At last, after months of suffering and weary waiting, our beloved brother Mr. F. W. Grant has departed "to be with Christ, which is far better."He quietly fell asleep on Friday morning, July 25th, and was laid to rest Lord's day afternoon, on his sixty-eighth birthday.
In the midst of our grief, we cannot but thank God for this blessed release. Although hoping to the end that God would raise him up in answer to prayer, as He did so wondrously two years ago, it became increasingly evident that unless He interposed by a special act, our brother must go. He had spent every particle of strength, and all his reserve vitality was gone. He felt this, and his most acute suffering was the sense of inability to go on further in the things of God.
And yet at times he believed that God was giving him fuller capacity to understand His Word, and that it might please Him to continue the work so dear to him. But He has taken him home instead, and as we looked into his peaceful face, from which the signs of weariness and suffering had been taken away, we could but thank God for the blessed change for him.
On Lord's day afternoon, a large number of saints from the neighboring assemblies, with many others of the Lord's people, gathered for the burial. The sense of loss, of sympathy with his beloved wife and household, was mingled with gratitude for the precious ministry of this beloved brother, and a deep sense of the responsibility upon us, to stand where he stood, and to follow him as he followed Christ.
He was laid to rest, surrounded by his brethren, who felt the cheer and comfort of "that blessed hope " as they sang
"Forever with the Lord
Amen so let it be."
It is hoped in our next issue to present some outline of the work and the character of the ministry of our brother which shortness of time prevents now. S. R.
NO NIGHT THERE.
No need of feeble candle-flame, nor flare
Of fitful sunlight, oft by clouds obscure;
But light that shall eternally endure.
God giveth light, our hearts could not conceive,
These eyes could not behold, yet we believe
'Tis all light there.
NO TEARS THERE.
No weary watchings, with no heart to share
Our anguish. Yet the burdened soul finds rest
In sweet communings on the Saviour's breast;
Sweet foretaste of that never ending day,
When God Himself shall wipe all tears away.
All joy there.
H. Mc. D.