Funeral Services at Battle Creek
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South Lancaster, Mass.; M. C. Wilcox, of Mountain View, Cal.; C.
B. Stephenson, of Atlanta, Ga.; William Covert, of Aurora, Ill.; L.
H. Christian, of Chicago, Ill. Elder George I. Butler, of Bowling
Green, Fla., Long a close associate of Elder and Mrs. James White
in administrative affairs, had been invited by the General Conference
to assist in the service, but was unable to be present.
] ascended to the
rostrum, kneeling for a few moments in silent prayer. Then the choir
sang:
“Asleep in Jesus! Blessed sleep,
From which none ever wake to weep!
A calm and undisturbed repose,
Unbroken by the last of foes!
. . . . . . .
“Asleep in Jesus! Soon to rise,
When the last trump shall rend the skies!
Then burst the fetters of the tomb,
And wake in full, immortal bloom!”
Scripture Reading
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth,” read Elder F. M.
Wilcox, of Washington, D.C. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and
God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall
[465]
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away.” The passages read from the visions of
John on the isle of Patmos were
Revelation 21:1-7
;
22:1-5
; and with
these were linked the precious promises recorded in the thirty-fifth
chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy. “The ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee
away.”