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THE COUNTRYMAN.
In what does this blessedness consist,
which is to be enjoyed by those who die
in the Lord ? It consists, in the first
place, of an absence of sorrow. For
“God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes: and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying: neith
er shall there be any more pain; for
the former things, have passed away.”
How happy shall heaven be, if within her
borders, there b§ no sorrow, and no cry
ing !
But there will be more than absence
of sorrow, in heaven. There will be
positive happiness there. There we shall
have peace with God, and enjoy the'so-
ciety of angels, and of just men made
perfect. There we shall eat of the bread
of life, and drink of the river of life.
“And he showed me a pure river of
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding
out of the throne of God, and of the
Lamb. In the midst of the street of it,
and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve man
ner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every
month : and the leaves of the tree were
for the healing of the nations.”
But why should I attempt to describe
the joys of Paradise—I whose tongue has
never been inspired—when the inspired
pensman acknowledges himself inade
quate to the task ? “ Eye hath not seen,
norear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.”
“For I reckon that the sufferings of
this present time, are not worthy to be
compared with the glory, which shall be
revealed in us.” Double the amount of
human happiness, ever felt by man, upon
earth, in his most ecstatic dreams, is not
worthy to be compared even, with the
Christian’s future happiness. And every
affliction which we suffer upon earth, will
but add to that happiness. “ For our
light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding, and
eternal weight of glory.” “ Blessed are
they which die in the Lord, from hence
forth: Yea. saith the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labors; and their
works do follow them.” Blessed are they
who die in the Lord, because they enter
upon that “ rest which rcmaineth to the
people of God.”
They who die in the Lord, their works
do follow them. But we are not to under
stand, by this, that man can merit heaven,
by good works. The righteous man’s claim
to heaven does not rest upon good works,
but upon the redemption purchased by the
blood of his Savior. At the same time,
however, that man may not merit heaven,
by good works, his happiness may be en
hanced, in the celestial city, by deeds of
holiness on earth. His good works are
made rewardable. For God has told us, in
his holy word, that not even the giving of a
cup of cold water shall lose its reward.
I repeat it—good works, done here,
will enhance our hapiness in heaven. No
deed of benevolence is ever lost on this
earth. God approves it, and conscience
Fev. xxi, 4. Rev. xxii, 12.
1 Cor. ii, 9. Rom. viii, 18.
2 Cor. iv, 17. Heb. iv, 9.
smiles upon every deed of benevolence,
done here. And, if this be the case upon
this earth, how infinitely greater will be
our happiness, hereafter,'for every good
deed wrought in this world ! Good deeds
are all that can follow us into another
world. Therefore, “ Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord, from henceforth :
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest
from their labors; and their works do
follow them.”
If, then, our works do follow us into
another world, how careful should we be
to have those works right! They are the
only witnesses that will confront us, when
this mortal shall put on immortality, and
their testimony will raise us higher in the
joys of heaven, or sink us deeper in the
depths of hell. “ Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord, from henceforth :
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest
from their labors: and their works do
follow them.”
Thus, my hearers, have I briefly, and
imperfectly analysed the words of my
text. May God’s Spirit impress its impor
tance upon your hearts, and mine!
Let us turn, for one moment, to the
good deeds of the deceased. She is gone,
and her works do follow her. She has
entered upon her reward. - Called sud
denly away, the sad blow has taken from
us, the fond companion, the affectionate
mother, and the kind mistress. The
weeping husband, the tender children, the
grief-stricken servants, will miss her,
irom this desolate house, and this dreary
hearthstone. May God cause to bud
anew the crushed hopes of all these
bleeding hearts! It was not my good
fortune to be acquainted with the deceas
ed, while yet in life, but I have had it
from her neighbors, that her character
was unexceptionable—that she was a
model wife, and a model mother. All her
happiness—in fact, her whole world—was
found within the home circle. She look
ed no where else for earthly happiness,
save to the bosoms of her husband, and
her children. And, with regard to a
brighter home in heaven, she strove to
bring up her children in the nurture, and
admonition of the Lord.
She made no outward profession of re
ligion : yet she loved her Savior, and
read her bible daily, and nightly. No one
can daily read God’s word, and bow be
fore God’s throne, without experiencing
some of the comforts of religion. She
consecrated herself to God, in the retire
ment of home, and the God whom she
served has taken her away from her now
sad, arid crushed, and dreary, and deso
late household. Yes, it was God who
did it. It was the kind hand of a heav
enly father, that struck the blow, in love,
and not in anger. “ Whom the Lord
loveth, he chasteneth.”
I would say to the weeping family of
our deceased sister, Strive to emulate her
virtues, and meet tier in a brighter, and
better world. David said, when he had
lost his child, that he could not bring'
back his child to him, but be could go to
his child. You, children, can go to your
mother, and you, husband, can go to
your wife, and you can go to God. By
repentance, you can go to your Father
in heaven*, and yon can go to him, now,
and lay your griefs all before him. Hu
man sympathy is all in vain: but the
hand of heavenly, paternal affection, can
bind up all your broken hearts. It was
this hand that gave the wound, and this
alone can heal it. Give your whole hearts
to God, during the balance «f your lives,
and then when you are called from earth,
you will lie down in a peaceful, and quiet
death.
My Christian friends,let us all take warn
ing fro n this sad, and melancholy event/
But'a few days ago, she, who now lies a
corpse before you, was alive, and healthy,
and well. Let our conduct be such that,
at any moment, we may be ready for the
fell messenger, whenever he comes. Soon
er, or later, we must all die. Let each
one ask himself, Am I ready ? Am I
ready to gather my feet up in death, and
meet my God in peace ?
Let me exhort you all, my bearers, by
the mercies of God, to consecrate your
selves to his service. Prepare—prepare
to meet your God. God help us all so
to live, that we may have no fear of the
grim monster—so that when death comes,
we may meet him, even as a familiar
friend.
But a few days ago, I conversed with
an aged father in Israel—a good citizen,
and a patriot. For ninety years, he has
been buffeting life’s stream. For sixty
of those years, he has been striving to
serve God. Now he stands upon Jor
dan’s stormy banks, and casts a wishful
eye, over on the other shore. lie seem
ed impatient to go. There he stood, like
the grain ready for the harvest, and only
awaited the sickle of the reaper, to be
gathered into the garner of the Lord. I
almost envied him his lot. “ Be ye also
ready, for, in such an hour as ye think
not, the Sou of Man cometh.”
May God incline our hearts unto wis
dom, and may we, like this aged man,
and the §ister who lies before us, “be al
so ready.” And when we are gone, may
it be written of us, too, “Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord : Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labors; and their works do follow them.”
May God add his blessing, for Christ’s
sake—amen. And now, dust to dust,
will we return the body of our deceased
sister, and her soul to God who gave it.”
Mat. xxiv, 44.
“Michelet, the French historian, in
that memorable book ‘L’Amour,’ sev
eral years ago, used the following
language : ‘The life of Europe is the
life of the world; if it dies, the world
dies. America, flooded by ap emi
grant population at war with Catho
lic civilization, is fast lapsing into bar*
barisin.' ”
Gen. Beauregard passed through
town, this morning, early. He came
by a special train, from Columbus.
Gen. Cobb arrived in town, last
night, from Augusta.—Macon Tele»
graph 1 si.