1064 THE KING’S BUSINESS throughout nature that bodies decompose in the grave, while it is an invention of man to cremate. Cremation works quicker, say some of its defenders. But, what is your hurry? Practically-all God’s methods are slow. We .can’t help that the body decays of itself. But we, do not need to go ahead and cold bloodedly burn our dead ones. Small wonder that John Stover Cobb in “Quar ter Century Cremation” admits, that '“Nowadays cremation is largely employed as a means of disposing of the dead whose memory no one cares to keep sac red.” Encyclopaedia Britannica says: “Cremation in the United States is followed principally in cases where the person cremated has been guilty of some brutal crime or of some act in the way of suicide, making it desirable that the memory of his existence is forgotten.” Let anyone put their beloved in that class, if they please. (2) Sanitation. One of the strong arguments for cremation is, that cemeteries are unhealthy. In olden days with open wells near cemeteries, there might be something in it. But in the cities with modern plumbing and sanitation in general, there is nothing in that fear. In the coun try, cemeteries are usually far from private wells. (3) Cremation, burning of the. bodies of the dead, is in the Bible spoken of as something awful (Gen. 38:24; Deut. 12:13; Amos 2:1). (4) Hostile Act. Cremation is spoken of as the action of enemies in Jer. 25:33 and Rev. 11:9. (5) Heathenism. Cremation is of heathen origin. Not Christian. It was used by those who thereby would taunt the Christians for their hope in resurrection (Eph. 4:17). “Cremation is a deviation from the ordained and sacred custom of burial, a custom that has received the uninterrupted sanction of the Christian Church for almost 2000 years. It is essentially pagan in its origin and was abolished by the early Christians.”.—-International Encyclopaedia. (6 ). Old Testament. Believers practiced burial in graves and caves. Not cremation (1 Kings 13 :30; John 19:40). (7) New Testament. That the early Christians practiced burial is shown by their symbolism (Acts 8:2; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12). (8) Resurrec tion. From John 5 :28 we learn two things: First, that all shall arise however they have died or been disposed of—drowned, eaten or burned. If this was not the case, the first Christians, who were burned at the stake could not arise. Secondly? it shows—as all other passages—that the promises of resurrection are spoken over the grave not over the urn. (9) Christ Jesus was buried (John 19:43). The Christian wants to follow Christ as closely as he can—-in life, in death, in burial. Furthermore—Christ has by being laid in the grave hal lowed the grave for us and our dear ones. If it was good enough for Christ, why should I—His creature—desire something different from my creator? (10) Hymnology. The Christian hymns, of burial and j-esurrection—old and new—are written over the grave not over the fire. Prudentius wrote in the beginning'of the fifth century, the beautiful hymn: “A gift to the Church yard we tender,'
As dust to the dust we surrender, Returning the clay to its maker, We lay it to rest in God’s acre.”
In closing let me quote—as to the cremation act itself—a man, who has taken hold of the anti-cremation agitation on the Pacific Coast—-Rev. F. A. Heath: “Cremation not only has a Pagan origin and this opprobrious signifi cance, but it is also a heartless method of disposing of the dead, a method that
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