FUNERAL SERVICES

(See Burial of the Dead and Dead .) The office which the English Church appoints to be used at the burial of the dead is, like all her other offices, of most ancient date, having been used by the Church in the East and the West from the remotest antiquity, and having been only translated into English by the bishops and divines who reformed our Church. But against this office, as against others, cavils have been raised. The expre ion chiefly cavilled at in this service is that with which we commit our brother’s “body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ .” Now here it will be observed, that no certainty is expre ed that the individual interred will rise to the resurrection of glory. The certainty is,—that there will be a resurrection to eternal life,—while a hope is first implied, and afterwards expre ed, that in this resurrection the individual buried will have a part. And who are they who will chide the Church for hoping thus,—even though it be sometimes a hope against hope? The Church refuses to perform the funeral service over persons not baptized, or who have been excommunicated, because she only performs her good offices for those who are within her communion. More than this cannot be expected of any society. But the only cla of persons who may have died within her communion, over whom she refuses to perform the burial service, is that of those who have died guilty of self-murder. It is so very evident that such persons died in impenitence and mortal sin, (unle they were insane when they did the act,) that she is therefore obliged to exclude them. With respect to all others, she remembers our Lord’s injunction—Judge not. He does not say, judge not harshly—he says, judge not—judge not at all. The province of judging belongs to God , and to God only. The Church leaves it to that supreme and irresponsible jurisdiction to make the nece ary particular distinctions in the individual application of the doctrine she teaches generally . Surely those very persons who now cavil at the Church for her charity in this respect, would be the first to cast the stone at her, if, when they brought the body of a dead brother to the church, our clergy should have to say, “We will not expre a hope in this case, because it does not admit of a hope;” as they must do if they were to take upon themselves the authority to judge in each particular case. No. Throughout the Burial Service we look to the bright side of the question, we remember that there is a resurrection to life, and we hope that to that resurrection each brother we inter will be admitted. And is the Church wrong? Then let the caviller stay away. If he chooses to judge of his departed relative, and to consign him without hope to the grave, let him bury him with the burial of an a . We do not compel him to attend the services of the Church,—let him, then, stay away; if he comes, however, to the church, the Church will expre her hope: Better in silence hide their dead and go, Than sing a hopele dirge, or coldly chide The faith that owns relief from earthly woe. The last line of this quotation suggests another point to which attention must be directed, viz. the fact of our returning thanks to Almighty God for having “delivered our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world.” How, it is asked, can this be done with sincerity, at the very time when the tears and moans of weeping friends seem to belie the a ertion? And we answer, it is because the Church a umes that those who attend her services are under the influence of Christian faith; and of Christian faith a most important part consists in the belief of God’s especial providence. Except by God’s permi ion, the true Christian believes that not a sparrow can fall to the ground, not a hair on our head can perish; and the true Christian also believeth that God doth not willingly afflict the children of men, but that when he chasten eth, he doth it even as a father chasten eth his child, for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holine . Suppose that a parent be taken in the vigour of his strength, from a loving wife and helple little ones,—and this is, perhaps, the severest dispensation we can conceive:—that the desolate and the destitute should grieve is natural. And are they to be blamed for this? No; for at the grave of Lazarus our ble ed Lord groaned in his spirit and wept. Why, indeed, is affliction sent? Is it not sent for this very purpose—to make us grieve? And while affliction is impending, we may pray that it may be averted. Did not the Lord Jesus do the same? Thrice, in his agony, he prayed that the cup of sorrow might be removed from him; thereby affording us an example, that we may pray for the turning away of a calamity,—though at the same time affording us an example to say, when the prayer has not been granted, “ Father , not my will, but thine be done.” And if the petition, the petition for the life of a parent or a friend, has not been granted, why has it been unheeded by the Father of mercies? The faith of the true Christian answers, even because God foresaw that it would be more conducive to the everlasting welfare of the lost one, the everlasting welfare of his desolate wife, to the everlasting welfare of his destitute children, that he should be taken at the very time he was. This, says the heart of faith, is mysterious in our eyes, but it is the Lord’s doing; it is the Lord , let him do what seemeth him good. It is thus that, in the midst of sighs and groans, the Christian spirit can give God thanks while nature weeps, grace consoles, and faith a ures us that what has been done is right.