For a Sixty-two-year-old Man

This sermon was delivered at the funeral of a sixty-two-year-old man, the father of a large grown family. From all appearances of knowledge of his friends, he was in a comfortable financial situation with no real debt and a very satisfactory family circumstance. After a period of depression, he committed suicide.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that "Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come." Thus he points to the impermanence of our life, and emphasizes the hope of the Christian.

Sometimes, in periods when things are going fairly smoothly for us we succumb to the illusion, even though we know better, that the situations of life are quite permanent. Changes which we know must some day cease seem so remote as to be unreal. Bu…