Herald of Truth Volume I, No. 9., September 1864 Page 60

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August 10th, Silas Onan, Son of bro. and sister Jacob and Mary Shaum, aged 8 yrs. 7 mo. and 27 days. His buriel(sic) on the 17th was largely attended. Appropriate remarks were sought to be made by the writer from Eccl. 7:2.

Silas Onan, tender son!
Thou has left us. Can it be
That so soon thy race is run?-
We are grieved to part with thee.
Calmly rest thee now in peace,
From thy sufferings here below;
God hath bid thy sorrow cease-
No more sorrow thou shalt know.

Silas Onan, brother dear!
Must we yield to let thee go?
0! that we could keep thee here,
To abide with us below
Though tis God has called the hence,
Still 'tis hard with thee to part
Yet we trust through Providence
Once to meet thee where thou art
DANIEL BRENNEMAN

June 24th, in Waterloo Co., Canada West, Jacob S, Son of John Y. Shantz, aged 17 yrs. 6 mo. and 20 days. His disease was consumption.
The following is a letter which he wrote to his sister, from which we can see, how God manifests his love towards us through the Spirit of Christ, if we humble ourselves as we ought and come to him in sincerity and with self-denial.

June 14th 1864.
Dear sister!
As the Lord has spared my life till this present hour, I will not delay any longer to send my greatest love to you my beloved sister.

And I will let you know that preacher Stolm has visited me one day and told me many good things about our great God, and he told me that I should now prepare to meet the Lord in peace; that he expected my days in this world would be short and my heart felt not sorry to hear it; for I hope if the Lord should end my life immediately, I could meet my God in peace; and I will pray earnestly to my God, for I don't know when the Lord will take me to that sweet happy home from whence I will never return any more. I often felt glad that I could soon go home to meet my two little brothers who have gone before me, but now the time is here when I shall go and meet them in that sweet happy home; and when I am once there I shall never wish to come back upon this earth any more. But I wish that all my brothers and sisters would try to follow me, for which I hope there is no doubt you will pray earnestly to that all saving God.
I feel tired and think it is time for me to come to a close. I send my best respects to you all.
Jacob S. Shantz.

Dear reader, Have you also, yet perceived that God is gracious, as this youth who could so rejoice in view of the end of this, his earthly life, which his disease thus pointed out to him. 0! bethink thyself for once and pray to God as David did: Lord so teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart to wisdom. For such wisdom we should all pray, because not every one like this youth will be laid low with a lingering disease, therefore let us become obedient to him while we are in good health. The Lord is so gracious, so kind and so merciful if we only deny ourselves and become obedient to his merciful instructions then, we may also, already in our healthful days, have the assurance of the heavenly sweetness even as this youth in his sickness could rejoice in view of his passing over beyond the grave.
0! why then will we not accept the free grace, the glad tidings of the gospel? If we lead a godly life, we have, even in this world more enjoyment, (than if we live in sin) and also the promise of future salvation and all
that it costs to yield obedience to Jesus Christ is our self-will.

O could we with this youth exclaim,
When the messenger of death shall come,
"I would no longer here remain,
I, go to that sweet, happy home."

There I'll meet my little brothers,
Who went to heaven long ago;
I shall be happy then for ever,
And wish no more to dwell below.

O brothers! sisters! ! follow me,
I beseech you, forget it not!
"Come unto me," God calls to you;
Eternal peace shall be your lot.

Now my prayers to God ascend
Whom I shall praise forever there;
Soon, in His presence, I shall stand,
In that sweet, happy home, so fair.
J. Y. Shantz.

On the 11th of August, in Wood Co., Ohio, of Dysentery, Rachel, Daughter of George and Fanny Tyson, aged 11 mo. and 13 days. Funeral sermon preached from 1 Pet. 1: 24. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away."
DAVID TYSON.

On August 11th in Jeffersonville Hospital, Joseph Freed, aged 17 years 7 months and 13 days. Funerel(sic) services were held on Sunday the 28th at the new meeting house, in Elkhart Co., Ind., where his parents reside, on which occasion bro. Daniel Brenneman preached a discourse from 2 Sam. 18: 33., to a very large audience.

Transcribed by Ron Garber, Kansas

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