Year: 1871




From the funeral sermon of the late and
lamented Judge E. M Yerger, preached at
Memphis on the 7th inst, by Bishop Quin-
tard, we extract the following Standing
here before the cofiued form of one whose
ike we shall not see in many q day, in the
presence, also, of laeerated hearts, made
by this great bereavement, too tender for
the touch of human sympathy. we can feel
that the sympathy of God speaks
with the voice of q man who knows
and feels; who has suffered as
these hearts suffer. We feel that those
aching hearts and throbbiDg bosoms may
be laid eonfidingly on the bosom of the
Saviour. The great suffering of the God
man; his strong cry and tears in the gar
den; bis intense suffering; his bitter DESC
lation; his prostrstion on the ground; his
suffering in the dead of night, when only
the Great Eternal and the angels beheld
him, were endured to teach us how to
bear up against such an hour as this; that
we might be encouraged to take mp our
cross, and thus participating in his sor-
row, become worthy to partake Of
his triumphs and his glory. We
know that to-day there are great
hearts touched with fellowship Of sorrow.
A great light has gone out, genial COM
panion gone, whose sweet smile and true
fellowship went to the soul, whose great
heart was true TO every instinct of love.
To see that noble form stretched in the
cold embrace eff death; to give that form,
precious as it is, to the gloomy portals Of
the grave, then turn to the bereaved home
of which he was the light aud Joy, to feel
that with him all of life and intercourse
with man is over, this is more than mortal
heart can bear. Bot, o God, we must
have faith We are all children of hope.
Standing here beside the coffin
that contains the form of one whom
knew in life, and whom it was my privilege
to attend in death, l realize this hope. l
loved him; all men who knew him loved
him. ] krow there were wasted hours
in that life. Blessed Jesus, / know you
will have mercy on him. What were
all his dear friendships without the con-
secrating cross To that cross he clung,
and by that cross he shall rise again to
life eternal. You who loved him may
not show your love by mere idle tears of
sympathy, as his form is laid in the
grave. could expect more than that.
The great lesson comes to our hearts TO-
day; to you, more especially his compan-
ions who knew how the elements were
mixed up in him, that lesson ia the uncer-
tainty of life. What stay was it to him
that hundreds of hearts were laid, as it
were, beside him on his dying bed? To-
day low lies the head that was crowned
with honors. That heart that beat with
high affection, now lies as the clod Of the
valley. implore you, his companions,
implore you men gathered round
his coffin and standing here before
the altar OF the living God, by the bonds
of that affection that has been so rudely
snapped by the rude hand of death, by the
tender mercies of God, by the worth Of
your immortal souls. implore you take to
heart this lesson. By the reason that con-
demns You, by the conscience that up
braids you, by the voice of God which you
disregard, by the warnings of Provi-
dence which continually remind you, en-
treat you now to be reconciled to God,
that you may be prepared to meet death.