A Sermon Delivered by JOHN YEARDLEY, at an Unspecified Funeral, 12th month 8th, 1854.
Taylor, Charles, ed. Memoir and Diary of John Yeardley, Minister of the Gospel. London: A.W. Bennett, 1859.
This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part 3: The 19th Century.
In the pain of parting with the beloved object of our heart's affection, we forget the rejoicing which welcomes the ransomed spirit to its everlasting rest. But when the time is come for the Lord to pour in the healing balm into the sorrowing soul, then we find a little comfort .....
Watchman! what of the night? Watchman! what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return; come."(1) There are many in this company in the morning of life, enjoying the prospect of many days, and forming many plans for the future, with all the ardour of their youthful minds, May the present occasion prove the morning of their spiritual day; and may they remember that the night cometh as well as the morning.
How thin is the partition which separates the present state from that of eternity! We mourn over
those who are taken away from us, and we fancy we are left alone. But we are called to be one in
Christ. I have great faith in the communion of saints, in the union of saints on earth with saints in
heaven. And we are all called to be saints by walking in faith, by leading a life of holiness in the
fear of the Lord. We say our beloved friends who have gone before us are dead. They are not
dead: they have but just entered into life. Let us not mourn, then, as those who have no hope. Let
us rather rejoice with them and for them, and so live that we may be among the ransomed of the
Lord, who shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
1. Isaiah 21:11. -pds