not Knocked"
1t Is just this gross denial of faith
at the graves of the ungodly that
causes men to become Indifferent in
religious matters. Christianity is
therefore laid bare to open ridicule.
Men will ask, why should I run to
church? When | die they can easily
get a preacher who will bury me for
ten dollars and will preach as fine a
sermon as for those who constantly go
to church?"'
But some will say, "He will not men
ton the deceased at all. We do not
want to have the impression that the
deceased is blessed and eternally
saved" That makes matters worse
still. Then they become hypocrites.
By the fact that the deceased is not
mentioned in the prayers they show
he is not worthy Of it.
They stand there 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 a Christian min.
lister has no business there.
But they say, I'VE are preaching to
the living and not the dead" What,
are we burying the living? Is 1t not
the dead to whom the honor of Chris
tan burial Is given? And do they say
that they want to comfort the surviv.
ors? How shall they comfort? If they
say the deceased is saved, they are
guilty of a falsehood or if they speak
the truth and say the deceased did
not die a Christian and cannot be
saved, then they have aroused a storm
of hatred against themselves. Or
shall they preach repentance there
That will fail also. Are they not Off
ciating at the burial of an unbeliever?
Will not the people say, IF what you
say be true, why are you here granting
a Christian burial to an unbeliever?"
Oh, my friends, let us remember
'Ble~sed are the dead land only they)
who die in the Lord" And to them
alone ought a Christian burial be
granted If they have been hypocrites
and deceived us, they will find their
nudge whom they cannot deceive But
as for us, may God grant us grace
that We may not deny the faith nor
deny the Saviour by granting Christian
burials to such as have not died in
the Lord.